What Next?

It seems like all we hear and see around us is in promotion of sex and homosexuality. It is amazing how many new TV shows and other forms of media are pushing this on our culture. I know it has always been there, but I can see a blatant push for it now. Things are also stirring up in Italy. I think this is horrible. I read this article and wanted to know what next???

What is the Gospel?

My Pastor has been preaching about "Who is Concord?" This is the written description of who our church is:

Concord Baptist Church is a group of redeemed sinners

seeking to display the glory of God

among our neighbors and the nations

by being gospel-shaped, gospel-sharing people.

I have enjoyed the Word that he has brought to us these past few weeks. This morning's sermon was on the Gospel. He made some great points that I wanted to share.

What is the Gospel?

1. The Gospel, at it's core is a historical event. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

The Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2. The Gospel is for us. 1 Corinthians 15:3 (Christ died for our sins ) That is the meaning of the Gospel, it is good news for us.

What is gospel-shaped?

It is meant to define who we are, all of our life is to be shaped by the gospel.

We are all shaped by something- sports, image, entertainment, work, family... These are not bad things to a certain degree, but they can become what shapes us.

So... What defines you? What is shaping you?

I thought these were good questions. What is it in my life that is shaping me? Is it Christ and the Gospel or other things that I am conforming to? There are many things that try to conform me and I must confess it is not always the Gospel. But I want it to be!

Here is a clear description of what being gospel-shaped can look like:

* Believe the Gospel. Mark 1:14-15 The Gospel is everything. There is not a single moment of each and every day that I am not in need of believing the Gospel. It is not just for the unbeliever, but for the believer too. 1 Corinthians 15:1 The Gospel is for us to believe in and stand upon. I am so in need of the Gospel every moment of the day. It is when I am not standing on it, that I fall into sin!

*Love the Gospel. What you love is what shapes you. He gave five points from C.J. Mahaney's book The Cross Centered Life (a must read!)

1.Memorize the Gospel. 1 Cor. 15:3-4, Romans 5:6-11, Romans 6:23, 2 Cor. 5:21 (just a few)

2.Pray the Gospel.

3. Sing the Gospel.

4. Review how the Gospel has changed you.

5. Study the Gospel.

* Obey the Gospel. Galatians 2:11-14

All disobedience is out of step with the Gospel. The Gospel must affect every part of your life-your thoughts, actions, and activities. We should all live a life worthy of the Gospel. Philippians 1:27

Grace

I have been thinking about grace these past couple of days. I was so overwhelmed with the saving grace that God has shown me the other night that I was completely humbled. Sometimes I have to take time and remember where I came from, to appreciate where I am now- where God has brought me to be. Going home, to where I grew up, is always a reality shock- or rather a reality check.

I am so undeserving of the love that God has lavished on me. He saved me from so many things. I look at my family- broken homes, sin is rampant everywhere (with little care about what is right), lack of love and forgiveness, hurt, jealousy, and a multitude of other sins that break my heart. Yet God in His great mercy and grace chose me and saved me from this. I did not deserve it, nor do I deserve it today. But He has called me to be His child.

It is often easy to live in the "Bible Belt" (as I do now) and think that it is like that everywhere... A church on every corner, people are (for the most part) kind, God is something people talk about and believe in... the list could go on. But these past few days back home have renewed my thinking on grace and life and brought things back into perspective. I live in a fallen world where people are in desperate need of a Savior (even those who do not think they do).

Here is where it is hard- to show grace to others- especially my family. I am to be salt and light to them. I am so very different from them -that is the point I suppose- I am to be "in and not of the world". If I were like them, then I would be just as lost as they are. It is difficult because we do not value the same things. We do not enjoy talking about the same things. My very presence at times is just unwanted- yet I am to share the love and grace of God with them. Growing up this way has challenged me and strengthened my faith, but it has also made me very alone at times.

So, I often find myself wondering how to show this grace that I have received. Especially to those who do not want it or see a need for it- not just my family, but to all that I encounter.

