Monthly Archives: July 2013

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 6:1-11)

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I am looking for reviewers for the Romans Study For Kids. I do have it in a PDF form. If you are interested in going through it with your kids, let me know and I will email or FB message it to.

Today we begin with Romans 6:1-11.

Romans 1-5 was written so that we would know why we needed to be saved. In Romans 1-5 we can clearly see that everyone is a sinner. It doesn’t matter how good someone thinks they are, they still need Jesus. It doesn’t matter how bad someone thinks they are, Jesus still can save them.

Let’s do a quick review.

I will break down the chapters in Romans and you fill in the blanks with what you remember from the chapters.

Yes, it’s okay to go back and look over the chapters to help you 🙂

 

Romans 1:1-15

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Romans 1:16-17, This is the key verse so write it out below.

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Romans 1:18-32

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Romans 2:1-29

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Romans 3:1-18

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Romans 3:19-20

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Romans 3:21-31

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Romans 4:1-25

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Romans 5:1-11

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Romans 5:12-21

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That was a great job reviewing! Romans 1-5 explains to us our need for God to save us, because we cannot save ourselves. We learn in Romans 1-5 that God gave us His Law so that we would realize we needed help. Remember the Law is good. The problem is that we just simply are not.

But God loves us anyway!

How awesome is that!

He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us… even though we were helpless, ungodly, sinners, who were, at the time, His enemy. 

We have a very good God!

I think we should thank Him right now. Let’s take a moment to pray or sing a song… How about singing “Jesus Loves Me” because He does, and the book of Romans shows us just how much He does.

I’ll start. Ready! Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…

 

Now, let’s start digging into Romans 6. We will begin with reading through and studying Romans 6:1-11. 

 

Romans 6:1-11 

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.

10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

 

Romans 6 begins with a question. Read Romans 6:1, what is the question? Circle your answer.

a) are we to have eggs and bacon or pancakes and sausage?

b) are we to use a purple crayon or go with the blue one?

c) are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

d) are we to keep on this trail or take another one?

 

Romans 6:2 answers the question in Romans 6:1. Fill in the blanks with the answer.

May it  __ __ __ __ __    __ __ !

 

Look at Romans 6:2 again. Why should we not keep on sinning? 

We have  __ __ __ __  to sin

 

Read Romans 6:3. How did we die to sin?

all of us who have been __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ into Christ Jesus have been __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ , into His __ __ __ __ __

 

Let’s look at the word baptized in this verse. This word is “baptizo” in the Greek and it means to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk), to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one’s self, bathe, to overwhelm. The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. 

 

pickle-pickles-27629021-1500-1340

Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be ‘dipped’ or baptized(bapto) into boiling water and then ‘baptized’ (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptizing the vegetable, produces a permanent change.

 

The word “baptized” in Romans 6 is the one that makes the cucumber into a pickle.

 

Now let me ask you… Can that pickle ever become a cucumber again? Circle your answer.

Yes            No

Read Romans 6:4-6. Below is a storyboard. Draw out what each verse says happened to you if you were baptized into Christ.

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Read Romans 6:7. If we have died what are we free from?

__ __ __

 

What was our relationship to sin before we died with Jesus (was baptized into Christ). Read Romans 6:6 to find the answer.

We were  __ __ __ __ __ __ to sin

 

Does a slave have any control over their own life? 

Yes            No

 

If we have died with Christ and are now freed from sin, does that mean that we now have control over our own life? 

Yes           No

 

Can sin still tell us what to do and make us do it?

Yes          No

 

Does sin ever try to make us its slave again?

Yes          No

 

Read Romans 6:8. If we have died with Christ what will we also do with Him?

__ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 6:9. What do we know now that Christ has risen from the dead? Will He ever die again?

Yes           No

 

How can we know He will never die again? What is no longer master over Him? Unscramble the letters to find your answer.

HEDAT   __ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 6:10. How many times did Jesus have to die to sin? Circle your answer.

Several         Couple        Once        Over and Over

 

How does Jesus live the life that He lives?

to  __ __ __

 

Read Romans 6:11. How does this verse begin? Fill in the blanks.

