Our good, His glory

Romans 8:28 is a verse that most of us are familiar with: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." John Macarthur comments on this: "In His providence, God orchestrates every event in life - even suffering, temptation, and sin - to accomplish both our temporal and eternal benefit." I just think of how kind, gracious, and merciful God is to not only forgive us, but then allow our sin that we did somehow workout for our good. That's amazing to me! Other times, when we are suffering, or going through major trials, this is the one of His promises I claim; knowing that God causes ALL things to work together for good. Even when it seems as if there is no possible good that can come out of it! I can testify to this that it is true. There have been times when I want to ask God, Why? Why is this happening? I think about this promise that He gives to those who love Him- He will work all things together for good!

Been 3 months, guess I'm due to Blog

Hi everyone, I can't believe that it's been 3 months since I've blogged. Glad to say, that since then I feel like God has been working in my life greatly and has been refining me to make me more like Christ. I have grown to love my Savior more and my eyes have been opened wider to His great love He has for me. He is a gracious, merciful, long-suffering, compassionate God, who is Sovereign over everything. I thank God that I am not in control of my life, that He is! Who better to control my life than the God of the universe? He has no beginning and no end, Lord of the Heavens and the earth. I am forever grateful that He doesn't deal with me as He should, that He removes my sins from me as far as the east is from the west. The Love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell, so I could go on forever to write about His mercies that are new every morning!

To be Worthy, or Not to be Worthy? That is the question!

Recently I came across a picture on the internet that said "I am worthy of God's love". Now if the Holy Spirit lives in you, immediately He will testify with your spirit that the statement is entirely false! The apostle John tells us in 1 John 2:20-21 that 'you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things...and no lie is of the truth.' He goes on in chapter 4 to say, 'Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God'. It is so easy to read something and not really think about what it says and just assume that it is from God, but Satan is busy and his goal is to distort and deny God's word, as it has been from the beginning (Genesis 3:1-5). Now this was even more disturbing to read this because it was posted by someone who professes to follow Christ and even says they are called into the ministry of teaching and preaching! Even though I knew in my heart it was not right theology, I wanted to search God's word and see for myself.
First of all, what does it mean to be worthy? To be "worthy" means to have worth, merit, value; to be honorable and admirable; to be deserving or due reward. We are all sinners and not one of us has anything of value, honor or is there anything admirable about us! Above all, we are not deserving of God's love - we are deserving of His wrath, and eternal separation from a Holy God. Only because of His love and mercy are we able to have peace with Him through His Son Jesus Christ. He is worthy to be loved - not us. He loves us not because we are worthy, but because it is His nature as a Holy, merciful, loving, compassionate God. He is love- if He stopped loving us He wouldn't be who He is (1 John 4:8). So in saying that, there is nothing lovely about us, the only reason He loves us is because God is love.
I also studied the word "righteous" because this person was using the word worthy along with righteous as if they meant the same thing. I found out they are completely different. Righteous means to meet the standards of what is right and just- God's holy standards; to be guiltless. We are declared righteous through Christ's death on the cross and ressurrection and our faith in Him- and in this God's love was graciously and abundantly poured out on us while we were still His enemies and dead in our sins(Ephesians 2:4-5)! Now we can approach His throne in confidence through Christ alone. God looks at the righteousness of Christ that has been charged to our account and now we are covered in His righteousness!
In conclusion, we are not now, nor ever will be "worthy" of His love, although He will always love us. Only He is worthy of our love, honor, admiration, and praise which He will receive for eternity (Revelation 5:12). If you are declared righteous by faith through Christ you will eternally be singing "Worthy is the Lamb!" to the Triune God in Heaven.

Happy Mother's Day!

For all of us moms, this is our one day a year, with exceptions, that we don't have to do anything and everyone caters to us...well, maybe we might do the dishes, or clean up...oops it's supposed to be Mother's day! I don't know what it is about us mothers, even when our family is trying their best to make it a relaxing day for us we still find something to do! I guess it is true what they say- a woman's work is never done!

Patience is a Virtue

In our busy lives from day to day we think we have it all planned out: wake up, eat breakfast, get kids ready, go to the store, get back in time for a nap if needed, ect. Sometimes, actually a lot of times, it doesn't go according to our plan. Do we groan and complain when that happens, or do we accept it as God's will with patience? It seems like the past few days I've been noticing that I'm not as patient as I thought I was. I can't imagine what Job had to go through; all of a sudden his whole life changed in an instant, and everything dear to him in this world was gone; and in all that he still did not sin. That's amazing to me! Not only do I sin, I complain against my husband or someone near me that has nothing to do with the situation at all! James 5:9 says "Do not complain, brethren, against one another...". When you are irritated by your day being messed up, or your plans not going well, don't take it out on innocent bystanders, which are usually our husband and kids! I know I am too often guilty of this. James continues in chapter 5 verse 11: "We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful." We can endure through whatever bump comes in the road, we just need to trust God and not try to fix everything on our own! Be patient, for you do not see the big picture which God has already drawn for you before the foundation of the world. Wait on Him, He will never fail you. Isaiah 40:31

Planning: Good or Not?

This week in our Titus Two study in the book of James we went through verses 4:13-17 and James is telling his readers to be careful when you make plans to not boast about your plans that haven't even happened yet. I know God wants us to plan carefully and with wisdom because that would be unwise of us to just throw our day together the morning we wake up: "I guess today I will go to the store, wait maybe I will just do laundry" and then nothing gets done! What James is saying is to not make plans without consulting God. In verse 15 it says, 'Instead you ought to say, if the Lord wills we will live and also do this or that'. So then do we have to always say 'If the Lord wills, I will have pancakes for breakfast'? I don't think so, but we should always remember that God is sovereign and His plans are always over our plans. He alone knows the future, our life is like a vapor and we don't know what our life will be like tomorrow. I think of Mary who probably had all kinds of plans with her future husband Joseph and then suddenly an angel of the Lord appears to her and her life is completely turned around. Are we ready for a change in what we think are our 'perfect plans' for the future? I guarantee you that the Lord probably has something different planned for us than what we think 'should' happen, but it is always for our good. Thank God He doesn't allow our lives to go the way WE plan, but the way He has planned it.

God's Creation

Today we made it up to the summit on Mount Diablo which is about 3800 feet. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and clear skies. With sights as breath-taking as these, no one can deny that there is a God. Romans 1:20 says: "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." We all have witness to God through His creation which is all around us, so even if some have not heard the gospel with their ears, they are still without excuse. I can't help but think that if the sights on this present earth are so beautiful, what beautiful things will we see on the New Earth?

Dear Friends in Palo Cedro

This past weekend we had the blessing of going with my parents to visit Barry and Terry McGee and their family. They are such a loving, giving family and they opened their home to all of us. Before we started our trek home we stopped at the famous Sun Dial bridge in Redding. It tells the time according to the sun. This picture of Troy, me and Solomon is funny because I was yelling 'take the picture, I can't see, the sun!' Something about that sun up there, it is brutal! We will definitely be going back to visit this summer, Lord willing.