Meeting Together

Friday night of our conference session was centered around how, in the midst of such hectic lives, we can find rest and solace as believers through our church family and the community that God has established through that.

"The downside of the economic and technological progress is that it tends to make us rich in possessions, but poor in relationships."
-D. Whitney

Using the teaching from Hebrews 10:24-25, there is a great blessing in the application of these spiritual disciplines:

I. Hebrews 10:22-24
MEETING TOGETHER IN WAYS WHEREBY WE EXPERIENCE THE RICHES OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IS BASED UPON THE RICHES OF WHAT WE SHARE IN JESUS

II. Hebrews 10:24
MEETING TOGETHER IN WAYS WHEREBY WE EXPERIENCE THE RICHES OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY STIMULATES US TO LOVE AND GOOD DEEDS

III. Hebrews 10:25
MEETING TOGETHER IN WAYS WHEREBY WE EXPERIENCE THE RICHES OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IS A SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE THAT CAN EASILY BECOME HABITUALLY NEGLECTED

IV. Hebrews 10:25
MEETING TOGETHER IN WAYS WHEREBY WE EXPERIENCE THE RICHES OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY ENCOURAGES US, SOMETHING WE NEED ALL THE MORE THE CLOSER WE GET TO SEEING THE LORD

In an effort to make good on my pledge to actually share the wisdom from this conference, I will cut this up in to very small portions. I'll be back later and expound on the first point!

Seasons

I have yet to write about Hannah and her birthday. She has a post in her drafts and I love her sweet words so I think I will allow her to share the day.

We did celebrate in a special way and hoped to encourage her in this season of her life. So many people look at these years as tumultuous, full of strife and contention. I certainly viewed them this way when I was 14.

Of course the culture of being a "teenager" has not changed. Only the way I view the "culture".

Because sin does not play favorites except to favor the hearts of men, then we don't have to worry that our teenagers will fall victim to the pressure. Or at least we needn't worry more than we have since they were born. The pressure to be sinful has been present in their lives since the day they drew their first breath.

There. The groundwork has been laid for a much needed reminder. Because we exist to give glory to God we will find ourselves in seasons of want and the supply will not be given. Because it is during those seasons that our deficit becomes His resting place.

Our fleshly desire is to fill up that void ... especially if the desire is pleasant and justifiable. The problem begins when we compromise in order to soothe the ache.

Hannah is resting in a very quiet and solitary season. We have spent many nights seeking God and His provision for Godly friendship in her life.

He answers with grace alone.

Because she refuses to compromise, God is glorified.
Because she refuses to compromise, she suffers for His glory.

To be clear, she has many companions and her days are full of joy and laughter. What her heart desires is a friend who shares her convictions as well as her age and zip code ;) God has been more than gracious to give her contentment in her present circumstances.

Just because the ache is still present does not mean that contentment cannot coexist.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

-Philippians 4: 12-13

It is both a burden and a blessing to wait with her as God prepares her heart for friendship that is more than pleasantries. In the meantime I relish the opportunity to stand in the gap.

Inward Cleanliness

By the world's standards, my children are well-behaved. They are usually well-mannered and practice adequate levels of self-control and respect...well at least the older ones do ;)

Still. They challenge me in many ways as a mother and we had have our fair share of battles regarding will, respect, obedience, selfishness, diligence, pride....You get the drift?

These are matters of the heart. More often than not, the struggle part has everything to do with my own sin of pride and sense of entitlement.

Because I am "The Mutha".

The problem with this is that I am failing on a daily basis. It is not easy to balance on the pedestal when I lose my temper and pop off for the 87th time with the infamous one-liner...

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Clearly, I am falling short and missing the mark. The truth of God's Word says that we are unworthy and unrighteous.

We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Isaiah 64:6

So it is not who I am but rather who He is that warrants respect. It is not me or even the role of mother that requires obedience but it is God and his Word.

Having children should produce humility. I polish and shine so that their appearance will reflect the "goodness" of my mothering. The truth is, it is a reflection of the sinful pride in my heart.

They are the outside of my cup (Matthew 23:25-16).

