Author Archives: elizabeth

Regeneration

nuggets of wisdom Voices of Wisdom 3 Comments

 

Thou art worthy to be
praised with my every breath,
loved with my every faculty of soul,
served with my every act of life.

 

I haven’t shared a puritan prayer here in a while, so I thought I’d share this.  This prayer is titled “Regeneration” and can be found on page 84 in the book “The Valley of Vision”.

This is prayer of praise to the Lord for the salvation of our souls as well as a prayer to walk worthy of God’s calling on our lives

O GOD OF THE HIGHEST HEAVEN,

Occupy the throne of my heart,
take full possession and reign supreme,
lay low every rebel lust,
let no vile passion resist thy holy war;
manifest thy mighty power,
and make me thine for ever.

Thou art worthy to be
praised with my every breath,
loved with my every faculty of soul,
served with my every act of life.

Thou hast loved me, espoused me, received me,
purchased, washed, favoured, clothed,
adorned me,
when I was worthless, vile, soiled, polluted.

I was dead in iniquities,
having no eyes to see thee,
no ears to hear thee,
no taste to relish thy joys,
no intelligence to know thee;

But thy Spirit has quickened me,
has brought me into a new world as a
new creature,
has given me spiritual perception,
has opened to me thy Word as light, guide,
solace, joy.

Thy presence is to me a treasure of unending peace;
No provocation can part me from thy sympathy,
for thou hast drawn me with cords of love,
and dost forgive me daily, hourly.

O help me then to walk worthy of thy love,
of my hopes, and my vocation.

Keep me, for I cannot keep myself;
Protect me that no evil befall me;
Let me lay aside every sin admired of many;
Help me to walk by thy side, lean on thy arm,
hold converse with thee,
That henceforth I may be salt of the earth
and a blessing to all.

Amen

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Divided Hearts; Defeated Lives.

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So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31

 

When the Lord saved us, He rescued us out of the domain of Satan and brought us into His holy kingdom.  We are no longer slaves of Satan, he is no longer our master, we now have a new master, Jesus.  However, just because we are no longer in the world where Satan rules,  doesn’t mean he is still not at work around us.  He tries to lure us back through temptations and deceptions. When he is unable to lure into sin through temptations, he seeks to deceive us into living defeated, powerless, lukewarm Christian lives.  We have been saved and set free, we want to  live for the Lord and have victory over the Satan.  So we ask the question, how can a Christian get victory over Satan and live a life that is pleasing to God? 

While sanctification is a life-long process, it however, begins with a desire to be wholly devoted to God and shun the world.  Before we were saved, we were God’s enemies (Rom 5), now that we are saved, we have been adopted into His family.  The Holy Spirit has poured God’s love into our heart, we now desire to love Him with everything we have. Enabled by the Holy Spirit, we can love as the Bible calls us to in Deuteronomy 6:5 – You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  This means loving God with everything we have.  What we love in this way, we are devoted to and what we are devoted to, we worship.

 At the same time we are being commanded to love God devotedly, we are also commanded not to love the world. The world is the corrupt value system of all societies, which is characterized by the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life, everything the Lord hates. 1 John 2:15-16 – Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

One of the reasons I believe some Christians fall into the trap of the devil and never seem to be able live the victorious Christian life is because they somehow believe they can be devoted to the worldly system and to God at the same time, they are trying to straddle the fence between two kingdoms. This is impossible. Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve two masters. Matthew 6:24 – 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.  

Complete devotion to God is the key to a victorious Christian life.  Complete devotion means every area of life must be brought under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Everything we do, is done to His glory and as service to a Holy God. Colossians 3:23 – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.The book of wisdom commands us to acknowledge Him in everything. –  Proverbs 3:6a – In all your ways acknowledge him. The scripture text at the top of the page from 1Corinthians 10:31 tells to do everything, even the mundane things like eating and drinking to the glory of God.

Being wholly devoted to God, acknowledging Him in everything, doing everything, even mundane things like eating and drinking to His glory is what it means to pursue holiness, it is what we are saved to do, it is how we are certain to live victorious in Christ. The pursuit of holiness by seeking to bring every area of our lives under the Lordship of Jesus is the essence of the Christian life.  When we develop the habit of lifting everything we do as worship to a holy God, we say we are living Coram Deo. 

