Saturday, June 29, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
We had us some church this past Sunday! I knew it was going to be an exciting day in the Lord because my step-dad and one of our favorite girls was getting baptized in the evening, but I had no idea how awesome the morning service would be! Our new pastor had a friend in from Columbus, Ohio, and she was going to sing for us. Oh. My. Goodness!! We raised the roof off of that building Sunday morning! She sang "Days of Elijah". It was incredible! People were literally asking for an encore! She graciously said that she would sing after the baptism service that evening. Yay!!!
We had seven people get baptized. One was a surprise! My niece's boyfriend, who is a U.S. Marine, got home the night before as a surprise and because he was already planning on being baptized on base in a few weeks, took the opportunity to have family and friends and be in his home church for his baptism.
We had seven people get baptized. One was a surprise! My niece's boyfriend, who is a U.S. Marine, got home the night before as a surprise and because he was already planning on being baptized on base in a few weeks, took the opportunity to have family and friends and be in his home church for his baptism.
Happy Couple! We're proud of our Marine!
My Pops! He waited quite awhile to do this and I believe his waiting honored God because he was honoring his father. So thankful for this man in my life and especially in my mom's life!
Sharing his testimony.
D sharing her testimony. She will be 13 in September, but she is so mature and has such a beautiful heart! We love this girl so much and are so very proud of her!!
This young man has a powerful testimony! He is an example of a truly transformed life! We're looking forward to his fulfilling his calling!
After all the amazing testimonies and public professions of faith, we were once again showered with the powerful, worshipful voice of S.
What a gift God has given her and we were so thankful to have it shared with us!
Even our little L loved it!
Baptism is a wonderful picture of what Jesus did on the cross and how our acceptance of His gift changes our lives. There is the death and burial, going under the water, and then the glorious resurrection, being raised out of the water. We no longer will ever experience spiritual death, Jesus paid that price for us. We have eternal life because of His death and resurrection. We are made new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
John 14:6 (NASB)
6 Jesus said* to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
6 Jesus said* to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Jesus is the only way! There is no other. I cannot work my way to Heaven, I can do nothing that will earn me points with God. It is a free gift! I simply have to believe.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Our beautiful new niece was born yesterday morning! Her arrival was a complete answer to prayer! They had threatened my sister with induction next Monday but she fervently did not want that! Given that neither of her first two children did not come on their own, she was concerned that little C would not, as well. We got the prayer team on it and L's water broke Wednesday night about 9:30! She was able to give birth without pain killers and in the manner she chose!
Just darling!!
Happy Big Brother!
Doting Big Sister!
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Exegesis vs. Eisegesis
Do you ever wonder if you are reading the Bible through the Holy Spirit's eyes or your own eyes? Have you ever wondered as you were reading, "Am I reading this correctly?" Do you ever question why something seems just a bit amiss but because you've been taught one way for so long, you just let it lie and move on to the next thing? In my 20 years of reading and studying Scripture there have been numerous times where the text has made me go, "Hmmmmm," and several times where I just assumed that I was missing something. In recent years, I've become more diligent about my reading in order to more fully understand and correctly handle God's Word.
2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB)
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
There are a couple of ways to examine and interpret Scripture.
Exegesis is defined as "critical explanation or interpretation of a text or portion of a text, especially of the Bible."--Dictonary.reference.com
Eisegesis is defined as "an interpretation, especially of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like, rather than the meaning of the text."--Dictionary.reference.com
Eisegesis is a dangerous way to interpret Scripture, but, I'm afraid, far to many modern-day Christians do just that. They have either been taught a certain way and nothing they read will dissuade them or they are just to lazy to do the work of determining whether a preacher/teacher is truly doing proper exegesis of a passage. We are, as believers, to hold our teachers accountable. Let's look at one little verse.
Acts 17:11 (NASB)
11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
They received the word with great eagerness....they were excited and challenged by it. It was obviously touching their hearts and stirring their consciences! So...what did they do? They examined the Scriptures to see if what they were being taught was true.
Most modern-day Christians stop right there. They think to themselves, "they studied the Words of Jesus, maybe they studied Romans or Hebrews, just like we do." However, and here is the kicker, they didn't have those things to study!!! They didn't have those letters. Some did, the people who they were specifically written to might have had them by this time, but the majority of unbelievers/seekers/new believers did not have anything but what we call the Old Testament, what the Jews call the Tanach. The Bereans were going home and studying the Tanach to see if what Paul and the others were teaching was true.
