A Great Aim

A week ago John Piper spoke at Summit VI, this year's annual event put on by the Christian Alliance for Orphans. His message was from Hebrews 11:29-38 and titled: "What Does It Mean to Live by Faith in the Service of the Fatherless?" (read the manuscript) or you can download the audio or video.

A summary point was very powerful for me and I have quoted it below. The change I made was to take out the words "adoption and orphan care" and leave a blank line. The reason? Because so many things can fit into this statement. Marriage, raising children, being a Christian, homeschooling, homemaking, etc.

I have printed it and hung it on my bathroom mirror as a reminder for the future.


"The great challenge of _____________ is to cultivate a death-defying passion for God above all things. A faith that rests in Him whether living or dying, whether comfortable or miserable, whether successful in ___________ or not. Our aim is to cultivate and spread the unshakable confidence that God is better than what life can give us and what death can take from us."

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Mar. 28

We finished chapter 9 and were astounded once again that despite horrible plagues and death, people will still refuse to repent.

Pastor Jack pointed out that God deploys a troop surge of horsemen to an attack of shock and awe to bring people to repentance.

1. The commanders of these troops:

A. Christ

B. Trumpeting angel

C. Four angels

2. The invasion of these troops: God’s exact time

3. The mission of these troops: Kill

4. The number of troops: 200 million

5. The appearance of these troops: Weird

6. The power of these troops: Mouths

7. The outcome of the troop surge: No repentance

A. Demon worship
B. Idol worship
C. Murders
D. Sorceries
E. Immorality
F. Thefts

His action points: Repent of idolatry and go with the gospel!!

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Mar. 21

Attack of the Locusts was the title of the sermon from Revelation 9:1-12. Pastor Jack pointed out that these demon-creature-things are from the abyss and their mission is to torment. The commander of these troops is Satan.

We are definitely getting into the weird section of Revelation, but Pastor Jack always does a good job of applying these truths by pointing out concrete facts that we can take hold of today. He noted:

Satan is a destroyer, a deceiver and a devourer BUT Christ is a redeemer, a revealor and a restorer.

Truth is our primary defense. Know the truth and the truth will set you free.

**On a side note, Timothy provided some humor in the midst of the sermon. Thanks to Phil's quiet sarcasm as Pastor Jack showed a video, Timothy learned a vocabulary lesson. It went something like this:

As a video began of a locust swarm, the commentator had a definite British accent (think BBC films). Phil said quietly, "Stinkin' Brits." (Hopefully this doesn't offend anyone - but I had to repeat it to get to the punch line.)

Timothy was sitting between us and was looking down at his coloring page at the time. In a few seconds, the video ended and Pastor Jack began to preach. He opened by showing a picture of a very large locust. About that time, Timothy looked up at the screen and said, "Those Brits are disgusting." To which Phil immediately burst out laughing and said, "Those aren't Brits, those are locusts." Timothy replied, "well those locusts are disgusting, too."

Let's just say that Phil did not hear the next couple minutes of the message because he was laughing (silently). I am also pretty sure that restrained laughter had something to do with Jim's shoulders shaking as well!!

Thanks, Tim, for the laugh. We shared this with Pastor Jack, and he too thought it was quite funny...and very pleased he has a captive audience in a 4 year old.

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Mar. 14

Shock and Awe was the name of the sermon Pastor Jack gave on Revelation 8:6-13. This passage covered the first 4 trumpet judgments. Pastor Jack gave four warnings associated with these four judgments. They are:

1. God will judge those who refuse to believe the Word of God that abides forever (Is. 40:8)

2. God will judge those who store treasures for themselves and are not rich toward God. (Matt. 6:19-20)

3. God will judge whose who seek anything than Jesus to satisfy our thirst. (John 4:13-14)

4. God will judge those who love darkness rather than light. (John 3: 19-21)

ACTION: Repent and turn to the one, true, living GOD!

What I learned from a guest Pastor ~ March 6

As I mentioned here, Brenda found a church for us all to attend in Flagstaff as we spent the first Sunday of our Spring Break in Arizona.

Steven Cole is currently teaching through the book of James on Pilgrim Radio. We located the church easily, snuck in just a few minutes late and felt right at home with fellow believers we had never met before.

Pastor Cole was teaching through the book of 2 Peter. His message was entitled, "Mockers and the Coming Judgment" with 2 Peter 3:1-7 as his text.