 

To live coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.  To live in the presence of God is to understand that whatever we are doing and wherever we are doing it, we are acting under the gaze of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place so remote that we can escape His penetrating gaze. – R.C. Sproul

 

To live Coram Deo, is to live in the awareness that everything we do or say is done right in the presence of God always. The late theologian Dr. R.C. Sproul explains it this way: “This phrase literally refers to something that takes place in the presence of, or before the face of, God. To live coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.  To live in the presence of God is to understand that whatever we are doing and wherever we are doing it, we are acting under the gaze of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place so remote that we can escape His penetrating gaze.”

 The secret to a victorious Christian life is living Coram Deo. This means that the life of a believer knows nothing of a sacred / secular divide.  Everything in every area of the Christian’s life is sacred.  Every area is lived before the face of God. There is no secular / sacred vocation in the life of a believer, every job/vocation is for the glorify of God.  I know most people try to separate vocations into those who primarily work in Christian ministry verses everyone else, but the Bible speaks of no such thing.  While the qualifications for Church leadership is different from that of a lawyer or plumber or homemaker, the believer answers to God in every thing. Every area of life, be it marriage, raising kids, career, and even the education of our kids must all be lived and brought under the lordship of Christ. There is no divide, even the simplest everyday acts are done as service to God. 

Any attempt to divide our lives into compartments of sacred / secular is will lead to a defeated, confused, chaotic and contradictory life.  We will never be able to live a life pleasing to God.  Your “church life” cannot be different form your “work life” or your”play life” in terms of how you behave, talk and act.  For us to live victorious Christian lives, we must be single-minded in serving the Lord.  This means living Coram Deo – before the face of God, always in everything. The late bishop of Liverpool J.C Ryle said it best:  “Singleness of purpose is one great secret of spiritual prosperity.”

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Defensive Christianity

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The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself. – Charles Spurgeon

 

You are probably wondering what I mean by defensive Christianity.  Thanks for asking. Defensive Christianity is when Christians in their attempt to defend Christianity and the Bible from ridicule and rejection by the culture, shift their focus away from the command of Jesus to go make disciples, instead focus on redeeming the culture.  Leading them to move away from personal evangelism which involves taking the gospel to the individual sinner, showing them their need of a savior, and calling them to repentance.  Instead of focusing on making disciples, they focus on defending Christianity against what is seen as the wrong perception of Christianity in the broader culture.

The best way they believe we can adequately correct this wrong perception of Christianity in the culture is by redeeming the culture. While defensive Christians do not deny the need for personal evangelism, they however hold on to the notion that the most effective way to bring Biblical tenets to bear in society is by redeeming the culture.  In other words, personal evangelism alone is not enough to bring about Biblical change in society at large.

 

Defensive Christianity is when Christians in their attempt to defend Christianity and the Bible from ridicule and rejection by the culture, shift their focus away from the command of Jesus to go make disciples, instead focus on redeeming the culture. 

 

The idea to redeem culture is based on the notion that if only the culture can be made to  understand that true believers are really not the bad, condemning, narrow minded, bigoted people they are believed to be and that Christianity really has great benefits for society at large, then the culture will stop rejecting the gospel. In other words, defensive Christians believes that the reason the culture rejects the gospel, is not primarily because of the sins of the people, but because they don’t really understand Christianity or have been given a wrong perception of Christianity by some professing Christians and that once the culture comes to a true understanding of the benefits of Christianity, it would embrace it wholly. 

While it all sounds very nice, the problem with defensive Christianity is that nowhere are we commanded to go redeem the culture. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the reason people or cultures are hostile to the gospel is because they don’t understand Christianity. The Bible teaches just the opposite. It tells us that the reason the culture hates and rejects the gospel is because the people of that culture love their sin.  John 3:19 – And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil

By focusing on the redemption of the culture instead of the repentance of individual, defensive Christians without meaning to, downplay the role and sufficiency of the word of God in saving people.  God in His infinite wisdom has designed that men’s eyes will be open to the Truth and come to the light of Christ through the preaching of the word. 1 Corinthians 1:21 – For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. The power to save is in the Word of God, not in our persuasive words or actions. No one can come to saving faith in Christ unless the Lord draws them to Himself. And He does this through the preaching of the word. John 6:44 –  No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Focusing on the redemption of the culture instead of the repentance of individual sinners shows a lack of understanding of man’s fallen nature and the effects of sin in our lives.  As the Bishop of Liverpool in the 19th Century, J.C Ryle states in his book “Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots” – ‘The plain truth is that a right knowledge of sin lies at the root of all saving Christianity. Without it such doctrines as justification, conversion, sanctification, are “words and names” which convey no meaning to the mind. The first thing, therefore, that God does when He makes anyone a new creature in Christ, is to send light into his heart, and show him that he is a guilty sinner.’