See how easy it is to read something with an unknowing bias?
Let's think about something a bit more challenging.
Mark 7:1-23 (NASB)
1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem,
2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.
3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders;
4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.)
5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked* Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?"
6 And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS , BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
7 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN .'
8 "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."
9 He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.
10 "For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER '; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER , IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH ';
11 but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),'
12 you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother;
13 thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."
14 After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:
15 there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.
16 ["If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."]
17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable.
18 And He said* to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him,
19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.)
20 And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.
21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.
23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."
We tend to look at this passage and simply see Jesus supposedly making all foods clean, but is that really the case? Is the passage really about food at all?
Verses 2 & 3 lay out the real problem that the Pharisees were talking about-eating with impure hands, hands that weren't ritualistically washed according to the Rabbinical traditions (which also included the washing of cups, pitchers, and copper pots according to verse 4). They decide to try to trip Jesus up because His disciples didn't keep the ritual, but Jesus has a few choice words for the Pharisees in verses 6-9.
"Teaching as doctrines the precepts of man." vs 7
"Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." vs 8
"You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition." vs 9
All 3 of these things are important for us to consider when we are walking this journey with Jesus. Are we holding onto traditions and doctrine that come from man or all we clinging to Jesus and following hard after His Word solely? The Rabbi's were constantly putting more and more burden on the people, claiming that it was to keep them from breaking God's law, but in reality, it kept people to coming from Him in faith and it loaded them down with burdens they could not bear. To call something sin that God did not call sin is wrong and Jesus points that out numerous times! To call something not sin that is sin is also wrong.
So, if Jesus is chastising them for setting aside the commandments of God for the traditions of men, why does it seem that in verse 19, He does just that.
19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.)
Did Jesus really declare all food clean in this passage? Is food ever mentioned in this passage? If He was truly setting aside a commandment of God, wouldn't He have been more specific? Wouldn't have been straight-forward, as was His usual way (i.e. The Sermon on the Mount)?
Which leads me to another passage that has been weighing on my mind. Isaiah 65 and 66 (especially 66, given it's promise of the new heaven and the new earth).
There are a couple of verses that weigh heavy on my mind....
Isaiah 65:1-4 (NASB)
1 "I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here am I, here am I,' To a nation which did not call on My name.
2 "I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts,
3 A people who continually provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on bricks;
4 Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places; Who eat swine's flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is in their pots.
Isaiah 66:3 (NASB)
3 "But he who kills an ox is like one who slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog's neck; He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers swine's blood; He who burns incense is like the one who blesses an idol. As they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations,
Isaiah 66:15-17 (NASB)
15 For behold, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For the LORD will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all flesh, And those slain by the LORD will be many.
17 "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens, Following one in the center, Who eat swine's flesh, detestable things and mice, Will come to an end altogether," declares the LORD.
If Jesus made all food clean, if Jesus is the Word of God, the entire Word, and if we believe that the prophecies of the Old Testament are for us, then shouldn't we be taking heed regarding "swine's flesh". It seems to me that God takes it very, very seriously and since He points it out so distinctly in prophecy about end times (and the passage in Isaiah 66 is very specific about it being all nations, not just Israel) then shouldn't we be thinking critically about some of the passages in the New Testament that we seem to take for granted?
I certainly don't have all the answers, but I know that I am enjoying the search through God's Word to find them!
2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB)
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
There are a couple of ways to examine and interpret Scripture.
Exegesis is defined as "critical explanation or interpretation of a text or portion of a text, especially of the Bible."--Dictonary.reference.com
Eisegesis is defined as "an interpretation, especially of Scripture, that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, bias, or the like, rather than the meaning of the text."--Dictionary.reference.com
Eisegesis is a dangerous way to interpret Scripture, but, I'm afraid, far to many modern-day Christians do just that. They have either been taught a certain way and nothing they read will dissuade them or they are just to lazy to do the work of determining whether a preacher/teacher is truly doing proper exegesis of a passage. We are, as believers, to hold our teachers accountable. Let's look at one little verse.