His main point:

"In spite of mockers who scoff at the prospect of Christ’s coming, God’s Word promises that He will come in judgment of the whole world."

1. When mockers attack the faith, God’s Word is our sure foundation (3:1-2).


2. When mockers scoff at the prospect of Christ’s coming, it is because they willfully ignore that God created the universe and judged the wicked in the flood by His word (3:3-6).


3. When mockers scoff at the promise of Christ’s coming, it is because they willfully ignore God’s word about the future judgment (3:7).

He offered two applications based on these verses for each of us to consider:

A. To move away from the truth that God created the world by His word of power is to move toward skepticism and licentious living.


B. To move away from the truth that Christ is coming again to judge the world is to move toward skepticism and licentious living.


He concluded with,

"Our tolerant culture that doesn’t want to make any moral judgments has swayed many Christians to minimize the biblical truth of God’s judgment. Some deny the eternality of hell. Others believe that God will ultimately save everyone. If you move in that direction, you move toward skepticism of God’s Word and, eventually, toward moral relativism. If you are a Christian—a follower of Jesus—the bottom line has to be, “What does God’s Word say?” It clearly says that God created the world by His word, judged the world at the flood by His word, and will judge the ungodly when Christ returns by His word. Thus we must stand firm on these truths and out of love warn everyone to flee the wrath to come."

Crazy Love Quotes

I finished reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan a month ago, but have had a hard time finding spare moments to blog.

There are several good reviews by more articulate people than me, so I decided to share a few quotes/sections that stood out as I read.

Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control. (pg. 42)

Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their heart and lives. (pg. 69)

True faith means holding nothing back; it bets everything on the hope of eternity. ...this whole swimming-upstream, pursuing-Christ, taking-up-your-cross, counting-the-cost thing isn't easy. It's so hard, in fact, that Jesus said the road is narrow and few will find it. (pg 97)

But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through. (pg 124)

A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the sin of pride is always a battle. Obsessed people know that you can never be "humble enough." and so they seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known. (pg. 138)

Nowhere in Scripture do I see a "balanced life with a little bit of God added in" as an ideal for us to emulate. Yet when I look at our churches, this is exactly what I see: a lot of people who have added Jesus to their lives. ... asked Him to join them on their journey, to follow them wherever they feel like they should go, rather than following Him as we are commanded. The God of the universe is not something we can just add to our lives and keep on as we did before. The Spirit who raised Christ from the dead is not someone we can just call on when we want a little extra power in our lives. Jesus Christ did not die in order to follow us. He died and rose again so that we could forget everything else and follow Him to the cross, to true Life. (pg. 193-194)

Recommendation: Read it and be challenged to think a little differently.

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Feb. 28

The title for this sermon from Revelation 8:1-5 was Opus to the Final Judgment. Pastor Jack noted that this chapter is a prelude to the final judgment that is coming when God will answer His children's prayer for vindication.

Hearing about the wrath of God is often difficult, but we were reminded that worship and judgment are inter-connected and that while God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ez. 33:11), His love demands justice. Mercy and judgment are not two contrasting things. They are both embodied in the character of Christ.

Pastor Jack's closing action points were very powerful. They were:

1. Listen and Repent
2. Smell the sweet aroma of the prayers of the saints and place deep hurts before God
3. Feel the Heat (warn others)

He challenged me that the real test if I believe this prophecyis true, then what am I doing to warn others to flee the wrath to come. Being complacent like this is no less than criminal behavior.

How wonderful it is that mercy, justice, and grace met perfectly at the cross. He prayed that the Holy Spirit would stir, shake and move us. Amen?.

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Feb. 21

Saved to Serve in Heaven was the title of Pastor Jack's sermon, continuing our pilgrimage through the book of Revelation.

His text today was Rev. 7:9-17. God saves and rewards multitudes who will serve Him in heaven. Some features of this multitude in heaven described here are: innumerable, indiscriminate, intimate, incorrupt, and indomitable. Don't you just love those words and what they represent (and that they all start with in is pretty cool, too)?

Pastor Jack asked the congregation to reflect on two questions:

1. What is your posture before Him who sits on the throne?

2. What is your perspective on life in light of this vision?

Pondering these things help us to keep our priorities in order. It was also a good reminder to engage in activities that contribute to eternity so that I am not exercising futility in my life.