E __ v __           s __

 

This phrase in the Greek is kai houto and it means and also in this manner. 

Read Romans 6:11 again. What are we to consider ourselves to be? Draw a picture of yourself under the correct answer.

alive to sin, but dead to God           dead to sin, but alive to God

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The word “consider” in Romans 6:11 is in present tense and is in a command form, so it means to “keep on considering”.  God wants us to remember every day that we are to be dead to sin and alive to Him in Jesus. How about you right Romans 6:11 on a card, and put it on your bathroom mirror and read it every morning for at least this next week 🙂

 

 

A Lesson From Tonto

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For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.

Psalm 91:11

A couple of days ago my husband and I went to the movies to see The Lone Ranger, yes, hi-o silver away. We rarely go to the movies… I think, maybe, we don’t even run out of fingers when we begin to count the one’s we have been to since we met. But, The Lone Ranger, in it’s nostalgia, we thought we would take a stab at it… and well it was good, but we left thinking we probably would have been just as fine to wait until it came out on DVD.

However, there was a lesson from Tonto… although Tonto probably had no clue what he was talking about, nor, most likely, did the Hollywood person that wrote out the script… but there was indeed a lesson shared all the same.

The fact is, whether we like it or not, whether we will admit it or not, whether we will recognize and acknowledge it or not… the truth of the Word of God is everywhere. EVERYWHERE . And in everything… a thread of truth runs…  those that choose to grab that thread and hold on to it and follow it will always find themselves face to face with a Living God.

If you have seen the movie… you know that supposedly The Lone Ranger is the chosen one by the spirit horse. Tonto believes that he has been brought back from death to help defeat the evil men that killed his family for the wealth of silver…

The-Lone-Ranger

Tonto encourages the Lone Ranger to take risk because anyone who has been to the “other side” and returned could not be killed in battle. There was one scene where the Lone Ranger takes an arrow to the shoulder and he yells in pain at Tonto and says, “You said I couldn’t get shot!” To which Tonto replies, “No, I said you could not be defeated in battle.“

So what’s the lesson from Tonto…

Simply this.

Are you a blood bought, born again, believer?

Then you, precious one, have been to the “other side”

 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:3-11

You precious one are no longer of flesh, but of spirit… eternally alive and death  has no claim on you… you have already died and been raised… and the gates of hell cannot prevail against you.

You may get wounded in the battle, but you will never be defeated.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

So you, child of God… are indeed a Spirit walker, a real Spirit-walker…  you are called to walk by the Spirit!

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:24-26

It’s time to be bold. It’s time to stand up. It’s time to be strong… knowing that as long as we walk in truth, as long as we walk in the Spirit, as long as we are following our God… WE CANNOT BE DEFEATED!

We cannot be defeated in battle because we do not battle alone…

God has promised to send angelic assistance when we face attacks from supernatural realms. It makes sense. Satan and the demons are supernatural beings—so are angels. We need supernatural help when dealing with supernatural enemies. In verses 11-13, the composer describes three specific activities of the angels on our behalf. 

1. Angels are given “charge” of us (91:11). The term “charge” is from the Hebrew tzawa, which means “to appoint, install, give command of.” Other passages of Scripture suggest that the Lord has actually appointed angels—heavenly guardians—to give us aid when attacked by supernatural forces (Matthew 18:10; Acts 12:15).

2. Angels “guard” us in all our ways (91:11). The Hebrew word shamar means “to keep, watch over, observe, preserve, take care of.” Angels are overseers of God’s people. Like silent sentries, they stand guard over those who seek refuge in the Lord, preserving our steps.

3. Angels “bear you up” in their hands (91:12). The verb nasah actually means “to lift, to carry, take up.” When used figuratively in reference to a person, it means “to support, sustain.” In the context of Psalm 91, the angels see to your mental, emotional, and spiritual needs so that you will not be overwhelmed by the deception of the devil and his minions.

~ Swindoll

 

One of my favorite stories in the Scriptures can be found in 2 Kings 6…

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

2 Kings 6:15-17

When the battle rages, remember that the armies of heaven are there… remember you have already been to the other side, Christ has already defeated death on your behalf, you are a Spirit-walker! And precious one, never forget that you never ever fight alone, God is with us, and if God is with us, if God be for us, who can stand against us?

