KJV Blog Directory

Monday Ministry Highlights -- A Lesson in Christian Love

2012-01-30T08:42:00.000-06:00

...God is Love. 1 John 4:8

Exciting things are happening here in Kenora. One of our teen girls brought a friend to youth last week. A man we have been praying for a long time came to church yesterday. We also had a man return that had fallen out of church for a few months. And Praise the Lord! We have a baptism next Sunday. We were also able to order our new hymnals! This has been a week of much needed encouragement.

John 13:34

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

We have a lot of plans for Victory Baptist Church in the next year. One of the things we are doing is new to all of us. It started out as a project for the ladies and has turned into a church-wide lesson in Love. This year we will be working on making and collecting blankets and personal gift bags for the homeless in our community.

My husband preached awhile back that love is not an investment. So often we love hoping to get something in return. I'm so glad that God didn't love like that! I have nothing to give Him, but He loved me anyway.

The ladies are making 8" crocheted or knitted squares. We also have one lady making quilts. We even have a lady in the community who wants to help. Then we will spend our bi-monthly ladies' fellowships assembling the blankets. Late this Fall, we will assemble gift bags of personal items, and make lots of cookies and sandwiches. Included in the bags will be some Gospel literature and we hope to have enough Bibles to include one in each bag. Then we will send out groups of men to deliver the gifts.

Hebrews 10:24

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Even our children are getting involved. Our son, Jerry (almost 7), came to me last night after church with a Walmart bag. Inside were some of his Lego, his magnify glass, and a picture he colored. He said it was for a homeless child. He told me he colored the picture, because he figured a homeless kid couldn't afford crayons and he didn't want the child to feel bad. Isn't it a shame when children grasp the meaning of love with such simplicity and we adults fight ugly thoughts about who or what the homeless are? We have two men in our church, good men, who have in the past spent some time on the street for different reasons. Christ died for everyone. I love how children love unconditionally and without prejudice.

I had said that we are hoping for nothing in return, but that's not entirely true. We are praying for some souls to be saved and lives to be restored. I'm excited. If any of you have ever done something like this before and have any helpful suggestions, I would love to hear from you. My Email

Pray with us that this endeavor will be successful in teaching us love, humility, and compassion and that souls will be saved. It's going to be a great year!

Wednesday in the Word: Finding Eeyore...Again!

2012-01-25T06:06:00.000-06:00

The last two times our grandchildren have been over to play I have called myself
checking to see if all the toys got put up. Then both times in a day or two I've
found poor little Eeyore off somewhere all by himself. Pouting I guess. Or
feeling sorry for himself. Thats what he does best.

The first time I found him was purely accidental. I was in the living room
looking into the kitchen and saw something under the dining table. Something a
little more than the normal dust bunnies that usually reside there. I had no
idea what it was, seeing it from a distance, but when I went into the kitchen
and knelt down to look, there he was...little Eeyore...facedown on the floor. I
rescued him and took him back to the toy box so he could visit with Pooh, Elmo
and Barbie.

The last time the kids were here we gathered up ''all'' the toys
before they left. Or so I thought until the next afternoon when I found little
Mr. Eeyore...again off alone. This time flat on his back! I took pity on him and
took him back to the toy box.

I guess the reason I'm writing about Eeyore is that I so identify
with him! He can be so ''dismally gloomy'' much of the time. So can I! Oh, I
don't really intend to be. I think that I have things all straightened out, my
life in order and all tidy, and then all of a sudden there he is...Eeyore... my
gloomy side....and I either fall flat on my face in defeat or I find myself
lying on my back lazily moping my time away.

Neither of these attitudes will do me much good. And the devil
knows this. The doom and gloom story is one of his best weapons against us
Christians. He tries to make us think that we are total failures. He tries to
make us think that we'll never be good enough. The thing is that he uses a
little bit of truth with all his lies and we fall for the lie. Yes, I am a
failure. No, I'll never be good enough. But what I need to always remember is
that it's not about ME! It's all about Him! It's about Jesus Christ. And He will
never fail but always succeeds. He is the only One who has ever been good
enough. Because I have put my faith in Him, then He has covered me with His
righteousness and I can receive eternal life just as if I'd never sinned.

So when you're living life and find Eeyore hiding in a corner
making you feel gloomy, just remember where your joy comes from! "for the
joy of the LORD is your strength."(Neh.8:10 b)

King David also had a gloomy side to him sometimes. His antidote
is found in Psalm 42:11 where he says: "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise
him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God."

So I pray that I can keep my Eeyore side cheered up in the joy of
the LORD. How about you? Does Eeyore ever show up at your house?

God bless you!

Marilyn

Tuesday Tapestry: "IF" - The Biggest Little Word Ever! {Part 2}

2012-01-24T06:00:00.002-06:00

Click here to read "IF" - The Biggest Little Word Ever {Part 1}

Last Tuesday, we talked about all the times we use the word "IF". You can click the link above to read more.

Today we are talking about an "IF" God has given us. A condition. A promise. Something that will happen IF we do our part.

What is that promise?

Galatians 6:9 ~

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

The promise - We will reap!

The condition {our part} - IF we faint not! {we will reap regardless. But we will reap good things IF we faint not....}

So many mothers are "weary in well doing". There's so much to do and no one to help. Everyone needs something and they all want it at once. You feel all alone. You feel helpless and discouraged. You can't do it all. I know I've been there.

We need to remember that the love we're sowing today {and yes, changing a baby's yucky diaper is considered an act of love by God!} will be reaped in "due season" if we faint not. Continue the house work, the cooking, the laundry. Continue changing all those diapers, and homeschooling. Continue teaching that Sunday School class, or visiting that person who says she'll come to church but never does. It really is so worth it!

Consider the condition: We WILL reap IF we faint not. Don't give up! Continue! Continue! Continue! You may not see any benefit from your labors today. You may not hear any "thank yous" today, this week, or even this year, but you can know that God sees and He will reward you according to your labors.

photo credit

Colossians 4:17

...Take heed to the ministry which thou has received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it....

I used to think that my husband was out working in the ministry racking up rewards in Heaven, while I was at home cleaning up after kids, and dogs and doing all the 'dirty' work! But then, I realized that my husband, my children, and my home were my ministry.

My husband can't do what God has for him IF I'm not home serving and making it possible for him to do those things!! Your job as your husband's wife is to make him comfortable, feed his belly, sooth his soul, be his sounding board, wash his laundry, and do whatever else you can to make him more successful in his ministry. That's it! God has called your husband to walk with Him in whatever job he has - ministry or otherwise. You are called to help your husband fulfill that role. It's actually pretty simple when you step back and look at the big picture.

God considers being a servant better than being served. God knows that your husband can't do what he does without you and your support - even though your husband may not always realize this. Once I figured this out, I was able to move ahead and be happy in my work. I realized that I was doing what I do to improve my husband's ministry! I was doing what I do for God! And, I must admit, I have plenty of fun reminding my husband that *I* am the most important part of "us" because *I* am his servant. =P Let's face it, ladies, men just can't make it without us!! ;)

Weary in well doing: Washing dishes, laundry, house work, homeschooling, cooking, groceries, diapers, and a whole host of other jobs - all of this is "well doing". Someone has to do it. Someone has to train up the next generation in how to do it.

Just remember - there's a SOMEONE up in Heaven who knows what you've done! I've also told my husband, "God knows I've cleaned up such and such at least 5 times today even if no one else can tell!". God knows. And God will reward you for each of those 5 times!

Do you remember the apple tree we talked about last week? Did you know an apple tree has to grow for 7 years before it can produce any apples? 7 Years is "due season" for an apple tree. Sometimes it's the same with us. We love and we pour ourselves into our children and our housework. No one can tell. The house looks the same today as it did yesterday {or 5 minutes ago} and it will look the same tomorrow. The kids are all the same. No big changes are seen. But today is not "due season". Due season is God's timing.

He has promised that we will reap in due season.

What will we reap? What ever we sow {good or bad}!!

When will we reap? In due season - but we only reap good IF we faint not.

Due season is coming! Will you be happy with what you sowed? Will you be glad you continued? Or will you be wishing you had not given up?

Don't give up! Continue! Don't stop now. You're almost there! And just think of the rewards that await you! It's so worth it! All of it!

Angela Vance ~ Hidden Treasures
Preacher's Wife

Monday Ministry Highlights: MARRIAGE IS HONORABLE

2012-01-23T05:53:00.195-06:00

In recent years my pastor (and husband) has had some unique opportunities with weddings. There is nothing unusual about a pastor performing a wedding ceremony. However, Tony has done several weddings in recent years that I consider out of the ordinary.
One of these opportunities presented itself when we got a phone call at the house one Saturday morning. The young man on the other end of the line asked Tony if he would come to his house and marry he and his fiance that very afternoon. They had already done the necessary legals. As the conversation went on Tony inquired about their spiritual condition. You see he is of the Biblical opinion that saved people are not to marry unsaved people. Of course, the verse for this is 2 Cor. 6:14. If the couple were both unsaved, he would marry them, or if the couple were both saved, he would marry them. That is if they were not divorced (but that is another issue we will not deal with today.) Continuing the phone conversation, the young man told Tony that his girlfriend was saved, but he was not. He also said they had been living together for several years, and they have a child together. Seeing that the depth of the conversation was growing, Tony decided that he needed to meet with the couple and have a brief counseling session before deciding whether or not he could marry them.
The young man was saved during the counseling session, and Tony performed an informal ceremony that afternoon at the couples residence. There were a few family members present, including the child of the couple. My daughter, two men from our church, and I also attended. As I watched the child at the ceremony, I couldn't help but be delighted for her. She apparently knew that this was a special occasion; she had worn a pretty dress for the ceremony, and changed into more casual clothing immediately after. Did she somehow know that now her home was becoming one that could be blessed of the Lord? Tony told the "congregation" that this couple has chosen to enter the honorable institution of marriage. They were moving from dishonor to honor. Hebrews 13:4 states, "Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." We are pursuing this family, hoping to baptize them, the wife had made a profession at another church but was refused baptism because of their living arrangement at that time. The child has already been saved and baptized. So we hope to gain their membership and help them to grow in grace.
This was not the first time my pastor/husband had a situation like this. With the moral climate of our society, we are seeing more "unusual" situations in the ministry. However, we have to meet people with the gospel wherever they are in life. We need to stand on the Word while at the same time showing compassion. We must have the attitude, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." Though not a verse in the Bible, that principle is supported by several passages, such as Prov. 16:18, Gal. 6:1, and 1Cor. 6:11. We thank the Lord for allowing us to have a part in helping couples to move from dishonor to honor.

Blessings!

Lisa

Friday Features: God's Amazing Grace 2 Corinthians 2:9

2012-01-20T08:29:00.001-06:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Kasey on Pinterest

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

2 Corinthians 2:9

When your entire family is sick with the stomach flu, His grace is sufficient.

When your family is going through financial strain, His grace is sufficient.

When you are trying to manage too much at once, His grace is sufficient.

When you feel as though you can't complete the tasks at hand, His grace is sufficient.

When your heart aches, His grace is sufficient.

When you're at a fork in the road, His grace is sufficient.

When someone you love let's you down, His grace is sufficient.

When everything is going right, His grace is sufficient.

When everything is going wrong, His grace is sufficient.

His grace is sufficient

Be blessed today and may the grace of God touch you.

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Thursday This n That: A Silent Need

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

Little feet pad softly across the cool night floor and into my room. I hear him, but I say nothing.

He slips quietly through the shadows until he is right at my bedside. Slowly he lowers himself to sit with his back pressed against the mattress. He says nothing, so I wait.

A few moments pass and I see his tiny form begin to move. His hand brushes down my leg as he soundlessly slips back to his bed. The room is still again, with only the sound of my husbands quiet breathing.

I don't immediately drift back to sleep because the Lord now has my attention. He has shown me a little boy that sometimes just needs to be close. One that doesn't always require words, but is simply wanting to be near. A 10 year old trying so hard to navigate those years between being a boy and becoming a man. It isn't always easy to be vulnerable to the need for your mother.

I'm glad I stayed silent and just let him be. I'm thankful I allowed him to drink in the moment of having Mama all to himself!

Tonight perhaps he'll find me at his bedside, wanting for all the world to hold on to one more day with my little man! Something tells me he won't mind!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Kasey N. from These Five of Mine Plus Two

Tuesday Tapestry: "IF" - The Biggest Little Word Ever! {Part 1}

2012-01-17T06:00:00.009-06:00

How many times in a day do we use that ~~little, tiny~~ huge word "if"? Especially as mothers!

You'll get hit by a car IF you don't look both ways.

You can't have friends over IF your room isn't clean.

You can't eat dessert IF you don't eat your dinner first.

You can get ice cream IF you get a 100% on that test.

You won't do well at your next piano lesson IF you don't practice.

This list could go on forever IF I had the time for it.

The point is that a lot hinges on that little word "IF". In fact, so much hinges on it that we need to take heed!!

Galatians 6:7-9 ~

Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

We see that God has a few "IFs" for us here as well.

First we see we reap what we sow. Everyone has heard the analogy of the apple seed: IF we sow an apple seed we get apples! Not oranges or bananas. From that one tiny seed we get a huge tree with hundreds of apples each year. That one seed produces thousands and thousands of other apples and seeds which can in turn produce more trees and more apples and the cycle continues on.

So, IF we sow love and kindness in the lives of those around us we WILL reap it! God promised! And we will reap more of it than we sowed. The same is true if we sow bitterness, discontent, or impatience. We will reap those things as well and more of them. Not what I want for my children. So, we see that we get what we plant, and we get more than we plant.

What kind of seeds are you sowing today? Seeds of bitterness or love? Seeds of impatience or kindness?? You see, others are watching us. Especially our children. They want to be like us. They will be like us someday. Does that thought scare you? It scares me! Honestly, I don't want my children to be like me! But they will be what I sow today.

Have I spent time laughing with my children? Praying over them?

Have I spent time cleaning my home and planning healthy meals so that I can bless my husband and send him back out to his job rested and ready to serve the Lord??

Have I done my best to encourage at least one person today?

We will reap. We will reap more than we sow. We will reap after we sow.

We may not be able to see the good {or bad} results of our actions now, but we will see them some day. What will those results be? Will we be satisfied or saddened by what we see? How can we keep going when it's so hard?? Are you "weary in well doing"?? So many mothers are!

Join me next week as we look into how and why we can keep going! Next week is the "good stuff" - the best part!! Do come back next week to see the biggest IF ever!!

You might get a blessing IF you come back next week. I was blessed by this thought!!

Angela Vance - Hidden Treasures

Pastor's Wife

Sharing Pearls Sunday : Peace Be Still

2012-01-15T15:47:00.002-06:00

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39)

As I drove home after visiting my family over Christmas (it's a 3 hour drive) I often talk to the Lord on the journey and this time I asked the Lord to speak to me from what I could see around me as I drove.

Dark clouds covered the sky and torrential rain lashed against the windscreen, the wind was high and it wasn't very good driving conditions. As I peered through the rain I saw in the clouds a small circle of light shining through, it wasn't a brilliant light sort of hazy as if the sun was doing it's best to push through the clouds, but then the Lord showed me that there are many storm clouds in peoples lives, mine included, and often at the start of a new year we forget to leave the things behind us. We take everything that bothered us at the end of the year into the new. Often things like sickness, worry about a job and other burdens that just weigh us down seem like the storm , but I was reminded that no matter how dark the clouds may be the 'Son' can still shine through. The Lord Jesus Christ is the 'light' and He will shine through any storm clouds that come our way. All we need do is talk to him.

I recalled how, when the disciples were with Jesus in their ship and clouds had gathered and a great storm of wind arose and the waves beat against the ship filling it with water, it must have been a terrifying time for the disciplies, a bad night. The disciples were fearful and woke Jesus because they thought they would perish. Jesus showed his care and love for his followers when he spoke those words 'Peace be still' and, the bible says, there was great calm.

Jesus wants to do the same for us today. If we have any storm clouds in our life then we must talk to the Lord. We must ask for His help in leaving behind anything that darkens our walk with Him, anything that will be a burden to us in the coming days.

Jesus to us today will still be as they were when he spoke to the wind and the sea 'Peace be still' - and there was a great calm.