From Tabletalk:

Repeated washings should remind the washer of his perpetual dirtiness and help him long for a clean heart.

God uses my sons and daughters as a reminder that He is in the business of clean hearts. My efforts for good behavior will be in vain if my first motive is not purity of the heart....for us all.

"The children of God ought to desire to be pure rather than to appear so."
-John Calvin

Be Fully Convinced...

There is a great article from Pulpit Magazine about Honoring God In Gray Areas from a couple of days ago. In it, there is a list of seven questions that are helpful in making decisions that are not necessarily black or white in scripture.

I know that my tendency is to claim absolutes on certain "gray" issues that I have either:

A) been firmly convicted of
or
B) are easy to apply to my life

Where I find myself resting in gray areas are those places where my flesh struggles to apply biblical truth and/or conviction. There are not really "gray" areas where God allows us to waiver and sit on the fence. There is no glory in professing that God does not care.

"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." James 1: 6-8

He does however allow for liberty in making certain decisions that may differ from one christian to the next. (gasp)

Oh, does this ever challenge me! Especially in those areas that I mentioned above (A & B) because, come on! On those issues where we stand so firmly it is so obvious, right? How could someone not come to the exact same determination?

Thank you God for grace.

It has required daily humility and reverence for God...His ways...His revelation...His purpose, so that I do not diminish His sovereign ability to convict through both the Word and the Holy Spirit.

Notice His ability. He is able.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us..." Ephesians 3:20

Piper has a wonderful sermon (as usual!) about being fully convinced, no matter what the issue. And have mercy there are some issues, aren't there?

Homeschool, television, alcohol, modesty.....the list is endless and different for everyone. Piper asks these three simple questions which make a very complex decision quite simple.

1.) Is it sinful?
2.) Is it honoring to Christ?
3.) Is it the best way I can think for me to act in this situation?

Then the hard part. Be convicted and convinced and honor Him in your decision.

Therefore, I do not say to you, “Lighten up.” Or, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Rather I say, “Stand in awe of the risen Christ who will get his glory from the living and from the dead and from the eaters and the abstainers and from the day-keepers and the non-day-keepers. Stand in awe of Jesus Christ. And whatever you do, whether you eat or whether you drink, do all to the glory of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:31).

John Piper

It will knock their ideas cuckoo...

I love John Piper....

A Hedge Of Courtesy

This is a very well written article by Nancy Wilson regarding the varying methods that Christians may apply to the same biblical principles.

I wish I could say that I have approached friends and family whose methods may be different from mine, with grace and understanding....but I cannot. Often I find myself with so much well-meaning zeal and conviction that I completely negate the scripture which first commands me to love and I skip straight to the part that supports my argument.

My zeal ends up making me look more like a know-it-all than a Christ-follower.
Thankfully, I am made new each day.....and thankfully my friends and family still love this know-it-all.

This was a good read for me....

"A tenderhearted sister is not on a soapbox, preaching her method without care for the condition of her sisters."

Purity...On Purpose

Ever since my girls were small, I have had people comment on how "we were going to be in trouble" when they were teenagers. You know, the "Daddy better get his shotgun ready" kind of tone?

I shrugged it off when they were preschoolers, but it wasn't long before I realized that we had to take deliberate measures in order for our children to understand what the biblical standard is for purity and what that looks like in our culture, while they are young.

For us, there were the easy things like modest clothing, appropriate movies & television shows, and music, etc..... It is not difficult to see where these areas need to addressed, but can prove trying and challenging when the world around you is bombarding your kids at every opportunity.

I think that sweatpants with writing on the rear-end is a small example of how our children are exploited and nobody even notices. Should we be reading a 12-year old's bottom that says, "Daddy's Girl"????

I think not.

The on-purpose part of this teaching also comes with explaining to our children what biblical marriage is designed for... which is to glorify God. (period) I believe that the instinctive draw that men feel towards women and vice-versa is a God-given trait, but within the boundaries of a pure and committed marriage relationship. Any other relationship between man and woman should be either a:

A) Platonic relationship or
B) Courtship-Dating relationship (which would have the end-result goal of marriage....NOT casual fun)

I don't believe that purity begins with the physical but rather the emotional. If God intended for my daughters to present themselves *whole* to their future husbands, doesn't that begin with their hearts?