Jesus Christ came to save sinners, not culture. Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  Why would any Christian embrace this error in thinking that redeeming the culture is the way to bring people into the kingdom?  JC Ryle gives an adequate answer in the same book. He says “Dim or indistinct views of sin are the origin of most of the errors, heresies, and false doctrines of the present day. If a man does not realize the dangerous nature of his soul’s disease, you cannot wonder if he is content with false or imperfect remedies. I believe that one of the chief wants of the Church in the nineteenth century has been, and is, clearer, fuller teaching about sin.”

 

Focusing on the redemption of the culture instead of the individual sinner shows a lack of understanding of man’s fallen nature and the effects of sin in our lives.

 

The problem some Christians had in the 19th century; some still have in the 21st century, they lack a clear understanding of sin. We need a clearer, fuller teaching about sin.  A wrong knowledge of sin will ultimately result in the denial of the Sufficiency of Scripture to save and redeem sinners.  Those who seek to redeem the culture do not believe that the preaching of the gospel to individual sinners is enough. They will not deny it, but they believe it is not adequate, we have to help it along by trying to convince the culture through our actions, that Christianity is “cool”.  This is the reason so many professing Christians found it easy to embrace CRT. They were focused on redeeming the culture, instead of making disciples.

A culture that acknowledges the God of the Bible will only be possible if a majority of the people in that culture repent of their sins and turn to Christ.  This can only be accomplished by the preaching of the word and the conviction of sin in the heart of individuals. It is through the preaching of the word that we come to have a clear understanding of sin, the offer of salvation and our need of a savior. God is the one who saves His people, all we are tasked to do is go and tell and make diciples. Let the word of God loose and let it do its work of bringing the lost sheep home. If God sees fit to save a whole nation one by one, thereby redeeming the culture, that is His prerogative, not ours.

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Fear Not

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Fear not, for I am with you.

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. –Isaiah 41:10

 

Fear is a very powerful emotion. Fear itself is not a bad or wrong, it was given to us by God to warn us of danger and to cause us to be more careful.  This is healthy fear.  A few years ago, our family took a trip to Colorado and decided to take the tourist train up to Pikes Peak. Pikes Peak is 14,000 feet above sea level – talk above high places!  Once you get to the top, a little further past the tourist welcome center, you can see the edge of the cliff.  We called it the “drop off” (after ‘Finding Nemo’).  Mere looking at it gave me fear chills and rightly so.  God has given us the emotion of fear to warn and keep us away from danger. As soon as we got back into the visitor center, my fear of the “drop off” was gone, as it should be.

 

A friend on twitter posted a quote by Ralph Waldo Emmerson on fear which reads “Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.” 

 

Fear is the most exploited emotion.  It can be exploited by anyone who seeks to have control over the life of another person.  The devil can do nothing to us without first exploiting our fears. Abusers and dictators also use the weapon of fear to perpetuate their abuse on those around them. Since we live in a fallen world and bad things will happen, the tendency for us to be afraid or anxious about the unknown is to be expected among sinful humans like us. However, the Lord does not want it to be so with us. He does not want us to be held captive by fear.  That is why the Bible is filled with plenty of verses telling us not to be afraid or anxious.

 

Being a Christian does not exempt one from becoming afraid or anxious about certain situations or circumstances.  Since we live in a fallen world, believers will run into and situations that will cause fear/anxiety. We are not to give in. We are to make use of the weapons given to us by God to fight fear and anxiety. Weapons such as reading the Bible, praying, and fellowshipping with other believers.

 

A friend on twitter posted a quote by Ralph Waldo Emmerson on fear which reads “Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.” This is so true. So many lives have been lost and so many relationships destroyed by fear.  Someone said there are 365 “Fear Not” in the Bible, one for each day of the year. Fear is such a powerful emotion that it causes people to do things we never imagined we would ever do.