Jean - Blessed Honeycombs

Friday Features: God's Way Is Best

2012-01-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

"I beseech ye therefore, brethern, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:2

Sometimes we have the misconception when we start out on our Christian journey that all is going to be
easy and rosy. But as we go along, day by day, following the Lord we find there are a lot of rocks in the road. A lot of hard places ~ a lot of things we don't understand. What do we do in the heat of the battle ~ When things are not so easy anymore?

I have found in my Christian journey that God's way is the best way no matter what may come.
Just think of some of the Bible characters. They had hard choices to make. I think of the "Three Hebrew Children. The heat was on, literally! But they were determined to follow in God's path even if it meant being thrown into the heat. They would not bend their knee to a false idol. They did not bow - but, praise God, they didn't burn. The Lord was right there with them and delivered them.

Moses chose to follow the Lord. For forty long years all he heard was grumbling and complaining. He was envied, he was criticized, No one really appreciated what he was doing, except Joshua and Aaron and maybe a few more.
What do we do when we aren't appreciated or we are criticized? What is our attitude then? Do we give up and say "What's the use. No one notices me anyway?" Or do we surrender it to the Lord and let Him handle the situation? It is easier to try and work things out within ourselves. I'll have to admit that I have done this more than once. I wonder why it is that we think we are capable of handling life's problems? The Lord is right here for us and wants us to let Him handle everything. I am always amazed at how the Lord works when we let Him.

I thought of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. He was completely surrendered to the Lord. As they were stoning Him to death - he looked up and said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."   Oh, that we may have a right attitude toward those that do us wrong. May we forgive! The Lord forgave us! Why is it so hard for us to forgive others?   Not too long ago I found that I had an attitude of unforgivness toward something that happened years ago. I thought I had forgiven, but in the recesses of my heart, the Lord showed me I still had a wrong spirit about it. I am so thankful for the workings of the Holy Spirit.

The greatest of all was the choice our Savior made to come down from heaven and all it's riches -
into this ugly, smutty world that has nothing to offer to really make man happy. So many are searching
for happiness but are looking for it in the wrong places. Jesus paid the Supreme sacrifice on Calvary that
we could be happy in what He has to offer. Salvation!   The greatest part is- it is free to anyone that will
make the choice to follow Him. It if cost money a lot of us would not be Christians today. It does not cost
money but there is a cost in following Him. Are we willing to pay the price to follow Him.? Are we willing to follow where He leads?   Our paths may not always be easy, but nowhere do I find in His Word where He told us life would always be easy. He doesn't promise us an easy path but He does promise that He will never leave us or forsake us!

There are so many examples in God's Word of choices Bible characters made. Some good and some not so good. I only chose a few.

I do not ask a place of ease
with nothing hard to do.

I only ask that in the test
that God would keep me true.

meditationsandmemories.blogspot.com

Tuesday Tapestry: WHAT'S IN A NAME?

2012-01-10T05:38:00.024-06:00

This is a devotion I gave at our monthly ladies meeting.

What's in a name?

You may remember the line from Romeo and Juliet- "What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet;"

Their struggle was that one lived under the name Monteque and the other Capulet ( these 2 families were feuding.)

A name can mean the title by which a person is labeled or a testimony which a person has lived.

Proverbs 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Notice the word good is added for clarity, but not in the original text because the original word depicted honor, authority and character. Today we talk about someone having a good name or a bad name, but then the word was only used in a good way. Have you ever heard the phrase "He has made a name for himself"? It means he has done something good that merited a good reputation.

This verse is saying that a godly testimony is what we should be working on rather than the accumulation of things.The second part of the verse "...loving favour rather than silver and gold."

It transfers the same verb phrase "is rather to be chosen" without repeating it. So the complete principle of the verse is "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour (is rather to be chosen) than silver and gold."

The word "and" between the two statements is also not original. So the verse is making a declaration in the first statement and then explaining the declaration in the second statement. A good name is equal to loving favour with God and men. Great riches is equal to silver and gold.

So from this verse we see that a name is not only a title but a testimony.

I. Family Name
My last name is Monk. Above is the Monk family Crest. It is my understanding that the lions represent the Motto "bravely, faithfully, happily".

Many times in the Bible a person's name has a meaning that tells something about that person.

Ex. Gen 3:20- Eve- Mother of all living.

Gen_4:21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

Gen_10:25 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
Strong's gives the definition of Peleg as earthquake.

We named our first child, our son, Tony: after his Daddy who was proud to give his son his name. Our daughter, Natalie's name means Christmas Child. She was born close to Christmas. Our youngest child, we named Bethany because we liked the sound of it. Her name means house of God. Incidentally, she was born while we were in our first pastorate. The church paid the medical bills because we didn't have healthcare coverage at the time. We called her the church baby. Her middle name, Danae, we had heard from Dr. James Dobson's daughter. We were hesitant at first to use the name because it means Diana (like the pagan goddess.) Then we acknowledged that God is sovereign over all, so we were not going to let the devil keep us from using a name we liked. We weren't worshiping Diana. We just thought it sounded pretty. Naming a child properly is a worthwhile pursuit. You don't pick just any name.

To avoid confusion name a child what you will call him/her. I had trouble all through school because my legal name was Donna Alicia, but my parents decided to call me Lisa.

II. Faith Name

A new name is given to persons who have spiritual adoption.
Isa 62:2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. To Abraham Gen_17:5, To Sarah Gen_17:15, To Jacob Gen_32:28 ,To Paul Act_13:9

Jesus, is our ultimate example lived Prov. 22:1

Luke 2:52 says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."

Jesus did not seek riches while on earth, but rather humbled himself and obeyed the will of the Father.

Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow

We are ambassadors for Christ.

2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

We are called "Christians." We need to live up to the name. This takes us back to Proverbs 22:1

III. Future Name

We have a new name in Glory.

Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Even Jesus will have a name that we don't know.

Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

A Family name and crest was something people were proud of.

We should be proud to be called Christians. And we should live in a way that people think well of the name Christian.

Because we have a family title or name, a faith title or name and a future title or name, we should guard our testimony so that we bring glory to the Name that is above every name because one day we will bow before him.

Blessings!

Lisa

Monday Ministry Highlights: Vision Night

2012-01-08T23:58:00.000-06:00

On Sunday night, January 1st, we had Vision Night at People's Baptist Church. Our pastor (who also happens to be my husband!) presented his vision for our church this year. I knew of a couple of things he had planned, due to proof-reading the calendar, but I didn't know about everything. By the end of the evening, I was pretty excited about this year too!

We have two special meetings planned: a Family Conference in February and the 20th anniversary of our church in September. We also have Vacation Bible School and Family Camp this summer, as well as our teens planning to attend the youth conference at North Valley Baptist Church in Santa Clara, California, in June. Our ladies are going to a ladies' retreat in Vancouver in April, as well as having our annual Mother/Daughter Tea and Christmas Fellowship. We have some activities planned for our homeschool families and senior saints (whom my husband dubbed Just Older Youth - JOY). We'll continue to have quarterly SNAC activities, and add PBCKidz, children in grades 1-6. We'll have them into our home and play some games and such; just simple things to keep the teens and children close to their pastor.

We saw 15 souls saved last year, many of those being children in our bus ministry. By the way, we moved our bus ministry to Wednesday nights in 2011. We began the year running about 20 on the bus, and now we have an average of 50 each week.

Our theme for the year is Walking By Faith. We're looking forward to our faith growing, but that also means we may have some trials of our faith. In those trials, though, we know the Lord will be in the midst of them and will use them for our growth. Whatever the year brings, my husband is leading us to commit ourselves to the Lord and trust His heart for us.

Susan Hutchens - ByGrace
Missionary/Pastor's Wife
Kelowna, BC, Canada

Friday Features: Noble and Pure Things on Which to Think

2012-01-06T06:00:00.001-06:00

"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 beany virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Phillipians 4:8

I've tried starting this post several times, and the words I want just are not coming. So I'll keep my words simple. It doesn't matter how many negative things we eliminate from our thoughts if we aren't replacing them with the true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and things of good report, we haven't finished the job.

So as we enter a new year let's resolve not only to eliminate those thoughts of the world and the flesh but let us meditate on the things of God. Let's be in constant prayer, and let's put him first in our day.

I challenge you to think on scriptures. Write some of them out an put them where you will see them and be reminded of them throughout the day. Think on the good things of God and not the things of the world, allow your heart to be overflowing with his promises so it is God's goodness that spills over and not resentment, frustration, ungratefulness, or other sins we think are secret.

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way ofsinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful . 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers ofwater, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither ; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper . 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind drivethaway . 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregationof the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodlyshall perish .

Psalm 1

19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 4:19

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shallhave tribulation: but be of good cheer ; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

1 Peter 5:7

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born , not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, norof the will of man, but of God

John 1:12-13

I hope you'll read the rest of the posts in this series if you haven't already.

Thursday This 'n That: When you're a little girl...

2012-01-05T04:56:00.001-06:00

When you're a little girl, you can chase butterflies and not mind if you never catch them. You haven't yet learned what it is to be a failure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you're a little girl, you can romp about whimpering and barking like a puppy and nobody minds much. Even if your brothers do think you're a bit strange!

                              ~~~~~~~~~~

When you're a little girl, you can lie in your darkened room and giggle over whispered secrets with your sister. Nobody quite understands your humor like she does.

                             ~~~~~~~~~~

When you're a little girl, you can dress up like a princess and live happily ever after. And you don't even have to sift through the toads to find Prince Charming, cause nobody is quite like Daddy!

When you're a little girl, there is something magical about tying on your apron and working aside mother. There is nothing so sweet as her voice or the warmth of her embrace!

When you're a little girl, you can speak freely of your Jesus and not care if somebody is offended. He does, after all, love the little children!

Why would anybody want to grow up??

Mothers, you do well to train your little girls up to be keepers at home. And leaving the mark of scripture on their tender hearts is a gift beyond measure. Just remember that they are only small for a season. Don't let {or cause} them to grow up too quickly. Nurture the soil where they've taken root and take the time to grow with them!

Monday Ministry Highlights -- Keep on Walking in 2012

2012-01-02T06:23:00.001-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We were blessed to bring in the New Year with two baptisms yesterday, a young boy and a teen girl. The teen girl is one we have been praying for. She professed salvation several years ago, but there was no evidence. A few weeks ago, she pulled her Mom into her room and told her that she wasn't really saved and wanted to accept Christ as her Savior! She had no idea that anyone doubted her previous "testimony" and that many were praying for her salvation. It has been a pleasure to see such joy in her smile!

God is moving here in Kenora. Keith was teaching the teens a series on Christian Joy and decided to teach the adults the same series on Wednesdays. We have seen a great change among the church, including our own family. It's amazing what happens when you realize that joy comes from Christ not circumstances. I know we all "know" that, but it makes a difference when you really KNOW it. Oh come on now, don't tell me you've never struggled with joy!

As anyone who has been saved for any length of time knows -- when God moves, Satan attacks. Through his attacks, we have been encouraged. A pastor never really knows who in the church is behind him until such trials come along. Folks have been stepping up and have been such a blessing to my husband and me. We have seen an increase of faith and a determination to do battle. Unfortunately, battles usually involve some casualties. Although our hearts break for those who fall away, Satan has in no wise won! It is such a joy to see Satan lose!

My husband and I were led to choose our theme verse for 2012 back in the summer - Luke 13:33. Little did we know how appropriate it would be.

"Nevertheless I MUST walk to day, and tomorrow,

and the day following,

for it CANNOT be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem."

Jesus is being threatened by the Pharisees in this passage. This verse is Christ's response. As we seek to follow His footsteps, we too are determined to keep on walking! We have chosen twelve "walk in's" found in Scripture such as "Walk in newness of life", "Walk in the Light", "Walk in integrity"... and so on. These are what are on the footprints on the wall beneath the verse. We are going to use one each month of 2012. As a church, Victory Baptist Church is determined to keep on walking today, tomorrow, and the day following, and the day following that, for it CANNOT be that Kenora should loose a witness of Christ in 2012.

I'm looking forward to seeing what God is going to do this year. That is, IF Christ doesn't return first!

Keep on Walking in 2012!!!

Friday Features: THE NEW YEAR

2011-12-30T06:00:00.001-06:00

Forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.

I am having trouble trying to learn this new "whatever" was done to our posting etc. Would you just this one time go to my personal blog at meditationsandmemories.blogspot.com and read the post I was going to paste on here? And if anyone can help me with the copy and paste on KJV please let me know.

Thanks!

Wednesday in the Word: Are We Paying Too Much?

2011-12-28T14:46:00.004-06:00

As I put the finishing touches on the tuna salad I was making for supper, I heard the very last of a Bonanza re-run on the TV in the next room. I had not paid much attention to the program until the last ten minutes or so. The plot had something to do with a rather old man who had kept a secret for years about an unethical scheme he had been involved in to make money at the expense of others. He finally made a clean breast of his guilt and told Adam Cartwright that he would do whatever it took to try and make it right with the people he had wronged. As Bonanza was about to end, Adam said to his father Ben, "Sometimes truth costs a great deal." Ben nodded and replied,"Yes, but never as much as covering it up does!" It was sort of an "Ah-ha" moment as I stood there at the table cutting up an apple for the tuna salad. I thought to myself how true a statement that was.

I was reminded of the verse in Proverbs 28:13 that says "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." When we cover up our sins we never gain as much as we lose. We may save face with those around us when we cover our wrong doings but deep down we carry a load of guilt that makes us miserable. We are paying a big price. But we don't have to! The last part of this verse tells me that if I confess my sins to God and forsake...or turn away from...them, He will give me mercy. And along with that is implied forgiveness and rest in my spirit.

One thing I want to do in the New Year of 2012 is to try and keep "short accounts" with the Lord. I don't want to have to pay for something that I don't have to pay for by keeping it "covered up"! Do you?

God bless you!

Marilyn

($-image created by Stuart Miles)

Monday Ministry Highlights: December

2011-12-26T18:45:00.000-06:00

Happy Boxing Day from Canada! Boxing Day here is much like Black Friday in the States; lots of sales, incredible traffic, and crowds of people. Here in Kelowna, we have the only shopping mall within several hours' drive, so we get all the people from the neighboring towns as well as all the people who actually live here! My daughter, Beth, is home from college for Christmas, so she and I braved the crowds at the mall. Parking was nearly impossible, and we had to walk a long way to get into the mall. There were some fairly decent prices, but we only bought what we had specifically gone shopping for.

The month of December was very busy at our church, as I'm sure it was for most other churches. We had our Teens' and Children's parties on Saturday, the 10th. The teens met at the church for games and refreshments and to exchange gifts. My husband and I went up there about 1:00 and it sounded like there was much fun and frivolity going on! The children met at a church member's house and had refreshments as well. They made some fun crafts, which is always a hit with our children.

My husband greeting people before church

At 2:00, everyone met at the church to go Christmas caroling at the local nursing home, where we have a monthly service. We all gathered in the day room, where there's a piano, and sang for probably 30 minutes for the residents. They all seemed to enjoy it, and it was worth the time we took to see the smiles on their faces!

Some of our teens

The highlight of the year for our ladies is our Ladies' Fellowship Christmas Party. We met in a home where all the decorations are country/primitive. The fun of meeting at someone's home is the sense of comfort and coziness in the meeting. We played several Christmas games, and even tried out a new-to-us game of Catch Phrase. I gave a short devotion before we opened gifts and had refreshments.

Fellowship before church

On the 16th we had our adult Christmas party; then on the 18th, we presented our small Christmas program at the church. We just did a simple program of music, both vocal and instrumental. Several families participated, and my husband presented a very clear message of the Gospel.

The platform set up for the Christmas performance

Finally, on Christmas Day we had just one service, in the afternoon. We rent our building from another church, so we had to fit our schedule to theirs. The one afternoon service turned out well. We had a full house, with several visitors coming with our church family as part of their family Christmas celebration. Again, my husband clearly presented the Gospel. Various members had dinners in their homes, and we were invited to go to one of those. Praise the Lord for church family to celebrate with when our own family is far away!

An impromptu whistle choir learning that they are an impromptu whistle choir

Our sweet church family gave us a large basket of sweets and gifts as a token of their love for us. How fun it was to open that big basket and read the card with greetings from all our church family! They're a joy to serve with, and we praise the Lord for the opportunity to work with these people!

I hope your Christmas season was a joyful one, and I wish you a blessed New Year!