The focus today, especially in the church is about the "legal" view of purity but I think that is a misdirected easy way out. True biblical teaching about these relationships should begin at home and then church but instead, church is a hotbed for the preteen and teenager boy/girl relationship to flourish and parents are encouraging it.

Certainly these notions will seem foreign and bizarre to the world, so I want to make this part very clear. I wish I had more time to write but I am a slave to the clock these days and I wouldn't have it any other way :)

O.K., let me finish making this clear.

I cannot make my daughters or my sons choose purity or for that matter choose Christ. God saves. Our creator is in charge of my children and their hearts.

But-

I am in charge of teaching them according to His word. It isn't about rules. Or age limits.
It is....and this is the bottom line......about

Honoring. God.

My accountability rests there. I am in prayer for my children and I am teaching them the beauty of His Word....His Ways....and His Plan for them. My girls have relationships with boys their age and it is a wonderful thing. They are friends. The best of friends that trade sour-gummy worms and bonk heads on the trampoline. They treat one another like siblings and because the boundaries are so firm and well-defined there is no fear of being teased or pressured.

Kim at Lifesong (a friend who says what I think ALL THE TIME) has written a wonderful series about this. I agree in almost every single way with these posts and since I couldn't say it better, I'll just ask you to read this:

Part 1- Developing Godly Relationships During The Teenage Years

Part 2- Gray Areas Versus Biblical Standards - God's Standard Of Purity

Part 3- Busting The Boy Craziness (edited to add this info)

Part 4- Being A Godly Young Woman

A Modesty Checklist

Part 5- Practical Steps To Courtship/Dating

Beg

Here I am
One more day of not
Loving Him the way He asks
In fact my heart is singing praises to
the things That make me feel alright

So I'm sinking fast like a stone heart should
And on the way down
I've done what I could
To try and try to turn this stone to flesh

I'm haunted by my God
Who has the right to ask me
What by the nature of my rebellion
I cannot give.

So I beg for you to move
I beg for you to move
I beg for you to break through

So here I am
Got my deeds for the day
All my cute little words about
How I am saved

Am I saved?

Could I love you with my mouth like a church kid should
At the end of the day
My words get burned as wood
Oh, but I was good.

I'm haunted by my God
Who has the right to ask me
What by the nature of my rebellion
I cannot give.

These songs are noise
In your ears
A clanging drum
You want my love

Song Description:"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And He said to them, 'You SHALL love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment'." (Matt 22:36-37)

This is A LOT of love! Is it even possible? "God has the right to COMMAND of me what, by the nature of my profound rebellion, I cannot give." (John Piper) I WANT to love Him, like he asks. But I don't. So... I beg." - Shane Barnard

Preaching The Word...

I have found myself sharing bits and pieces about my church and I would be remiss in my description without stating that it centers on the preaching of God's Word. Most churches would claim to do the same.

I have written a bit about why expository preaching of the bible is the best way, but John MacArthur makes such wonderful points here about why full proclamation is the "only right way".

I love absolutes.

Pulpit Magazine
(By John MacArthur)

For many reasons, faithful and full proclamation of the Word is the only right way to preach. First of all, such preaching lets God speak rather than man, because it declares God’s own Word. And it is an incredibly thrilling privilege to give voice to God!

Second, preaching the Word is the only right way to preach because it brings the preacher into direct contact with the mind of the Holy Spirit, the author of Scripture. It is for that reason that the preacher of the Word finds the process of study and discovery to be even more rewarding than the preaching that results from it, gratifying as that can be.

It is tragic and puzzling that so many preachers who recognize Scripture to be God’s own Word spend more time investigating and interacting with the limited and imperfect minds of other men than delving into the infinite and holy mind of God. Part of the reason, of course, is that many hearers do not really want to delve into the depths of God’s righteousness and truth, because it exposes their own shallowness and sin. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul warned his son in the faith about the danger of those who hold “to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power” (2 Tim. 3:5). Later in that same epistle he would warn again that “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;. . . and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths” (2 Tim. 4:3–4; cf. Acts 20:29–30).

