Christmas is coming and its time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Acts 4:12 says Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
Only the name of Jesus, isn't that refreshing to know. Not buddha, not allah, not hinduism, not mormonism, no other name under heaven given to men. Just Jesus!
Yesterday was history, tommorrow is a mystery and today is a gift that is why they call it the present!!!!! Every day is not promised to us or those we love around us. Live each day like it was your last!! what if it was the last time you'd ever see someone again, wouldn't you want them to know you love them or that you have forgiven them? Wouldn't you want to know that they have forgiven you? What would you tell them? How about those you walk by every day and never have told them once about Christ? Will you be dissappointed at the Beama seat of Christ when Christ reveals all that you did or didn't do for Him!!!!
Ephesians1
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. for he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will- to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood , the forgiveness of sins, in acordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
We as believers have every spiritual blessing in Christ. He chose us before we were born, even more amazing before He even created one thing He chose us. He predestined and adopted us, knowing how sinful we are, in accordance with his pleasure and will..... stop right there, we bring God, the creator of the universe, pleasure!!! He is rich in mercy, in grace and love.... that means He has so much of it. He lavishes it on us. I'll just stop there, think about how deep that is. How humbling..... We had nothing to do with any of it. He chose us, He did it all, and we get to share in an inheritance, in eternity, far beyond any earthly treasure. Don't wait for eternity after death, live for it now and share it with others. We definitely don't deserve it, so shouldn't we give others the same opportunity to know what they can have through the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ.
trip to china
China was a so much fun. It was the first mission trip upon return we ended up in the same province we visited the first time. We got to experience the Great Wall of China for the second time. Its so surreal thinking all the history that took place there and how old it is. We saw most of the olympic sites, that was amazing considering it just took place 2 months before. But theres nothing like going back to the small compound in the middle of a country town in China where these people thought they'd probably never see us again and see the excitement on their faces when we arrived. The bond of Christ is so special. God never ceases to amaze me on every trip. It is the only thing that motivates me coming back to the states to persevere. It keeps my perspective in check because of the discipline and greatfulness these people have. They suffer and are martyred and persecuted severely for loving Christ the very thing we take for granted here in America, the freedom we are given. I love that one day I will be standing with them again in eternity praising God. I never imagined God would allow me to experience these things. I am thankful he chose me despite my sin and picked me up and cleaned me off and saw something I'll never be able to see in me that would somehow be to His glory. Thank you Lord.
whats new
Its been a year since i've been on this page, lots have happened. Our children are growing, and we have a new baby boy on the way. Last month we took a trip to China again. We have seen God do amazing things. We moved into our first house, that was a huge blessing. God has provided so much and taken care of us, His hand is in everything we have and so evident. He's left no room for us to ever say we had anything to do with it.
Followers
Our trip to Honduras
Our trip was amazing, I can't even begin to explain the experience of leaving to other countries. When God says make disciples of all nations and you are obedient to trust Him and go, there is nothing like it. Its not about just going to share the gospel and leave and hope they grow, but to show them how to grow, build relationships and continue to return to visit them and see how they are growing. We stayed in the mountains for 5 days without showering and living among the people in their villages. It was their rainy season and it was muddy. These women, men and children walked hours to come and hear God's word. They had no shoes, flip flops and some barefoot and they walked in mud up to their ankles, up hills and through bush. We take for granted getting in our cars and driving to bible study, with shoes, jackets and umbrellas. Their lives are so simple. When it gets dark about 5:30, thats it, its lights out because there is no electricity. Oh how we take for granted flipping on a switch. The mountains were beautiful and the trees, it was so awesome to see God's creation and be reminded of just how big God is and think how anyone could say there is no God. We played games with the kids everyday and BC was so funny using all these football drills for relay races. I mean we started making up games and the kids didn't care they just wanted to play. Life was so simple, they didn't have video games, television, lots of toys to keep them occupied they made fun out of nothing. We have so many gadgets these days, we tend to forget about being relational and creative to come up with games and things to do. God is always good to remind me of all that I have and to step out of the busy world of the United States and realize there is more to life than just being wrapped up in me or my children. Things can become idols so easily and you don't even realize it. I once heard someone say, "you have to go out to survive your walk with Christ in the U.S." Its true if you've never experienced going over seas or to another country to share Christ you are missing out on so much, it always puts you back into perspective and makes you see things from God's point of view. God has the world on His heart, you see this in John 3:16 when He says, For God so loved the world" He also desires all men to be saved. We should have the world on our heart and desire all men to be saved. Even if you don't leave the country or cannot for some reason, Pray for other countries be thinking world Big and God Big. Its amazing how God will provide opportunities to share Christ.
