Recently, I was looking at my daughter who entered her teenage years this past year and it made me think back on my own middle school years. It was a time of trying to figure out who you are and where you are going. No longer at the age that your parents are continually holding your hand, telling you what to wear and wiping your nose. It is a time of emotional ups and downs. Friends are changing; decisions that have to be made are becoming more difficult.
It was this time in my life where I started to search. If there is a God what does he want of me and what does he expect of me? Is he just someone I read about or does he truly know me? During this search I was blessed to get saved, got involved in a spiritually active church that helped me grow in Christ. I started to since that there was even more for me. God had a plan. Not only a plan but he sent his Spirit to help me! Let’s look at some scripture and see what it says about the Holy Spirit:
Who gives us the Spirit and who can receive it?
Luke 11:13 (NIV)If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Acts 2:38 (NIV) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Why do I need the Spirit?
John 14:26 (NIV)But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John 16:13 (NIV) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV) He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV) 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control.
God gives us some instructions.
1 John 4:1 (NIV) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Through life’s ups and downs, as an adult or child we must know that our heavenly Father has sent us something to help us along the way and that is His Holy Spirit. I praise God for His Spirit that has been a counselor, life giver, truth teller, and has given me love, joy, peace, patients, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Even though sometimes we stumble these gifts are always waiting for me.
- Carolyn Hanneman
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
The Christian and Government
As a publically-educated, American-born citizen, I have, for as long as I can remember, believed in the power of representative government: the power of the people. Over the course of 2009, and the many political changes that came with it, that belief has been shaken. The hope is still there, that it is and can be, a long-lasting form of government that gives enormous freedoms to this nation’s people, but my trust in representative government has taken a serious hit.
The Apostle Paul, as I’m sure you know, lived under Roman rule: a government that stood decidedly against Christianity in Paul’s time, and yet he writes the following in the first 2 verses of Romans 13:
"Everyone must submit to the governing authorites, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God's command, and those who oppose it will bring judgement on themselves."
My rebellious American spirit says, “No way! Throw out the evil rulers by whatever means necessary. Remove the oppressors!” But is that the plan of God for the believer? If we look at the nation of Israel throughout the Old Testament, we see a repeated pattern: God’s people recognize their need of the One True God and follow Him intensely for a time and then gradually their dedication to Him and to His plan weakens as they are distracted by the world around them and the many idols that it offers. Over and over, this leads to a time when God allows their nation to be attacked by heathen nations often resulting in many years of captivity and slavery for God’s people. The pattern continues with God’s people, crying out to Him in repentance and begging for deliverance. God raises up a leader, delivers His people, and calls them back into close fellowship with Him. They vow to let God be their King once again.
My favorite of these stories are those that include an evil ruler who is shocked into acknowledging the One True God. King Artaxerxes gives Nehemiah and the numerous other captives permission to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and all the supplies needed to do so (Nehemiah 2ff). King Nebuchadnezzer made a decree that anyone who spoke against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego should be cut in pieces and their houses destroyed (Dan. 3:29). King Darius made a decree that all men must tremble and fear before the living and enduring God of Daniel who is a Savior and Deliverer (Dan. 6:26). And there are many others.
Jeremiah spoke the Word of the Lord to Israel when they were in captivity in Babylon: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7). My personal resolve in regard to this subject is to replace all my complaining and griping about our current government with prayer to our great God for those who are in authority. My prayer for them and for our nation is that our leaders will be shocked into acknowledging the one true God and that believers will cry out to the Lord in repentance and with an unwavering desire to serve the Lord whole-heartedly.
- Jenny Greene
The Apostle Paul, as I’m sure you know, lived under Roman rule: a government that stood decidedly against Christianity in Paul’s time, and yet he writes the following in the first 2 verses of Romans 13:
"Everyone must submit to the governing authorites, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God's command, and those who oppose it will bring judgement on themselves."
My rebellious American spirit says, “No way! Throw out the evil rulers by whatever means necessary. Remove the oppressors!” But is that the plan of God for the believer? If we look at the nation of Israel throughout the Old Testament, we see a repeated pattern: God’s people recognize their need of the One True God and follow Him intensely for a time and then gradually their dedication to Him and to His plan weakens as they are distracted by the world around them and the many idols that it offers. Over and over, this leads to a time when God allows their nation to be attacked by heathen nations often resulting in many years of captivity and slavery for God’s people. The pattern continues with God’s people, crying out to Him in repentance and begging for deliverance. God raises up a leader, delivers His people, and calls them back into close fellowship with Him. They vow to let God be their King once again.
My favorite of these stories are those that include an evil ruler who is shocked into acknowledging the One True God. King Artaxerxes gives Nehemiah and the numerous other captives permission to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and all the supplies needed to do so (Nehemiah 2ff). King Nebuchadnezzer made a decree that anyone who spoke against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego should be cut in pieces and their houses destroyed (Dan. 3:29). King Darius made a decree that all men must tremble and fear before the living and enduring God of Daniel who is a Savior and Deliverer (Dan. 6:26). And there are many others.