Acts 17:11 (NASB)
11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
They received the word with great eagerness....they were excited and challenged by it. It was obviously touching their hearts and stirring their consciences! So...what did they do? They examined the Scriptures to see if what they were being taught was true.
Most modern-day Christians stop right there. They think to themselves, "they studied the Words of Jesus, maybe they studied Romans or Hebrews, just like we do." However, and here is the kicker, they didn't have those things to study!!! They didn't have those letters. Some did, the people who they were specifically written to might have had them by this time, but the majority of unbelievers/seekers/new believers did not have anything but what we call the Old Testament, what the Jews call the Tanach. The Bereans were going home and studying the Tanach to see if what Paul and the others were teaching was true.
See how easy it is to read something with an unknowing bias?
Let's think about something a bit more challenging.
Mark 7:1-23 (NASB)
1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem,
2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.
3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders;
4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.)
5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked* Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?"
6 And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS , BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
7 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN .'
8 "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."
9 He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.
10 "For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER '; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER , IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH ';
11 but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),'
12 you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother;
13 thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that."
14 After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:
15 there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.
16 ["If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."]
17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable.
18 And He said* to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him,
19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.)
20 And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.
21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.
23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."
We tend to look at this passage and simply see Jesus supposedly making all foods clean, but is that really the case? Is the passage really about food at all?
Verses 2 & 3 lay out the real problem that the Pharisees were talking about-eating with impure hands, hands that weren't ritualistically washed according to the Rabbinical traditions (which also included the washing of cups, pitchers, and copper pots according to verse 4). They decide to try to trip Jesus up because His disciples didn't keep the ritual, but Jesus has a few choice words for the Pharisees in verses 6-9.
"Teaching as doctrines the precepts of man." vs 7
"Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." vs 8
"You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition." vs 9
All 3 of these things are important for us to consider when we are walking this journey with Jesus. Are we holding onto traditions and doctrine that come from man or all we clinging to Jesus and following hard after His Word solely? The Rabbi's were constantly putting more and more burden on the people, claiming that it was to keep them from breaking God's law, but in reality, it kept people to coming from Him in faith and it loaded them down with burdens they could not bear. To call something sin that God did not call sin is wrong and Jesus points that out numerous times! To call something not sin that is sin is also wrong.
So, if Jesus is chastising them for setting aside the commandments of God for the traditions of men, why does it seem that in verse 19, He does just that.
19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.)
Did Jesus really declare all food clean in this passage? Is food ever mentioned in this passage? If He was truly setting aside a commandment of God, wouldn't He have been more specific? Wouldn't have been straight-forward, as was His usual way (i.e. The Sermon on the Mount)?
Which leads me to another passage that has been weighing on my mind. Isaiah 65 and 66 (especially 66, given it's promise of the new heaven and the new earth).
There are a couple of verses that weigh heavy on my mind....
Isaiah 65:1-4 (NASB)
1 "I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, 'Here am I, here am I,' To a nation which did not call on My name.
2 "I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts,
3 A people who continually provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on bricks;
4 Who sit among graves and spend the night in secret places; Who eat swine's flesh, And the broth of unclean meat is in their pots.
Isaiah 66:3 (NASB)
3 "But he who kills an ox is like one who slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog's neck; He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers swine's blood; He who burns incense is like the one who blesses an idol. As they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations,
Isaiah 66:15-17 (NASB)
15 For behold, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For the LORD will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all flesh, And those slain by the LORD will be many.
17 "Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go to the gardens, Following one in the center, Who eat swine's flesh, detestable things and mice, Will come to an end altogether," declares the LORD.
If Jesus made all food clean, if Jesus is the Word of God, the entire Word, and if we believe that the prophecies of the Old Testament are for us, then shouldn't we be taking heed regarding "swine's flesh". It seems to me that God takes it very, very seriously and since He points it out so distinctly in prophecy about end times (and the passage in Isaiah 66 is very specific about it being all nations, not just Israel) then shouldn't we be thinking critically about some of the passages in the New Testament that we seem to take for granted?
I certainly don't have all the answers, but I know that I am enjoying the search through God's Word to find them!
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
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Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Friday, May 31, 2013
We have our first casualty from our recent flooding.....the freezer! It took 6 days to die, but die it has! Our meat has been moved to bestie's house and the repairman called, however, the cost to repair was going to be almost the cost of a new freezer, so we've ordered the new one, going from chest back to an upright. A platform will be built to, hopefully, ensure its staying dry in the future.