Nesting…

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I spent the day today at my church… our youth were there today cleaning for their week of community world changers, one of my daughters being included with them. As they cleaned I put them to work in the children’s area as well. I had them move some things, take down some things, clean some things, throw away some things… and I picked up my paint brush and rollers and started back on the doors of the children’s wings.

As I painted… I listened to the kids running around asking what else could they do? Not once did I hear, when are we done… I only heard I’m done here, is there something else I can do?

As I continued to run my roller of paint over the old wood paneled doors I pondered all that was going on in our church… there were men there working on a bathroom remodel… youth there cleaning out closets and hallways and stairwells, parents there scrubbing the cabinets in the kitchen, the night before I had parents cleaning out the craft storage room, and I have teachers initiating there own remodels in their classrooms… and I was there putting fresh paint on the walls and new paint on old doors…

As I thought on all of this my mind went to what we women do right before we are about to give birth… we “nest”. We begin to clean out the house and rearrange things to make room for the new life that is about to enter this world…

Then my mind went to a Scripture…

Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Could it possibly be that we at Shiloh are “nesting”?

Could it possibly be that we are preparing to celebrate  a feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth?

Could it possibly be that God is getting us ready to give birth to what many of us have felt stirring in our hearts for years now?

You know, we don’t usually do a complete over-hall in the nesting stage… because we are extremely sentimental as well during this time. It’s not about getting rid of the old… its about fixing what is broken, restoring what is rusted, recovering, reusing, repurposing…  making the most of all that we have and treasuring ever bit of it. It’s a time of looking back at where we were… and how far we have come… and knowing we have so much unknown ahead… but we can’t help but be excited as we look forward to it.

A few years ago our church went through a change… we called it Shiloh Reborn. This was a step of faith and obedience for our church… and I believe God has shown us in many ways that it was the right step.

As I pondered nesting, I also pondered another event that the Lord laid on the heart and mind of our Pastor… The Calling.

This will be at our church on Sunday, August 25th beginning with a community breakfast at 9am… it’s an open house of sorts.

One thing that you do before an open house is, yep that’s right, you clean… you fix what is broken, restore what is rusted, recover what is worn, find a new purpose for an old thing…  you make the most of all that you have and you invite others to come in and celebrate it all with you.

I don’t know what God is up to… but I can’t help but have a sneaking suspicion that He most definitely is up to something… Curiosity in itself has me looking forward to August 25th… and the days that will follow it.

There is just too much nesting going on for nothing to be up!

All I know is that God is able to make beautiful things out of the dust… out of us… He is the God of rebirth and His house is open to us… and He wants us to come on in and celebrate all that He is and that He was and all that He forever will be!

 

Skeered of the Eye Doctor!

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There are few things more comforting than to have a conversation with someone about something that you feel makes you appear a little ehhh not normal and they actually listen to you without this oh bless your heart look in their eyes. Then they actually take action according to what you just shared with them. It’s like a breath of fresh air!

I have not been to the eye doctor in about 12 years… now I have desperately needed to go… but visit after visit of eye doctors and eye nurses talking to me like I was an idiot who had no clue about the ability of my own eyes… just led me to just walk away and say… I will see what I can see and that’s all that I will see.

I don’t know how my brain connects my mind and eyes to make them do what they do, but it does. I don’t always have to know why something does what it does too know fully that it is indeed doing it.

I do not know how the sound of my voice travels through this little hand held device, through the air, attached to no cords, and right into the right hand held device, according to what numbers or letters I pushed. The thought of it can be really mind blowing if I choose to just dwell on it… even knowing the mechanics of it all, the correct technical terms and such, it’s still crazy that it works. So even if I don’t know exactly how something does what it does, it doesn’t mean that I am not aware that its doing it.

Twelve years ago at my final straw eye doctor appointment, I tried to explain how my eyes worked.

Before dilation the eye doctor would say, well its not that bad… then after dilation, he would say, oh, I see.

Then it would be at least three days before the dilation would wear off, then another couple before my glasses came in, and then when I would put my glasses on, I could not see with them on… or off.

