Hope In the Cross

The season is upon us....ADVENT!  Preparing our hearts for the coming of Christmas.
Since first starting this blog I have had you follow along with what we do at church on Sunday mornings during the Advent Season, encouraging you to do your own advent candles each week.
On my way to church this past Sunday, the First Sunday of advent, which is HOPE ..the thought came into my mind...."There is Hope in the Cross"....💡 and then "There is PEACE in the Cross"!  💡💡OH boy did I get excited! BUT there wasn't enough time to go with this new idea, I was three minutes from church!

BUT….my blog could be a sneak peak into what might be next year's church advent!
SO here you go!

There is hope in the Cross, peace in the Cross, joy in the Cross,  love in the Cross.
The celebration of  Advent builds up to the culminating event of the birth of the Christ child....
Life in a manger and the culmination of that Life was death, death on a cross.
The Birth is tied to the Cross...so all the elements of Advent can also be tied to the Cross.

THERE IS HOPE IN THE CROSS
 (if you are doing your own advent candle ceremony)  Light the first candle which is HOPE 

✝The prophecy of HOPE that a savior would come and suffer (on the cross) for our transgressions.
🕮 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.  Isaiah 7:14

🕮 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,  from ancient times.” Micah 5:2

🕮 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished.

He was assigned a grave with the wicke
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Isaiah 53:8-9

✝HOPE that the child born in such a lowly manner, would come to take on the sins of the world through His sacrifice on the cross.
🕮 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:6-7

🕮 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,  and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:30-33

🕮  Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

✝HOPE in our own Salvation through His death on the cross.

🕮For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

✝Our HOPE IS His coming again, because the cross...death... could not keep Him.

🕮For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,  who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14

✝Through His death on the Cross we have a LIVING HOPE!  Because He was ressurected from that death!

🕮 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9

Can I get an AMEN?!

Our HOPE this season can be seen in the Cross.
 🙏My Prayer for you as you prepare for the coming of Christmas is that you may feel that HOPE, and may it keep the meaning of Christmas close to your heart.

Stuffed,Basted or Infused

As Thanksgiving approaches this week and there is all this talk about being blessed to overflowing, and being thankful for those blessings...my brain goes to....
turkey!
Don't get me wrong...I am truly thankful for ALL my blessings!  But ...
Let's talk turkey!
Stuffed? Basted? Infused?
Which is better?  All of them?
Actually, I am not talking about the ill fated bird that has become the symbol of our national holiday and this has not become a food blog!
I am talking about us and the word of God!

Do we have it stuffed inside...which is fine...but we can't leave it there.
📖 I have hidden your word in my heart    that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

📖  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Are we basted in it...so it covers us completely and frequently?
📖 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, Ephesians 5:26

📖  Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice. Psalm 55:17

📖  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9


Or are we infused with it so it fills every portion of our being?

📖 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4


📖 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."  Matthew 12:30


📖  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 5:18-20

Maybe, it is important to have all 3!  It would make for a delicious roasted turkey to be stuffed, basted AND infused.
And I think it would make for a sweet, God honoring  Christian to have the Word IN, AROUND and THROUGH us!
May your Thanksgiving, your holiday season, each of your days....be stuffed, basted and infused with Christ Jesus and His holy word!

Today Is A Blessing

We celebrated one of our Thanksgivings this past Saturday. 🦃  We went around the table and each said what we were thankful for.  It was very nice; everyone said things that were sweet and wonderful to hear (we should do it at every dinner!)
I had thought of mine that morning during my "knee time" and of course a blog idea followed!

In the past week each of my children, while driving their vehicles, had what could be considered (especially by the Momma!) "close calls". Little things that could have easily been big things.
One had to swerve to avoid getting hit by a car that was leaving a driveway, another hit slush that pulled her into the opposite lane (thankfully with no on coming traffic), and the third, on his way to work, avoided several deer only to hit one shortly after.
I thank God that they were " little" things in light of some of the tragedies that have happened locally in the last several weeks. (There have been several fatal car accidents)
So I praise God for my kid's "almost accidents" knowing that it could have been way more serious. Have you heard people say "when it's your time, it's your time."?
And I guess I have to agree...though I always include "we still need to be smart and prudent with our choices and behavior!"😊