We're pretty certain that parts of our furnace will need repairing, as well. We'll find that out sometime next week.
We're pretty certain that parts of our furnace will need repairing, as well. We'll find that out sometime next week.
Checking our her new bunny Grandma made her from Amanda Keey's pattern "Briar Bunny."
He's her sleeping buddy when she spends the night with Gma and Gpa.
Such a sweet pattern and perfect size for a toddler!
Still a lot of work to be done in the basement, but, thankfully, the storms seems to have subsided and things are looking a bit better!
Happy, Happy!!
Just the sweetest face!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
So much for a nice quiet Memorial Day weekend! Friday night was non-stop thunderstorm and rain. When we got up the basement was dry, 10 minutes later, 3 inches of water (which pretty much equaled what the outside had received)! That is usually all that we get, so we did our usual clean-up and prep and went about our day. I ended up with a massive migraine that included nausea like I hadn't had in years!!
The weather quieted down and we spent the evening with Great-Great Grandma. We were looking forward to our little L's dedication on Sunday and went to bed fairly secure in the condition of the basement and excited for our family time the next day. I remember waking up a few times and hearing it rain, but didn't think much of it. Oops, big mistake!!
Around 4:00 am I heard a strange beeping and then a crash. I woke hubby up and told him. At about the same time, we realized it was our chest freezer beeping and that we'd better check things out. This is what we saw...........
Now, granted, we have an old-fashioned basement, so it's not pretty, but it was semi-organized! The water came up so fast and high that it actually picked up and moved the chest freezer. We got the sump pump going and started hauling! We were forced to throw away a lot of stuff (which needed done anyway!) and it took several days to sort through some of it.
After about an hour and a half of cleaning, throwing, etc., we finally broke for breakfast and a little rest. Hubby came in the livingroom from eating his breakfast and looked out our south window. He made a funny sound and then asked me if I was seeing what he was seeing. I looked and saw water in the fields farther up than I ever had, including 1993 and 2008! We decided we had to go sight-seeing!
The weather quieted down and we spent the evening with Great-Great Grandma. We were looking forward to our little L's dedication on Sunday and went to bed fairly secure in the condition of the basement and excited for our family time the next day. I remember waking up a few times and hearing it rain, but didn't think much of it. Oops, big mistake!!
Around 4:00 am I heard a strange beeping and then a crash. I woke hubby up and told him. At about the same time, we realized it was our chest freezer beeping and that we'd better check things out. This is what we saw...........
After about an hour and a half of cleaning, throwing, etc., we finally broke for breakfast and a little rest. Hubby came in the livingroom from eating his breakfast and looked out our south window. He made a funny sound and then asked me if I was seeing what he was seeing. I looked and saw water in the fields farther up than I ever had, including 1993 and 2008! We decided we had to go sight-seeing!
This was what we saw when we popped over our hill! I've never seen it up to that first curve before.
The road disappeared!
It was rushing fast!
The view from the top of our hill.
Looking the other direction
This was a first! We'd never seen water in the field's to the east.
The view from the very top of the hill before our house. We had lake front property for awhile!
We had a bit of a break to go to church for L's dedication. We found out that a lot of people had water and some that had never had water in their basements before (including my in-laws!).
Just about time to go to church!
Making their commitment to raise her according to God's ways
The family!
4 generations!
It was a wonderful family time! We were pretty exhausted by the time we were done, though, and knew we'd better get home to check out the situation.
Things seemed to be getting better and then we watched the evening newscast! They were predicting heavy rain....again! We decided to call in the besties and have them help up get the freezer up on blocks and clean up what was left.
Thankfully, we didn't have anymore heavy rain that night, but woke up to 3 inches or so yesterday morning. They are predicting heavy rain again late tonight and especially tomorrow.
I totally see why water is a picture of judgment! It's awful to deal with!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Romans 1:18-32 (NASB77)
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
This passage of
Scripture is often a "go-to" in regards to homosexuality, but it's
been popping into my head for a variety of other reasons.
In a recent
Bible study, the idea of our universe being one of "opposites" really
stuck out at me. If there is short,
there must be tall. If there is wide,
there must be narrow. If there is good,
there must be evil. And on and on. In
Romans 1, it says that God gave them over to degrading passions, from the
natural to the unnatural.
