Recipe for the Perfect Cup of Tea

Recipe for the Perfect Cup of Tea

• 1 willing friend who loves to sit and share
• 1 grateful heart to have a friend that cares
• 1 beautiful garden to show us God is near
• Many wonderful memories of times shared throughout the years
• Lots of smiles and laughter to brighten up our days
• Many prayers that we prayed for each other along the way

William Cowper

"The Spirit breathes upon the Word,

And brings the truth to sight;

Precepts and promises afford

A sanctifying light.

A glory gilds the sacred page

Majestic like the sun.

It gives a light to every age.

It gives, but borrows none.

The hand that gave it, stills supplies

The gracious light and heat:

His truth upon the nations rise,

They rise, but never set.

Let everlasting thanks be thine, 

For such a bright display,

As makes a world of darkness shine

With beams of heavenly day.

My soul rejoices to pursue

The steps of him I love,

Till glory breaks upon my view

In brighter worlds above."

~William Cowper

Prayer is the Soul's Sincere Desire

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;
Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach
The Majesty on high.

Prayer is the contrite's sinner's voice,
Returning from his ways;
While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, "Behold, he prays!"

O Thou, by whom we come to God,
the life, the truth, the way,
The path of prayer Thyself has trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray!

James Montgomery
1771-1854

May I Put My Head in the Sand?

Many people are drawn to books, movie, etc. about the Amish lifestyle.  I often wonder if it is not so much about their beliefs, but about their simple lifestyle.    As I lingered on face book longer than I needed this morning, I got off with a heaviness I sure didn't wake up with.    Reading things from people in trouble with the government for their small garden to provide their own needs, U.S. navy ships heading to Syria, pornography and child molestation rampant in our children's lives, Christians losing lawsuits for not taking work that goes against their beliefs, violent acts against others from our youth because "they were bored", another person struggling with cancer, a video that went through a day in the life of someone who is surrounded by folks that cannot stop looking at their smart phones, and more.  Yes, there were the beautiful weddings, new baby pictures, and folks toes in the sand who needed a much needed rest.   But I left the computer with that big sigh feeling of hopelessness thinking where in the world is this country headed, how in the world can I protect my children and train them well, and why can't children really be care free children.   Why must they be thrown into adult situations and/or struggles at such a young age?   My initial response is I'd love to ditch face book, quit watching the news, move my family so far out we cannot even get internet access, and lead a quiet life.  Ahhh, I love the idea of being ignorant.

However, that is not what we are called to do as Christians.   We cannot pretend the enemy is asleep, our children are safe, the government will only do what is in our best interest, or that we don't need to be vigilant and fight for our family (especially on our knees).     That draw to the perfect home is probably my heart's longing for heaven where there will be no more tears, no more death, no pain, and no mourning according to Revelation 21:4.    Here on earth we are going to struggle.  Let's face it we have good days, but life is hard.  Ephesians 6:12 states "for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  We can hide our children or we can arm them with Truth.   We can watch the enemy steal, kill, and destroy or maybe we can engage in the battle and help set somebody free from the ensnarement of sin.   Let's arm ourselves with God's Word, and storm the world with love.  According to Matthew 16:18 that as the church, the gates of hell cannot withstand, overcome, conquer or prevail against us.    All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18).    What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31).   It is a difficult, messy, and hard road ahead when we choose to get involved with others.    "But Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope," Hebrews 3:6.   Let's choose to get our heads out of the sand and engage in the culture around us.    Let's share our hope.

You make known to me the path of life; 

in your presence there is fullness of joy; 

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.  

Psalms 16:11

"I am so deeply concerned that we should rise and shake off the grave clothes of dead denominational Christianity that lives on a dead tradition and runs like a track with the engine off while the momentum carries it on. I am concerned that we should enter the Christian life that we should be a people indwelt with the Holy Spirit, recognize ourselves as a minority group living in a world that hated our Lord and hates us for our Lord’s sake." - A.W. Tozer

What do You Really Believe?

That was the title of the sermon that was preached (by Jeff Meeks) a few weeks ago.  I has really been something I have been "chewing on" ever since.   His premise was that if you believe something, then it should determine your behavior.

Our Scripture verse was "Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me.   Jesus said to him, I am THE way, THE Truth and THE life.  No one comes to the Father except through me" from John 14:6.

Some of the questions he had us think about are as follows:
How many people believe you should share your faith?  Do you share your faith?
Do you believe you should pray?  Do you pray?
Do you believe you should read your Bible?  Do you read your Bible?
Do you believe Christians should tithe?  Do you tithe?
Do you believe in worship?  Do you worship?
Do you believe in church attendance?  Do you go to church?
Do you believe in forgiveness?  Do you forgive?

Our beliefs should determine our behavior.  He went further on to say that most Christians are educated far beyond our beliefs.   But we want to get all we can, can all we get, and sit on our can.  OUCH!     John 7:38 says  "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."   Belief and faith come from the same root word.   If we truly have faith and not just a mental nod at belief, the Holy Spirit should be flowing out of us and unto a lost people.   

For me this led to all kinds of areas in my life, such as the following:
Do I believe I should eat healthy?  Do I eat healthy?
Do I believe I should exercise?  Do I exercise?
Do I believe children are gifts from the Lord?  Do I treat them as gifts from the Lord?
Do I believe we should obey the law?  Do I obey the law (which includes the speed limit)?
Do I believe the Lord is my provider?  Do I stress that we will lack in some area?
Do I believe my time is in His hands?  Do I worry that the cancer will return?
Do I believe that I am responsible for teaching my children as Deuteronomy says in 11:19?  Am I teaching them God's truths as they rise, when they lie down, as we are going about our day?
Do I believe in honoring my husband and respecting him as the Word says?  Do I show him respect by the way I speak or act?
Do I believe He has cleansed me from all sin?  Do I walk in guilt and shame?
Do I believe Matthew 12:36 that I will give account for  my careless words?  Do I think before I speak?
Do I believe II Timothy 1:3-5 that says, "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people." Do I love myself and money more than the Lord?  Am I proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to authority, ungrateful, unholy, heartless?  Do I slander?  Do I lack self control?  Do I love and may I add SEEK pleasure more than the Lord?

These were just a few of the questions, I posed to myself.  It has made me question all areas of my life and ponder if I am a hypocrite which really means actor or pretender, a lover of knowledge but not the Truth, lazy, or even deceived.  James 1:22 says But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  It has been a great spiritual health check up for me.

Sooo, I'll ask the same questions to you that I was asked, and have been meditating on.  What do you really believe?   Where does your time go?   Where are your priorities?  If you see you are struggling in any area, cry out to the Lord as the father did in Mark 9:24 and ask Him to help your unbelief.