So I was grateful it wasn't their "time" and if you are reading this today I am grateful it hasn't been your's either!
But if our "time" hasn't yet come...why?  Is there a reason?
Well, as for me, I believe, if we wake up and have a whole new day in front of us...it isn't because we get to finish that project or that "to do list" or climb that work place ladder, get our Christmas shopping done, etc etc...though at times our gracious God allows us to do all those things and more....the most important reason we are here TODAY is to love and serve our Lord and Savior...in all those things and in everythings else we do.
He has more for us to do here!  For some that may seem a daunting idea.  But maybe it is not a BIG "take up your banner and lead a cause" sort of thing...and maybe it is. But what I do know is that it is  in how we live each day, in our daily lives, our jobs, our relationships or in the BIG that you might be called to do!

📖  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Colossians 3:23
We are called to "take up His banner.....our cross EVERY DAY" and follow Him.
📖 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?  Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:23-26


In all that we do, in every way that we behave, act and react; 
(these next verses were directed toward wives, but what if we look past the direct implication to a bigger picture)
📖  Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.       1 Peter 3:1-4

Those around us (especially those closest to us) who do not believe can be won over by our attitudes not our words!   You are here to love God and as we live that out, reflect Christ to others!

📖 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:36-39

With all we are and all we have ….Love like Christ....to the best of our ability Live like Christ

📖Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

We are here, right now, for a reason....

📖 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy

    and to walk humbly  with your God. Micah 6:8

Be humble enough to understand we are here to serve, how ever that looks for each of us! We are here for each other.

And when we are done our service here, how ever many days that may be, we will spend eternity with Christ who is seated at the right hand of His Father!

 📖   my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord    forever. Psalm 23:6

📖“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21

🙏 My prayer is; you count every day a blessing and go and...

  📖  Serve the Lord with gladness!    Come into his presence with singing!  Psalm 100:2

📖 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,...….. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15 

what can I bring

As we prepare for our weekly trek to church each Sunday (or what ever day of the week your church holds service) Or through out the week as you plan for your worship time at church, what thoughts go through your mind??
At our church  right now people ask "whose turn is it to speak this week?", as we are without a pastor right now and several of our deacon/elders rotate a speaking schedule.
Maybe "what are they going to talk about this week?"
Do you wonder what songs will be played and sung?
Do we ever go so far as to wonder who else is going to be there?
All legitimate questions...all asked, at least in my head at one time or another....and that is ok....unless it is taking your thoughts to places they maybe shouldn't go!
Because they affect how we enter our worship.
It is not about who is speaking or what translation is being used as long as it is the Holy Bible inspired by the living God

God breathed

It doesn't matter the song list; old hymns, gospel or contemporary, live, CD, a cappella or no music at all.

Because it isn't about what is there waiting for you....it is  about what YOU BRING with you!
Whether it is your style of music or not, most of the music was written as the author's worship, it may not be our particular genre, but we can honor the writers wish to worship our Savior.

It may not be the translation you prefer BUT it is the Word of God.
You get my point.
those things can distract you from actual worship and your part in it.
WE have our part in the service;

First of all

we have to BE THERE!
we can't "bring to the service" if we don't show up at all!  We can't bring to the rest of the Body if our presence is missing.
📖 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25

📖 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying,  then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,  do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Romans 12:4-8

Once you are there BE ENGAGED: mind, body, and soul.

Eyes, ears, mouth and heart!

Look and take notice of those around you, who may need a smile, a hug.  A small job that may need to be done, (garbage emptied, trash on the floor, trash in a pew)

Listen to the words, to the music, the scripture that is read, the message that is shared

Open your mouth, to sing, to pray, to praise and to share as the spirit leads.
Your heart needs to be humbled and open to the movement and prompts of the Holy Spirit

We all respond differently to the Holy Spirit, but we ALL have the ability/opportunity to be moved by it.
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
 and extol him with music and song. Psalm 95:1-2

Come, let us bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;

for he is our God
 and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.  Psalm 95:6-7

I will praise you as long as I live,

    and in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:4

So the questions running through your mind while preparing to come to service aren't "I wonder who is speaking today?"  "I wonder what the music will be" "Who is or isn't going to be there?" 

but instead;

"What am I bringing to the service today?"  "What am I bringing to the others today?"

📖 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:9:18

📖 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:13-16

So what are YOU bringing to church this week?!