Bowling is Almost Over

Well our bowling season has come to an end. By the grace of God we are going to the tournament this weekend. Only the top have of the league got to go and we made it!! I laugh at that accomplishment. They gave out awards last Saturday and I got three, no kidding! I received the "Most Improved Average" award. My average increased 11.56 points. I also received the "League High Series" and "League High Game" both of these awards were just against other women, but hey, we all have to start somewhere. I have enjoyed bowling a lot more than I thought that I would. God has used it to teach me many life lessons. He has also used it to help me listen more to my husband. He is a great bowler and he has taught me a lot. I am not always the best student! It is hard to receive criticism and be able to change, but I would not be where I am now without his help!! Thanks baby! 

I will post how we do in the tournament.

Happy 4th of July!

We went and watched some fireworks last night. They were great! It was a time to remind me of how thankful I should be. Today we should thank God for all He has provided for us. We have many freedoms as Americans, but I have a greater freedom as a believer in Christ. I am free from the burden of sin, free from death, free to live a new life in Christ. John 8:38 says, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." Romans 8:2 says, "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."

All Things as Rubbish

Philippians 3:8-9 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-

Paul counted everything as loss and lost all things for Christ. That made me think about the things that I hold onto in my life. Not all of the "things" are bad, there are things that are important to me. I guess the question is: Are there things in my life that keep me from being what God would have me to be or that hinder me from living the way God would have me live?

God has blessed me with many things. We are by no means rich, but I am not wanting anything either. So, could I "suffer the loss of all things and count them as rubbish"? I would like to answer yes, but I am not sure how I would feel. I am not someone that holds onto things very tightly, but I have never had to face that situation.

Maybe Paul is not just talking about monetary things. Maybe he is talking also about our life, will, desires, goals. If we are to be found in Christ, then we need to lose all those things and take on Christ. Our focus has to change in order for us to have faith and a righteousness that comes from God. We cannot hold onto anything! All has to be given up.

When we are found in Christ, we surrender all that we have to Him. Nothing should be between us and following after Him. May we evaluate our lives and see if there are things that we spend too much time on, devote too much attention to, or love more than Christ- and lose them! This will come at a cost. We may suffer as Paul did, but it will be worth it to gain Christ.

What If?

Philippians 3:10-11 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

The Apostle Paul had a heart for Christ. You can read it in his words. Here in Philippians chapter three, he lists four things that he desires. What if we had the same desires?

1. That I might know Him and the power of His resurrection.

That I might know Him. What an overwhelming thought. To know Christ. To know Him better than I know anyone else. Do I seek that? Is that something I desire as Paul did? It should be. I can know Him through His Word, the Bible. So do I study it? Do I seek after Him with all my heart? Can I truly say that I want to know Him above all? It is my prayer that I might know Him. That I will seek Him and be conformed into His image more and more.

2/3. Share His suffering, becoming like Him in His death.

Share in suffering! How crazy is that? Yet that is exactly what God has called us to. To carry the burden of a godly life. To endure ALL things for the sake of Christ. I do not know a lot about physical suffering. I am not even sure I know what it means to suffer. I have endured my share of pain in various forms, but I would not call it suffering- compared to what Christ suffered. Do I long to suffer as Christ did, even unto death? In the culture we live in it would sound crazy for someone to say that they want to suffer. So why does Paul say this? [That he might know Christ and have hope and endurance. (Romans 5:1-5) ] It is easy to say I would suffer for Jesus, but when faced with it, what would I do?  I pray that I would suffer for His sake- even to the point of death. 

4. Attain the resurrection from the dead.

To be raised with Christ when He returns. One day Christ will return and take His people home. We will be reunited with our bodies and made perfect as we were intended to be from the beginning. (1 Corinthians 15) We will be in the new heavens and the new earth living forever with God. What a glorious day that will be- for all eternity. This is something that I anxiously await!

Love God With All Your Heart: Lesson Two

Here is the second lesson I wrote for our church's children's musical:

The Bible is full of verses that speak about God’s steadfast love for His people. Steadfast means that it is fixed, not moving, firmly established. He loves His people with a never failing, keep going, constant love that cannot be broken. That means that if you are His child then He will always love you no matter what! That is great news for His children, for those who stay faithful to Him until the end. Some verses that tell us this are: Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” And Romans 8:38-39 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing can take away God’s love for His children!