Fear also paralyzes us – renders unable to do those things we previously know how to do. Fearful people do irrational and sometimes ungodly things. Fear never comes alone; it comes with its twin – anxiety.  Fear and anxiety go hand in hand. Where there is fear, there is anxiety & where there is anxiety, there is fear.

Fear and anxiety causes Christian to forget the promises of God as well as the means of grace given by the Holy Spirit to help in trouble. Means like Bible study, prayer and fellowship with the saints.  The Lord continues to encourage and command us not to be afraid or anxious. Being a Christian does not exempt one from becoming afraid or anxious about certain situations or circumstances. 

Since we live in a fallen world, believers will run into and situations that will cause fear/anxiety. We are not to give in. We are to make use of the weapons given to us by God to fight fear and anxiety. Weapons such as reading the Bible, praying, and fellowshipping with other believers. These weapons will help to keep us strong, and unafraid. Our enemy and oppressor can only  succeed in keeping us afraid and anxious by trying to hinder us from getting into the word, praying, and by separating us from fellowship with the saints. Don’t let him.

What is the opposite of fear and anxiety? I believe it is hope.  Hopelessness fuels fear and anxiety.  Fearful and anxious people feel hopeless and helpless in their situation.  To counter fear and anxiety, we have to turn to where hope can be found – God’s word, prayer and fellowship with the saints.  When we don’t heed God’s commands, we sin.  Nothings says we don’t trust God like living in fear and anxiety.  Here is a small sample of scripture to encourage us not to be afraid. There is more, but I leave you to do your own search in the Bible.  

 

Isaiah 35:4

Say to those who have an anxious heart,

“Be strong; fear not!

Behold, your God

will come with vengeance,

with the recompense of God.

He will come and save you.”

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Isaiah 43:1

Israel’s Only Savior

But now thus says the LORD,

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine.

Hebrews 10:25
not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Philippians 4:6-7

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:27
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

 

If you are currently living in fear of some circumstance in your life or maybe about the COVID situation or any other situation, let me encourage you to get into your Bible. Study your Bible constantly, pray constantly. Any time the thought of fear or panic or anxiety about the situation comes to mind, pause and and say a short prayer, giving the situation to the Lord.  You have to do this several times in an hour, that is ok.  

Never forsake to gather together with other believers. We find encouragement when we fellowship together. If for some reason you are not able to physically gather, find a healthy Bible-believing online small group Bible study to be a part of.  Lastly, feed your soul with godly teaching from Biblically sound preachers. You can get a lot of Biblically sound teaching from Ligonier.org, gty.or or truthforlife.org.  You can also subscribe to Biblically sound podcast such as: ’The just thinking’ podcast. I highly recommend their podcast on fear. It is titled “Why are you Afraid”?.  You can listen to it here:

EP # 113 | Why Are You Afraid?

Just Thinking Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/just-thinking-podcast/id1328733796?i=1000532342759

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Bible Reading Plans

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Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day. – Psalms 119:97

 

Happy New Year!!  Well, here we are, 2022 is around the corner! Can you believe it?  I am so thankful to God for bringing us all through 2021 up until now.  He is so good and gracious.

With a new year comes new year resolutions. I for one have stopped making resolutions, I now make just tackle things as they come. I have goals that never change ; to study my Bible more and pray more.  The rest I will tackle as they come.

Talking about reading my Bible more, it is sad to note that most Christians would say that God is the most important person in their lives and believe with all their hearts that the Bible is God’s word to man, yet they have never taken the time to read through the whole Bible. Life is busy and will always be busy till we die, we should approach Bible study the same way we approach other things that are important in our lives – make time for it.

if you have never read through the whole Bible and would like to  or perhaps through just the New Testament and you’re wondering how to do so, I plan to share a list of Bible reading plans with you courtesy of Ligonier Ministries.   Here they are:

 

52 Week Bible Reading Plan

Read through the Bible in a year with each day of the week dedicated to a different genre: epistles, the law, history, Psalms, poetry, prophecy, and Gospels.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

5x5x5 New Testament Bible Reading Plan

Read through the New Testament in a year, reading Monday to Friday. Weekends are set aside for reflection and other reading. Especially beneficial if you’re new to a daily discipline of Bible reading.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

A Bible Reading Chart

Read through the Bible at your own pace. Use this minimalistic yet beautifully designed chart to track your reading throughout the year.