Love Came Down at Christmas

2011-12-22T05:38:00.000-06:00

Three days to go ... three days and the world will celebrate Christmas. My prayer is that as we celebrate we stop and pause and remember the very first gift of Christmas. The birth of a baby boy; God in flesh came to earth to reside with man 2000 years ago and resides with us still.

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.
Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?
Love shall be our token,
Love shall be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and to all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.
(words by Christina Georgina Rosetti)

May the love, joy, peace and hope Christ brings fill your heart and home this Christmas time and throughout the coming year.

Have a truly blessed Christmas.

Wednesday in the Word: Three Wise Women

2011-12-21T03:00:00.000-06:00

tommaync

We had our Ladies' Fellowship Christmas party a couple of weeks ago. This is the highlight of the year for the ladies, as we all bring snack foods and gifts and play games. We laughed a LOT that night! For the devotion, I taught a much-abbreviated lesson about the three wise women who surrounded Jesus' birth. We're always hearing about the three wise men, but not so much about the women!

These three wise women, of course, were Elisabeth, Mary, and Anna.

Each of these ladies was very different from the others. Elisabeth was a wife of many years, in "the ministry" as the wife of a priest and of the priestly line herself, and right at middle age or so. We know that she was past her child-bearing years, at least. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was still a single young woman, most likely a teenager, and of the special tribe of Judah through which the Messiah would come. Anna, on the other hand, was very old. We figured up Monday night that she was probably at least 105 years old, but she'd been a widow for 84 years, having only been married for seven years. She was of the tribe of Asher, one of the "forgotten tribes," and so maybe was not considered as being from a very important family.

Each of these ladies had a prominent characteristic.

Elisabeth was a supporter. We see that she supported her husband when everyone was questioning him (Luke 1:59-63). She also supported Mary, when Mary came to her as an unwed, pregnant teenager. I would imagine that most everyone else in Mary's life was anything but supportive, but Elisabeth, being a Spirit-filled woman, realized that the baby Mary was carrying was the long-awaited Messiah, and became the first woman to praise the Lord Jesus! (Luke 1:41, 42)

Mary is known as a surrendered woman. One of my favorite verses in the Bible was spoken by Mary: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word." Luke 1:38 Just to read a bit between the lines, I think Mary may have wondered how she was going to explain this pregnancy to her parents and friends, and especially to Joseph. She probably realized life was not going to be easy for her during the pregnancy; she would lose friends, lose their respect, and maybe lose her fiance and his love. But even as she knew these things would happen, she surrendered herself to God's plan. And even though she didn't understand how things would happen, she surrendered herself in faith, believing God's Word.

Lastly, Anna was a separated woman. She wasn't just outwardly separate, although she was definitely outwardly separated to the Lord, as she was always at the temple (perhaps lived there) and fasted and prayed night and day (Luke 2:37). She had to have also been separated to the Lord - dedicated to Him from the heart - because she was familiar enough with the scriptural prophecies to realize that the baby Jesus was the Messiah she had been waiting for. She had a good relationship with God and knew His Word.

These three women, so different from each other, also had some things in common.

Each woman recognized Jesus for who He was: the Messiah and Savior.

Each woman readily submitted to God as their Lord.

Each woman realized the power of the Holy Spirit in a real way in their own lives.

Each woman received their personal promises from God.

I want to be a wise woman and learn from each of these women's lives. I want to be a supporter of those around me, surrendered to the Lord's will even when I don't understand it, and separated to the Lord not just outwardly, but out of a true heart of love for Him. Let's dedicate ourselves to Him!

Tuesday Tapestry: BIG NEWS!

2011-12-20T06:00:00.004-06:00

Luk 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Luk 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
Luk 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Luk 1:29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
Luk 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Luk 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Luk 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Luk 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Luk 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Luk 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Luk 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
Luk 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

What a fascinating passage of Scripture!

First, look at who is making this announcement. Think about the most important events in our world. Who makes the announcement. It might be a Fox News or CNN reporter, always a human. But the messenger for this piece of news coverage was an angel. Mary was startled, but the angel reassured her.
Next, notice to whom this big news is given. In our world big news is normally delivered to the masses. But this very important news was made to a young, Jewish, virgin.
The news was that Mary, the maiden, the virgin, would become a mother. She would give birth to a man child (a son.) But this child would not have a human father. This man child was the Messiah. Generation after generation passed down the prophesies about how that one day a Jewish mother would give birth to the anointed one. It says He shall be great. We can look at Jesus' life and ministry on earth in the Word of God to see how great He is; but we also know how great he is by what he has done in our lives. He is above all, no other human has or ever will compare to Him. It also says He would be called the son of the Highest or son of the Most High. God is often called the Most High in the Scriptures. He is supreme. There is none higher than God. This also denotes the diety of Christ. Jesus will be a Monarch. He will sit on David's throne. He is king of the Jews. He is the epitome of Royalty. He is King of Kings. His kingdom will never end. He shall reign forever and ever. S. M. Locker said it very well....

"He always has been and He always will be. I'm talking about the fact that He had no predecessor and He'll have no successor. There's nobody before Him and there'll be nobody after Him. You can't impeach Him and He's not going to resign. That's my King! That's my King!
Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well, all the power belongs to my King. We're around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but in the end all that matters is God's power. Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory. We try to get prestige and honor and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His. Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? Forever and ever and ever and ever. . . And when you get through with all of the ever's, then . . .Amen!"

Mary marveled at the news. She first responded with a question. How could she have a baby being a virgin?

In verse 35 the angel reassured Mary again, and he explained how God would work the miracle. The Trinity is clearly represented in this verse. There is one God (Monotheism) represented in three persons, the Highest (God the Father), the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost. In verse 36 he told Mary about another miracle: her cousin Elizabeth, who had been barren, was expecting a child. Verse 37 he finished off this conversation about miracles by saying "For with God all things are possible."

I am so thankful that we serve a miracle working God. He did a miracle when he saved my soul. How else could a lost, hell-bound sinner like me believe the gospel and repent. He turned my life around 29 years ago, and I will never get over it. It was big news when the angel made his announcement to Mary and it is big news when God saves a soul.

Merry Christmas!

Lisa

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Doesn't this verse, that we all know by heart, sum up what Christmas is all about?   We are so blessed! God gave us His only Son that we might have live forever with Him.

Had Jesus not come we would have no Christmas. Jesus is the Light of the world. We would be in darkness had He not come. He came that we might live. We would be dead in our trespasses and sins had He not come. He came because He loves us. Oh, what Love!     I cannot comprehend His love and His blessings but I sure am going to enjoy them. Not that I am worthy, but because He is a God that loves to bless His children.

I suppose I have thought more on how to be more compassionate this Christmas. I see so many needs. So many needy people. They are just waiting for someone to show them a little love.    What are we doing with our time? In the hustle and bustle of the season ~ are we taking time out to send someone a "Thinking of You" card? Will it hurt us to take a little time out to make a phone call and check on the sick? Will it hurt to give someone a hug? Will it hurt us to take a few dollars and buy a Christmas gift for the needy? Look around in church and you will find needs if you look for them.

Last week as I came home from the hospital I was weak and did not have the strength to do much. But I felt I wanted to bake a cake and send it to a friend from church who has been sick. I got the cake baked and ready for my husband to bring it to her. Before he could go ~ this friend pulled up and knocked on our door. She said she just wanted to get out and she just decided to stop by. She had never been here before. As we sat and visited we found we were an encouragement to each other. Today I sent her a thank you card for being such a blessing   It just takes a little time and effort to encourage someone.

I feel I have failed along this line but the Lord is helping me.   Today I sent a couple cards to some that have been sick, some that are going through decisions that aren't easy.   One young lady is having to put her Mom in a Nursing Home. This is not easy because I have gone through this and I know the heartache of having to do this. So I sent her a card trying to encourage her. I am not tooting my own horn ~ I am just trying to do what I think the Lord wants me to do.   I want to have compassion and make a difference. To do this will have to be on purpose. We will always find ourselves too busy with our own things.

Let's take time to show a little more compassion and pass around a little more cheer and love. We never know what a difference we might make!   It might make someone have a little more Christmas cheer. Give it a try. At least, you will feel better. I am always reminded of the little song :

JESUS AND OTHERS AND YOU

WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO SPELL JOY,

JESUS AND OTHERS AND YOU

IN THE LIFE OF EACH GIRL AND EACH BOY.

J IS FOR JESUS FOR HE HAS FIRST PLACE.

O IS FOR OTHERS WE MEET FACE TO FACE.

Y IS FOR YOU IN WHATEVER YOU DO.

PUT THEM TOGETHER AND SPELL JOY.

LETS GET BUSY AND SPREAD SOME CHRISTMAS JOY!

Wednesday in the Word:True or False? "Jesus is the reason for the season".

2011-12-14T09:20:00.003-06:00

True or False? "Jesus is the reason for the season".

Seems every day I read on a friend's blog or facebook page or hear in person something like "I don't like Christmas anymore!" I admit I've been feeling some of that lately myself. I think we sometimes get upset when we see all the commercialism during Christmas. But why are we surprised that people who don't believe in Jesus anyway want to leave Christ out of Christmas? They leave Christ out of their lives 364 days a year....why would they want to include Him the other day? It should be a wake-up call to us to be in prayer that more people would come to the knowledge of who Christ is and what He has done for them. Most of us give Christmas presents to our loved ones. God ...who IS love (1 John 4:16)...offers the greatest, best, most expensive (to Him) present there ever was to all of mankind...not just at Christmas but all during the year. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 3:23)

I realize that our Christmas holiday is not sacred or holy in the truest sense. But since we have decided to have a holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ, let's try to not make Him the last thing we think about! I'm trying to use this Christmas season as a conversation starter with people who may have never trusted Christ as Saviour. It seems to make it easier to explain why His birth is so important. That was the beginning of His life as Immanuel..."God with us"....here on earth, living a perfect sinless life so that in His perfectness He could take the horribleness of our sins and pay for them while dying on the cross. We always need to remember that He didn't remain a babe in a manger! He had a specific work He came to do and He did it! That's why just before He died He said, "It is finished."(John 19:30)

So, I'm curious. Did you answer True or False to my question about "Jesus is the reason for the season"? I'm gonna say True! We normally only use this phrase during the Christmas season but I think really it would apply to ANY season! Jesus should be the reason behind any and every thing we do. I fall so short of practicing this but I truly want to do better!

I pray that Jesus is the reason for ANY season in your life friend!

May God bless you!

Marilyn

Tuesday Tapestry: Ave Maria "Skip"

2011-12-13T06:00:00.020-06:00

It seems that this song has found its way onto a large number of the modern day Christmas albums. When you finish reading this post, you will understand why I recommend pushing the "skip" button if this song comes up on a CD. This song is especially popular among secular artists at this time of year. But what does Ave Maria mean, and what is this song about? The consensus of several sources give the following interpretation of the song:

The Latin:
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc,
et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.

The English translation:
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

There is a much longer poem from which this shorter version was derived. Following is the original English by Sir Walter Scott:
Ave Maria! maiden mild!
Listen to a maiden's prayer!
Thou canst hear though from the wild,
Thou canst save amid despair.
Safe may we sleep beneath thy care,
Though banish'd, outcast and reviled -
Maiden! hear a maiden's prayer;
Mother, hear a suppliant child!
Ave Maria!
Ave Maria! undefiled!
The flinty couch we now must share
Shall seem this down of eider piled,
If thy protection hover there.
The murky cavern's heavy air
Shall breathe of balm if thou hast smiled;
Then, Maiden! hear a maiden's prayer;
Mother, list a suppliant child!
Ave Maria!
Ave Maria! stainless styled!
Foul demons of the earth and air,
From this their wonted haunt exiled,
Shall flee before thy presence fair.
We bow us to our lot of care,
Beneath thy guidance reconciled;
Hear for a maid a maiden's prayer,
And for a father hear a child!
Ave Maria!

Need I explain why this song is blasphemous? Taking a brief look into the Holy Scriptures, one would learn that the virgin herself would refute the teachings of this song. Oh, and BTW, she is no longer a virgin. She gave birth to Joseph's children, too.
In Luke 1:38, Mary called herself "the handmaid of the Lord" and submitted to the plan of the Father. The word handmaid means female slave.

Mary is not the mediator between God and men. Jesus is!
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Jesus told us to ask the Father in His (Jesus') name, not Mary's.

John 14:13, 14; John 15:16; John 16:23, 24, John 16:23, 24, 26

Romans 8:26, 27, and 34; also Hebrews 7:25 says that the Holy Spirit and Jesus make intercession to God the Father for us. The Bible never says that Mary makes intercession for us.

Lastly, Mary calls God her Saviour in Luke 1:47. Mary was a sinner just like you and I. She was just a humble, Jewish girl whom God chose to be the "surrogate" by which He brought the Saviour into the world.

I love to hear songs like "Joy to the World", or "Mary, Did You Know?" I love the line in "Mary, Did You Know" that says, "This child that you've delivered will soon deliver you." I realize that I'm talking to "the choir", but thanks for letting me share my thoughts.

Merry Christmas!

Lisa

What Christmas Isn't About

2011-12-09T07:33:00.001-06:00

Christmas isn't about family.

There I said it.

It's not about getting together and exchanging presents, it's not about seeing people you haven't in awhile.

It's not about catching up, it's not about seeing your kids in their Christmas pajamas.

It's not about making family memories that will last a lifetime.

Christmas isn't even about how we celebrate this years December 25th.

Christmas is about what happened 2000 years ago when God wrapped in flesh came to redeem the world.

The quickest way to be disappointed on Christmas is to make it about anything else.

Family gatherings are never as precious as we envision, children are not as grateful as we had hoped, and that perfect family moment never happens.

And yet in the stillness of the past, there was a perfect Christmas, everything fit with God's perfect plan, and a child was born, and a world was changed.

Have you heard about my free e-book for Mom's?

Wednesday in the Word: Experience

2011-12-07T03:00:00.000-06:00

A couple of years ago my now 18-year-old daughter had her first opportunity to make dinner for her dad. She's done lots of baking and some cooking, but this was the first time for her to cook an entire meal without me around to answer her questions and reassure her that she was doing fine. After a quick phone call to ask exactly how to coat the chicken, she was on her own, and her dad said she made a fantastic meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas. And it all got done at the right time, too, which is more than I can say for many of my meals as a young woman!

A few days later, Beth said to me, "You know how you've always said that when the chicken's done, the juices will run clear? Well, I kept cutting into that chicken, and it would look kinda cloudy, but then I cut into one piece . . . and the juice was clear!" I laughed right out loud! Had she doubted all this time that I knew what I was talking about? That maybe only the chicken that I cooked would miraculously have clear juices, but no one else's ever did? My response to my daughter was, "All you had to do was experience it yourself to find out that I knew what I was talking about!"

Photo by How I See Life

This teaching moment reminded me of how often we doubt that God really knows what He's talking about.

"Give and it shall be given unto you . . ." Luke 6:38

"Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you." Matthew 7:7

"Believe . . . and ye shall have them." Mark 11:24 (I discussed this and similar verses and some people's "genie mentality" on my personal blog last week)

"The just shall live by faith . . ." Hebrews 10:38

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse . . . and prove me . . . if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing . . ." Malachi 3:10

No. It's just too simple, and besides, God wouldn't really do that for me . . .

And then we are surprised when we give unselfishly and we receive more than we gave away. We pray about something and God answers. We give 10% and God blesses us in some way, financially or otherwise.

We're absolutely amazed that God actually means what He says!

All we have to do is experience it for ourselves to know that God's Word is true, that He does care and that He does keep His promises.

Have you experienced God's fulfilled promises?

He has set the table for you; experience His goodness for yourself!

"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."
Psalm 34:8

Susan Hutchens, ByGrace
Missionary Wife
Kelowna, BC, Canada

Tuesday Tapestry: SUFFER THE CHILDREN

2011-12-06T06:00:00.136-06:00

Mat 19:13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
Mat 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

In Luke 18:15 these children are called infants. This would explain the phrase "Then were there brought unto him little children,". Otherwise the children would have come to Jesus themselves. Parents were bringing their babies to Jesus for him to lay hands on them and pray for them. This was not so unusual considering the practice of the Jewish fathers laying hands upon the heads of their children and pronouncing a blessing. We also know that the male children were circumcised the eighth day, so some of these babies may have been brought to Jesus as sort of a second part of the dedication. Devout Jews who also chose to follow Jesus might have had their children circumcised then asked Jesus to lay hands on them and bless them.