But we do not always have that same love for God. We often let things enter our hearts and love them more than we love Him. Those are called idols. Anything that we love more than God is an idol. It could be toys, money, friends, our house… anything. Those things by themselves are not bad, because God has given us all things. It is when we spend all of our time thinking about those things and loving those things more than God that they become an idol. God tells us many times that we should love Him first! One of the Ten Commandments tells us this. Exodus 20:3 says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” That means we are to love God with all your heart, not other things. He even tells us how to love Him. In Deuteronomy 6:5 God says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” And Jesus even tells us in the New Testament which commandment is the most important. In Mark 12:28-30 “And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”

So, we have to have a single minded heart. That means that we need to love God above all things. In His Word He tells us that, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”(Matthew 6:24) God is trying to warn us that we cannot love two things the same or we will end up hating one of them and loving the other. We need to serve Him only with our heart. This is for our good and His glory. He is trying to protect our hearts and keep them for Himself. It is easy to let our hearts wander away, but the way that leads us to God is very narrow. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” These verses tell us that many people will run after idols in their life and not love God above all, but the way that leads to God is very narrow. Only a few people will love Him and find the right way. The narrow way is hard, but it is worth it because we will have Jesus.

So we should listen to God and love Him above all things. We must give Him all of our heart so that we may be saved.

Future Scholar!

I know that he is only 9 months old, but I am pretty sure he is brilliant! He loves books, which I am sure is common among small babies. But if he turns out anything like his dad- he will be a brilliant book lover.

God's Word is the Truth! Lesson One

I recently wrote some lessons for the children's musical at my church and I thought I would share them. By God's grace they are full of truth, not just for children, but for all of us. The language is simple, but I think that we often try too hard to explain the truths of God. He is very complex and we will never fully comprehend Him, yet He can be explained for the simplest of minds to understand (all by the Spirit's power). So here is the first lesson and I will post more later. Enjoy!

Lesson 1:

God is Holy. (Lev. 11:45) He has never done anything wrong. He has never sinned! He is perfect. (Matthew 5:48) Because we know this about God, we know that He has never told a lie. He keeps all of His laws and commandments perfectly. So, all of the things that He says are true. From the beginning God spoke and created everything (Gen.1). He spoke and everything was made. God said, “Let there be light’” and there was. He spoke and made the sky, water, land, animals, plants, people…everything. We can see all of the beautiful things that God spoke into existence around us everyday. His words can be trusted. All of His promises, He has kept. From Adam and Eve until today, what God says He will do, He does. We can still trust His words today because God never changes His mind (Numbers 23:19). He never changes!

God spoke to His people through the prophets (Hebrews 1:1) and now He speaks to His people through His Word, the Bible. All of the Bible is true because it is the Word of God. God even tells us, in the Bible, that they are His words and that they are trustworthy. This means that they are worthy to be believed in. As it says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” That means that every word in the Bible comes from God and that it is good for God’s people. It helps us to teach each other, to correct our behavior, to train us in knowing God so that we can do all the good works that God has prepared for us to do. In 2 Peter 1:21, it says’ “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” This means that no man made up the Bible, but that God Himself helped the men that wrote the Bible through the Holy Spirit. God used them to write down His words. Men can make mistakes and do not always tell the truth, but God always does. “The sum of your word is truth,” or all of your words are true. (Psalm 119:160)

Love You!

The funniest thing happened last night, well I thought it was so funny I about broke a rib laughing so hard! We decided to splurge, which we never do, and go to Dairy Queen. I have been wanting one of the new Blizzards- the Caramel Waffle Crisp one! Yummy!! By the way- it was soooo good.

So, my wonderful husband takes us there to get the great treat. He is just excited because I am wanting ice cream- the poor guy never gets it anymore! So we drive up and he orders the blizzard, the guy tells us the total (all the while Ezekiel is in the back of the car talking and playing, keep that in mind) and Glenn asks for some water too. The guy says, "the free water" and we say yes, so he repeats the total and Glenn says, "love you"! I hit his arm and said what??? His face turned all red, he was not even thinking about what he was saying. He told me that he was thinking about the baby because he was being so cute in the back of the car. But we laughed and laughed. I am not even sure if the guy taking our order even heard him, but it was too funny! Having a baby changes everything!