I would return to the eye doctor and explain, to no avail, so I would just quit wearing them

Then I tried contacts. To which I had a reaction to the solution. To which the eye nurse, got irritated and told me there was nothing in the solutions to give me a reaction… even though I sat right there before her with burning watering eyes… so I quit wearing the contacts. I would see what I could see and that’s all that I would see.

Twelve years and multiple bruises later from running into walls, doors, shoes, tables, etc. I returned to the eye doctor.

So what do my eyes and my brain do?

Well, if my brain knows what something is supposed to say… I can see it. The latest example of what I am talking about… Sunday we were on our way to the bowling alley after church. I am driving looking for the sign, but it had been a while since I had been the way we were going and signs and buildings had changed. I had already slowed to a little below the speed limit as I searched for the familiar sign, but I was afraid I would not see it soon enough to be able to safely make the stop to turn in… then my excited nine year old says, Oh look there it is! The moment my brain became aware of it I could see the sign plain as day.

My eyes have worked very hard over the years to cooperate with my mind. Their muscles are quite strong and overworked, which causes me a many a headache. Which is also why they trip up the eye exam so bad, but I had never had an eye doctor who would take the time to listen to me and work with me until Monday (Of course I am sure the fact that I had a few sisters in Christ praying over the visit had something to do with that).

1) He believed me when I told him that I could not see for at least three days after eye dilation.

2) He believed me when I told him about my eye muscles and how if I knew what something was supposed to say I could see it.

3) He did not laugh at me when I told him that I had a underlining concern that if he dilated my eyes I feared that once those muscles were relaxed like that, they would never be able to return and I would be blind.

He took the time to develop a plan that would work for me and my situation. By the look on the face of the young girl who was helping me pick out my frames and order my prescription… I could tell my situation was a first for them.

As I thought of the relationship between my eyes and my brain… I thought of the relationship between faith and the gospel.

But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?

Romans 10:14

We share the Gospel with everyone… even those that are appear to be blind as a bat to it… because how in the world can they ever see it if we never point it out to them.

I once was blind, but now I see…

We study the Word of God so that God can grow us and show us things about Himself that we have never seen before… but how can we see them, if we don’t know they are there? And how can you know that they are there if you never open His Word to discover them?

How can God take you down a new journey into His glorious majesty if you only travel down the same familiar roads… yes the Romans Road gets you to salvation… and John 3:16 is the big flashing sign that says Start Here, but have you been down the paths of Habakkuk and Micah and Nahum and Leviticus and Numbers and Ezra and Amos…

Oh my! God has so much to open our eyes to!

Trust me, our God believes us when we say we don’t understand… and He patiently works with us as He brings us into understanding…

He also knows when our faith muscles are working hard and growing stronger as we strive to focus on what we begin to learn about Him in His Word… He also understands that sometimes faith gets “overworked” and we feel like our heads are going to explode as we try to take all of Him in… and He knows when to slow us for a moment so we can rub it all in.

He also does not laugh at us when we explain our fears of His hand upon us… it can be scary thing as we place our lives in the path of obedience before our God… that’s why faith is a mandatory requirement. Sometimes we can even be scared to open His Word… scared to learn about ourselves through the eyes of a knowing God. It can be scary to open up His Word and as you read it to discover things about your God and the history of His hand that doesn’t seem to make sense to us… especially when we begin to see that it is different than what we have been taught all our life and we have to choose to take God at His Word or to remain in the shadow of what we have always been told… We want to say, I will see what I can see and that’s all that I will see.

However, the fact just simply is that, some things we just can’t see until someone shows us they are there. So go ahead and take the plunge, open the Word, and let God have His way with you. Sit before Him, and let Him shine His Light right into the eyes of your soul… He has a plan, just for you, just for your situation, He will take the time to listen and He will take you one step at a time into His glory… He wants you to see.

So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.

Revelation 3:18

Sometimes the scariest and most stubborn obstacle to overcome is just to admit that we are blind (John 9:39-41). But oh, once we admit, and once we see, how amazing the freedom of truth and sight can be… seeing as we are seen… knowing as we are known… how beautiful grace becomes! Amazing!