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Feb. 14

Note: I am a bit behind with posting these, but will do my best to get all 3 up today.

Revelation 7:1-8 was the text for this week's sermon examining yet another portion of scripture that is highly debated. Regardless of one's view of the identity of the 144,000 mentioned, Pastor Jack pointed out that they are sealed and protected as they serve on earth. I was comforted by the fact that "the servant of God is invincible until his work for God is complete."

Pastor Jack's final points were 1. Be sealed. It's that simple. Ephesians 1:13-14 explicitly tells us how and with what we are sealed. For believers, the Father has sealed us with protection and care. The Son has bought and redeemed us with His own precious blood. He owns us. And the Spirit seals us by certifies and testifies that we are the children of God.

2. Be serving. (2 Corinthians 4:5) Pastor Jack shared this quote that Charles Spurgeon said once when he was very sick,

"If I have any message to give from my own bed of sickness it would be this—if you do not wish to be full of regrets when you are obliged to lie still, work while you can. If you desire to make a sick bed as soft as it can be, do not stuff it with the mournful reflection that you wasted time while you were in health and strength. People said to me years ago, “You will break your body down with preaching ten times a week,” and the like. Well, if I have done so, I am glad of it. I would do the same again. If I had fifty bodies I would rejoice to break them down in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. You young men that are strong, overcome the wicked one and fight for the Lord while you can. You will never regret having done all that lies in you for our blessed Lord and Master. Crowd as much as you can into every day, and postpone no work till tomorrow. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” (Ecc. 9:10)."

Two Finished Titles

I completed two different books this week. One was Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham. It was one I have been chewing on and digesting for quite some time. It has been like steak, potatoes and vegetables -- a full course meal. In fact, it was so powerful and thought provoking that I am going back through each chapter and will post a brief synopsis here in the coming days and weeks. Watch for it!

The other one, Tristan's Gap by Nancy Rue was a quick-fiction read that was well written and it kept my attention (took me about 1 1/2 days to complete) but as I read it, I kept having small, red warning flags. Because I have been know to over react too quickly in the past, I read slow, made mental notes and plowed along to the end.

The gist of the story was of a Christian family that apparently had religion but not relationship. The sixteen year old girl runs away partly because of her "patriarchal father" and "submissive mother". Prayer was mentioned, but the traditional church was somewhat mocked. In the end, she is found pregnant, delivers a baby that dies, the mother learns to stand up to the father and everybody lives happily ever after.

I have learned to trust small red flags in my conscience. I did a quick google search and found the author's blog. You can learn a lot about a person's belief system from their links. What I found were links to Brian McLaren, a known Emergent leader who has strayed so significantly from the core beliefs of Christianity. I do not know if Nancy Rue believes these things whole-heartedly, but some of the things that came out in her fiction book definitely lean this way.

My purpose is not to bash her or this book, but gently remind readers that we are called to be discerning as we read. I think the fiction genre makes this harder to accomplish due to our emotional attachment to the characters and story line. But this is no excuse not to compare everything with the truth of the only accurate standard - the Bible.

Homeschool Seedlings

When the issue of homeschool comes up, so often the words "socialize" or "sheltered" are soon accompanied by it. Recently I read a very good devotion about sheltering that summarized part of my passion for beginning this new adventure called homeschooling.

Here are some excerpts from that devotion that I found especially powerful:



Most caring parents draw a line and set limits on what they allow their children to experience. The only difference between my sheltering and theirs was that I had simply drawn our children's line in a different place. R-rated movies, magazines and books that promoted sex outside of marriage, violent video games, and other activities that violated God's Word were not a part of our family life. The standards I wanted to set were for training in righteousness, not for training in the ways of the world. Learning how to be in the world but not of it is difficult for Christians both young and old.

The unbelieving community sees us as trying to live "holier than thou," but sometimes we must allow God to sanctify us by removing ourselves from the temptations that would lead us into sin. God even commands us to run away (flee) from idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14) "and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11).

However, Jesus also gave us the example of reaching the lost by meeting them in their homes and on the streets. Finding the balance between loving the lost and not getting caught in sin takes discernment and wisdom that comes from studying God's Word, praying, and listening to the Holy Spirit.