Third, preaching the Word is the only right way to preach because it forces the preacher to proclaim all of God’s revelation, including those truths that even many believers find hard to learn or accept.

Fourth, preaching the Word is the only right way to preach because it promotes biblical literacy in a congregation, not only through what is learned from the sermon itself but also through the increased desire to study Scripture more carefully and consistently on their own. The faithful pastor, and all other faithful believers, love to learn God’s Word because they love the God of the Word.

Fifth, preaching the Word is the only right way to preach because it carries ultimate authority. It is the complete and perfect self-revelation of God Himself and of His divine will for mankind, which He has created in His own image.

Sixth, preaching the Word is the only right way to preach because only that kind of preaching can transform both the preacher and the congregation.

Seventh, the final and most compelling reason that preaching the Word is the only right way to preach is simply that it is His own Word, and only His own Word, that the Lord calls and commissions His preachers to proclaim.

Today’s post adapted from John’s commentary on 2 Timothy (Moody Press).

So does this mean we dismiss the call to evangelize because we are too focused on preaching God's Word?

No. Preaching God's Word does not offer exemption to the church from evangelism. On the contrary....

It does mean that the "only right way" to share the gospel is by faithfully testifying to the whole counsel of God's word and that must include the depravity of our sinful soul and our desperate need for redemption through Christ. We cannot resort to our pragmatic man-centered methods.

Does it mean that we are not called to love & serve?

No....No....and.....NO.

I am so perplexed when I hear people say that doctrine is less important than loving our neighbor. What is love without the truth??? I dare say it is not love at all.

I hear this & read this countless times in the midst of growing churches today. Without God's word as the power to change hearts then the works of service are either non-existent or contrived by man. Love and service will exist where God's word is faithfully preached. I believe this because I trust that when God converts a man's heart he does not leave it the same. The man is changed and moreover will continue to change through the beautiful process of sanctification....

"Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work." 2 Timothy 2:21 (NKJ)

Christians & Halloween...

I have read this article before and I have found it to be the best reflection of our thinking in regard to Halloween.

Grace to You says:

Evil spirits are no more active and sinister on Halloween than they are on any other day of the year; in fact, any day is a good day for Satan to prowl about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). But "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). God has forever "disarmed principalities and powers" through the cross Christ and "made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them through [Christ]" (Colossians 2:15).

There's another option open to Christians: limited, non-compromising participation in Halloween. There's nothing inherently evil about candy, costumes, or trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. In fact, all of that can provide a unique gospel opportunity with neighbors. Even handing out candy to neighborhood children--provided you're not stingy--can improve your reputation among the kids. As long as the costumes are innocent and the behavior does not dishonor Christ, trick-or-treating can be used to further gospel interests.

Ultimately, Christian participation in Halloween is a matter of conscience before God. Whatever level of Halloween participation you choose, you must honor God by keeping yourself separate from the world and by showing mercy to those who are perishing. Halloween provides the Christian with the opportunity to accomplish both of those things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a message that is holy, set apart from the world; it's a message that is the very mercy of a forgiving God. What better time of the year is there to share such a message than Halloween?

You can read the entire article here.

Dress-up fun from the past....

Accountability

There are many today who regard truth and error as matters of small consequence; if a man lives rightly, they say, it matters not much what his beliefs and opinions are.

Such statements do not surprise us. Night and day are all one to a blind man, truth and error are all one to an ignorant man.

No one can value the truth except those who have been brought to know it; such have a very different estimate of it.

The Word of God says that man’s immortal soul, his eternal state, depends upon his right knowledge of the Truth.

There are certain definite doctrines, and those that hold them not are already marked out in the Scriptures as lost men.

Error is a work of such evil consequences that God commanded the Israelites that all who should propagate it should be put to death (Deut. 13).