 

Church and Christian School Initiative

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 Church and Christian School Initiative

Churches and Christian schools can now get easy access to training classes. A site license for your church or school is only $100 for a whole year and teachers get access to four 30-minute classroom management classes for free. In addition, your parents get 75% off the tuition for the four-hour parent classes so they pay just $25 per class.

Click here to learn more.

bpuclass

 

Please help us spread the word to the appropriate leaders in your church. This is a great resource to equip teachers with classroom management skills and help parents learn to parent the heart of their children.

Learn more and get more training tools at the National Center for Biblical Parenting.

My church will be offering this to our teachers and parents… will yours?

It’s a great online training tool… and we know how hard it is to fit in a conference. This is a training opportunity our teachers can do at home… at their own convenience… in their pajamas… no make-up… they don’t even have to shower or brush their teeth!

And it’s affordable!

Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

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Help me spread the word about my book series Devotions From the Torah! You can find out what others are saying about this series right here: About the Series

Anyone who pre-orders a paperback copy of “Devotions From Exodus Part One, Learning to Live in Freedom” or purchases the ebook version, that is available now…

Devotions from Exodus Cover

 

will receive a free PDF copy (ebook) of Devotions From Genesis, It’s Not Just Ancient History

book cover apple idea 2 jpeg

 

Just email your confirmation of purchase to nicolelhvaughn@yahoo.com and I will reply with the PDF form of Devotions From Genesis.

 

Also if you “Like” Proven Path Ministries and share this blog post and information on your page you will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 Amazon gift card.

Drawing will be held on Saturday, Aug 3rd!

Just put your entries below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Superman, Kryptonite, and the Dark Side of the Moon

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This month I am taking the children of Shiloh Baptist through Romans 6 – 8 while our Pastor does the same with their parents. I always come home and listen to his message to see how he taught the Scriptures to the adults. I do this for confirmation on my lesson, and also to see what verses he emphasized and how.

Last week as he took the parents through the final verses in Romans 7 he used the illustration of the new movie, Man of Steel… He pointed out how as great as Superman was… the one thing that could weaken him was kryptonite.

He shared how as Spirit-filled born again believers, we are indeed new creatures in Christ, and we are given by God the grace to stand, but sin can still weaken us.

Our Pastor shared how Superman knew that kryptonite weakened him… so therefore he did not go out looking for it. However… try as he might to avoid it… the kryptonite would find him. He would come in contact with it and have to deal with it, have to fight it, he would have to flee.

In Romans 7 God uses Paul to point out to us the struggle we will face as justified, but non-glorified believers…

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

Romans 7:18-24

Now as I listened to my Pastor’s comparison of sin and kryptonite, my mind went to a song that used to be one of my favorites in my pre-Christ days…

 

As believers we have to be very careful in this flesh. We have to remain awake and alert and astute to truth… because sin can still deceive us. Especially if that sin was or is an addiction.

In this song I think of a Christian who thinks, that because they are a Christian, and have the Spirit of God in them, and the power of His might, and they are free from sin’s power over them… they think… I can handle this. Whether it be relationships with those still caught in that addiction or the actual addiction itself.

As the song says they think, “I‘ll keep you by my side with my superhuman might, Kryptonite”

You see the kryptonite will deceive us… the kryptonite will tell us that no one will ever find out… it will keep our secret… no one will ever know… it’s just a little…

The kryptonite will say that you are too weak to be without it, yet you are strong enough to control how much of it you partake in…

But it lies.

It deceives.

If we have been to that dark side of the moon, that place of darkness and running and hiding from the Light… we can even allow this krytponite to convince us that because our flesh still craves it, we must not even really be saved… and God must hate us… and would never forgive us… and we are in a place of silent desperation and internal turmoil.

We can even sit back and look at the world and wonder how on earth we can fight this when the whole world seems to be floating to this dark side of the moon… some struggles can be in our face almost constantly… only one mouse click away.

Inside we feel the struggle… we worry if anyone finds out about this kryptonite will they still call us “superman”?  Will they still see us the same… or will we be belittled before them? Will they still call us a Spirit-filled born again believer… will they still love us… will they hold our hand through the this… or will they condemn us?

