Be the Joy!

Joy.  We glitter wooden ornaments with the word.  We see it inscribed on Christmas cards.  We proclaim it in song: “Joy to the world.”  

It is the Christian’s claim.  We are people of joy.  

Joy is powerfully attractive.  Not the smug happiness of having everything but the basic foundational attitude that there is in fact much to rejoice about in this world.  That despite today's natural disaster, the world God made is good.  Despite Satan’s depredations, the people God called are declared righteous and holy.  Despite all of our short term sorrows, despite death, sin, and terror, Jesus has triumphed and will continue to reign until His Father has put all things under His footstool. 

This is how and why Christians are people of joy. 

Not pie in the sky fools but people grounded in the solid anchor of hope in the face of every ugly storm Satan sends.

This attitude is entirely refreshing to a world bathed in anger, cynicism, hatred, and disgust.  To a jailer in Phillipi considering suicide, the sweet song of joyful prisoners was the sound of hope. Our joy in troubles echoes that ancient hymn. Peter instructs us to stand ready to give an answer for that hope. 

This Christmas season, let me encourage you to do something joyful.  Wish every Scrooge a merry Christmas.  Got the extra mile to bring delight to someone with less reason to rejoice than you.  (Say a dozen Christmas cookies to an elderly neighbor?)  Share your Christian long-view that when our Lord returns He will set this old world to right, rebirthed in a new heavens and new earth, a world fulfilling today’s little joys with the great joys of eternity!  And smile, friend.  Smile. And let the world know that God has given us something to smile about. 

Helene

PS: There will be another video to share soon!  Keep an eye out for in your email or the Facebook page.  (What?  You are not on the email?  Subscribe here and get the PDF: 21 days to Evangelism!)

PSS: If you were looking to buy one of my books to give for a Christmas present, time is almost up! 

Should I be having sex?

Should I be having sex?  

No.  If you are single, sisters, the answer is simply “No.”  

No, if you are in your teens and your health teachers explain that abstinence is an unhealthy, old-fashioned, unrealistic idea. 

No, if you are in your 20s and engaged or considering moving in with your boyfriend.

No, if you are in your 30 or 40s and still single or single again.

No, if you are 50s or 60s or older and left alone by a spouse's death.  

To the unmarried God simply says, “No.”

(If this list doesn’t apply to you, sweet sister, because you are married, I really encourage you to go read the YES! side of this post written by my friend Angela at the Dilligent Woman.)

Identity Matters

Devotional 2 brings us face to face with a powerful motivator: Identity.  This devotional, like the others, is timed for less than 10 minutes, but feel free to slow down if your kids are older or have a longer attention span.  Parents your notes are in italics.  Happy studying!

Identity matters:

To Do: 

Read Colossians 3:1-4.  Say them aloud once or twice and see if anyone can recite the first verse on their own.  Then read Colossians 3:12-14.

Questions to ask:

*Why should we be good?  Expect kids to say things like, “so we can go to heaven,” “so we don’t go to Hell,” “Because God said so,” and “So we don’t get in trouble.”  Even though these aren’t the answers in the text, don’t hesitate to praise kids for any answer on topic. 

*Why does Paul say we should do all these behaviors?  If the kids don’t come up with “because we are chosen” and “because we are holy and dearly loved” read the passage to them again and ask what Paul said exactly.  

*How were we chosen by God? (Ephesians 1:3-6)

*What does it mean to be holy? Don’t worry if the kids don’t know a good definition.  Emphasize that the idea is that God is without mistake, without sin, without an ugly thought or an ill intention.  He is perfect and complete.  We are, in our unredeemed state, as unholy as can be.  Yet when we were raised up with Christ we were declared holy.  Now, in these verses, Paul calls us to live up to the family standard. 

*Can you point to a Bible verse that says we are beloved?  (John 3:16 and many more)

Insights: Notice what Paul does not say, he doesn’t say, "Be kind or go to hell!" or "Be compassionate or God will get you!" The powerful truth that our sin separates us from God and can cause us horrifying consequences is not the only truth.  It is also true that we are cleansed, raised, beloved and holy. We are driven by that identity to become more like our Father and to imitate our elder Brother.  

Kids can understand this point in two important ways.  First in a family we have certain standards.  For instance in our family obedience and kindness are powerfully important.  Other people may talk back or snap and snarl at one another but in our family that is unacceptable. When we become Christians we join God’s family which has its own standards of behavior.  Paul is saying since we are beloved children in the family of God we have to act like it!

Second, kids can understand that they are grounded in the love of God.   Lots of times we are less than kind, less than compassionate because we feel threatened.  Someone’s action leave us questioning our worth and value so we attack back.  Yet when we really understand that the Creator of the entire Universe chose us and calls us His dearly loved ones, nothing anyone else has to say about our identity matters. 

Did you miss one? 

The "Why" Matters, Identity Matters, Compassion Matters, Kindness Matters, Humility Matters, Gentleness Matters, Patience Matters, Bearing with One Another Matters, Forgiveness Matters

Teach Me Your Statutes

This New Year I have dusted off my audio Bible.  Specifically I committed to spending my first 25 minutes of listening for the day to listening to my Bible.  I am on track with all the folks who are reading and HOURS behind on my usual podcasts.  I am absorbed by the Torah.

The Lie: You are Good Enough

This post, which appeared in a slightly different form some years ago, is part of a list of posts about the lies that sin tells us hosted by Bethany Mcllrath.  I hope you will click over and read more of these articles!

Who would you die for?  Not risk your life for, like heroic police officers, soldiers, and others do.  I mean for whom would you deliberately step forward and offer to die in his/her place?

For me, the answer's easy. I would die for my daughters, my nieces.  I might die for my husband if he didn't beat me to it.  Or perhaps for other adult family members.  But that's it.  Short list.

Why do I ask? 

 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him (Romans 5:7-9).  

Because these verses haunt me. Because left to myself, I know I am neither righteous nor good.

Thanksgiving Dishes

What dishes are you pulling out for Thanksgiving?  When I lived in America we had a couple of fancy serving platters, a ceramic dish or two just the right size for sweet potato  casserole, and a giant roaster that were only pulled out for holidays. Back then I had ordinary dishes too.  Chipped and cracked, they were familiar and useful. There was one more kind: a big ceramic bowl in the bathroom that I should have cleaned more often than I did.