Hey everyone! Curious about the subject line? You'll have to read till the bottom to see what I mean! (DON'T SCROLL!)
I just wanted to send out a lil encouragement to you all on taking a step this Easter season in teaching your children the holiday's meaning and message that truly is the core value system of Christianity!
Here's an easy read article from focus on the family and at the bottom you can click on "Next article in this series" and there are several in the Easter line of thought.
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/holidays/celebrating_the_easter_season.aspx
Another really neat idea is "Resurrection Eggs." Christy & I picked up a dozen at Family Christian Store in Gainesville last night for $13! They're plastic eggs each filled with an object that leads up to the crucifixion of Jesus. http://www.familychristian.com/shop/product.asp?ProdID=119502 We plan on making it like an advent or lent. We'll start tomorrow night and end Easter Sunday AM with the last egg. It also comes with a guide book so you know EGGxactly what to say. (i couldn't resist)
I want to share from experience: at the suggestion of a Focus on the Family article, http://www2.focusonthefamily.com/focusmagazine/spiritualheritage/A000000600.cfm
my family & I started an advent wreath this past Christmas. There's many forms out there, this one we had put in a daily devotion form. I remember being skeptical as I read the article boast, "This will become your family's most cherished Christmas traditions!" Listen, it really did. We began to really, really look forward to it. Every Christmas card we received, we'd place them by our wreath then that night in devotions, we'd pray for that family. (so if you sent us a card, you got prayed for! hehehe.) In fact, we were so skeptical, we didn't go buy THE advent wreath and official advent candles, ours was homemade. BUT, in January, while in a Christian bookstore, we were thrilled to find a beautiful advent wreath on after-Christmas clearance and we pray this will be a memorial every season to our devotion and love for the Savior.
Ok, so, all that to say-we're hoping the Lord blesses these efforts and through this season, may our children glean a deeper understanding of the cross of Jesus. I'd love to hear your feedback and/or input on how you impress your children's hearts!
p.s.-After their baptisms, early Christians wore white robes all through Easter week to indicate their new lives. Those who had already been baptized wore new clothes to symbolize their sharing a new life with Christ.
They may not come from a department store, but Christ clothes us in His righteousness. So, will you have new clothes this Easter?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Worship & Promise
"Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had father Abraham. I am one of them and so are you! So let's just praise the Lord! Right arm, left arm ..."
How many times have I sang this song and by the end your spinning and flailing every limb you've got until you plop down exhausted begging for more! Why? Why did Abraham have many sons including me & you so that we should "just praise the Lord?" I'd like to share that Abraham, who started out as Abram, enjoyed the promise of God through a way of life, worship.
Abram worshipped by obeying
These days, people often equate "worship" with the singing of songs, the raising of hands, the shouting of praises, or some other demonstration of adoration to God. But true worship begins with obedience. Without it, every song is meaningless and ceases to be worship. In fact, if we are not eager to obey what God asks of us, we are not even ready to worship. It is worship's very foundation.
When we look at Abraham, we see a man who was ready to obey, no matter what God told him to do. Leave your country. Yes, God. Sacrifice Your Son. Yes, God. If we are to worship God, we must be ready to obey.
Worship doesn't begin with a perfect vessel
And all God's people said? AMEN! Don't forget that Abraham was a two-time liar. "She's not my wife, she's my sister," twice! (Gen. 12 & 20) He was an adulterer, all to eager to at the mere suggestion, to sleep with a woman who was not his wife. And he was a doubter. He doubted God's loyalty to His promise for a son. In fact, laughed at God. "It's a terrible thing when we imagine that the Almighty needs our help. But we often do." That's what Abram & Sarai did when they plotted their own way to conceive a child. Ishmael was born of Hagar, a slave, and that baby became the father of the Arab nations and today, his descendants live in hostility with their "brothers."
BUT...God still loved Abram and God loves you too. He can make a vessel of honor if we humble ourselves and worship Him. God can take all of our weaknesses and shape us, as pottery, into something beautiful. Look at what He shaped out of Abraham: the nation of Israel? What could He shape out of you?