Even worse will God condemn us? Will He forsake us? Will He deny us?

Can I really trust Him with this secret…

Can I trust them with this kryptonite?

Will they think I am crazy and completely shun me and leave me alone… or will they be there to hold our hand?

Precious one, there is only one way to find out. Step away from the kyptonite that kills and let it go… and put your hand in the hands of God and know that…

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:1

And know that any true born again believer understands this struggle, for they recognize their own… there are indeed those who will be some Jesus with skin on… and will hold your hand as you learn to use your superhuman might in Christ to forsake the kryptonite… instead of keeping it by your side.

To quote my Pastor again, “Paul is our example. The only sin Paul hated was his own… we are to preach the gospel“

This kryptonite might not even be a personal struggle of your own… but the struggle you experience while living through the struggles of another… a wayward child, an abusive spouse, even a child with internal struggles or disabilities that you fear will cause them to be shunned if anyone knows… so you hide it… and try to deal with it in your own superhuman might…

You don’t have to.

Good Luck Charm God

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Our Cross Guard Kids at Shiloh just finished up Unit 10 of the Gospel Project. We begin Unit 11 in the morning… I began this post the morning that we were to teach on 1 Samuel 5… 

Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.

Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor all who enter Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

Now the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites, and He ravaged them and smote them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories. When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.”

So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” 

(1 Samuel 5:2-8)

 

“What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” I have always found this passage of Scripture quite fascinating. As the Philistines watched the ark of God visibly lay flat their god… it never once even occurred to them to choose to worship the God of Israel and denounce the impotent god, Dagon. Instead they chose to get the ark as far away from the as possible.

What is sad… is that it is not much different today.

The question now, “What shall we do with this man, Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God?”

Many can see the mighty act of Jesus Christ in the hearts of people. They can see the evidence of changed lives, they can see the evidence of answered prayers, and they can see the evidence of His Word ringing true as they suffer under the consequences of disobedience to Him…

Yet just like the Philistines instead of choosing to submit to His Lordship, they instead want to get as far away from Him as possible.

Before we criticize them to much, let us remember how the ark of God ended up in the Philistine camp to begin with…

The people of Israel were using the ark of God as a good luck charm… they were getting beat in the battle… and instead of going to God and humbling themselves and asking Him what they were doing wrong… well they just thought they would go in grab the ark and botta-bing-botta-boom victory wold happen.

God doesn’t play that way. He didn’t with Israel and He doesn’t with us.

 

If we are not careful we will fall into the same trap…

Our God is not a good luck charm. He is GOD.

Why Yesu Asobola

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If you notice my blog has a new tab at the top… Yesu Asobola. If you go to that tab you will find the ministry  info and website that will tell you all about the visions and goals of this ministry. Right now I want to share with you why my family has chosen to partner with Yesu Asobola.

A couple of months ago our homeschool co-op was having registration for our 2013-2014 school year… and in walked this lively woman with a beautiful array of eight children  to register at our co-op from all different nationalities and backgrounds. I love diversity and open minds and open hearts and from the moment I saw this woman I knew I would like her…

As I showed her around the co-op and we talked about her children she shared with me that there were even more! She has two children by birth and she and her husband have adopted nine. Then she shared with me how one of her daughters, who had just recently graduated high school, yes high school people, high school. This daughter graduated high school with intentions of attending college to become a human rights lawyer… she went on a mission trip to Uganda… and  through God’s beautiful weaving of relationships she and two other young girls founded Yesu Asobola. Three girls with a heart for God and a willingness to dream big and submit to His will were given a dream to start an orphanage and help the women and children in this village and God has moved on their behalf.

For where two or three have gathered together in My name, 

I am there in their midst.

Matthew 18:20

I fell in love with this ministry because it embodies everything I have taught my own girls and those in my past college classes and now those in my children’s classes… God wants to do amazing things through us, if we are willing to listen and obey.There is not an age limit,  geographical limit, or financial limit to our God.