So, how much do you shelter your children from the evil in the world without quenching the redemptive work of Christ? After all, as Christians, we are to be salt and light.

My answer to that question came one day while gardening. The Master Gardener showed me that if I transplanted my seedlings that I started inside the house into the outside garden too soon, they would die from the exposure to the elements. However, if I moved them at the right time and carefully nurtured the seedlings for a time with extra protection and fertilizer, they would grow into strong, healthy plants that would not only resist bugs, heat, and hail, but also produce an abundance of fruit.

Don't let anyone's sheltering argument convince you to transplant your precious homeschooling seedlings too early!

Lord, give me discernment to hear Your voice on how to homeschool my children, so they are effective witnesses for You. Help me ground them in Your Word and fertilize them with Your truths, so they not only survive in the world, but also flourish and change it. In Jesus' name, Amen.

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Feb. 7

The sermon for the first Sunday of the month is generally a communion or thematic message, taking a break from the regular series in Revelation.

Pastor Paul took the pulpit to give Pastor Jack a week to concentrate on his healing broken ribs. The sermon text was from Hebrews 2:8b-11. He reminded us that while Jesus was a good teacher, an example in ethical living and a good example, none of these was the primary reason he came to earth. He came to provide salvation for all who would believe.

He pointed out that the horrendous punishment Jesus experienced on the cross for 3 hours will be experienced for eternity in hell by unbelievers. Reflecting on the intensity of this sacrifice is humbling.

Just because we do not currently see all things subjected to Him, the fact is that all things are indeed subject to Him, and one day all creation will acknowledge this fact.

Quiet Time Connect

Our family began a new series of devotion books for our personal quiet time each morning. They were recommending by our former associate pastor, Kevin Boaz.

The absolute beauty of this system is that Word of Life offers Quiet Times for all ages:

• Early Learners (ages 4- 6)
• Children (grades 1-6)
– Challengers (grades 1-2)
– Conquerors (grades 3-4)
– Champions (grades 5-6)
• Students (grades 7-12)
• Adults (includes brief commentary of the passage)


All the Quiet Times CONNECT because they are based on the same passages.

• Adult and Student versions contain the entire passage.
• Grades 3-6 cover a few less verses in the same passage.
• Early Learner and grades 1-2 cover one key thought and use identical verses.

Age-specific goals define the progression of purpose for each Quiet Time age group:

• Early learners—Establishing Biblical Thoughts
• Children—Establishing Biblical Habits
• Teens—Establishing Biblical Principles
• Adults—Establishing Biblical Lifestyles


Phil and I and each of the 3 girls are anxious EVERY morning to get up and read the passage and do the activity/journal for the day. Phil or I go through Timothy's with him.

One great thing is to bring it all together as part of our family devotions in the evening. We ask each other, “What did you learn from your Quiet Time today?” Because we are all studying the same passage, we supplement our own devotion time by listening to insights that each other have shared.



A sample page from the adult book (Phil and I each have our own.)

A page from the same passage from Tim's book.

And from Lindsay's book.

Throughout this year we will cover the following:

Psalms 77-103 for 5 weeks.
Ephesians - 3 weeks
Joshua - 3 weeks
Titus & Philemon - 1 week
Revelation - 7 weeks
Judges - 2 weeks
Amos & Obadiah - 1 week
John - 10 weeks
Proverbs 16-20 - 2 weeks
Zechariah - 3 weeks
Hebrews - 6 weeks
1 Corinthians - 6 weeks
2 Timothy - 2 weeks
Jonah & Micah - 1 week

Here is a picture of Allie up very early one morning working on her devotion for the day.

The suggested template for Quiet Time Connect is:

1. Passage: Read the passage out loud before you discuss it. You may have one family member read it or all participate by taking turns reading a verse.

2. Participation: Although you may have certain family members take a lead role, strive for participation from everyone.

3. Principle: Discuss the key thought of the passage, realizing that family members may have focused on different aspects of the passage. As a parent, you can get help with this in your commentary each day.

4. Practical Truth: Discuss some ways to apply the key thought in everyday life.

5. Practice: (Application) Have each person decide an action step to apply in their personal life. This may come from your discussion of the practical truth. Your goal is to help your family learn how to go from the principle (truth) to practice (lifestyle).