A quick look at
our culture reveals that it is not only in the areas of sexual purity that we
have exchanged the natural for the unnatural.
1) Giving
birth. No longer is it a natural
function for a woman to give birth, it has become a medical situation in need
of a doctor, pain killers, and far too often, surgical intervention. I'm not saying that sometimes those things
are warranted, and Praise God for the knowledge He has given to others in order
to handle those dangerous situations, but for the most part, they are not
necessary interventions. Scheduling
inductions or, worse yet, c-sections for the convenience of either the mother
or the doctor is ridiculous. A woman's
body was created to give birth. While
there will be pain, a woman was created to be able to handle the pain. If a woman is taught what to expect and
simple relaxation techniques, her pain can/will be lessened by amazing degrees.
Alas, in our culture, we have exchanged the natural for the unnatural when it
comes to birth.
2)Breastfeeding. A woman's body is created to breastfeed. No mixing man-made formula. No making sure it's the right
temperature. The body creates what the
child needs. It miraculously creates the
perfect nutritional milk for the child at their different stages. Our culture has decided that breastfeeding is
somehow sexual in nature and, therefore, more unnatural that feeding
formula. How ludicrous!
3)Medication. We have traded natural remedies, herbs,
plants, essential oils, for man-made, almost always dangerous,
pharmaceuticals. We put people on
addictive narcotics that create far more problems than they fix. We have people becoming criminals, breaking
into pharmacies and people's homes to get prescription drugs. These drugs alter our minds and our bodies! God created many, many naturals things that
keep a person's body in balance and healthy.
In fact, if we were eating the way God commanded, we would all be much
healthier to begin with.
4)Schooling our
children. It is not natural for kids to
be segregated with children their own age 8 hours of every day. Life is not segregated. Children learn by example, not by peer
pressure or following the lead of
another immature child. Children should
be with a wide variety of people regardless of age, gender, or race. It is a parent's job to teach their children,
not a stranger they will only know for 9 months out of a year. That teacher, regardless of how wonderful
they are, cannot truly know the strengths and weaknesses of your child. They rarely can steer a child in the
direction best suited for that child.
These are just
off the top of my head. We have become
an unnatural world, worshipping the created rather than the Creator. We worship athletes, scientists, doctors, and
experts instead of giving credit where credit is due. God is behind the athlete's abilities, the
scientist's discoveries, the doctor's healing skill, and the expert's
knowledge. God gives us gifts and talents for His glory, not our own, and
certainly not to be worshipped by others.
Colossians 1:13-18 (NASB77)
For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.
For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The weather has been wonderful around here lately! So very welcome, given the late spring we've had. My heart aches for those in Oklahoma, though. What a terrifying and devastating event down there! I can't even imagine the sadness and fear, yet, their determination to rebuild and move forward is a wonderful thing to see.
We've had a busy couple of weeks.
We had the girls pictures taken.....
We've had a busy couple of weeks.
We had the girls pictures taken.....
I went to my first homeschool conference in about 6 years. Middle daughter is already beginning her preparations for schooling the girls and she had never been, so I went along. It was a very informative weekend! I learned quite a bit, things I wish I had known when my kids were younger.
While we were there, Grandpa babysat E. Oh, what fun they had!!
See all that dirt?? Oh, boy, did they have fun!
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
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Monday, May 06, 2013
If all the snow had "stuck", we would have ended up with 9" of snow on May 3rd and 4th! As it was, we woke up to this.....
Oh, so beautiful, but seems to have my internal clock thrown way off! Thankfully, the last little bits melted off yesterday and we reached 67 degrees. This week looks rainy again, but we'll stay in the 70's, so that's a bit easier to adjust to!
We had a wonderful time this past Saturday, finally getting to celebrate March birthdays. We threw in Mother's Day and Father's Day for good measure. We went to one of our favorite restaurants in the state. It's just over an hour drive, but, oh so worth it!! They serve German food, family style. We enjoyed each others company, the good food and drink. I have a wonderful bunch of kids!
Congratulations!!
Our beautiful middle girl!
My baby, all grown up!
"Let's go for a walk, Grandma!"
Precious!
Springtime glory!
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