Nor is God changed in His judgment in the New Testament; He threatens the Church at Thyatira which was infected with errors, “so I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.” (Rev. 2:22)

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Mark One

Our pastor is preaching through the book of Revelation right now and the sermon on Sunday covered Revelation 3:14-22, where Jesus addresses The Church at Laodicea.


Preaching through a book of the bible means that no verse is left uncovered. There are no divisive doctrines that are skipped, in order to avoid the all-too-often expressed fear of offending seekers. Because there is complete solace in the truth that God alone transforms lives and converts sinners we (the church) can rest assured that while we are accountable for preaching the truth we are not responsible for bringing others to salvation. Salvation belongs to God.


To preach expositionally and to place God's Word central in the church should be the first priority in any church. Mark Dever lists expository preaching as the first of 9 marks of a Healthy Church.


I want to say that I first heard the phrase, expository preaching, probably five or six years ago when we attended a different church than where we are now, and I required a layman's definition then....and then again....and one more time, please.


So often it was defined as, "the way a pastor preaches when they preach through the Word" or "when a pastor preaches verse by verse". While these definitions are not false, they do not bear the complete truth of what I have come to understand as expository teaching or preaching.


Dever uses the comparison of topical preaching versus expository preaching and I think this gives a clearer view of both. Rather than muddle up his words, I'll just quote him directly (and I will probably do this a few more times for good measure).

Topical preaching- "The topical sermon begins with a particular matter that the preacher wants to preach about. Having established the topic, the preacher then assembles various texts from various parts of the Bible and combines them with illustrative stories and anecdotes....The topical sermon is not built around one text of Scripture but around this one chosen theme or idea."

Expositional preaching-"Preaching that takes for the point of a sermon the point of a particular passage of Scripture. That's it. The preacher opens the Word and unfolds it for the people of God. Expositional preaching is preaching in service to the Word.It presumes a belief in the authority of Scripture--that the Bible is actually God's Word; but it is something much more than that. A commitment to expositional preaching is a commitment to hear God's Word--not just to affirm that it is god's Word but to actually submit yourself to it."

I found myself (5 years ago) saying, "Well, doesn't our preacher do that?" I mean, he was going through the book of Ephesians. Isn't that what was meant by preaching the Word or preaching verse by verse? The difference was that he had developed a topic before choosing what passage of scripture to support that topic.


Just because a sermon is topical doesn't mean that it cannot be expositional as well, but choosing the topic before choosing the Word would the make the sermon first and foremost...topical. Dever says, "the preacher knows what he wants to say and he is going into the Bible to see what he can find to say about it."


That part was the most confusing as we were in the process of leaving our old church and finding a new one. Certainly on any given Sunday and at any given church in our area, you would find a pastor who would use the bible in his sermon and sometimes even preach through the text, verse by verse. It was not until I actually heard expositionally preaching that I understood the complete difference.


Our current church, Grace Fellowship, spent 17 months in the Book of Romans. Our pastor preached verse by verse, sometimes covering only 2 or three verses per Sunday. Truly exposing the Word of God and never avoiding the difficult doctrines of grace that are almost always glazed over from the pulpit.


Certainly man would be hard pressed to find a topic to hold fast and firm to for 17 months if it were up him. Thankfully, God's Word does not ever come up short in the way of providing wisdom, clarity, conviction, and change.


So the good about expository preaching seems obvious, but why is topical preaching not the most biblical method for churches to adhere to? Because that method is a man-driven, culture-led, congregation-pleasing method. It feeds the hunger for what either the people want to hear or what the pastor wants to say. Either way, you have sinful man trying to decipher what God wants preached. It just doesn't make sense.

Dever says, "A preacher should have his mind increasingly shaped by Scripture. He shouldn't just use Scripture as an excuse for what he already knows he wants to say....There's nothing new being added to their understanding....To charge someone with the spiritual oversight of a church who doesn't in practice show a commitment to hear and to teach God's Word is to hamper the growth of the church, in essence allowing it to grow only to the level of the pastor. The church will slowly be conformed to the pastor's mind rather than to God's mind. And what we want, what as Christians we crave, are God's words. We want to hear and know in our souls what He has said.