6. Preview: Take time to mention the next day’s Quiet Time and create some excitement and anticipation.

7. Prayer: Don’t just begin/end in prayer, but use a variety of ideas for your prayer time.

This devotion series has been amazing tool in our family and we are so excited that there are 5 more years worth of books so that we will cover the entire Bible in our devotion time. As one of the pages in my book points out, "Rather than using the Word to illustrate a point, the Word of God is the point."

You can download the PDF brochure here. Feel free to ask questions by commenting below.

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Jan. 31

Victims and Vengeance was the title of the sermon from Revelation 6:9-17. The main truth from this section was powerful: Believers who suffer the wrath of man will be vindicated by the wrath of God.

The fifth seal is martyrdom and Pastor Jack made a very insightful point regarding being a martyr. He said that while most of us may never have to be physically killed for our faith, we should all be prepared for it and realize that dying to ourselves daily in terms of worldly pleasures and passions is just as important.

Judgment is coming and those that know God best do not judge HIM for the coming wrath, they worship HIM. For they know that He is holy, perfect and just and His love is never compromised in righteous judgment!

Would you be willing to die physically for your faith? What about daily?

"He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Jim Elliot

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Jan. 24

Revelation 6:1-8 introduced the four horsemen in colors of white, red, black and ashen. There are many interpretations for these but the meaning as explained by Pastor Jack was: conquest, war, faminie, and death.

He pointed our the devasting consequences of sin but so often people would rather rather rationalize sin instead of confess and forsake it. A mathematical way to see the effects of sin is as follows:

Sin ADDS to our troubles.

It SUBTRACTS from our energy.

It MULTIPLIES our difficulties.

It DIVIDES our interests.

And it's WAGES are death.

In summary on the topic of coming judgment and eternity, "If what the Bible says is not true than it doesn't matter, BUT if what the Bible says is true that nothing else matters."

Wise words for us all.

The Shack

I read The Shack last year. Not because it seemed like the best book around, but because I believed so many Christians were caught up in the frenzy of this book without considering the heretical nature of it. I had read many Biblical reviews and critiques of the book, but felt compelled to "read it for myself" in order to thoughtfully engage fans of the book. I haven't seen as much hype about it lately, but enjoyed this perception from Albert Mohler.

I am especially thankful today for a church and pastors that care greatly about Biblical doctrine and discernment. This is a treasure that I am realizing more and more people do not possess. True love comes from truth about God.


Here is an excerpt of some thoughts from Al Mohler on The Shack:

When it comes to The Shack, the really troubling fact is that so many readers are drawn to the theological message of the book, and fail to see how it conflicts with the Bible at so many crucial points.

All this reveals a disastrous failure of evangelical discernment. It is hard not to conclude that theological discernment is now a lost art among American evangelicals — and this loss can only lead to theological catastrophe.

The answer is not to ban The Shack or yank it out of the hands of readers. We need not fear books — we must be ready to answer them. We desperately need a theological recovery that can only come from practicing biblical discernment. This will require us to identify the doctrinal dangers of The Shack, to be sure. But our real task is to reacquaint evangelicals with the Bible’s teachings on these very questions and to foster a doctrinal rearmament of Christian believers.

The Shack is a wake-up call for evangelical Christianity. An assessment like that offered by Timothy Beal is telling. The popularity of this book among evangelicals can only be explained by a lack of basic theological knowledge among us — a failure even to understand the Gospel of Christ. The tragedy that evangelicals have lost the art of biblical discernment must be traced to a disastrous loss of biblical knowledge. Discernment cannot survive without doctrine.

Entire article located here.

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Jan. 17

Yes, I have fallen behind in posting. But I am determined once again to catch up....

Revelation 5 was the text for the sermon that was centered on worship. Pastor Jack pointed out that the Lamb is worthy to open the scroll because of 3 things: Who He is, What He did and What He has.

The choir of worshippers begins with the creatures and the elders, then moves to the angels and then finally to all creation saying,

Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to the One seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!"

We are going to be worshipping for eternity in heaven , we should probably spend some time practicing now. Amen?.

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Jan. 10

All week I have been intending to get this posted, but couldn't quite find the time to pull it off. So....before I head off to church today and hear a great sermon from Revelation 5, I am determined to post a few notes from last week!