Shopping for Modest Clothing!

I was reading Girl Talk and they shared some sites to go to for those of you looking for modest clothing.

A Little Shopping
It’s summer, and the search is on for modest clothing. Here are three websites to assist you in your quest to be modestly minded:
Christa Taylor
Down East Basics
Shade Clothing

DISCLAIMER: We at girltalk are not personally acquainted with the owners of these sites. Nor do we presume to put some sort of “girltalk stamp of approval” on their product or company. We simply want to point you in the direction of more modest and attractive apparel options. Please use the same discretion and biblical criteria when shopping at these sites as anywhere else.

For more on modesty: check out our “Fashion and Following the Savior” series and the “Modesty Heart Check.”

New Creation

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation! I am so thankful that I am a new creation. But what has changed? What is a new creation supposed to look like?

My nature is different. I am no longer dead, but have been made alive with Christ. I once was dead in my sin (Ephesians 2: 1-3). I was without hope, without love, and without life. I was living out the passions of my flesh- doing what I wanted, all the while I was on the path of death and a child of wrath. But God changed all of that through Christ (Ephesians 2:4-10). He made me alive with Christ by His grace alone. There was nothing that I did to change myself. I did not want to change. Can something that is dead want to be made alive? No.

That is what the verses in 2 Corinthians say- all this was from God, through Christ. He was reconciling me to God. To reconcile means: to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent, to restore. God restored me. He is holy and perfect, therefore He cannot look upon sin. All I was was sin! But when I believed, Christ covered me with His blood, I received the Holy Spirit, and now God can look at me through Christ- for He is perfect. He no longer counts my sin or trespasses against me anymore. I am new, free, and alive! I have been given a new nature. There will be battles with the old flesh and the new Spirit that lives with in me. Galatians 5:16-24 says, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

Therefore, or because of all of this (because I have the Spirit and my life no longer wants to live in the flesh), I am an ambassador for Christ. I am an authorized messenger for God. I am to tell of who God is and what He has done, that others might believe and be reconciled to God too. Remembering that all of this is possible, because of Christ who knew no sin, but became sin on my behalf, so that in Him I might become the righteousness of God.

Praise be to God!

What the World Eats

Time Magazine did a photo gallery of what fifteen families across the world eat in one week. It was very interesting! It makes you think about what you eat. We have so much and there are those that have so very little.

Bowling Update

I guess I should post an update on my bowling adventures. I am doing much better and trying to perfect my "game", but I still have a long way to go. My average right now is 101. I am completely amazed at that. I started out at 85, I think, so I have improved! I also beat my old high game and have a new high score of 159!! That is a mind blower to me. But last week when we bowled all of my games were 115 or better. The Lord never ceases to amaze me. He has blessed the time that I spend with my husband bowling and helped me to improve during the process. I did not want to bowl, but I went to spend time with Glenn doing something that He enjoyed and God has blessed that. We enjoy bowling together and Glenn is helping me to improve.

Modesty

I found this great blog entry this morning and wanted to share it. It makes modesty look beautiful, just the way God intended it to be. So many girls think that they have to show off their body to get attention, but it is in keeping it a secret that draws the right kind of attention. It is in the power of allure.

The Allure of Sexual Modesty from The Purple Cellar by Lydia Brownback

Sexual purity in tandem with modesty is actually more appealing than blatant eroticism--a truth that young women today are skeptical about. Ponder these words from Daniel Heimbach:

What exactly is there in sexual purity [in a woman] that makes it magnetic? What about it is desirable? . . . She has the allure of unique value. She has the allure of someone valuable to be around. . . . She has the allure of someone possessing a great reputation. . . . She has the allure of dignity. . . . She impresses people, not because she is pushy, loud, or brash, but because everywhere she goes, people sense that she is special. Her quality is something others sense without needing to have it explained. What allures men, stirring them to love, romance, sacrifice, and commitment, is her character. This is the sort of woman who, when she is still single, men are drawn to, because her alluring purity says she is truly extraordinary. They desire a relationship with her. They want intimacy with her, including a physical relationship. But the power attracting them to her is not lust but longing for a partner who is exceptional, trustworthy, great to be with, successful, admired by others, and always impressive. Men treat her as special because she truly is special. . . . Modesty is how a woman tells men, "Exclusive intimacy with me is worth everything you have. It is worth lifelong commitment because it is worth your life, and to win me a man had better be extraordinary himself."Lust attracts fans at the cost of dignity and admiration. Modesty inspires fans to admire the performer, while lust reduces the performer to performance and focuses fans on themselves. . . . Sex within God's boundaries is powerfully attractive in a way that is lost once you take it out of bounds. Abiding joy, genuine satisfaction, exemplary honor, and pure allure are profoundly valuable, but they are not hard to understand. Follow God's rules and you will like the results. Obeying God is very worthwhile.