Duration: Flexible | Download: PDF

Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Read through the Bible in the order the events occurred chronologically.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan

Four daily readings beginning in Genesis, Psalms, Matthew and Acts.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

The Discipleship Journal Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan

Two daily readings, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. Complete an entire book in each testament before moving on.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

ESV Daily Bible Reading Plan

Four daily readings taken from four lists: Psalms and wisdom literature, Pentateuch and history of Israel, Chronicles and prophets, and Gospels and epistles.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

Every Word in the Bible

Read through the Bible one chapter at a time. Readings alternate between the Old and New Testaments.

Duration: Three years | Download: PDF

Historical Bible Reading Plan

The Old Testament readings are similar to Israel’s Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament readings are an attempt to follow the order in which the books were authored.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

An In Depth Study of Matthew

A year-long study in the Gospel of Matthew from Tabletalk magazine and R.C. Sproul.

Duration: One year | App: Accessible on YouVersion. Download the app.

Bible In A Year

This plan takes you through the entire Bible with two readings each day: one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.

Duration: One year | App: Accessible on YouVersion. Download the app.

Professor Grant Horner’s Bible Reading System

Reading ten chapters a day, in the course of a year you’ll read the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters four to five times, the Old Testament wisdom literature six times, the Psalms at least twice, Proverbs and Acts a dozen times, and the Old Testament history and prophetic books about one and a half times.

Duration: Ongoing | Download: PDF

Robert Murray M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Read the New Testament and Psalms twice and the Old Testament once.

Duration: One or two years | Download: Website

Straight Through the Bible Reading Plan

Read straight through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

Tabletalk Bible Reading Plan

Two readings each day, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. You can also follow the Tabletalk reading plan through the Ligonier app.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

The Legacy Reading Plan

This plan does not have set readings for each day. Instead, it has set books for each month and a set number of Proverbs and Psalms for each week. It aims to give you more flexibility while grounding you in specific books of the Bible.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

Two-Year Bible Reading Plan

Read the Old and New Testaments once and Psalms and Proverbs four times.

Duration: Two years | Download: PDF

Bible Reading Plan Generator

Still can’t find a plan that works for you? Generate your own.

Duration: You decide | Online: Bible Reading Plan Generator
















Soli Deo Gloria!

							
 
		
		

											
 
	
 
									
	

				

							

					Wise men still seek Him
				

						
  
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Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  – Matthew 2:1-2




The Christmas story will not be complete without mentioning the wise men who came from East, seeking the new born King.  One of biggest myths in the Christmas story is that they were three in number.  We even have a Christmas carol that begins with the words “we three kings of orient..”.  However, the Bible never tells us how many they were. They did give three gifts – gold, frankincense & myrrh, but we don’t know if they were three or more men in the group.


Another  myth we often read or see in Christmas cards / paintings is that they went to see Jesus in the stable.  The Bible never says that either.  Matthew 2:10-11 tells us that after they left Herod, they saw the star again which led to the “house” where the child was. Matthew 2:11 – “And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” (emphasis mine). Jesus was already at home when the wise men found Him.  He also was not a baby anymore, He was a “child”, not a babe. Some scholars say Jesus might have been around 2yrs old here.


The most interesting thing about the wise men is that they were not Jews.  They did not live in Jerusalem, they were not Scribes or Pharisees. Some have said they were probably astrologers, maybe so. Whoever or what ever they were, they knew something about a coming Messiah and when they got the sign that He was here, they went in search of Him.  They did not go searching to see what He might look like, they did not go to request healing for themselves or their loved ones,  they did not go to get something out of Him, but they went in search of Him to give Him gifts and to worship Him.  When they saw the child Christ, they fell down and worshiped Him.  Amazing!


One would have thought that if anyone would be eager to find the Messiah to worship Him, it would have been those Scribes and Pharisees who were so conversant with the scriptures, but not so.  Even after the wise men told them that they had seen the star of the Messiah, the Scribes and Pharisees were not in anyway curious to go find out if it was true. They did not rush to Bethlehem to go find out about this king.  How sad.  While they knew all the scriptures about the coming Christ intellectually in their heads, their hearts were far from Him.  While it is good and commendable even by scripture to study and come to the knowledge of the Truth, that knowledge should lead to a transformed heart. 