Worship Involves Routine
Authentic Worship requires a regular worship routine. Abraham built altars. It was his custome, his routine. We need altars too. And while it's true we can worship God anywhere, at any time, God is not impressed when we worship Him only while we're on the go. A set apart time & place for private worship where you sing, pray, praise, read His word, dance, etc. Sound unreachable for you? Does God deserve anything less?
There's More Than One Way to Worship
Abraham worshipped God by Obeying, at altars, and he also worshipped by giving a tithe. (Gen. 14:8-20)
Abraham worshipped through sacrifices, and he worshipped through complete surrender. Can we, like Abraham, meet with God at an altar? Can we give of our substance? Can we surrender our all? Isaac was Abraham's all, and yet he was willing to give him up for the love of God. Certainly we can offer God our lives to His service.
Worship begins in the presence of God
Every time Abraham was faithful to God through Worship, God made His presence knownand reaffirmed His relationship with Abraham by revealing more of Himself. Remember, God is all about relationship. As we worship Him, He will favor us with His presence, and as our relationship with Him grows, He will reveal more and more of who He is.
Worship brings reward
Abraham was blessed for his unceasing worship of the one true God. God promised him a son, a nation, a people, decendants. And He delivered. It will be the same for you. You worship through obedience, routine, tithe and surrender and God will deliver, and you will reap the promise of God.
How many times have I sang this song and by the end your spinning and flailing every limb you've got until you plop down exhausted begging for more! Why? Why did Abraham have many sons including me & you so that we should "just praise the Lord?" I'd like to share that Abraham, who started out as Abram, enjoyed the promise of God through a way of life, worship.
Abram worshipped by obeying
These days, people often equate "worship" with the singing of songs, the raising of hands, the shouting of praises, or some other demonstration of adoration to God. But true worship begins with obedience. Without it, every song is meaningless and ceases to be worship. In fact, if we are not eager to obey what God asks of us, we are not even ready to worship. It is worship's very foundation.
When we look at Abraham, we see a man who was ready to obey, no matter what God told him to do. Leave your country. Yes, God. Sacrifice Your Son. Yes, God. If we are to worship God, we must be ready to obey.
Worship doesn't begin with a perfect vessel
And all God's people said? AMEN! Don't forget that Abraham was a two-time liar. "She's not my wife, she's my sister," twice! (Gen. 12 & 20) He was an adulterer, all to eager to at the mere suggestion, to sleep with a woman who was not his wife. And he was a doubter. He doubted God's loyalty to His promise for a son. In fact, laughed at God. "It's a terrible thing when we imagine that the Almighty needs our help. But we often do." That's what Abram & Sarai did when they plotted their own way to conceive a child. Ishmael was born of Hagar, a slave, and that baby became the father of the Arab nations and today, his descendants live in hostility with their "brothers."
BUT...God still loved Abram and God loves you too. He can make a vessel of honor if we humble ourselves and worship Him. God can take all of our weaknesses and shape us, as pottery, into something beautiful. Look at what He shaped out of Abraham: the nation of Israel? What could He shape out of you?
Worship Involves Routine
Authentic Worship requires a regular worship routine. Abraham built altars. It was his custome, his routine. We need altars too. And while it's true we can worship God anywhere, at any time, God is not impressed when we worship Him only while we're on the go. A set apart time & place for private worship where you sing, pray, praise, read His word, dance, etc. Sound unreachable for you? Does God deserve anything less?
There's More Than One Way to Worship
Abraham worshipped God by Obeying, at altars, and he also worshipped by giving a tithe. (Gen. 14:8-20)
Abraham worshipped through sacrifices, and he worshipped through complete surrender. Can we, like Abraham, meet with God at an altar? Can we give of our substance? Can we surrender our all? Isaac was Abraham's all, and yet he was willing to give him up for the love of God. Certainly we can offer God our lives to His service.
Worship begins in the presence of God
Every time Abraham was faithful to God through Worship, God made His presence knownand reaffirmed His relationship with Abraham by revealing more of Himself. Remember, God is all about relationship. As we worship Him, He will favor us with His presence, and as our relationship with Him grows, He will reveal more and more of who He is.
Worship brings reward
Abraham was blessed for his unceasing worship of the one true God. God promised him a son, a nation, a people, decendants. And He delivered. It will be the same for you. You worship through obedience, routine, tithe and surrender and God will deliver, and you will reap the promise of God.
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