These are words not just for young women, however. They are words for all of us, whatever our stage of life.

True Sexual Morality: Recovering Biblical Standards for a Culture in Crisis, Daniel Heimbach (Crossway, 2004), 248-50.

Take My Heart Lord!

I have been thinking a lot about how our hearts, especially mine, wander from God so easily. I long to love Him and seek Him with all my heart, yet I fall short time and time again. Why do I run to sin when I am called to "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." as it says in Romans 12:9? I want to hate my sin and to put it to death. I know that my heart can be so full of pride. Pride is an awful thing that is at the heart of most of the sin I do. Thanks be to God for providing a way that I might live through Him. I am so grateful that I am not left in my own prideful hands, but that Christ took all my sin on the cross (Romans 6:1-14). I am also in the hands of a loving Father who does not leave me in my sin. "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians1:6 God is going to finish what He has started in me. He is going to make me complete one day and I will not struggle with my flesh, but will be perfect. I still have to fight sin and hate it now. The way to do that is with God's Word.

Something to put to memory is His Word so that I will be ready to fight sin and temptation with a powerful weapon. As the Scripture says in Psalm 119:9-12 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes!" Seek God, store His Word in my heart, praise God... That I might live a life worthy of Him, for His glory.

I need to bind my heart to God, as it says in the verse of a hymn I love Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing:

O to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be!Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.

Salvation: Just click and confess

I was reading a blog and came across this article that was very disturbing to me. Salvation: Just Click and Confess! WHAT??

There is actually a web site that you can go to and confess your sins. Apparently there are others that are similar in nature. I guess that I must live in some kind of a bubble, because I did not know anything about this. According to the article a church created this web site and they have received some negative comments for it too.

Once I read the article, I thought about what confession really is. Is it only me saying what I did wrong so I will feel better about myself? Of course not! Confession should be connected to repentance. I suppose many people are just trying to feel better and getting their sins out, anonymously, is the best way of doing that (or so they may think). But true repentance is the only way to have forgiveness. Spurgeon says this about repentance:

There must be a sorrow for sin and a hatred of it in true repentance. A discovery of iniquity and a hatred of it, without which there can be no repentance.

I am not sure if that is what is going on. I know that not all who go to the site are believers in Jesus Christ, but shouldn't they be told what true repentance is and that there is no forgiveness outside of Christ! 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Says: As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

"They are not confessing to God, but a computer."

Another sad aspect of this is that the site is visited by more people who just want to read about what other people have done wrong. How twisted are we when the sins of other people become a form of entertainment to us! According to the article:

"So far, more people are reading the confessions than posting them. The site gets about 1,000 hits a day, with about 200 online admissions."

I am glad that this web site can reach out to people who probably would never enter church or who have been abused and need help. It just all seems a little odd to me. I pray that they are being told the truth by someone through their confession time. That they would produce the godly grief that would lead them to salvation.

E-bay, Bowling, Victory Dessert!

My husband, Glenn, has gotten me into bowling. I am not very good, but he says I am improving. My average was 80 but I have improved to 97. All that to say last weekend I actually bowled a 152!! I was amazed.

Bowling is in many ways parallel to our lives. You have to work hard, practice, sometimes you mess up royally, but there are those sweet victories!

What does this have to do with e-bay and dessert you may ask? Well, we have been selling things on e-bay so we can have some extra spending money. We also made a deal that if we won our games we could celebrate with a dessert. So last weekend we both got high scores and won our games, we sold things on e-bay, and we were able to get a great victory dessert!