I adore this mother for embracing her daughters dream with willing support instead of telling her how crazy she was and how she needed to go to college first and get her degree. I adore this mother for embracing her daughters dream and saying, Uganda? Really? Uganda? Amazing! I am so excited for you! This will be a beautiful journey of faith! (I don’t know if she really said those exact words, I just imagine that she would have). When most mothers would have said, Absolutely NOT! Over my dead body!

I believe God brings all people into our life for a reason… the people you meet are there to help you learn more about yourself and more about God… I believe He brought this family into my family’s life for a purpose and I intend to find out what that purpose is… so we are joining the dream and the journey.

This is why Yesu Asobola…

I encourage you to check it out.

I encourage you also as mothers and fathers of the children who are the body of Christ, would you be willing to let your children dream outside the box of college degree… and allow them the freedom to be as the wind?

The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it,

but do not know where it comes from and where it is going;

so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

John 3:8

Here is Kristianna’s latest blog post update on the progress of Yesu Asobola:

waterforsoroti

We set out to raise $2,000-, that would almost bring us to the amount needed to drill a well for Onyerai village.

I’ll be honest, when we started I didn’t think it could be done and I was a bit hopeless.  In the first 6 days, we had absolutely no donations.

Well, God taught me two things these last couple weeks:

1. Trust Him.

2. When you trust Him all heaven breaks loose and the blessings fall.

In the last 8 days we raised $4,275.

With our donor agreeing to match up to $2,000 it brought our total up to$6,275.

Do you know what that means?! 

That means, along with money previously raised, Onyerai village is going to have a well!

God is so good, friends!

We have seen Him continually bless us through unexpected gifts, and have seen the body of Christ stand up for Onyerai village.  God is doing something big through us.

We are so overjoyed at your love and so thankful to every.single.person. who has donated, prayed or hosted an event for us in the last couple of weeks.

So, what’s next?

Next, we are hoping to raise $7-10,000 for a van to drive to and from the village, and provide transport to the hospital- or to school if needed.

~Kristianna

“Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.”

-Corrie Ten Boom

Where Does It Say That

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I sit here this morning as I always do… half awake, but beginning prayer and study in what of the Word I can see, while I wait for the coffee to get my eyes to focus clearly enough that I  can justify one more day to not spend the money or the time on a visit to the eye doctor (which by the way I have finally made an appointment for, lol).

As I sit here I begin to go over in my mind all the little things I have read about “taking care of me”. The guilt wave begins… “you really should go upstairs now and change into some clothes and exercise, you really need to get more sleep, you really need to not be eating that pop tart and drinking that coffee, you need to take better care of this body, it’ the only one you got, etc” 

I see all the pictures rolling down my news feed to get fit, get wrapped, get ripped, eat this, drink that, look like this but wanna look like that… ugh.

Please hold a moment while I shutter and cringe.

The last thing I wanna do is calculate calories… when I am supposed to be calculating the cost.

Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.

Luke 14:25-33

This body is also just a possession…

I am sorry, but I don’t see any where in Scripture where Paul looked at anyone and said, “I really would like to share  Jesus with you tonight, but it is imperative that I consider this temple that the Lord resides in… therefore it is time for my massage, my body wrap, my pedicure, my one hour work-out, and I must mix my smoothy… and I am just a wreck without a good solid seven  to eight hours of sleep…”

So as I read, and even repost, all these articles of the things I must do to keep this sinful shell in shape… I now ask, where in the Word does it say that?

As I think of the men and women in Scripture, as I think about Paul, I believe what I read about him said this…

…in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

2 Corinthian 11:23-28

Have you ever noticed how many people in Christendom now a days gripe about how much time and money has been invested into the church buildings instead of the people inside it?

How many of those same gripping people invest more time and money in the outside of their own body than on the spirit within it?

Last week I had someone ask me how I found so much time to spend in the Word… this is the same type of question that has always tripped me up… the other is “so what are you doing now?“

“so what are you doing now?…” I have had a many a woman ask me this… and I always get this blank stare and have no clue what to say… so I have always said, Oh I am a stay-at-home mom. 