Now, with that said I think there are appropriate times for topical preaching and I am certain that our pastors have chosen topics for relevancy on at least a couple of occasions, but I can attest that it is the exception and not the norm.


If pastors all over this country begin to preach in an expository way, will their members head for the doors? Will their fears of "offending" be founded by a mass exodus of church attenders?


Absolutely.


Not all those sitting in the pews or standing in the lofts or swaying in aisles have be justified by faith. Not all of those included in the head count have been converted and made alive in Christ. Their membership is really just that. Membership. But is it true communion with Holy God? A life that has been forever changed by the Lord of heaven & earth reaching down and reviving a dead heart?


If not, then certainly, God's Word... the sword of the spirit, could cause extreme discomfort in heart of the unredeemed and therefore result in offense. The scripture that I memorized for last week's catechism was from Hebrews 4:12...

"For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

The church at Lacodicea could serve as a very accurate reflection of the church in America today. Wealthy.... therefore healthy. Large in number and in status, therefore whatever pragmatic method in place must be the right one. Jesus had a few things to say about that church:

"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked....He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Revelation 3:15-17 & 22

Raising Pharisees

The Lord specifically warned His disciples, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” (Lk. 12:1) Since hypocrisy is hidden deep within the recesses of the heart, it goes on unchecked and will hollow out its victim from the inside.

Read more here...

Prosperity Gospel by John Piper

Amen.

Hard Teaching

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" John 6:60

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. John 6:66

We are part of a new church plant in our area and the blessings that have flowed from this body of believers are too numerous to count. The unapologetic preaching of the Word, the rich and well-studied teaching through Sunday School, and the sweet fellowship that we have with one another....all of these blessings and more have spilled over from this small body of like-minded followers.

Still, we have had families come, commit, and then leave. Several of those families have struggled with certain doctrinal issues that they just could not come to terms with. Some have even stated that the preaching was "hard core". It is easy to find ourselves on the discouraging end of the stick if we are not careful to remind one another of our purpose and His pleasure.

He delights in our obedience and we should not grow weary in service for Him. Jenn has written and shared her heart in this area as well.

Blessings!

"The 14"

My friend Lea Ann, who is full of deep thoughts and wisdom beyond measure (who is also a Lurkin' fool that needs a blog) e-mailed me last week with this wonderful lesson she had pulled from a sermon last year. Using scripture references from Romans 12:9-21, she and her children go over this list of "I Wills" each day. Dinner or bedtime present the perfect opportunity to review how they have done with "The 14" for that day.

Promoting a climate of selflessness and sacrificial love between siblings is not easy. Lea Ann and I had a very interesting discussion last week about this very thing. I would love for you to chew on this thought in regard to a very common practice that we use in guiding and teaching our children.

Lea Ann said, "Have you considered that teaching the concept of 'taking turns' could promote selfishness?"

For example: If our family chooses a movie to watch on Friday evenings and each child takes turns at choosing the movie, then I would ask a question like this in the midst of strife....

"Well, whose 'turn' is it?"

Rather, shouldn't the lesson be focused on who will be gracious? Who will chose to surrender their "want" for someone else? Doesn't it remove the precious opportunity for a sibling to show generosity when we establish the official "turn"?

I love to see my kids show genuine love and affection for one another, but sometimes I think that my own intervention may prevent them from being forced to choose the difficult way and deny their flesh desires.

What do you think?

"THE 14"

1. I will love the other members of my family...and I will show love.


2. I will hate evil in our home (no bickering, fighting--evil always raises the level of tension).


3. I will honor the other members of my family.


4. I will be zealous (not lazy, active) in serving the Lord by serving my family.


5. I will be joyful in hope, I will not lose hope (Christ is my hope in every situation).


6. I will be patient in affliction with my family.


7. I will be faithful to pray for my family.


8. I will meet my family's needs (ask what they are if you have to).


9. I will bless my family even if they curse me (repay evil with good).


10. I will rejoice with my family when they rejoice.


11. I will cry when they cry ( #'s 10 and 11 both --I will care about what they care about).


12 I will WORK to live in harmony (peace- getting along) with my family.


13. I will not display arrogance towards my family ('me first' is NOT ok).


14. I will do what is right in the sight of everyone.

Oh, How I Love Jesus....