 




 They did not go searching to see what He might look like, they did not go to request healing for themselves or their loved ones,  they did not go to get something out of Him, but they went in search of Him to give Him gifts and to worship Him.  When they saw the child Christ, they fell down and worshiped Him.  Amazing!




 


From a human standpoint, the Scribes and Pharisees would seem to be the wise ones since they knew most, if not all the scriptures about Christ in their head. However, they were the foolish ones, for while they knew about Messiah intellectually, they had no relationship with Him. They did not desire to see Him, nor worship Him.  They are like the idolators in Romans 1:22 – Claiming to be wise, they became fools,


In today’s world, most have heard about Jesus and know something about Him intellectually, but most do not really know Him intimately from their heart.  It does not have to be that way.  If you don’t know Christ as your personal savior and Lord, you can today.


The reason He was born was to glorify the Father by saving His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 – She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”.   Humble yourself today like the wise men from the East, reject your foolish ways and be wise.  Repent of your sins, ask Him to forgive you and receive you to Himself.  He has promised that He will receive you. John 1:12 – But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God


 


Merry Christmas Everyone!!


 















							
 
		
		

											
 
	
 
									
	

				

							

					December Advent Devotional
				

						
  
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Isaiah 2: 2-5


It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,


 


and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.


 


He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.


 


O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the LORD.




December Advent is 25 day devotional in December designed to focus our heart and mind on the true meaning of Christmas.


This Advent bible reading plan kicks off on December 1 and takes you through to Christmas Eve on December 24. It also includes readings for the four Sundays of Advent. Save this picture to your phone or print it out to use as a resource throughout Advent.


Drawing from both Old and New Testaments, these readings are aimed to help us remember the promises God has made to come to his people and establish his kingdom:


    

  • Week 1: Isaiah’s prophecies
    • 

  • Week 2: The Epistles on God’s Kingdom and the return of Christ
    • 

  • Week 3: Some other Old Testament prophecies
    • 

  • Week 4: God’s kingdom about to arrive…!
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May we cling fast to these promises this Advent!


advent-bible-reading-plan


 






























							
 
		
		

											
 
	
 
									
	

				

							

					Give Thanks!
				

						
  
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We are commanded to give thanks:


IN everything  : 1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  as well as  FOR everything :  Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ




 


Thanksgiving flows from a grateful and humble heart.  As we join others in setting out aside a day to give thanks, I would like to share with some quotes on thanksgiving from two of my favorite teachers of old – Thomas Watson and JC Ryle.


 




Thanksgiving is a more noble part of God’s worship. Our needs may send us to prayer, but it takes a truly honest heart to praise God.


 


In petition we act like men; in thanksgiving we act like angels.


 


Thanksgiving is a God-exalting work “Whoever offers praise glorifies me” (Psalm 50:23). Though nothing can add the least mite to God’s essential glory—yet praise exalts him in the eyes of others.


 


Praise is a setting forth of God’s honor, a lifting up of his name, a displaying of the trophy of his goodness, a proclaiming of his excellence, a spreading of his renown, a breaking open of the box of ointment, whereby the sweet fragrance of God’s name is sent abroad into the world.  


– Thomas Watson




 




The wide-spread thanklessness of Christians is the disgrace of our day.  It is a plain proof of our little humility. Let us pray for a daily thankful spirit. It is the spirit which God loves and delights to honor. David and Paul were eminently thankful men.


 


It is the spirit which has marked all the brightest saints in every age of the church. McCheyne, and Bickersteth, and Haldane Stewart, were always full of praise.  It is the spirit which is the very atmosphere of heaven. Angels and “just men made perfect” are always blessing God. It is the spirit which is the source of happiness on earth.


 


If we would be anxious for nothing, we must make our requests known to God not only with prayer and supplication, but with thanksgiving. (Phil. 4:6.)  Above all, let us pray for a deeper sense of our own sinfulness, guilt, and undeserving. This, after all, is the true secret of a thankful spirit.  It is the man who daily feels his debt to grace, and daily remembers that in reality he deserves nothing but hell — this is the man who will be daily blessing and praising God.