Kids are so innocent in their faith in Christ.
Addison loves Jesus and is so concerned with others knowing Him and asking Jesus in their heart. She has been carrying her Bible to school ( without me saying a word, sometimes I am convicted of how bold she is), asking if I think her friends have asked Jesus in their hearts. So after class today her teacher pulls me aside and apparently, during snack time addison yells out, which I totally can hear her say, " We have to pray for our food, or I forgot to pray for my food!" Its so natural for her to do, she didn't even think twice, but thinking everyone else does it too. The sad thing is that her teacher had to whisper in her ear, not everyone has to pray. Her teacher told me and asked me to tell her that since it was a public school she should pray to herself. I was so sad because she is so young, and doesn't have a clue as to what the world in school, without Jesus is like. What makes me even sadder is that she said, "we never pray in school(mind you she's not even been there that long) and said that because no one else does it she won't either. I had to explain to her what it means to be salt and light. That she can pray to herself and still share Jesus by her actions. I didn't know I'd have to explain this to my 4 year old. I'm not even sure she really understood. I know God is using Addison to witness to her teacher, I just hope she doesn't treat addison different in her own convictions and promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Verse of the week
Ephesians 2:8-10 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not of yourselves, it is a gift from God, not by works so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Bible Verses
Verse of the hour, day, week, month maybe even year depending on how long God says I need to meditate on it and how stubborn I am to listen.
Matthew 28:18-20 All Authority(Exousia) has been given to Me in heaven and on the earth(He has power over everything!!! Sickness, death, forgiveness of sins, creation, demons ...). Go (is not the command you cannot command something that we are already automatically doing, when we wake we are going already),so go ye( all of you, present tense participle, everyone should be doing this now, it was given to individuals, we each personally have responsibility) therefore and make(build, teach and train) disciples(lifelong learners and followers of Jesus Christ) of all nations(all ethnic groups) baptizing them in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Are you pouring your life into someone else? teaching them what you know about Christ and how to follow and live for Him daily and studying His Word, so they can teach someone else? This life is not about trying to live happy and comfortable lives where we are. Or so we can have a great family, a big house and a great retirement later to travel only for pleasure never to intentionally tell others about Christ. This home on earth is only supposed to be a temporary home. Are we concerned that 2.5 Billion people have never heard the name of Jesus and that people are dying never hearingHis name or the Gospel . Jesus said He would not return until everyone has heard the Gospel. So what are you doing? We are standing here today because the disciples took this command and obeyed and they reached us all the way over here in the US. Will you have reached China, Indonesia or the most remotest area in the World from where you are in your state, in your city, in your town? It only takes pouring into one person who finds someone else and takes what you've taught them and passes it on to someone else who goes to another country and teaches it to someone else and it begins to spread and now you have impacted that country from your state, your city or your town. How Big is your Vision for Christ? World Big? God Big? Do you have on your heart what God has on His? John 3:16 For God so loved the World!!!! THE WORLD Pray that you will see things from God's point of view, if we are busy in work, everyday life and ourselves we will never see from God's point of view. We will never see past our own problems and people will die not knowing Jesus.
1 Chronicles 29:11 Yours O'Lord is theGREATNESS, and thePOWER, and theGLORY, and theMAJESTY and the SPLENDOR, for everything in heaven and on the earth belongs to you. Yours O'Lord is theKINGDOM, You are exalted as head over all.
verse of the day, week, month, i don't know maybe even year
2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best( Spoudazo) be diligent, zealous persistence or maximum effort to impart God's truth, to present(Paristemi)to stand before God as ONE APPROVED(dokimos) favorably passing careful scrutiny and thereby being counted worthy, a WORKMAN who does not need to be ASHAMED and who CORRECTLY HANDLES(Orthotomeo) to cut straight like a craftsman cutting a straight line, meaning to carefully perform or teach the word of TRUTH(the Gospel). We are to be ortho-scripturalists.
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