The disciples tried to send the parents and children away. They seemed to think Jesus had more important things to do than spend time blessing children. But Jesus stopped them and changed the focus. As was his practice, he used the situation as an opportunity to teach a valuable spiritual lesson. Jesus wanted the disciples to know the importance of humility. Jesus made the undesirable desirable when he said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

There is another lesson besides humility. It is that Jesus wants children to come to him. We should do what we can to encourage children to come to Jesus. As parents, we should educate our children in Biblical truth. Also, as Christians, we should be willing to teach Sunday school, or vacation Bible school, or Awanas, direct a children's choir, or whatever opportunity the Lord puts before us. Maybe there is a child whose parents are not in church, but would allow him or her to attend. You or I could take them to church. Does your church have a bus ministry? Maybe your pastor is praying about a bus ministry but doesn't have anyone to drive the bus or van. You could start Saturday visitation to invite children to church then pick then up for Sunday school and church. Could you keep the nursery to encourage young parents to be faithful to church with their little ones? Are you a public school teacher? Ask the Lord to show you ways to reach out to those children. Be the best Christian example that you can. You may be the only Christian they know. God bless you as you seek ways to "suffer the children."

Blessings!

Lisa

It's Christmas -- So Where's My Joy!?

2011-12-05T00:00:00.001-06:00

It's so easy to "lose" the Christmas Spirit when you are in the ministry. Christmas dinners, Christmas pageants, Sunday School parties, Ladies' meetings, putting on a happy face when you are home-sick for a hug from Mom, trying to encourage your husband through church "growing pains" -- these are the things ministry wives face. I know, because these are battles I've been facing. I started to give in to self-pity when my hubby lovingly reminded me that Christmas joy - any joy - doesn't come from circumstances, environments, things or even people. Joy is something we can have all year, FULL joy, EVERLASTING joy. And this Joy comes from getting our focus off "ME" and on "CHRIST."

Last night, God gave me a reminder of what the season is all about. A young lady at our church whom we have been praying for, accepted Christ as her PERSONAL Saviour. That is what the season is about. Family and candy canes, presents and mistletoe are nice, but Christmas is about GOD becoming MAN so that He could take MY sin upon His perfect body and give me eternal life!

People come and go, things decay, situations and environments change, but Jesus Christ IS the same yesterday, today, and for ever! The I AM! "It's ALL about HIM!" When you realize what God has given you -- I'm mean really realize what He's given you -- your purpose in life becomes pleasing God. This is when you will find JOY, or rather, JOY will find you!

Have a very JoyFULL Christmas!!!!

ADORE HIM

2011-12-02T08:09:00.000-06:00

Here it is Friday morning and I realized today was my day to write. I haven't given much thought about any thing to write on. Usually I put some thought into what to write about. But I have been thinking about a Scripture that my grandson had to quote to me yesterday for his Bible class.

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who being in the form of God thought it

not robbery to be equal with God. but made Himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; And being fashioned as a men, He humble himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,and given him a name which is above every name:

That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven,and things in the earth,

and things under the earth;

That every tongue should confess That Jesus Christ is Lord,

To the glory of God the Father."

Philippians 2: 5-11

We sat and talked about how that God, Majestic and Eternal ~ was willing to become man just for our sake.

What a God!

His humility and willingness to come and suffer that we as unworthy sinners would not have to go to hell.

What a God!

He left heaven and all it's glory and riches and came to earth as a poor carpenter's son.

What a God!

He served mankind, yet was rejected and hated.

We thought how that in our wildest imagination we can never know what He went through just for us.

What a God!

Yet, we so often are puffed up with pride and think we know best about the problems that come our way.

Stinking pride is one thing the Savior hates.

As we pondered, we were made to realize what a Great God we serve. We need to fall down before Him, Worship and adore Him.

O come let us adore Him,

Christ, the Lord.

Not today or just through this Christmas season, but every day, all through the day ~ sing His praises. He is worthy!

Wednesday in the Word:A Month of Thankfulness... Day 30

2011-11-30T07:41:00.003-06:00

Day 30: I'm thankful for all the MANY blessings I receive daily!

Today is the last day of my Month of Thankfulness and yet I've not scratched the surface of being thankful for all the blessings I daily receive! "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." Psalm 68:19

This morning before I ever got out of bed I began to think about what I could say today. A song came to my mind. One that was a favorite of our family when we used to sing together a lot. It was written by one of Bro.Ronnie Simpson's daughters but after all this time I'm not sure if it was Cindy or Gwen! I hope they won't mind me sharing some of the words here today because it says so well what I'd like to say today. It begins like this: "The LORD has blessed me...in so many ways...that I couldn't begin to tell you...how good He has been!" I'm not sure I have the rest of the song word for word even but this is close:

"I've been blessed with a family, that has felt God's great touch. He's been present in trials, and has loved me so much. Though we've failed, though we've stumbled, on His Word we still stand. And we know He'll be faithful...till we reach that fair land......But the greatest of all blessings that I ever received...was His saving power...when on His Name I believed. I had nothing to offer...but my guilt and my shame...it was all through the blood...and His Holy Name!"

Although this is the last day of A Month of Thankfulness on my blog, you can rest assured that I will continue to be thankful and try to recognize God's blessings each day!

Thank you for joining me in this journey of thankfulness!

God bless you!

Marilyn...from Walking in Truth

Tuesday Tapestry: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE SNOWED IN

2011-11-29T06:00:00.008-06:00

There are several fun things to do when you're snowed in. We have spent some great times together as a family while snowed in. First, you have to make sure that you have a well stocked kitchen in case of increment weather. When the weather man announces snow for the southern states, you can expect the bread and milk section at the grocery stores to be rapidly depleted. But everybody knows that when you are snowed in there are some essential items to have on hand. One of these items is hot chocolate. Whether you are an instant hot chocolate person or an old-timey "grandma recipe" hot chocolate lover, you just have to have it or you are certain to get a severe case of the cabin fever. So I guess that would be a start for a list of things to do. From here on I'll make a list.

Make snow cream.
Enjoy hot chocolate with loved ones. Click here for one to try:
If you're tired of hot chocolate, make hot cranberry tea. Click here for one to try:
Play board games like Monopoly, Bible Trivia, Life, etc.
Play some card games like UNO, Spoons, Pit, Rummy, Crazy Eights, or Old Maid.
Bake and decorate cookies.
Make home make clay ornaments.
Prepare Christmas cards for mailing.
Play Bible pictionary.
Put a 1000 piece puzzle together.
Make popcorn garland for the Christmas tree.
Have a family Bible study.
Spend some extra time in prayer.
Put on your favorite Christmas (or other) album and get a head start on spring cleaning.
Play Bible charades.
Build a snow family or snow sculpture, or dig a snow tunnel if there is enough snow.

Now, it's your turn! How about sharing some of your favorite things to do on a snow day.
Blessings,
Lisa

Monday Ministry Highlights: November

2011-11-28T03:00:00.000-06:00

What's been going on at People's Baptist Church?

November has been Stewardship Month, so my husband has been preaching on stewarding our resources for the Lord: not just our money, but also our time and our talents. I really enjoyed the two lessons he taught on Wednesday nights on time management, using the acronym TIME:

Treasure: time is a treasure, because time is the stuff our lives are made of.
Invest: we should invest our time in activities that have eternal value, rather than squandering it on trivial things
Manage: learn to manage our time to take care of our top priorities and fit in the smaller things too

Enjoy: enjoy our time!

We have our ladies' meeting the second Monday of each month. I've been teaching through the lessons in Holy Women by James Knox. I like this series of lessons because, unlike many Bible studies, this one is taken directly from Scripture with very little commentary. It allows for each lady to be guided by the Holy Spirit in her study, rather than having the study author telling her what the Scripture means. The ladies receive their lesson one month in advance, and they answer the questions for the lesson throughout the month, hopefully coming to the meeting ready to discuss the lesson. We have had some excellent discussions from the first three lessons, focusing on Titus 2 and Proverbs 31. At first, they were a bit unsure about doing their own lessons ahead of time, but I've heard from one lady that she is now enjoying the lessons more and learning so much from them on her own even before the meeting. This is the result I'd hoped for when I began these lessons!

We have our teens over once a quarter for SNAC (Sunday Night After Church), and last night was our last one for this year. Things were a bit hectic, as we had guests for dinner yesterday afternoon, then the teens over last night, but it all worked out great. I fixed three pizzas, a veggie tray, a tray of grapes and orange slices, and cupcakes. Wes and the youth director took the kids upstairs in our condo building to the media room, where there was plenty of room, to play games, while our youth director's wife and I got the food ready. When the got down to our apartment, they were ready to eat, and eat they did! There were a few straggling carrot sticks left and that was about it! I'm glad they feel at home enough to eat heartily in our house! Wes challenged them to make stewardship a personal thing for them now, while they are young - especially using their time and talents as young people.

So that's what's been happening at PBC this month. December promises to be super busy as we add in some extra Christmas activities - caroling, parties for the teens, children, and adults, a special ladies' fellowship party, a Christmas program. I'm sure your churches are busy next month too. December offers lots of opportunities to present the Gospel, and many people will listen a bit more closely during the Christmas season. Have a wonderful Christmas!

Susan Hutchens - ByGrace
Missionary Wife
Kelowna, BC, Canada

Name above all names

2011-11-24T16:07:00.002-06:00

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).
We all have names that have been given to us by our parents. Some children have been named after family members that parents have looked up to, or to some distant relative because they wanted to keep the name in the family. Some parents have carefully gone through books that give the meaning of names and chosen one that have a nice meaning or maybe they just like a certain name and so picked that one.
My name was given to me because one of my mam's bridesmaids was called Jean and so I was named after her but my name, the books say, means 'God is gracious' and I rather like that.
Jesus name means 'Saviour' because, the angel said, he shall save his people from their sins.
We are fast approaching that time of year when we celebrate the birth of a baby who's name, Isaiah said, shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6).
This child grew up to be a man who is the Saviour of the World. He died a cruel death and was crucified that each and every one of us might be set free from sin and death.
We all have names that are special for one reason or another but Jesus name is something entirely different - Jesus was given the name above every name - Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9).
As we approach the Christmas season let us remember why Jesus came, let us remember what the angel said he had come to do and if anyone is reading this who does not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and think the events leading up to his birth and death are just a story, let this be the time He reveals himself to you and you have a life changing revelation of who the Saviour of the World really is. Please get in touch with anyone of the writers on the KJV blogspot if you have any questions and may you truly come to know the one who's name is above every name.
For those of us who do know him as Lord and Saviour, let us share his love with all those we come into contact with not just this Christmas but everyday.

I do apologise that my post is late it should be have been done on Thursday and I will put Thursday's date on it but it is in fact Sunday.

Wednesday In The Word:

2011-11-23T03:00:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. I do miss my American Thanksgiving! It's been several years since we've celebrated this holiday in addition to Canadian Thanksgiving, but this year, we're traveling a few hours to visit friends who are also Americans living in Canada, and we're going to "be American" for a day. I'm looking forward to having turkey and all the trimmings; I'm even taking some good ol' southern cornbread dressing for our friends to try! I'm sure there will be lots of good fellowship, laughter, giving of thanks, and maybe even a few tears as we remember God's goodness to us. But even in the midst of the actual giving thanks, sitting at the table or praying before the meal, I've realized in the past that I've come to the table with words of thanks on my lips, but no attitude of thanksgiving in my heart.

This year, to prepare my heart for true thanksgiving, I made an acrostic of the word THANKS to remind me of all the things I have to be thankful for.

Time - Does that sound crazy? Benjamin Franklin said, "Time is the stuff life is made of." When you consider that time is a treasure, you begin to value it. Some people learned this year that their time here or their time with a loved one is limited, and others one day found they had no more time with a loved one. I have a friend whose granddaughter has a brain tumor. I have a cousin who has colon/rectal cancer. My mother died very young, never allowed the time to meet her son-in-law or her grandchildren. Time is precious! The only difference between most of us and these people is that they have a much better idea of how much time they have left. We aren't promised tomorrow (James 4:14), so we should treasure our time today and show our thankfulness by using our time wisely (Ephesians 5:16 and Colossians 4:5) I'm so thankful to have time to spend with family, to serve the Lord, to do fruitful work!

Happiness - I thank the Lord for joy! The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10); it is what enables us to get through hard times.

Access - Prayer! How wonderful that we have the privilege of going directly to our God with our problems and needs and have the assurance that He hears us (Hebrews 4:16)! We can come boldly to Him with our requests, and Philippians 4:6,7 tells us to pray with thanksgiving so that we might have the peace of God.

Necessities and Niceties - I'm thankful for having my needs met (Philippians 4:19) and for the extras that aren't needs (I Timothy 6:17), but nice to have. I enjoy my little electric fireplace. It's not something I need at all, but the Lord has allowed me to have it, just for my enjoyment. I like having an iPod. Definitely not a necessity, but so nice to have all my music and several Christian radio stations at my fingertips. We have so many things in our North American culture that we just take for granted, never stopping to thank God for all the material blessings He's given us that we don't even truly need! I read the other day that if you make $60,000 a year, you are in the top 1% of the world's population for wealth. That's mind-boggling!

Kindred - I had to fit my family in there somewhere, didn't I?! I thank the Lord so much for my goodly heritage (Psalm 16:6). My parents and my husband's parents are all saved and serving the Lord faithfully. All of our brothers and sisters are in church, some even in full-time ministry. We are so blessed not to have the problems and issues that come from having unsaved family members who don't understand the lifestyle we lead. We're blessed to have our children serving the Lord; what sweet fulfillment there is in seeing our children serve God (III John 4)! I'm so blessed to have a husband who loves me, who tenderly and faithfully cares for me (Ephesians 5:25). Thank God for my family!

Salvation - This greatest gift of God fills my heart as I reflect on His overwhelming love for me (Jeremiah 31:3)! I'm so thankful that almost 40 years ago, God saved my dad and changed our lives. I was saved many years later, but I'm thankful for that beginning and my childhood years spent in a godly home. I'm thankful that God never let me rest until I made my salvation sure. I love that sweet assurance in my soul that I am a child of God! (Romans 8:16)

These are a few of the things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving Week.

What are you thankful for?

Susan Hutchens, ByGrace
Missionary Wife
Kelowna, BC, Canada

Tuesday Tapestry: A Hymn for Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T06:00:00.004-06:00

Charles Wesley was preaching at St. Ives when great physical and verbal persecution came upon him and his congregation. A few days later, he wrote this hymn.

Rejoice, the Lord Is King

Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Jesus, the Savior, reigns, the God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains He took His seat above;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

His kingdom cannot fail, He rules o’er earth and Heav’n,
The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus giv’n;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He sits at God’s right hand till all His foes submit,
And bow to His command, and fall beneath His feet:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He all His foes shall quell, shall all our sins destroy,
And every bosom swell with pure seraphic joy;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice,
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Rejoice in glorious hope! Jesus the Judge shall come,
And take His servants up to their eternal home.
We soon shall hear th’archangel’s voice;
The trump of God shall sound, rejoice!

Blessings,
Lisa

THANKFUL

2011-11-18T06:00:00.004-06:00

I tried to think of something special for Thanksgiving to post. As I
was reading the Bible I thought of nothing better than Psalm 103.
I won't post it all, although it is worthy of being posted. But for lack of time I will give you some of my favorite verses.

PSALM 103: 1-5

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me

Bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not

All his benefits.

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities,

Who healeth all thy diseases:

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;

Who crowneth thee with

Loving kindness and tender mercies.

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things,

So thy youth is renewed like the eagles.

Psalm 106: 1

Praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord,

He is good: for his mercy endureth forever.

This is just a couple verses that come to mind. There are so many more.

He is so worthy of our praises. He has done so much and is doing more every day. I am so glad His faithfulness is new every day.

He daily loaded us with benefits that we don't deserve. We ought to thank and praise Him everyday.

Not just Thanksgiving, which is swiftly approaching. I know Canada has already had Thanksgiving but next week is ours here in the US. May you all be blessed and be a blessing as you may gather with loved ones and friends.