 


Thankfulness is a flower which will never bloom well excepting upon a root of deep humility! 


– JC Ryle




 


Psalms 107:1
 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!



















Happy Thanksgiving to you all











							
 
		
		

											
 
	
 
									
	

				

							

					Advent – The King is Coming!
				

						
  
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I did not grow up celebrating the season of advent.  I had no idea what it was or that it was even on the church calendar until about 20 years ago. What is it anyway? Should Christians celebrate it?


Advent is the season of the year leading up to Christmas. It is observed with various traditions and rituals by Catholics and other liturgical groups such as Lutherans, Anglicans, and Methodists. In recent years, Advent celebrations of one type or another have been added to many evangelical services as well.


The word advent itself means “arrival” or “an appearing or coming into place.” Christians often speak of Christ’s “first advent” and “second advent”; that is, His first and second comings to earth. His first advent would be the Incarnation—Christmastime.


The Advent season lasts for four Sundays. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, or the nearest Sunday to November 30. Advent ends on Christmas Eve and thus is not considered part of the Christmas season. The Advent celebration is both a commemoration of Christ’s first coming and an anticipation of His second coming. As Israel longed for their Messiah to come, so Christians long for their Savior to come again.


 


Should Christians observe Advent? This is a matter of personal conviction. Here is the biblical principle: “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord” (Romans 14:5–6).


 


Churches that observe Advent usually decorate their sanctuaries in the liturgical color of Advent, purple (or in some cases royal blue). Some churches change the color to rose on the third or fourth Sunday of Advent to signify a greater emphasis on the joy of the season.


One of the most common Advent traditions involves the use of evergreen wreaths, branches, and trees. On the first Sunday of Advent, churches and homes are decorated with green to symbolize the eternal life that Jesus brings. An Advent wreath—an evergreen circle with four colored candles surrounding a white one in the middle—is placed in a prominent spot. The candles are then lighted one at a time, on successive Sundays. The first candle is the candle of “hope” or “expectation.” The three remaining candles on the perimeter are given various meanings depending on the church. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, the center white candle is lighted; this is the “Christ Candle,” a reminder that Jesus, the Light of the Word, has come.


Advent calendars, used to count down the days till Christmas, are popular in many homes. An Advent calendar contains a number of covered “windows” that are opened, one a day, until Christmas Day. Each open window reveals a picture related to the season or a poem or a Bible verse or a treat of some kind. Many parents find that an Advent calendar is a good way to teach their children the true meaning of Christmas—although there are secular versions of the calendars, too.


Should Christians observe Advent? This is a matter of personal conviction. Here is the biblical principle: “One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord” (Romans 14:5–6).


There is certainly nothing wrong with commemorating Jesus’ birth and anticipating His return—such commemoration and anticipation should be an everyday part of our lives. Are Christians required to observe Advent? No. Does observing Advent make one a better Christian or more acceptable to God? No. Can celebrating Advent be a good reminder of what the season is truly all about? Yes, and therein lies its greatest value.


Messages on Advent


Dr RC Sproul has a great teaching series on Advent titled “The Messiah is Born”.  Click on the title link to listen.


“In this series, R.C. Sproul examines various themes that we must consider when we look at the first advent of Christ. Dr. Sproul discusses Mary’s role in the nativity and the necessity of Christ’s birth for our redemption, reminding us that the glory of God seen in the birth of Jesus will be seen again at His second coming.”


Pastor Alistair Begg has a teaching on Advent titled “The Purpose of Advent”   Click on title to listen.


 


Soli Deo Gloria!


 


 

							
 
		
		

											
 
	
 
									
	

				

							

					Choosing Your Emotions
				

						
  
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for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  -James 1:3




 


Difficult things are going to happen to us in life whether we like it or not. Whether we are saved or not. At some point in this fallen world, we will experience trials and difficulties.  Being a Christian does not and will not shield us from the difficulties of life. If anything, becoming a Christian may sometimes bring more trials and difficulties than ever before.  For one the world would hate us, our worldly friends might come to resent us since we will no longer be interested in the ungodly activities we all used to participate it.