Pastor Jack conveyed the powerful truth that the throne of God is the center of attention in heaven, and the center of direction for what happens on earth. He pointed out that there are many interpretations of who the 24 elders and the 4 creatures are, but what they are doing is the point not to be missed. They never cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the LORD God Almighty, who was and is and is to come." They also cast their crowns before the throne saying, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created."

As Christians our primary work is worship and everything else flows out of that. It's about God's glory -- that's it! Pastor Jack then quoted Norwegian theologian, Ole Hallesby, suggesting that as we pray (say for instance for healing) it should be along these lines:

"Lord, if it be to your glory heal suddenly. If it will glorify you more, heal gradually; if it will glorify you even more, may your servant remain sick awhile; and if it will glorify your name still more, take him to yourself in heaven."

My first finished book of 2010

Sometimes the Rock Must Crumble by Jess Kuhl was a short but powerful book written by a friend of a friend. I don't personally know the Kuhl family, only through stories our friends, Jim and Lynda Henry, have shared with me. We probably would have met them if we hadn't been in the hospital with Timothy in November, but that's another story....

The story was of one man's journey through the loss of a child and the "gut-wrenching" things he came to face in the process. One of the first questions Jess posed in the introduction was: "How can I balance my need to be "the rock" with my own grief, the intensity of which I could find no adequate way to express?"

Good question. One very practical way that Jess suggested was accountability in a strong men's group. A place to be real, vulnerable and honest is a key in this process.

The providence and sovereignty of God are big concepts. Comforting at times, but downright scary at others. Most people like control and Jess writes, "Above all else, I've come to accept how much in control God is. So many times Christians claim Christ as their Savior but not as their Lord."

He also points out that the greatest insight or gift that his daughter's death has left him with is to try to be a part of people's lives, more fully and more openly than he might otherwise have been.
In closing, Jess points out that "no one said our walk with God would be easy. To be a Christian means accepting that sometimes pain is part and parcel of our journey." When he finds himself slipping back into the "why" of Maura's death, he goes back to the foundation. Back to trust. To the fact (and comfort) that God is control.

He recommends asking yourself the the following questions for whatever hardship you are currently facing:

Are you surrounding yourself with love?
Are you allowing yourself to be loved to even crumble every once in a while?
Do you take time to laugh?
Are you present with your spouse? Your kids? God?
Are you getting what you need out of your church?
Are you putting what you need into your church?
How is your relationship with Christ? Do you have one?
Do you know Jesus can calm your storms?

Thanks Jim and Lynda for recommending this book.

What I learned from my Pastor ~ Jan. 3

Pastor Jack's typical schedule is to preach a communion or topical message on the first Sunday of the month and through a book of the Bible the remaining weeks. He often rotates between the Old and the New Testaments.

The text for "The Best Inheritance" was Romans 5:18-19. Pastor Jack reminded us that every single person in the human race has Adam as their biological father. Thanks to Adam's investments of transgression and disobedience, my (and your) inheritance is condemnation and a sin nature. But.....we can have a new father, a spiritual one, by receiving Christ. He has reversed the consequences of the inheritance received from Adam. His investments on our behalf are obedience and righteousness leading to the best inheritance of justification and eternal life.

We are all in one of 2 places with 1 of 2 fathers: alive or dead, in Adam or in Christ. If we have received new life, we are to walk in new life. To stress the importance of walking in new life, he closed with these 2 powerful statements.

"We have made conversion a mental act, expressed in a prayer, rather than a life act, expressed in obedience. Jesus did not ask people to just change their thinking and agree with Him, but to change their lives and follow Him. He didn't call us to merely believe in a new way, but to live in a new way. To believe in Christ is to begin the Christian way of life." (Source unknown)

"No man can know Christ truly except he follow Him in daily life." (Hans Denk - 16th century Anabaptist reformer)

Next week: Rev. 4 -- God reigns in heaven.

Thanks again, Rachel, for the inspiration for these posts!

Happy New Year

It is 2010.

It is the year I will turn 40.

I have been married for 15 years.

I have 5 kids ages 12, 10, 8, 3, and 2.

I have learned much in the past 39 years.

I hope to learn even more in the coming years that God grants me.

I have a family blog: http://www.hubertfamily7.blogspot.com/.

Welcome to my new one.

My hope is that it will inspire me to chronicle, journal and reflect on knowledge gained and wisdom applied.

I also pray that it will encourage you in your journey of learning.