Tuesday Tapestry: On Thankfulness...

2011-11-15T06:00:00.008-06:00

At least 132 times in the Bible, the words thanks, thanksgiving or some other form of the word is found. We all have something for which to be thankful.

Recently, when my husband and I were coming out from the voting place, we ran into an acquaintance. She asked how I was doing regarding my knee fracture. So I told her how I was doing, and we began to talk, and she showed me scars on her legs from a car accident, of which I was vaguely aware. She explained that both of her ankles were broken and one of her legs was broken above the knee, she also had a broken arm. It reminded of my own mother's car accident last year, where she sustained multiple injuries.
On our way home, I spoke to my husband about how thankful I am to have two good arms and a good leg to get around with. Sometimes we need to see someone who is in worse shape than we are to help us put things back into right perspective. Yes, I have a crushed knee, and I can't put weight on that leg for at least 2 more months and then comes therapy. Yes, I have a broken finger. But at least I can get around on crutches some. This other lady was totally bed ridden for several months. So the next time we start to have a pity party, we need to remember, it could be worse. If you can't think of anyone in particular that has it worse, let me recommend the book of Job. I have never met anyone that had it as bad as Job. He lost his family, his wealth, his friends, and his health. Yet, he strove to keep a right attitude and continue to worship God.
I am thankful for my family, who has helped me so much. I am thankful for my church family, I am thankful for salvation in Jesus Christ, and too many other things to name. I have much to be thankful for.

Blessings!

Lisa

Wednesday in the Word:A Month of Thankfulness: Day 9

2011-11-09T10:16:00.003-06:00

A Month of Thankfulness: Day 9....I am thankful for MUSIC !

I have always loved music! Good music was a staple in our home when I was growing up. Our radio was often playing. Mama could play the piano a little and I was awed by the fact that if you put your fingers on certain keys a tune would result. I did find that when I tried it I didn't hear that same tune so I soon learned that there was an art to it! Mama had learned to play using the old fashioned "shape notes" and could only play in the key of C. Before I ever took any piano lessons she let me use her book (which I still have somewhere) to teach myself how to play using the shaped notes. Eventually I did take piano lessons and learned that the notes didn't have to have the unique shapes to tell me what to play...but that their position on the lines and spaces would tell me. I have never learned to be a really good pianist but I can play enough to be able to enjoy it.

When I was around twelve years old I wanted a guitar really bad for Christmas. We were poor people and I was pretty sure I would not get one. But...I did! It was a very cheap one but it was a guitar and came with an instruction booklet. I read that booklet and learned to play. All during my teenage years my guitar was an outlet as I sang happy songs, sad songs, and even political songs that I had no idea what the meaning was. I don't play very much now as it seems to aggravate the arthritis in my left hand and shoulder but I do manage to play it some for the grandkids.

I really loved singing in the Youth Choir at FBC in Ripley as a teenager. Robert Gray was our choir director and he knew what he was doing! The finished product was always something that the people enjoyed hearing. But I never had a very strong voice. I was only good as an alto background but yet always longing to have a stronger voice. My voice is still weak but God blessed me with a husband and three children with strong clear voices! And now I can already tell that our two grandchildren...ages 2 and 6....have good strong voices and a good ear that keeps them right on key! There's not much I can think of that thrills me, or in some cases relaxes me, more than hearing one of my children sing or play the piano!

About fourteen or fifteen years ago during our church's Wednesday night service prior to Thanksgiving, the pastor asked each person present to tell one thing we were thankful for. Just one. When it came my time I said "Music!" There is an older man in our church that still to this day remembers that and often reminds me of it. And I'm thankful for it today even more than I was then I believe!

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:16

May God bless you!

Marilyn

Tuesday Tapestry: "LET THEM LIVE!"

2011-11-08T06:00:00.005-06:00

Many years ago I read a tract called DIARY OF AN UNBORN CHILD. I am not sure where it originated, but I felt it was appropriate for today because of Initiative 26 that will be on our ballot today in Mississippi.

OCTOBER 5 Today my life began. My parents do not know it yet, I am as small as a seed of an apple, but it is I already. And I am to be a girl. I shall have blond hair and blue eyes. Just about everything is settled though, even the fact that I shall love flowers.

OCTOBER 19 Some say that I am not a real person yet, that only my mother exists. But I am a real person, just as a small crumb of bread is yet truly bread. My mother is. And I am.

OCTOBER 23 My mouth is just beginning to open now. Just think, in a year or so I shall be laughing and later talking. I know what my first word will be: MAMA.

OCTOBER 25 My heart began to beat today all by itself. From now on it shall gently beat for the rest of my life without ever stopping to rest! And after many years it will tire. It will stop, and then I shall die.

NOVEMBER 2 I am growing a bit every day. My arms and legs are beginning to take shape. But I have to wait a long time yet before those little legs will raise me to my mother's arms, before these little arms will be able to gather flowers and embrace my father.

NOVEMBER 12 Tiny fingers are beginning to form on my hands. Funny how small they are! I'll be able to stroke my mother's hair with them.

NOVEMBER 20 It wasn't until today that the doctor told mom that I am living here under her heart. Oh, how happy she must be! Are you happy, mom?

NOVEMBER 25 My mom and dad are probably thinking about a name for me. But they don't even know that I am a little girl. I want to be called Kathy. I am getting so big already.

DECEMBER 10 My hair is growing. It is smooth and bright and shiny. I wonder what kind of hair mom has.

DECEMBER 13 I am just about able to see. It is dark around me. When mom brings me into the world it will be full of sunshine and flowers. But what I want more than anything is to see my mom. How do you look, mom?

DECEMBER 24 I wonder if mom hears the whispering of my heart? Some children come into the world a little sick. But my heart is strong and healthy. It beats so evenly tup-tup tup-tup. You'll have a healthy little daughter, mom!

DECEMBER 28 Today my mother killed me.
Today in Mississippi we will be voting on Initiative 26. Following is the question that will be on the ballot:
"Should the term 'person' be defined to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof?"

The only right answer is YES!

Unfortunately, there has been so much debate over this issue, and much propaganda has been spread by liberal groups such as Planned Parenthood, disguising themselves as Mississippians for Healthy Families. Yet they are funded by many organizations outside Mississippi. See, abortion is more than just a woman's choice. It is an industry that fills the pockets of greedy abortion doctors and other businesses that use the parts of the babies to make products for profit.

What I can't understand is why any true christian would not see that invading the womb and attacking an innocent, unborn child is murder and breaks the 6th commandment. Ex. 20:13 Yet, I know people and have even attended church with a few of them in the past, that say they are voting NO. Unbelievable! Proverbs 6:16-19 tells us some things that God hates, and specifically, verse 17 mentions "hands that shed innocent blood". Can you get any more innocent than an unborn child? Twenty times in nineteen verses, the Bible speaks against the shedding of innocent blood. God hates abortion, and we are told in Psalm 82:3 that we are to "Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy." Unborn children doomed to abortion are poor and fatherless. Wouldn't you agree?

For the past 38 years the blood of 53,000,000 babies (some sources say) has been crying out to God from the ground like the blood of innocent Abel. I don't want any of that innocent blood on my hands. I plan to vote yes, which is a vote for the defenseless children. I only have one vote, but if I vote yes, I will have a clear conscience. Please, if you live in Mississippi, seek the wisdom of God, not men. What does Jesus want?

If you are not in Mississippi, please pray for this amendment to pass and end abortion in Mississippi. God will bless our state if we pass this, and hopefully other states will follow.

Monday Ministry Highlights -- Opportunity Knocks!

2011-11-07T10:05:00.001-06:00

A while back, I read an article about a 34 year-old pastor in Iran who was being condemned to death because he refused to repent of his faith in the Almighty God. We've been blessed to live in a free country. It made me weep to think of the opportunities I have to spread the Gospel and yet somehow, I fail to see them. Or more honestly, I fail to take them seriously.

God never gives us a command without enabling us to obey. He told us to be witnesses of His grace, and therefore, He surrounds us with opportunities to do so. He not only gives us opportunities, but He also gives us freedom, courage, faith, speech, love, etc...

Let me share some examples of opportunities to witness.

We had been praying for a part-time job to open up for Keith that would not interfere with the ministry. That's not easy to find in Kenora. Last week, I was searching "Kijiji", like I often do, looking for deals. The first ad on the page was for someone willing to do some janitorial work from 5am to about 9am Monday through Friday. Perfect! We replied immediately and Keith got the job. The man he works for, Chris, told him that when he put the ad on, he asked God to send him the right person. When he saw that Keith was a pastor, he said he knew God answered his prayer. He was raised "Christian", but hasn't been to church for a long time. His fiance is Catholic and he said he tried going to church with her, but he just knew it wasn't right to worship Mary over Christ. They have two little girls. Keith is very encouraged. He is praying that Chris will come out to church and that his family will come with him. Here we were praying for a way to save for a new vehicle and God gives us a chance to win a family for the Lord.

One of the dear ladies in our church had a chance to use her families' tragedy to witness to someone this last week. It was encouraging for me to hear her say, "We can't change what has happened, but we can let God use it to reach others." Some would say, "Why would a loving God allow such a horrible thing to happen?" Maybe it was to give someone a chance to be saved from Hell's fire?! Jesus suffered to give us the Gospel, why do we think it unfair that we should suffer for someone's chance to hear It?

Two weeks ago, we took the children to the park. While we were there, an older man came to us and asked us how we were enjoying the day. He complimented our new puppy (always a good way to butter someone up). Then he simply said, "I would like to share something with you, if I can." He then gave us a tract. That was it. After a, "Have a nice day" he was gone. Unfortunately, he was not sharing the Truth of the Gospel, but his example encouraged me. Is it really so difficult to slip someone a tract? A simple, "It sure is a beautiful day isn't it? Could I give you something to read in your spare time?" It sounds simple, but so often we fail to do it.

We get busy with our daily lives and fail to see the opportunities all around us. God is answering our prayers for the salvation of souls. We simply need to open our eyes and we'll see that we don't need to look very far for opportunities to share God's great gift! I would like to encourage you to find someone to witness to this week. Hand them a tract, invite them to church, give them the Gospel. Do something!

All over North America, good, solid KJV Bible-believing churches are closing their doors for a lack of people. Is it because we can't compete with the world any longer? Are the people too hardened to the Gospel? Has God lost His power to soften hearts? Has the Holy Spirit stopped convicting souls of sin? Or is it because we've gotten lazy in our witness? Many "Chris's" are out there, praying that God would send someone to show them the way. Let's get busy while we still have an opportunity. One day, there will be no more opportunities.

Memory

2011-11-04T08:56:00.000-05:00

Do you have trouble remembering things? I don't mean a major memory lose. For example, if I am working in one room and need something in the laundry room I head out to get it. By the time I walk through the living room and dining room to get to the laundry room ~ I have forgotten what I came after. Guess what? I have to go all the way back to the original room and it suddenly dawns upon me what I need. So ~ I say the word out loud of what I needed in the first place and it sticks in my mind. I go after it. This time I remembered. Do you think it had anything with me saying the word out loud?

My husband and I were lying in the bed one morning this week. Somehow we started talking about our favorite verses. Many of you know that Psalms 37:4 is mine. "Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give you the desires of thine heart." He said right behind me, "Commit thy way into the Lord, trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass." ( Seems those are his favorite, also.) Then we started quoting Scripture that we had memorized as young people. Verses and chapters like: Psalm 1, 121, 23 and others. John 14 and I don't know how many we ended up with.

I am so glad that we remembered those verses that are stored in the memory banks of our mind. When we need them the Lord brings them to our attention. I don't have to run to the Bible and find what the verse really says. (It is not like things I hunt for in my house. Running here and there to find what I am looking for.) It's right there for me to draw on.

It is important to teach our children the Scripture. It is something that will be with them the rest of our life.

2 TIMOTHY 2:15 "STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD, A WORKMAN THAT NEEDETH NOT TO BE ASHAMED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF GOD."

Tuesday Tapestry: Hallelujah Harvest!

2011-11-01T06:00:00.023-05:00

Last night at Enterprise Baptist Church, we had our Hallelujah Harvest. We have an event every year on Halloween night, not in celebration of Halloween, but to provide an alternative. As a matter of fact, we use to call it our Halloween Alternative, but every year when we announced it, it just seemed like it needed a different name. So, last year, at the event, we took nominations for names, then we voted, and Hallelujah Harvest won the title. We had some great other suggestions like Holy Harvest, Hallelujah Night, etc. Over the years we have had several fun activities, such as hayrides, weenie roasting, marshmallow roasting and s'more making. One year we announced that we wanted each person who would like to share a story of a special event or a testimony about family or church. That turned into a time of praise and worship. We have served chips and dips, hot dogs, chili, cup cakes, etc. We don't encourage costumes, but we have face painting, nothing scary, just super heroes, animals, butterflies, etc. We have this event to provide fellowship, fun and candy for the children and to avoid things that the Bible says are an abomination to God.

Lev 19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

Deu 18:11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

Deu 18:12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Blessings,
Lisa

Monday Ministry Highlights: Songfest

2011-10-31T03:00:00.000-05:00

October had five Sundays in it, in case you hadn't noticed! ;) My husband likes to do something special at church on the last Sunday night of each month that has five Sundays in it. This month we had a Songfest, during which anyone who wants to sing can do so. It doesn't have to be polished (although practiced would be nice!) and it doesn't have to be a "special" song: it can simply be something from the hymnbook.

We had about five or six groups sing last night. A couple of groups were families. Three sisters and their friend sang, and then a dad and several of his children sang a hymn. This was quite the accomplishment for one of the little girls; she is shy and kept turning toward her dad to try and hide. I was proud of her for staying up there and singing when she was so shy and scared! Another group was comprised of various members of several families (did that make sense?!) singing a medley of hymns about Heaven. Our youth group sang, as well as all the children in our church.

My favorite part was getting to choose our favorite songs as our congregational songs for the night. My all-time favorite hymn is Grace Greater Than All Our Sin, but someone else chose that before I had the chance! So I chose My Faith Has Found a Resting Place. When requesting our song, we had to give a testimony about why it's our favorite. The reason I love that hymn is because, after years of doubting my salvation, my faith found a resting place 18 years ago, when I finally quit trying to be saved and simply trusted Christ to do it for me!

After the songs were finished our youth director preached a message about God's Principles for Music. He does a great job preaching, and Wes never even has to twist his arm to get him to preach!;)

After the service we had a potluck of sandwiches, chips, veggie and fruit trays, and of course, desserts! Our people enjoy fellowship so much that we usually have to turn off the lights to get them to go home. Last night was no exception, and everyone helped out with cleaning up and putting our basement rooms back in order. We have removable walls to make classrooms, which we take down when we're having a fellowship, so the walls had to be returned for Wednesday night, when we run our bus route and have classes down there. By the way, the past two Wednesday nights we've had 49 and 48 children ride the bus, and this week we're pushing for 50! The Lord has really blessed our Wednesday night program!

I'm so glad we have people willing and excited to serve the Lord by singing during our services! It's also good to hear people's favorite hymns and know exactly why they like the ones they do. I don't know if anyone else was blessed by the service, but I sure was. Music is such a sweet gift from the Lord! I've included the words below from the hymn I chose tonight. I love the old hymns! Have a good week!

I just wish I'd remembered to take the camera!

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

Refrain

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He’ll never cast me out.

Refrain

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s Name,
Salvation through His blood.

Refrain

My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.

Refrain

Incy Wincy Spider and the three P's

2011-10-27T03:09:00.000-05:00

I had missed my Thursday post and so decided to share something on Sunday 25th September. I had watched incy wincy spider weaving her beautiful web and here is episode two as the Lord certainly gave me something to think about and I call it Incy Wincy Spider and the 3 P's.