Difficult times usually bring out a flood of emotions such as fear, anger and anxiety. These emotions are considered normal reactions to difficulties. We expect them in ourselves and in others. But should we? The Bible calls us to a higher place. It teaches us that we do not have to respond to difficulties with the normal reactions, we can have a different reaction to difficult situations. It tells us we can choose our emotions. How?  By what we know to be true about God. This is not positive thinking, neither is it a call to “visualize” the problem away. 


 




You see, God does not have any favorite children, He will not treat us any differently than He treated His beloved Son. If the path to victory for the beloved Son of God was through suffering, why would we think ours will be different? 




 


The Bible teaches us in James 1:2-3 the when difficult times come upon us, notice it says “when”, not “if”. Being a Christian as I said earlier does not exonerate us from experiencing difficult times.  As a matter of fact, God has ordained and determined in His sovereignty that as believers, we will experience difficulties on our journey from earth to heaven. Luke tells us in  Acts 14:22 that the Apostle Paul went about “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”  


Jesus Himself tells us in Matthew 16:24-26  “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.For whoever would save his lifewill lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”   The cross is an instrument of torture, an instrument of pain and death. Yet, Jesus says if we are to follow Him, we must forsake ourselves, our desires, our wants, carry our cross, then follow. He goes on to make us a promise – that it is in losing our lives for Him and in being willing, even to die for His sake that we can truly live.


Why would a loving God plan for His children to go through suffering and difficulty to get to heaven?  God has designed suffering as a means to purify us. To remove all the impurities that would hinder us from becoming a pure vessel unto honor in the Lord’s house. Impurities such as pride. Pride is the root of many sins, if not all and a sure sign of immaturity.  Suffering produces steadfastness and humility both of which are the evidence of maturity.


 




 God uses trials to produce steadfastness or patience in His children. Patience is the evidence of our Christlikeness and maturity.




 


This is why James tells the believers he was writing to and us, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, that when difficulties come, we should appraise the situation (consider it) in light of God’s word. In light of verses like Acts 14:22 above and also, Hebrews 12:7 – Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? and many other scriptures in the Bible.


 




Knowledge of the word of God is the key to choosing our emotions.




 


You see, God does not have any favorite children, He will not treat us any differently than He treated His beloved Son. If the path to victory for the beloved Son of God was through suffering, why would we think ours will be different? Hebrews 5:8 tells us concerning Jesus that “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered”. Now, unlike us who are sinful humans and born in sin, Christ did not have to suffer to correct any sinful disobedience in His life, as John MacArthur puts it “He learned obedience for the same reasons he bore temptation: to confirm his humanity and experience its sufferings to the fullest (see notes on Heb. 2:10; cf. Luke 2:52; Phil. 2:8). Christ’s obedience was also necessary so that he could fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15) and thus prove to be the perfect sacrifice to take the place of sinners(1 Pet. 3:18). He was the perfectly righteous One, whose righteousness would be imputed to sinners (cf. Rom. 3:24–26).”


Humility and patience does not only show maturity, but makes us more like Jesus, which is God’s goal for us. God allows difficulties in our lives because we were predestined by God, to be confirmed into the image of His Son. Romans 8:29 – “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”  Even before the foundation of the world, God has predestined that all who belong to Him will be made into the image of Christ. God uses trials to produce steadfastness or patience in His children. Patience is the evidence of our Christlikeness and maturity.


Someone might say, why must we attribute all suffering in our life to God? Surely the devil attacks the children of God and we ought to “rebuke him”.  Not only the devil, we can also incur the Lord’s discipline in our lives when we sin. Why should we attribute all suffering to God maturing us?  We attribute all suffering to God because He is sovereign over circumstance and situation.  While God is not the author of evil, He has does the circumstances to achieve His purposes. That is why James tells us to appraise every trial that come into our lives in light of what we know about God and His word. Then and only then will we be able to choose to respond with the right emotions.


When difficulties arise in our lives, we do not have to succumb to the “normal” emotions of those around us, we can chose a joyful emotion because of what we know about the character of God. Our choice of emotions does not rest in our ability to “bear it”, but on God and what we know about His word. Knowledge of the word of God is the key to choosing our emotions. That is not always an easy thing to do, that is why James asks us to pray for wisdom.  Pray boldly and ask in faith without doubting and God will give us that wisdom. James 1:5  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.







































Soli Deo Gloria!