Kim at Lifesong has tagged me for a beautiful meme. I should list 5 things that I love about Jesus.

What is there not to love? All forgiving, redeeming savior, sufficient sacrifice for my sinful soul! I LOVE JESUS because he is.....

1.)The Precious Lamb of God....If I were left in my sin to pay for my sin then the only justified payment would be death. Jesus went in my place and paid that debt. Innocent & spotless, He assumed the wretched depravity of my sinful heart as His own and made me clean before God.....because He loves me.

"The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
John 1:29

2.)I Am.....In the midst of what doesn't make sense, what is painful, what is unknown, what is hopeless and where I am lost He is constant, unchanging, mysteriously fully God & fully man.

"Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
John 8:58

3.)The True Vine...Apart from Christ I am nothing. Ashes. Darkness. An empty shell.
But when I cling to Him, then......and only then......can fruit spring forth from my life that is good. Only then can my life reflect any form of truth because it is attached to the True Vine. I cling to the promise that even the pruning in my life is because of His love for me and his desire for my branch to continue to bear His fruit.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser."
John 15:1

4.)Our Redeemer....Can you hear Nicole Mullens belt this one out? I love this song. I am redeemed. He is my redeemer.

"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth."
Job 19:25

5.)Immanuel....He is God with us. Being fully God & fully man made him less of neither. That God chose to relate to us so intimately through an earthly son that would take on the pain of this world so that we could have reconciliation with Him is beyond my understanding but not beyond my never ending gratitude. It is with that grateful heart that I seek to honor Him, serve Him, give glory to Him, and most of all share His gospel in the time He has given me here.

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel"
Matthew 1:23

I could write for days about how I love Jesus and how my life has been changed because of saving grace, but it is not because I love Jesus. It is because He loves me. It is not because I chose Him. It is because He chose me. It is not because I sought the truth and searched for wisdom and weeded through religion. It is because He revealed the truth. He lifted the veil. He revived my heart which was dead in sin.

Only because of His redeeming love for me do I have this love for Him.

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins"
Ephesians 2:1

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God"
Ephesians 2:8

I am tagging.....
Jenn at Only By Grace
Christina at A Walk In My Garden
Wendy at Showered With Grace
Leslie at Lux Venit &
Kittyhox who I shall call Kitty until she tells me to call her something else.

Psalm 127: 3-5

It's official!

The Voiles Family will increase by one in February 08' and we couldn't be more thrilled! We are looking forward to the blessing of another child and our children are so excited to have a baby brother or sister to hold....to feed....to play the role of the orphaned toddler in their elaborate make-believe world in our woods. They have been in desperate need of a more gullible participant since Samuel has claimed the role of villain/pirate/bridge keeper.

There has been considerable deliberation in both my heart & mind on the matter of having more children. At the end of every laborious discussion (which sometimes included a second party.... and sometimes not) the negatives always boiled down to a selfish motive, my own desires, and worldly standards. I found it difficult to actually lay this decision before the Lord and sincerely ask the question if increasing our family would bring honor and glory to Him. The hearts desire was always there but coexisted with fears about money, space, time, etc...

Fleshly desires and worldly fears often gather momentum and grow over time if allowed to fester and with my flesh desire to be "free" from the burdens of babyhood and "free" from the financial strain of another child, I began to bury my hearts desire (His hearts desire) deeper and deeper until I no longer pursued it.... and it tried to fester.

But He does not turn loose. I am grateful for that.

He continued to pursue this desire, sought obedience in my heart, and has richly blessed this family!

Do Hard Things

Alex & Brett Harris at the Rebelution are holding a conference called The Rebelution Tour. If you are not familiar with these boys, you should be. Their family legacy is one that speaks volumes about the blessings of radical obedience that comes with surrendering to the Word of God. They are twins in a family of 7 children, home schooled, brilliant, articulate, and completely sold-out to Jesus Christ. You can read their bio's on their blog, The Rebelution, which is a..."teenage rebellion against the low expectations of an ungodly culture." Both their brother (Josh Harris) & their father (Gregg Harris) have authored numerous books and spoke before thousands but these brothers are embarking on their own crusade....and it has the glory of God all over it.