Patience, Perseverance, Peace

First of all the Lord showed me 'patience' - I for one certainly had patience as I stood and watched her weave for half an hour. And Incy Wincy had patience as she must have been weaving for well over an hour.
There are times when my 'patience' wears very thin but I realise that whatever I'm doing, I do need patience. For instance when I'm in the queue at the supermarket and in a hurry. The queue is moving slowly so I decide to change to another aisle only to find this one is even slower or the till jams or someone needs to change an item and if I'd only been patient and stayed at the one that I had been in in the first place I'd have been served by now.
Yes, 'patience' is very necessary. I once heard a little rhyme that went 'Patience is a virtue, virtue is a grace, Grace is a little girl who didn't wash her face'. I have no idea where it came from but whenever I think of patience being one of the fruits of the spirit or rather 'longsuffering' in the KJV I remember this little verse and give thanks for even the smallest amount of patience that I have.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Gal. 5:22)

Next I learnt 'Perseverance' - this spider persevered in making her web. Despite the wind blowing it too and fro, Incy Wincy hung on in there and completed the task she had started and the Lord again reminded me that at times I start something only to give up after a little while. Indeed 'perseverance' is very much linked to 'patience' in the KJV but some .
I once picked up a pair of knitting needles only to find that it wasn't something I enjoyed as much as my mam did. I started a jumper and didn't persevere with it, I gave up and some 10 years later that wool was still on those knitting needles so my mam finished it off for me. It had been a jumper for my then husband but he outgrew it so mam finished it and my younger brother ended up wearing it.
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them (in other words persevere): for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (1 Tim 4:16)

Incy Wincy finished her web and then just rested right in the middle of it. The Lord showed me 'peace, be still'. Oh I know incy was so still in the centre of that web just waiting for her next meal to come along but shouldn't we be like that. After the toil of the day we should be still and wait upon the Lord. Our food is the reading of the word which does indeed bring peace.
We can be in the midst of the biggest storm we've ever been in, but Jesus himself is the one who can bring peace and stillness to the situation. He rebuked the wind and the sea and said 'Peace, be still' and He can have the same effect on any storm that appears in our own lives.
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm (Mark 4:39).

As much as I hate these creatures the Lord has taught me a valuable lesson through the 3P's and every time I see a spider I will think Patience, Perseverance, Peace.

Wednesday in the Word: Patience

2011-10-26T04:00:00.000-05:00

We have special friends visiting with us this week, Stew and Donna Schepers, so since we're enjoying some good fellowship I'm reposting something from my blog archives. These were my notes from a sermon my husband preached several years ago. God bless you this week!

My husband preached an excellent message tonight! He's been preaching through the book of James on Sunday nights, and we're finally in the last chapter. Tonight's sermon was on patience - so timely! :) Here are my notes.

Five Ways to Let Patience Perfect You - James 5:7-12

1. Use the patience you already have - v. 7 - "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain." The farmer has enough patience to wait for harvest - doesn't expect immediate results - keep trials in perspective - this too shall pass

2. Establish your heart - v. 8 - "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." Be patient because Jesus is coming - whatever you're going through, it is temporary! Stablish = commitment - I will endure, because Jesus is coming soon

3. Don't complain or become bitter - vs. 9,10 - "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience." God never gives more than we can bear - He will sustain

4. Don't quit - v. 11 - "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." Others have endured - so can you! Job didn't know the whole story, behind the scenes, Satan telling God that Job would curse him. We don't know the whole story - God has us under construction. God cares!

5. Be careful how you speak during trials - v. 12 - "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." Control your words - suffering builds character, self-contr

Tuesday Tapestry: PASTOR APPRECIATION

2011-10-25T06:00:00.042-05:00

Pastors are a gift from God to the church. See Ephesians 4:11. October is pastor appreciation month, so I thought I would give some ideas of how you can show your pastor that you love and appreciate him and his family. This list is not exhaustive, so please put your ideas in a comment if you like. Some passages that teach the principle of pastor appreciation are I Kings 17:9-17 and Matthew 10:40-42.

Plan for different families in the church to feed the pastor and his family Sunday dinner for all five Sundays of October.
Plan a certain week of the month for people to send cards and flood his mailbox. Better if done by surprise.
Plan ahead for several people to give words of appreciation during a church service.
Take up a secret love offering and present him with a card with a check enclosed.
Secretly collect money and present him with a money tree. Just get a tree branch and clip money to the limbs with clothes pins.
Send him on a paid vacation (including gas money.) This could be simple or extravagant. Do whatever your church can afford. It could be just a weekend getaway, or a trip to Disney World, or a cruise, or a trip to the Holy Land.
Give him a gift certificate to his favorite restaurant.
Gift certificate to http://www.christianbook.com
Make some repairs to his house.
Drive by blessings. When you know he is home. Leave a goody basket, a card, or some other thoughtful gift on his porch. Blow the horn and leave before he comes to the door.
Give him a pounding (with groceries, not a club.)
Many pastors do not live near their extended families. Help him with expenses so he can visit them, and give him a service off and pay for pulpit supply.
Upgrade your pastor's office. Does he need a new office chair, or file cabinet, etc.
Start a library fund for the pastor's personal library.
Is he a sports fan? Buy him tickets.
Get him tickets for a Christian comedian or music concert.
Give him some Christian comedy DVDs. Ex. Dennis Swanburg, Tim Hawkins, Jeff Allen, etc.
Have his church shoes resoled or buy him some new shoes and socks, and attach a card that has the scripture Romans 10:15 or Isaiah 52:7 about his "beautiful feet."
Buy him a new suit to preach in or give him a gift certificate or money and specify that it is for a suit and nothing else. Most pastors are very unselfish people and will end up spending the money on a family need if you don't give him an ultimatum, but if you tell him the money is for a specific thing, his integrity will not let him spend it on anything else.

I know this post is kind of late in the month, but don't worry, if you have not shown pastor appreciation yet, he will definitely agree with the "better late than never" statement. So get busy loving on your pastor. I promise, you will be blessed in many ways if you do.

ONE BRIDGE

2011-10-21T06:00:00.003-05:00

A small boy built a bridge across a mud puddle for his dog. The dog looked at the mud puddle and jumped across it. No amount of coaxing could get the dog to walk on the makeshift bridge.

There is no way we can bridge the gap from earth to heaven except the blood of Jesus Christ. Many people attempt to jump across but fall because there is no other way provided than by His blood.

We may think our church as the bridge where we pass from ignorance to knowledge for there we study for there we learn the will of God as given to us in the Bible.

A bridge is no good unless it is used. Sometimes we pass where a new bridge has been built, yet just a short way to the side is the old bridge intact but unused, because the road to it is blocked.

Only Christ can build a bridge between the the sinner and God. If we fail to trust Christ, there is no bridge for us across that great gulf. When we have trusted the bridge and are walking across we should remember the rails on the sides. Those rails may be built of love for Christ as shown by our loyalty, our friendliness to others, and our seeking others to travel with us. Faith and truth will keep us steady in our walk.

One of the sweet bridges Christ built for us was the bridge between now and the hereafter. Christ said

"I go to prepare a place for you ,..... that where I am, there ye may be also."

We have read where several bridges have collapsed over the pass few years and many lives were lost.
They trusted a bridge that looked good but was unsafe. There are many things in the world that may look good to us, but the only bridge we can trust is Christ. J.T.BOLDING

When It's All Said and Done

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Some of the most insightful words are spoken by those closest to death. I'm not being morbid, I'm making an observation. When you're looking back over your life, you'll be in the wisest state of mind ever possible this side of eternity. I am most touched by the following quotes given by men who were not saved, because it appears that as they are dying, the truth is finally dawning on them. However, there are many quotes below by men who were saved and those are especially encouraging. Live your life with a view toward eternity!

I think I'll sleep now. -George Washington Carver

I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown, where no disturbance can be, no disturbance in the world. Remember! -Charles I, King of England

I have tried so hard to do right. -Grover Cleveland

It's very beautiful over there. -Thomas Jefferson

This is absurd! This is absurd! -Sigmund Freud
Note: He is also reported to have said “The meager satisfaction that man can extract from reality leaves him starving.”

I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country. -Nathan Hale

Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees. -Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson

Solely by the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Saviour. -Johannes Kepler

The taste of death is upon my lips…I feel something, that is not of this earth. -Mozart

Take me home. I was born in the South and I wish to die and be buried in the South. -Booker T. Washington

I am ready. -Woodrow Wilson

(wikiquote.org)

Tuesday Tapestry: NO PAIN NO GAIN

2011-10-18T06:00:00.027-05:00

This is a chart similar to the one I was shone in the hospital after my knee surgery. It helps the doctors and nurses to know your pain level.

I have been thinking alot about pain lately. That's because I've been feeling alot of it! Ouch! With my recent horse riding accident and following knee surgery, pain has been my ever present companion.
My prescription says take one every 4 to 6 hours as needed for pain. I tried to cut back to every 6 hours, but the pain was just more than I could stand. I am now back to every 4 hours.
When I went to the emergency room, the first thing they did for me was to give me a shot for the pain. Once the pain was taken care of, they could proceed with X-rays, etc.
Pain is something that we humans try to avoid. Ever since pain entered the world, I guess we have been running from it. Gen. 3:16,17 speaks of pain. The word is translated "sorrow". Pain was part of the judgement of God on Adam and Even for their rebellion.
Many times we must endure pain to experience a good end result. For instance, if I had refused to have surgery on my broken knee, which would bring more pain to my body, I would not get the benefit of the healing that would come later. I'll be honest with you, when I awakened from the surgery, the excruciating pain brought tears to my eyes and down my face. But with that pain is the very real prospect of a better day with little to no pain and a knee that works properly.
With these things in mind I want to mention some blessings that we could not have without pain.

1. New Life- We must experience labor pains before we can have children. Gen. 3:16 Even with epidurals, there is still going to be some pain.
2. Growth - We experience growing pains.
3. New Life- We must experience the pain of convicton before salvation.
4. Spiritual Growth - We grow spiritually when we go through hard times and
learn to depend on the Lord.

Pain was good for me because had I not experienced pain when I fell off the horse, I would have just got back on and kept on riding with a broke knee. That would have caused more damage than I already had. If we had not experienced the pain of conviction of the Holy Spirit, we would have continued on as a lost person without God.
One of the joys of Heaven will be the absence of pain. There will be no need for pain in Heaven.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
What a day that will be!

Being a Good Steward at Christmas Time

2011-10-14T07:21:00.000-05:00

This isn't normally the type of post I'd share over here, but I realize a lot of people have very TIGHT budgets for Christmas this year and I figure these tips might prove useful to some families : )

Growing up in a family that tends to use gifts as it's language of love we tend to go ~~a little~~ overboard when it comes to gifts on any gift giving occasion. However, right now many people in my immediate family circle are ~~a little~~ unemployed. It's so tempting however to just SPEND SPEND SPEND.

Of course we all know the real reason for the season but let's face it, choosing something you know your loved ones will appreciate and then giving it to them is just plain fun. So how can we be a good steward of the things God has given us and give some great gifts in the process? A little creativity that's how : )

For example, I just got $30 worth of jewlery for FREE yesterday from Savemore.com! When you sign up your account recieves a $10 credit, you then buy a $30 gift certificate for $7 and voila, free Jewelry. This particular gift will be for my grandmother or mother, shh don't tell.

Also using swagbucks that I earn just by using their search engine I can get amazing steals on Amazon when I redeem them for gift certificates. (The above two links are referrals, if you use them you do help me earn more free stuff of course)

I know some people may have a problem entering blog giveaways (let your own convictions guide you) but I don't personally since I'm not spending any money or countless hours doing it. Try entering a few giveaways other blogs might be having and you may be suprised with an extra Christmas gift this season. Just don't count on it.

Other than internet tricks to get free things the possibilities of free gifts are only limited by your imagination, and quite frankly it is only the truly rude and arrogant who would be offended by a homemade recycled gift, and why would you want to give a gift to someone like that anyway?

A lot of these ideas call for spare fabric, don't limit yourself to the traditional fabric by the yard, think outside the box. T-shirts you never wear, receiving blankets seldom used, little used dish towels, napkins, curtains, and table clothes are all at your disposal, go bananas.

Here are my top free gift ideas:

Framed Art: Nice Looking Picture Frame you have lying around + Child's Artwork, Your Artwork, B&W Photo of Family (snapfish has free prints for anyone who starts a new account), or Calligraphy of Scripture on Pretty Paper (You can also stain plain white paper in tea)
Stuffed Animal and Dress Up Clothes: Nice Stuffed Animal or Doll of your Children's + Homemade clothes with extra fabric from your sewing kit or New born sized clearance goodwill finds. You can also sew a bag to keep all the clothes in, or include baby clothes hangers with the gift.
Coloring Book and Round Crayons: Get free coloring pages off the internet, or sketch your own, of whatever said child is into these days. Make round crayons by melting complimentary colors of used crayons together in muffin tins.
Seasonal Throw Pillows: You can use large napkins, table clothes, or place mats for fabric, and stuffing from a beat up stuffed animal or pillow.
Toy Groceries: Start saving boxes, spice containers, and anything else that can be transformed into a play grocery store for your child. You can always cover old boxes with contact paper to make them last longer.
Books: Feel free to give away old books in good condition if they'll be appreciated by another family member.
Journal, Scrapbook, or Photo Album: One of the Afore mentioned items + Decorations with a new fabric cover, slick paints, stickers, photos, or pretty lettering
Fabric Food: Use your spare fabric to create fruit, vegetables, sandwiches, and create a toy lunch box or picnic basket for your little one.
Rice Sock: One Long sock that has lost it's mate (toe socks work great) + Rice, stitch closed. Be sure to include the instructions, heat in microwave for 1-2 minutes and mix rice around before using to avoid hot spots.
Sock Puppet Kit: Include needle thread, buttons, embellishments, slick paints and of course socks that have lost their mates. One of my daughters favorite toys is a sock dog puppet made with three socks (two for the ears) and two button eyes, it was my husband who actually made this, he's so proud : ) You may want to include pictures printed from the internet for inspiration.
Beginners sewing project and kit: Start your daughter's (or whoever) with their first sewing kit using surplus supplies from your own. You might want to include enough fabric and notions to make a simple skirt, doll quilt, or stuffed animal depending on their age.
Games: Have a surplus of dice? Wrap nicely and include instructions for a list of dice games. Decks of Cards? Same thing. Scrabble letters? Repackage and include instructions for anagrab or anagrams. You could also get really creative and create a family based trivia or board game. Or get trivia questions from your families favorite subject. You could always paint a chess/checkers board on spare wood, then give old pieces new life by repainting them. (think gold or silver spray paint)
Room Makeover: Man cave or child's bedroom we all have plenty of supplies lying around to give it new life. From curtains to throws there are a hundred different ways to update a room without spending money. If you're updating a man cave be sure not to do anything chicky, think sport's team logos not candles. Throw pillows, blankets, and much more can be made from old t-shirts.
New to You Jewlery: Start ripping those beaded necklaces apart that you don't like or don't wear. Make chokers, earrings, bracelets, necklaces and anything else you might have supplies for.
Food: I found this recipe for bread in a jar and I think it may be a gift this year for a lot of people. Whether it's a meal, or somehting you've canned home cooking is always appreciated. (Unless of course the person you're giving the gift to has severe food allergies, in which case I'd stick with jewlery)

Hope this post helps everyone save a little money this year : )

Thursday This 'n That: Your Mission

2011-10-13T07:00:00.016-05:00

"Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive it isn't."

God has given each of us a mission to accomplish on earth. As long as we're here, we're here for a purpose- to bring glory to Him. The question is, are we fulfilling that purpose? Or using for ourselves the life God has given us?

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Revelation 4:11

Wednesday in the Word: The Battle is the Lord's

2011-10-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Ephesians 6:11

I'm doing a ten week Bible study with some of the other ladies who work at the crisis pregnancy center where I volunteer one day a week. It's written by Beth Moore and is titled "David: Seeking a Heart Like His". Last week some of our homework involved reading about battles being fought between Saul's army and David's army. I couldn't help but think back to David's early life when he fought the giant Goliath FOR Saul's army. Even at that young age, David knew where his strength and abilities came from. We know that because of what he said to Goliath just before slinging that smooth stone from the brook into the giant's forehead! David said: "And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands." And we know that is exactly what happened.

In our homework last week David and Saul had come to be enemies. David has been promised the kingdom and the crown of Israel but it's a long time coming it seems. There are battles to be fought and heartaches to be endured. Beth Moore made the statement that "Old regimes rarely crumble without bloodshed." I know she was talking about actual "regimes" but I could not help but think about how it's also true for bad habits or addictions that have become strongholds in our lives. These rarely are overcome either without a fight. Satan would love for us to be stuck in the murk and mire of sin continually and never feel the freedom and thrill of victory through Christ! There is a constant battle going on in the life of every Christian. Ephesians 6:12 tells us who our enemy is: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Beth's statement that "Old regimes rarely crumble without bloodshed" can be taken to new levels when I think about how my old life of pleasing the flesh before I became a Christian could only be changed through bloodshed....the blood that was shed on Calvary's cross by Jesus Christ.