Until recently, which I now reply, I am the Children’s Ministry Director at Shiloh Baptist Church. {To which my favorite reply was, “Oh (with tilted head and sad face), but that’s just part time isn’t it“, but that’s another blog post in itself.}

I hate talking about myself. I do. So when someone asks me these two questions it means telling them what I really do… and as I tell them I see the guilt sweep over their face and that kills me… and so to the question, how do you spend so much time in the Word… I usually reply, I don’t know.

So in case you truly are curious and you want to know… after pondering on it for a few days, here it is.

I have read through the whole Bible multiple times, from Genesis to Revelation. I began reading it through the first time as a seeker, the next times to remember it and apply it and know it.

My hearts desire every morning is to talk to Jesus before I open my mouth to talk to anyone else.

If I don’t go to bed until 2am, I still make sure to be up at least 30 minutes early enough to spend time in the Word… even if it is just to read one Psalm, but I don’t read it just to read it… I never open my Bible that I don’t ask God to teach me… I always have something to learn and something that I need to work on in my spirit and every Word in the Word…

is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the [wo]man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work

2 Timothy 3:15-17

I don’t have a clue any longer who drives all the numbers on the cars going around the track of Daytona. I don’t have a clue anymore who pitches for the Braves. I don’t have a clue anymore who is the quarterback for Auburn. I don’t have a clue anymore who has a new movie out. I don’t have a clue who is on the bachelor. I don’t have a clue what book is on the latest best-sellers list.

I do still watch Nascar some, baseball some, college football some, even go to the movies some, and watch television and read books other than the Bible… but it is only some.

I have a Bible with me everywhere I go. If I am going to the dentist, the doctor, the park, my kids ball practice, anywhere where there will be any amount of waiting time, I take whatever Bible study I am in and work on it… and I am never not in a Bible study.

That is key

Don’t think for one minute that you will ever grow in the Word from flippant casual reading of it for your own personal entertainment.

Always, always, always, always pick up the Word of God with purpose.

Take what you read and see with it. Look for it. If you do, you will see that the Word of God is every where in every situation… there is not an inapplicable word in it. Every if, and, but, then, therefore, however, yet, whosoever is important.

I listen to the Word. I try with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength to live the Word.

I trust the Word. I go to the Word for every question, every decision, even supposed no-brainers, I go to the Word of my God for confirmation and direction.

I use the Word to explain things to my children. There is not a question they have asked me that I don’t point them to the answer in Scripture… even if I have to stop and hit the Strong’s, biblegateway.com, or call someone who knows more than me to help me find the answer.

The fact is I want to be used for God and I want to use all of God that He has given me. It doesn’t matter what of me must be forsaken in order to do it… whether it be sleep, my figure, my health. I just want to leave this earth fully used up for the glory of God… completely spent.

What good is a corpse with a six pack anyway?

My focus should always be holiness, it should always be with obedience to righteousness and not sin… and I believe with all my heart that if I truly am pursuing righteousness and holiness… then all else will take care of itself out of the overflow of obedience to my God… I don’t have to calculate calories if I am calculating the cost of following Christ. Jesus was a mover and a shaker… and He is hard to keep up with… so if I simply pursue Him… really and truly pursue Him in every area of my life… all else will be taken care of.

The bottom line is, we always manage to have time for the things that are important to us. You just have to stop and look at your heart and ask yourself… how does the way I spend my time and money show me about what is truly important to me… and now that I clearly see, what am I going to do about it.

I worry sometimes if I am sacrificing too much and spending too much time in the Word… and investing too much effort and time in doing all I can to share the gospel in the ways that are available to me where I am in this life and world, and I wonder if my kids are going to think I am a fuddy duddy who is competely clueless about life in the “real world” and will look at my efforts and think less of God instead of more… but if I leave this earth tomorrow… I would rather their lasting memory of me be… well, we know Momma loved the Word of God and His church,  and not, well we know Momma loved the gym, loved the movies, loved running, loved scrapbooking, etc. None of these are bad things in themselves, but are they what you want others to remember you by?

If you left this earth tomorrow… how would others define you?

These are the things I think about. If today is my last day… would I go upstairs and change clothes and workout for an hour… or would I write this blog post?

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith… 

Philippians 3:7-9