Jeremiah spoke the Word of the Lord to Israel when they were in captivity in Babylon: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7). My personal resolve in regard to this subject is to replace all my complaining and griping about our current government with prayer to our great God for those who are in authority. My prayer for them and for our nation is that our leaders will be shocked into acknowledging the one true God and that believers will cry out to the Lord in repentance and with an unwavering desire to serve the Lord whole-heartedly.
- Jenny Greene
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Two for One
Our family decided it was time to invest in a good companion dog. Tim has always wanted a Newfoundland. He won me over to their gentle, loving, maternal nature despite their size, loads of thick hair, and endless drool. For months I prayed and scoured all known breeders and dog rescue resources. At last we found “Mollie,” the perfect dog at the perfect price. We signed an agreement stating that she would be kept indoors and if for any reason at anytime we could no longer keep her, she would be returned to the breeder. Images of grandeur raced through my mind. I imagined the girls playing in the sprinklers, their giant black dog tagging along. I anticipated relaxing sessions of stroking her beautiful shiny coat. I thanked God for pairing us with our perfect pet. He had answered my prayer.
With time we became aware of how influential her past was on her present. Mollie was rescued by the breeder when she was two. Her owner abandoned her leaving her tied to a tree. She was dirty and malnourished. The breeder cleaned her up, gave her proper care and provision. She turned out to be a beautiful dog and passed all AKC certification. She produced 3 litters in three years before retirement. During that time she received excellent care, a customized diet, and medical treatment. She was able to run outside with the other “big dogs.”
Here is the two for one. One- God answers prayers..it may not always be the way we want Him to. Mollie was never lead on a leash or kept inside of a house. She really is a good natured dog. She is however a product of her upbringing. Two- We are also the ultimate result of our upbringing. We were born with a sinful nature. Some of us are “good natured” or “well mannered.” It may be that we were taught and trained in a positive way. Others were left abandoned with no real example to follow. I am always inspired by those who are willing to surrender what they have been influenced by and give following Christ a chance.
We have certainly had our challenges with Mollie. More than once we questioned whether keeping her is worth the sacrifice. How loving our God is to accept us with our flaws and stench of past mistakes. Just as the breeder took Mollie in and met her every need, God searches us and reveals the broken and missing pieces. He tenderly binds our heart wounds and shows us there can be a better way of living.
Mollie gets into a lot of trouble. She will sniff out the tiniest fragment of a candy wrapper in the trash and empty the can to sneak a lick. Her sheer size and clumsiness knocks things over and spills anything within her path. She steels stuffed animals from the girls and creates poly-fill blizzards. But, we love her. We promised to care for her and meet her needs until her death. We must provide the kind of training and instruction she needs to be tolerable and house broken.
I try to remember how patient God is with me when I make a mess of things. Even as Christians we can really tear some things up, spill out some bad emotions, dig up something we buried a long time ago, and sometimes knock down our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we will allow him, God will work on us and in us. He will give us the training and care we need to be “Kingdom ready.”
We recently enrolled Mollie in a dog obedience course. The first obstacles we must overcome are her past and insecurity. She must learn that she can trust us. With time we can trust her more as well. Mollie the Newfy, and we as Christians will grow as we surrender our past and trust the one who cares for us most.
-Lora Ratcliff
With time we became aware of how influential her past was on her present. Mollie was rescued by the breeder when she was two. Her owner abandoned her leaving her tied to a tree. She was dirty and malnourished. The breeder cleaned her up, gave her proper care and provision. She turned out to be a beautiful dog and passed all AKC certification. She produced 3 litters in three years before retirement. During that time she received excellent care, a customized diet, and medical treatment. She was able to run outside with the other “big dogs.”
Here is the two for one. One- God answers prayers..it may not always be the way we want Him to. Mollie was never lead on a leash or kept inside of a house. She really is a good natured dog. She is however a product of her upbringing. Two- We are also the ultimate result of our upbringing. We were born with a sinful nature. Some of us are “good natured” or “well mannered.” It may be that we were taught and trained in a positive way. Others were left abandoned with no real example to follow. I am always inspired by those who are willing to surrender what they have been influenced by and give following Christ a chance.
We have certainly had our challenges with Mollie. More than once we questioned whether keeping her is worth the sacrifice. How loving our God is to accept us with our flaws and stench of past mistakes. Just as the breeder took Mollie in and met her every need, God searches us and reveals the broken and missing pieces. He tenderly binds our heart wounds and shows us there can be a better way of living.
Mollie gets into a lot of trouble. She will sniff out the tiniest fragment of a candy wrapper in the trash and empty the can to sneak a lick. Her sheer size and clumsiness knocks things over and spills anything within her path. She steels stuffed animals from the girls and creates poly-fill blizzards. But, we love her. We promised to care for her and meet her needs until her death. We must provide the kind of training and instruction she needs to be tolerable and house broken.
I try to remember how patient God is with me when I make a mess of things. Even as Christians we can really tear some things up, spill out some bad emotions, dig up something we buried a long time ago, and sometimes knock down our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we will allow him, God will work on us and in us. He will give us the training and care we need to be “Kingdom ready.”
We recently enrolled Mollie in a dog obedience course. The first obstacles we must overcome are her past and insecurity. She must learn that she can trust us. With time we can trust her more as well. Mollie the Newfy, and we as Christians will grow as we surrender our past and trust the one who cares for us most.
-Lora Ratcliff
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