So now as a saved person, may I expect to live a battle free life? No, because the Bible declares that Satan will always be fighting against us as long as we draw a breath here on earth. But God doesn't leave us defenseless. He tells us that we can be prepared for war by these means: "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"

Like David, we as Christians have been promised a kingdom and a crown...but not of this world...and it,too, sometimes seems like a long time in coming. Just stay in the fight for the right. Put on your Spiritual Armour but always remember that in the end, the battle is the Lord's ! Trust in Him!

God bless you.

Marilyn

Wednesday in the Word: Anniversary Edition

2011-10-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the 27th anniversary of the day my husband and I said, "I do!" It sure doesn't seem like we've been married 27 years already; the time has just flown by. As I was trying to decide what to post today for a devotional, I remembered a quick little study I'd done on my personal blog, ByGrace, back in 2008 on the wife's responsibilities in marriage. I decided to repost that this week, as it fit in nicely with our anniversary today. Mind you, I don't live by each one of these every minute of every day - sometimes not even every day of every week! - but after 27 years, I've learned that I can trust what God says about marriage, put it into practice, and reap the benefits of a happy, contented marriage.

Let's start with the obvious commands given to the wife . . .

1. Wives are to submit to and reverence their husbands – Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18, and Ephesians 5:33 That’s it. Two little commands, but not so easy to obey all the time! Those are just for us, wives. Although husbands have responsibilities to us wives, that’s not the point of this post. There are quite a few more commands about relationships with others, that, if we put them into practice, just might make a difference in our marriages, changing us wives as well as our husbands, and making our homes happy places . . . without having to degrade our men by training them like animals! So here we go.

2. Wives should have meek and quiet spirits – I Peter 3:4 This is not mousy and timid, but a conscious decision to give control to our husbands (and ultimately to God), and remain calm within our spirits. Meekness is not weakness; it is strength under control. God values these characteristics in a woman, and I know that my husband values them in me . . . when I actually exhibit them!

Most of the rest of these commands are the "one another" commands: guidelines for all Christians to live by concerning personal relationships with others. If we're to do these for "one another," then don't you think "one another" includes our husbands too?!

3. Wives should be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving – Ephesians 4:32 Treat your husband with basic kindness. Have a tender heart, one that believes the best of him. Forgive him. He’s going to make mistakes (as are you), so just decide that you’ll forgive him before he forgets to take out the trash - again! ;)

4. Wives should have gracious words – Colossians 4:6 Stop a minute and think of how you speak to your husband. It’s no wonder my husband snaps at me on occasion (but very seldom), the way I sometimes get snippy with him! A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous (harsh) words stir up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)

5. Wives should be edifying to their husbands – Romans 14:19 Edifying is building someone up! Give him some positive words and looks and see what happens. I’ve read that one of a man’s basic needs is admiration, and he needs it from his wife more than anyone else on earth. I sure don’t want my husband’s need for admiration to be met by someone else, especially not another woman.

6. Wives should show preference to their husbands – Philippians 2:3 This verse speaks of being kindly affectioned toward another, in honour preferring them . . . to prefer someone is to regard them or honor them above yourself. In other words, to put them and their desires first. Keep them first in your thoughts. That was easy when you were dating, wasn’t it? He was my first thought in the morning, and my last thought at night. After 23 years of marriage, can I say that that is still true?

7. Wives are to show affection to their husbands – Titus 2:4 That “love their husbands,” according to Strong’s Concordance, matches the Greek word philandros, from which we get our English word philander. Be affectionate with your husband: hold his hand; massage his neck and back; give him lots of kisses and hugs. Ladies, as gently as I can say it . . . knock his socks off! He needs you and the affection that only a wife can and should give. You will never regret being affectionate, and you will have a very happy man!

9. Wives should be forbearing – Colossians 3:13 This goes back to forgiveness. Forbearance is just simply putting up with each other. Men and women are different (I know that’s a shocker!), and we will always get on each other’s nerves. Your co-workers, your children, your siblings, your neighbors, your fellow church members – everyone in your life – all get on your nerves at some time or other, and with most people, we grin and bear it. Why not with our husbands?

10. Wives should be compassionate, loving, courteous – I Peter 3:8,9 These verses are in the context of marriage! Courtesy: simple things like saying please and thank you or excuse me. Loving here is brotherly love – companionship. Compassion. We have more compassion for the poor across the world than we do for our husbands (it’s good to have compassion for the poor – just make sure you have it for man you love the most!)

11. Wives should practice the “Golden Rule” – Matthew 7:12 We commonly say “do unto others as ye would have them do unto you.” Hmmm. You mean if I want to be treated well, I should treat others well? Even my husband? Wow! What an amazing concept! Kind of sounds like “you reap what you sow” too. Want respect? Give respect. Want honesty? Give honesty.

12. Wives should be trustworthy – Proverbs 31:11,12 Can your husband trust you with everything? Money, his confidences, his dreams? One thing that my husband really appreciates is that he can trust me with money. For a man who works hard for that money and stretches it as far as he can every week, being able to trust his wife not to blow it is a big thing. A man won’t share his hopes and dreams if he thinks (or knows!) that you will tell your best friend or your mother every little thing. Be trustworthy!

I’m sure I could find much, much more, but these are the things I’ve written down over the past week as I mulled over the degrading, demeaning treatment of husbands encouraged by feminism. Let’s treat our husbands well, and see the Lord bless our men and our marriages with real joy. Ignore the feminists, and renew your mind with God’s ways.

Tuesday Tapestry: Don't Give Up On Unsaved Loved Ones

2011-10-11T06:00:00.009-05:00

How many times have you witnessed to someone, especially a loved one or a close family member only to be disappointed because, once again, God's answer to your prayers was delayed. Maybe you thought, "But, Lord, I've prayed for all these years. Won't you ever save them?" Your flesh says, "They'll never be saved, they're just too hard hearted, why bother?" But your spirit says, "I can't give up! What if someone had given up on me? If I give up, who will win them to Jesus?" So you just pray and go on with your life until the Lord impresses on you to witness to them again. Well, I have been in those shoes. Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us that God's thoughts are above our thoughts. God sees the big picture. I have been praying for over 28 years for my mother to be saved. Through a terrible car accident and close call with death God recently saved her. Praise the Lord! When she got saved God lifted that burden from me. I am rejoicing that I will get to spend eternity with my sweet mother, whom I love very much. Don't you dare give up on that loved one. Pray for him or her, witness, be kind, and minister to that precious one if you have opportunity. God will work in their heart.

Monday Ministry Highlights -- In Everything Give Thanks!

2011-10-10T06:00:00.002-05:00

I had another post ready for today, but I think I will save it for next month, because......

Today is Thanksgiving here in Canada.

God's Word tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In EVERYTHING give THANKS...."

Why?

Because....

"...this is the WILL of GOD in Christ Jesus concerning YOU."

Today I am thankful for:

A Christian upbringing

My salvation

A God Who is the I AM

Forgiveness

Second chances

The King James Bible

Prayer

A Godly husband

My three children

The salvation of my two oldest children

My church

Canada

Freedom to serve God

Life

Heaven

The colours of Autumn -- Gold, Red, Blue, Green, Brown

Our puppy, Hoss

A beautiful place to live

Sight

Hearing

Mobility

Health

Provisions

The list could go on and on... As I'm sure your's could too.

God has recently convicted me in the area of contentment. I think 1 Thessalonians 5:18 is not only the way to contentment, but also the result of contentment. When you can truly "give thank IN all things," you will know true contentment. What are you thankful for today? Never mind your circumstances. It's God's will that you be thankful in them, whatever they be.

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!!!

Friday Feature~ Taking Up Your Cross

2011-10-07T06:00:00.001-05:00

"Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross." Hebrews 12:2

Taking up one's cross means simply that you are to go to the road which you see is the straight one;

Carrying whatever you find is yours to carry, as well and stoutly as you can: without making faces, or calling the people to come and look at you. Above all, you are neither to load or unload yourself,
nor cut your cross to your own liking. Some people think it would be better to have it large; and many, that they could carry it much faster if it was large, and even those who like it largest are usually very particular about it's being ornamental, and made of black ebony.

All you have to do is keep your back as straight as you can, and not think of what is upon it - above it-
not to boast of what is upon it.

It is not His cross that is heavy,

It is those our hands have made.

That hinder us on our journey,

On our aching shoulders laid;

There is strength for the load He gives us

And balm for the thorn He sends,

But none for the needless burdens

And none for our selfish ends.

For His yoke is easy to carry

And His burden is light iin weight:

He will do His share of the labor,

For He is true yoke mate.

Are we weary and heavy laden?

Are we anxious and full of care?

That is not the cross of His giving,

But the one we make and bear.

I don't know who wrote this poem but it is true. Sometimes we carry needless burdens and they get mighty heavy. But if we yoke up with Jesus He carries the heavy end. I have found this so true in my life. When the burden got too heavy I knew I was trying to carry it by myself. But His yoke is easy, His burden is light. I found it so, I found it so. He leadeth me by day and by night where living waters flow.

Tuesday Tapestry: THE BINDING OF UNITY (CONCLUSION)

2011-10-04T06:00:00.070-05:00

Today is my last in a series of posts on unity.

The following is the Outline:

I. The Blessings of Unity.

II. The Basis for Unity.

III. The Benefactors of Unity. (Things that promote unity)

IV. The Breakers of Unity.

V. The Becoming of Unity.

VI. The Binding of Unity. (Like the binding of a book)

Today we are looking at The Binding of Unity.

What holds the Bible in the picture together? The part that holds a book together is called the binding. Just like the binding that holds the pages of a book together, the Holy Spirit holds believers together in fellowship and love.

There are many passages in Scripture that speak of fellowship and unity, but today I want to focus on Philippians 2:1-11

¹If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

²Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

³Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

⁴Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

⁵Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

⁶Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

⁷But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

⁸And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

⁹Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

¹⁰That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

¹¹And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This is the kenosis passage. It speaks of the emptying of oneself. Christ emptied himself, not of his Deity, but of his glory. That is the most significant aspect of this Scripture. However, did you notice all of the words in verses 1 and 2 that denote unity. Then we are told in the remaining verses how to accomplish that unity. We can be bound together like a book and have unity in Christ when we behave like him, when we empty ourselves, putting away selfish desires, putting others needs before our own. The Holy Spirit is constantly at work in our lives maintaining that unity and fellowship in His Churches.

The following link is a fitting song. I hope you will listen and be blessed.

Broken and Spilled Out by Steve Green

Blessings,

Lisa

Monday Ministry Highlights

2011-10-03T08:21:00.000-05:00

....is in need of more writers. If you have a ministry you would like to tell us about, or if you would be interested in posting about various ministries or mission fields, please contact us.

Number Three

2011-09-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

Do any of you like Bible Numerology? I love it although sometimes it gets a little deep! Well, a lot deep!
I have been reading a book that I have in my Nook. This is just a little on the Number 3.

In the case of the BEE, it is the number three. To me, as I study it, makes me realize more than ever what a Great God we serve.

In three days the egg of the queen is hatched. ( 3x3)

It reaches it's maturity in 15 days (5x3)

The worker grub reaches maturity in 21 days ( 7x3)

And it is at work three days after leaving its cell.

The Drone matures in 24 days (8x3)

The Bee is composed of three sections ~ head and two stomachs.

The two eyes are made up of 3,000 small eyes, each ( like the cells of the comb) having six sides (2x3)

Underneath the body are six sides (2x3) wax scales with which the comb is made.

It has six (2 x3) legs. Each leg is composed of three sections.

The foot is formed of three triangular sections.

The antennae consist of nine (3x3) sections

The sting has nine (3x3) barbs on each side.

Is this chance? No way! It is the wondrous working of our Great God.

Wednesday in the Word:Hath God Said ?

2011-09-28T06:18:00.001-05:00

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 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 3:1-3

I wonder how often we still twist the Word of God today to try and make it say what we want it to say instead of what it really says. I'm afraid lots more often than we want to realize! In Genesis 3:1-3 Eve and Satan in the form of a serpent were having a conversation. Both of them "said" they were quoting God but in reality, neither one of them were. What God actually said is found in Genesis 2:16-17..."And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Satan claimed that God said Adam and Eve could not eat fruit from any of the trees. Eve claimed God said they could eat from all but one and that if they did eat the fruit...or even touch the tree...they would die.

It's so very easy to get things mixed up even when we are trying to keep them straight! Ever play the "gossip game"? That's where you have one person whisper a statement to the next person then that person does the same and so on down the line. The person at the end of the line says what he heard. It's never ever the same as what the first person said! I used to have my 1st through 3rd grade Sunday school classes play it whenever I wanted to show them the importance of the written word. If something is written down, then you can go back to it if you forget. If you are relying only on talk then it can often times be unreliable. That's why we should be so very thankful that we have the Bible...God's written Word!

But are there still many people reading the Word of God? And if so, is His Word being misquoted or twisted? According to many sources that I read or hear the answer to my last question would be yes. Let's just look at a few of the Ten Commandments. Hath God said, "Thou shalt not kill"? (Ex.20:13) Yes He did. Then should not abortion be wrong? And yet there are some who would argue that abortion is an exception to the rule. Hath God said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery"? (Ex. 20:14) Yes He did. And yet a large percent of our adult population does not see anything wrong with living together before they are married. Some couples even think they have God's blessing on such a union. Not so. Hath God said, "Thou shalt not steal"? (Ex. 20:15)Yes He did. But some would say that it's no big deal. Sort of a "take from the rich-give to the poor Robin Hood philosophy" that is beginning to be popular.

Maybe you're saying, "I have never killed anyone and I have never committed adultery so I'm doing all right!" O.K. Let's move on to the New Testament. Matthew 5:21-22 and 27-28 will address this. "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council:but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."...."Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt no commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." How often do we blot these verses out of our minds? Is that not akin to changing the Word of God?

I know I'm guilty of not wanting to stand accountable for obeying all the do's and don'ts of the Bible. Sometimes I just want to be disobedient and self-willed. And sometimes I am. And always when that happens I wish I had not been! Just as I'm very sure that Eve often wished that she had not listened to Satan the serpent!

"God hath said" so many important things in Scripture and we need to be reading and learning all we can while we can. Search the Word and find out for yourself what is true and what is a lie of Satan.

God bless you!

Marilyn

Tuesday Tapestry: THE BECOMING OF UNITY (Part 5 of 6)

2011-09-27T06:00:00.039-05:00

Before I begin, I want to recommend my daughter's new blog. Check it out at http://sweetsouthblog.blogspot.com/.

Over the last several weeks we have looked at some biblical principles about unity.
The following is the Outline:

I. The Blessings of Unity.
II. The Basis for Unity.
III. The Benefactors of Unity. (Things that promote unity)
IV. The Breakers of Unity.
V. The Becoming of Unity.
VI. The Binding of Unity. (Like the binding of a book)

This week we will look at Part Five, The Becoming of Unity. We can have a good measure of unity in our churches and homes if we seek to follow the biblical principles that promote unity. However, there is coming a time that we will forever have perfect unity.

A. At the Rapture we will be "caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." I Thess. 4:16-17
We shall all be like Jesus. 1 John 3:2 says, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

B. At the Revelation of Jesus Christ all the saved will praise Him in one accord with one voice.
In the following verses the Bible uses the terms one voice, great voice, the voice. Rev. 14:2, 7; Rev. 19:1,5,6
We will defy the rules of singular and plural from English class at that day because a multitude of us will sing and shout with one voice.

Do you remember the illustration I told you earlier about the pianos? Pianos should be tuned to the tuner, rather than each other. If we are in tune with the Lord and pleasing Him we will have unity. In these verses, where we have perfect unity in heaven, guess where we are focused! We are focusing on the one that is worthy of all our praise, the Lord Jesus.

What a grand and glorious day that is going to be! Please come back for the conclusion of this series on Unity, when we look at the Binding of Unity. Like a book is bound together to the cover by glue, Christians can be bound together.