That makes me want to squeeze their necks really hard (in a good way) and shout a very loud amen. Do you understand what kind of minority these boys represent?

The four cities listed on the blog are pretty well spread out but it would still require some effort to make the travel accommodations. I believe it to be so entirely worth it.

My oldest is only 12, so we will hold off another year but I am following this conference and praying that God use these young men to speak truth and conviction over the lives of so many young girls and boys.

The lies that our children have come to believe about what their teen years are all about are an abomination. The lazy apathy of parents has been the most powerful influence on their sons & daughters. The idea that *real* responsibility & expectations should be lowered because well.... because they are "just" teenagers. That is the sad reality that is resulting in a culture of self-centered, confused, and biblically ignorant young people.

There are words spoken in elementary school that are permitted and 20 years ago they where not permitted. Why are they permitted now? Lowered expectations.

There are clothes worn to church that are not allowed to be worn in school, like tight-fitting cami tops and strapless halters. They are blatantly inappropriate and obvious stumbling blocks for all ages of men. Why is that permitted in church? Lowered expectations.

Parents are driving their 10-year olds to dances and dates and they allow their 14 & 15 year olds to show affection to their boyfriends & girlfriends in front of them. Do you remember when you would never think of kissing your boyfriend in front of your dad? Why is this now okay? Lowered expectations.

Chores, manners, family responsibility, accountability, respect.....These expectations are so low they hardly exist in many families. The truth is that without the Word as the complete beginning and end of your parenting charge we will always fall short in the area of expectations. Remembering that the standard is Christ and we should never expect less than what gives honor and glory to Him. It truly is that simple. (more simply said than done)

It is the total and complete responsibility for moms & dads to rise to the occasion of real biblical parenting. Not school....Not church. NOT church. What a misconception it is to drop your children with their youth group and assume that the ministry will parent to the standard that God has called *only* the parents to. Your youth minister will not be held accountable for the influence in your child's life. He cannot be the primary influence in the teaching & application of God's word. Parents should not assume that a mediocre influence with a mediocre amount of time to result in anything less than mediocre standards. To ensure the best case scenario for the end result that He desires, should we (parents) not be in more control of the environment in which those results are born and bred? Again....easier said than done.

But as the boys at the Rebelution say, we should Do Hard Things. It is so much easier to compromise in the areas that require so much of us physically....emotionally.... and spiritually.

Every decision in regard to my children should result in serious deliberation. I can honestly say that there are situations that have been placed before me and I failed miserably in seeking the wisdom of the Lord and trusted traditions, culture, or my gut. I have been wrong on every occasion when I used those standards rather than His.

I am prayerful and oh-so-grateful that God has revealed His purpose to me as a parent. Although I am fallen and sinful and at times completely spent over the dilemma of "doing it right", I have such a blessed hope in His word. That never-ending grace sustains me and will continue to do so as we continue forward on this amazing journey as their mother & father.

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

The cycle of sin

You must read this from Piper in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the ban on partial birth abortions.

an excerpt:

This use of catch phrases is surely tired. “Right to choose.” “Equal rights for women.” The grandchildren of the sixties are waking up to the vagueness and danger of those phrases. Right to choose what? Anything? All laws that protect children limit the rights of moms (and dads) to choose. You can’t choose to starve them. You can’t choose to lock them in closets for three weeks. You can’t choose to abandon them. You can’t choose to strangle them five minutes after they are born. (Piper)

I have not read the 73 pages written as the opinion by Justice Anthony Kennedy, but I dare say it would most likely rattle the cages of the most stiff necked "pro-choice" advocates.

It is an encouraging day when the truth is no longer shrouded under politically correct "terms" that encourage people to live in complete denial of the atrocities that are taking place...all in the name of "women's rights". The truth is being brought to light. Praise God.