Blessings,

Lisa

Monday Ministry Highlights

2011-09-26T03:00:00.000-05:00

Today started our Fall Revival. We have Evangelist Randy Chovan preaching this week, along with his wife, Grace, and their son, Jonathan. We first met them when we lived in Vancouver, about 2005, when Bro. Chovan preached for a friend of ours there. Wes booked him to come to our church in North Vancouver in 2007 and 2009, and when we moved to Kelowna, he asked Bro. Chovan to come here this year. He is preaching a series through Wednesday night on gaining victory over sin. Both sermons today were evangelistic as well as practical, and I’m really looking forward to the next three nights!

Our attendance today was up again after a slump over the summer. We’ve had several new people coming lately, and it’s so good to see the Lord bringing people in the door as we are faithful to knock on doors and try to witness throughout the week. We had a family visit today that drove over two hours to get here because there is no fundamental Baptist church any closer (never believe that Canada does not need missionaries!). Their area has been on my husband’s heart to start a Bible study in, and he is making tentative plans to start that in the next few months. We’ve had a young couple visiting the past few weeks too, and they are interested in a Bible study with Wes. We also have a family of ten coming faithfully each week. They are already saved and moved into Kelowna this year. They’ve jumped right into friendships with our people, and we’re so glad to have them coming!

Our bus ministry was low over the summer too, but the attendance has jumped back up to the 40s since school started back. Did I tell you about the mom of a couple of our bus riders getting saved this summer? When I first met Ruby she told me point-blank that she was angry with God. We began praying for her as a church sometime around April. She began coming to a service now and then, and we began to see a change in her. On Wednesday night, July 6th, Ruby came down the aisle weeping and saying she needed to be saved. One of our ladies dealt with her, and about 20 minutes later she was wonderfully saved! She kept repeating, “I can’t believe He forgave me!” What a blessing she has been! Her fiance, a self-proclaimed agnostic, has been coming to church with her, and he has been very open to forming friendships with some of our church family. We’re praying that he will be saved soon.

Pray for our revival this week. We’d love to see some people saved! We also need a spirit of revival among ourselves. I can’t wait to see what God will do this week!

Spider's Web

2011-09-25T02:22:00.006-05:00

So sorry everyone, I had in my mind that my post was for 26th for some reason and I missed my Thursday slot but I'd like to share with you a half hour I spent this morning watching a spider. The photo isn't very clear but you can see spider although not web. I have to admit I do not like these little creature scuttling about my home but if they are outside and there is a pane of glass (usually the TV screen) in between then that's a little different and I can watch them for hours. This morning was a little different too as I opened the bedroom curtain. There, thankfully behind the pane of glass and on the outside, was a small spider and she was weaving her web. I watched fascinated as the silk thread was released and she picked up the next strand of the web for it to be anchored to. It was quite windy this morning and I saw her skillfully weave this beautiful web, flawed in places but she persevered as the wind blew her about and she patiently placed each strand of silk where it would hold the best. She worked tirelessly until she reached the centre and then put her legs out and I'm guessing she is now waiting patiently for her next meal. (I will try to get a better photograph)

I was reminded that our enemy sometimes lies in wait for us, hoping to lure us into his web of deceit. We can be so busy doing things that we forget to pray, forget to spend time with Lord and just as this little spider waits for some unsuspecting fly to come along and fall into her trap, Satan too hopes we will fall into his trap.

Wonderfully though, I was reminded of how the Saviour's hand weaves our lives and how He patiently guides us each day to be the person He wants us to be, persevering with us when we make a mistake and picking us up when we fall.

Watching this spider weave her web has given me a lot of food for thought and I may share more of these thoughts another time but whether I like this little creature or not I saw that the hand of our wonderful creator made the spider and I know he made me and he understands everything about me and I will continue to praise Him as he leads and guides me each day of my life showing me from his very creation spiritual things for me to grow by.

Psalm 139
O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting

Why the World isn't Perfect

2011-09-23T06:49:00.000-05:00

This post is technically a book review, however more imoportantly I hope it showcases why taking the Bible literally is so important.

I was very excited to review It Just Couldn't Happen, (I recieved a free copy from booksneeze.com) however I've been dragging my feet in actually reading it because IT DOESN'T TAKE THE BIBLE LITERALLY!

Here is a book that supposedly offers proof as to why a creationist's world-view is the most logical and scientifically sound and it completely discounts a literal interpretation of the first several chapters in Genesis, and claims the Bible never really gives an indication of how old the earth is. (I believe the geneologies and 6 morning and evenings of creations could refute this!)

Why does it matter? Who cares how old the earth is if you just believe God created everything? I'll tell you why it matters, if creation took longer than 6 days, then there would have been death in the world before Adam and that is a clear contradiction of scripture, (Romans 5:12) it was by sin that death entered into the world.

An older earth means years and years of plant and animal death, cancer, disease, and survival of the fittest. And yet on the 6th day of creation God calls everything "very good." You will never convince me that a perfect, holy, loving, just God would ever call years of suffering and death of the very creatures he made very good. It was sin that marred creation, THIS WAS NOT GOD'S original design.

More importantly a God who would call a creation filled with death "very good" makes him slightly manevolent. When someone asks a Christian who doesn't believe the literal interpretation of Genesis why they have cancer, or how could a loving God let my child die, or why is there so much evil in the world; does this person truly have a good answer?

The reason why there is evil, death, and disease in the world is because Adam and Eve sinned, it did not exist before them. Praise God he has given us a way to salvation and a promise of a new and perfect earth even though HUMANITY was the one who brought evil into this world.

People wonder why creation scientists aren't taken seriously, it's because they completely discount what should be the foundation of their belief, God's Word. If you're looking for creation materials, buy something takes the word of God literally.

Wednesday in the Word: Beautiful Feet

2011-09-21T03:00:00.000-05:00

"How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter!"

Song of Solomon 7:1

Feet are not usually considered beautiful! I know several people – all women – who literally can’t stand to look at people’s feet; it makes them sick! They can’t rub someone’s feet or sit on the couch next to someone who has their shoes off!

I don’t expose many people to my feet. They’re definitely not pretty. My daughter, Beth, on the other hand, loves to polish her toenails, slather lotion on her feet, and wear cute little sandals and flip flops. After all that work, her feet don’t look too bad!

Did you know God sees our feet as beautiful?

God sees our feet as beautiful when they are clean (John 13:1-11). In the account of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet, we understand that the reason He washed just their feet was because they were already clean (saved), but their feet were dirty. The custom in Bible times was to wash your visitors’ feet when they came to your home, as the dust of the road would have covered their feet as they walked (imagine how good it must have felt to have your tired, dirty feet washed when you got to your friend’s home!) As we walk each day’s path, we’re going to get our feet dirty in the dust of this world. We’ll see and hear things that dirty our feet, we will think on things that dirty our feet, or we’ll do things that dirty our feet. We need to spiritually wash our feet each day, to give us clean feet with which to serve the Lord.

God sees our feet as beautiful when they are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). At first I thought this was actually sharing the Gospel. Then I looked up the meanings of the words and noticed that our spiritual feet are to be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: we are to be saved and filled with the assurance of our salvation through Christ . . . “so fearing nothing from God and content with {our} earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is” (Taken from Strong’s Concordance, definition #5 of peace in Ephesians 6:15). How can we go through life and share the Gospel with others if we aren’t wearing the shoes of the Gospel ourselves (shoes protect our feet and help us walk confidently)? And if we’re not confident that we have a good foundation, fearing nothing from God and content with our earthly life? I lived in fear for many years before I finally made sure my feet were shod with the gospel of peace! You can’t live an effective life when you’re living in fear all the time. Make sure your spiritual feet are covered and protected with the gospel so that you can walk confidently!

Lastly, God sees our feet as beautiful when they are busy sharing the Gospel(Romans 10:15). I like to tease my preacher-husband that he has beautiful feet (he doesn’t!) because the Lord says the feet of those who publish peace and bring good tidings are beautiful (Isaiah 52:7 and Nahum 1:15). That thought is repeated in the New Testament, in Romans 10:15, “. . . How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” This isn’t just talking to preachers! It speaks to us ladies, too. Our feet are beautiful to God when we are taking the Gospel to those around us, whether by going out soulwinning, handing a tract to the cashier at the grocery store, sending a card or letter to a lost loved one, or befriending a neighbor in order to give her the Gospel.

So how do your feet look? Could they use a good washin’, as my Granny would say? Are you sure they’re shod with the gospel of peace? Are your feet busy sharing that Gospel in some way? Maybe you need a spiritual pedicure!

Tuesday Tapestry: THE BREAKERS OF UNITY (Part 4 of 6)

2011-09-20T06:00:00.019-05:00

The last 3 posts for Tuesday Tapestry have been from a study on Unity. Today we are looking at some breakers of unity.
A. Pride - Proverbs 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

B. Carnality - 1 Corinthians 3:3 - For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

C. Disobedience

To Parents - We all know most of the verses on this. Those of you who have children know from experience how much discord can be brought into the home because of disobedient children.
To God -
To Husbands
To Pastors - Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. There is a persecution, and it is inside the "church". Acts 13:50 says, "But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts." Unfortunately, I have seen this happen too many times in churches. Unregenerate people in churches can wreak havoc. Too many times churches have split because a few people rise up against the pastor without a biblical cause, and persecute the pastor and anyone who stands with him. We've even had people accused of trying to win brownie points for being nice to our family. It's childish and carnal!

Matthew 10:41-42 says, "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward." Ladies, it is a good thing to love and be good to your pastor and his family. God will reward you for that in this life and the life to come! Any church that takes good care of it's pastor, God will take good care of. It is the Elijah principle. (Read 1 Kings 17)

Next Tuesday Tapestry will be Part 5 of this study on Unity, The Becoming of Unity . Thank you for reading.

Blessings,

Lisa

Monday Ministry Highlights: A Very Happy Day at Hinton Baptist Church!

2011-09-19T08:04:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday afternoon, Hinton Baptist Church held it's first baptismal service. It was wonderful to see those that have come to the Lord in salvation.... obey Him in baptism! This was also the 3 year anniversary of the start of the church. How exciting and encouraging it was!

The Lord gave us a cool, rainy afternoon to see 4 people baptized.

The water was freezing...

There's not really any warm water in Alberta!

Hope these pictures bless your hearts, as much as the evening blessed ours!

Husband and wife obeyed the Lord together:)

A young native man that moved to Hinton this summer...

Please pray for Raymond as he continues to follow the Lord.

And... last but not least... Colton obeyed the Lord in

believer's baptism!

We are so thankful that he is desiring to follow the Lord.

Here's a picture of some of us, including those that were baptized.

Please pray for those obeyed the Lord last Sunday...

pray that they will continue on faithfully for Him.

Well, praying you ladies have a great week!

I'm off for an exciting week ahead....

National Pastor's Conference!

Can't wait to meet Pastor's Wives from across Canada, and see some sweet friends!

Gotta Run....

Posted by Kristy

P-R-A-Y-E-R

2011-09-17T06:00:00.006-05:00

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)

1. P-revailing
   ...As a prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed. Gen. 32:28

A. To prevail means to become effective, to succeed, to triumph.
B. There are times when we must prevail in prayer as Jacob did.         God does things when we pray persistently that He
otherwise would not do.

2. R-equesting
   "Ask and it shall be given you." (Matthew 7:7)

A. Some Christians fail to pray as they should until trouble

strikes.

B. We must pray often, asking largely. God desires our daily

fellowship with Him in prayer, petition and praise.

3. A-ccepting

"What soever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Matthew 21:22)

A. Many Christians pray often, but they fail to receive from God

because of their lack of faith.

B. We must ask with expectancy, accepting God's blessings

by faith. (Matthew 11:24)

4. Y-eilding
"Not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22:42)
A. Jesus was facing the cross. His life was at stake, but He
yielded to His Father's will.
B. Prayers will be answered, burdens will be lifted, broken
homes will be mended, and souls will be won to Christ
when we yield our will to the God's will.

5. E-vangelizing
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth

much. (James 5:16)

A. Our prayers can reach around the world to touch
missionaries, loved ones, and the unsaved.
B. The prayer of faith is effective, both near and far, to sustain, save and secure.

6. R-ejoicing
     "Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
        (John 16:24)
A. Rejoicing comes with the anticipation of answered prayer.
(Psalm 91:15)
      We must praise the Lord after our prayers are answered.
       God is worthy of our praise.

This came from an old devotion book I have. If we think about each thing it will help us.

Aliene

meditationsandmemories.blogspot.com

You Won't See This on CNN

2011-09-15T06:30:00.000-05:00

One of my professors shared a video this week that tells the story of the pilot who was supposed to be on Flight 11, but was "bumped" by another pilot who flew the plane instead. It's an amazing story, and I want to offer all of you the opportunity to watch it. I googled the title, and I really hope this is the right video... the library at my college blocks YouTube, so I'm crossing my fingers here! =D If it's not right, don't disown me; just leave a comment with the correct link. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this Christian video.

In My Seat: a Pilot's Story from September 10th-11th 2001

Wednesday in the Word: A Call For Mercy

2011-09-14T06:03:00.001-05:00

This is a picture of a lady who lives in Pakistan. I'd like to quote from a letter from Tom White of the Voice of the Martyrs to tell you who she is. Her name is Asia Bibi. "As an ordinary Christian with limited means, Asia worked as a fruit picker on a farm. Her Muslim co-workers repeatedly berated her for her Christianity."....to which she replied, "Our Christ sacrificed His life on the cross for our sins.... Our Christ is alive.”

She was reported to local authorities, jailed for blasphemy and sentenced to death. Representatives from Voice of the Martyrs have attended at least 30 of Asia's court hearings and helped her find and pay for a lawyer. Her family has had to be moved to a safe location five times. All these services were provided through the Families of Martyrs fund.

A Call for Mercy....a petition to the Pakistan government to let Asia Bibi go... has a place online where you can go and sign the petition if you'd like. Just go HERE and check it out.

We are so blessed to still have the freedom to worship God. Let's don't take it for granted!

God bless!

Marilyn

Tuesday Tapestry: THE BENEFACTORS OF UNITY (Part 3 of 6)

2011-09-13T06:00:00.011-05:00

My last 2 posts on Tuesday Tapestry have been about Unity.

Today it's about the III. The Benefactors of Unity (Things that promote unity)

I Peter 3:8 says "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:"
There is a list of benefactors of unity in this verse.
A. Compassion

B. Love

C. Pity

D. Courtesy

Another promoter of unity is obedience.

E. Obedience

1. In the Home

a. Wife to husband- Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18, I Peter 3:1

b. Child to parent- Ephesians 6:1, Colossians 3:20, Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16

2. In the Church

a. Believer to God- James 4:7-8

b. Believer to Believer- I Peter 5:5

c. Believer to Pastor- Hebrews 13:17, Jeremiah 6:16-17

The Bible says our pastor is a watchman for our souls, why would I want to rebel against someone who watches for my soul? But sadly, many do. Pastor and Bishop are synonymous in the New Testament. The definition of bishop is "an overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things being done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian or superintendent; the superintendent, head or overseer of any Christian church." I Peter 5:2 says, "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind"

F. Deacons

Did you know that the purpose of the first deacons and the purpose of biblical deacons today is the promote unity? Read Acts 6:1-7.

There was murmuring because some of the Grecian widows were being neglected. So the apostles told the people to choose seven men full of the Holy Ghost that the apostles could appoint to distribute food to the widows. The word deacon as defined by Strong's Concordance is (1) One who executes the commands of another, especially of a master (2) a servant, attendant, minister, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and distributes the money collected for their use, a waiter, one who serves food and drink.

My, my! Roles in the church have totally flip flopped in our day. Now, who is right tradition or the Bible?

So deacons should be benefactors or a promoters unity. Incidentally, there are qualifications for deacons as well as pastors and for their wives in I Timothy 3, but that is another study.

We can promote unity by living the principles of these Benefactors of Unity.

Please visit next week for part 4,

Blessings,

Lisa

Thursday This 'n That: You're Never Too Old to Serve God

2011-09-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

Levi Smith was a lumberjack in Washington State until he was 63 years old. He also pastored a little church. Then, at 63, the determined Christian went to Japan as a missionary! He was there for 33 years. At 96 he came home. But after spending one year back in the United States, he said, “God’s not through with me yet in Japan. At age 97, he returned to Japan. He died there at age 98.