Joshua – Yahweh Delivered…Be strong and courageous

I had the great opportunity to witness my Dad being ordained as an elder at North Oldham Baptist Church last Sunday. The pastor, Rob Gibson preached on a verse in Joshua 24:31

Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, and had known all the deeds of the LORD which He had done for Israel.

The congregation was encouraged to read through Joshua and to see the great promises of God and the outcome seen in this book. The first thirteen chapters you see the continued conquering of the nations around Israel’s promise land with the capture and killing of the people. Once in Chapter 13 you see the people are finally in the promised land and it is being divided among the nations. From chapter 1:6-10:25 you see the phrase Be strong and courageous used five times. This is God’s reminder to His CHOSEN people that they have not been forgotten and the land will be theirs. In chapter 21:43-45 you see expressly God’s covenantal promise come to pass:

So the LORD gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed and lived in it. And the LORD gave rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all of their enemies stood before them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.

I do not know how a Christian can overlook this simple statement  “all came to pass” without realizing the awe and reverance we are to give to our PERFECT Savior. I was curious to know what the word Joshua meant, Yahweh Delivered…He most certainly did and still does!

Part A is marrying Part B…replacing the words Bride and Groom on marriage licenses

I need to publish some of my own stuff here sometime soon. I will get back around to writing more. I finished the book, The Sovereignty of God today! It only took me five months to read and intake the book. Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Seminary posted a great article today on his blog. It is written in response to an article that can be found on the New York Times website. It discusses the availability of gay marriage in Massachusetts and how it has changed the ways that gays view “commitment.” I strongly urge you to go read Dr. Mohler’s article and the one at the NYT. I will warn you that Mohler’s is a much quicker read than the other – one page to the other’s ten. I didn’t realize how many gay couples had gotten married since marriage was legalized there. Some 700 couples have tied the knot.

Modesty…more really is better!

It is nearing the time of year that I most dislike and love at the same time. The reason: women in general think that spring/summer is a time to wear a whole lot less clothes and that it is not a problem. It is very disheartening to walk around and see what clothes people have on or lack of clothes. It is an outward symbol of an inward need – to be loved and respected! Unfortunately, they are lacking the truth about “how” to get that love and respect in a God honoring way. I personally strive and know many other godly woman do as well to wear things that are modest. The task is not the easiest with the fashions set forward by society, but it is doable and important.

Mary Mohler has an article on the SBTS website discussing the reasons why modesty is so crucial to a young girl and how that impacts the way she chooses to dress and carry herself once into adulthood. Too often parents do not invoke any rules for their daughters about dress from a young age and a battle can occur into the teenage years. It is about twelve pages long, but the type is large and the read is easy.

Girltalk also has a blog post about the importance of modesty. Included is a heart check that seeks out the motives of “why” you wear what you wear. This year’s post also has a few shopping ideas as well!

The Rebelution website written by two men Alex and Brett Harris, put out an interesting “modesty survey.” It is interesting if you have the time to look and read what men had to say about different things that woman wear. They surveyed many young men about all kinds of dress of young woman from t-shirts to bathing suits.

In saying all of this being fashionable is OK. I like clothes and fashion like the rest of us, BUT it needs to be tasteful and not the NUMBER ONE priority of our lives.  God has called us to live our lives to glorify Him in all that we do…that includes our dress!

1 Timothy 2:9 -10

 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

 

Really…are you a man or a woman???…and some Oprahism…

Society is embracing the choices people make that differ from the way they were born. Sex changes, cross dressing and so on…well I found a really disturbing article posted on  The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood(CBMW). It is about a “couple” in Oregon who are having a baby. Problem? The “man” is carrying the child because the woman is unable. This “man” was born a  woman. Take the time to go read the article, it will enlighten you to the depravity we are encountering today.

Also, it is rather frustrating to see this gain media attention to the level it has. The Oprah show had this couple on and were just going on and on about how it was so “awesome” about a MAN having a baby. That is not what is happening at all. IT is a woman masquerading as a man who is having a baby. The Oprah show is like a beacon to the lost. It draws people in and gives them a false sense of hope. Talk to your neighbors and people around you and it will become apparent how much she influences the everyday lives of Americans. People ascribe to “Oprah” the respect, honor and time that the one, true God is due!

1 Peter…

One of my goals this year was to study through some books in the Bible I had not studied intently. Lately, I have been reading through 1 Peter. The theme of the book is one of encouragement for those enduring a time of suffering. The passages throughout remind the reader that our suffering here on earth is “momentary” and “light” and “temporary.” Some of my favorite verses found in 1 Peter are:

1 Peter 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 2:13

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human insitution, whether to a king as the one in authority.

 1 Peter3:8-9

To sum up all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

These are just a few verses that I have found to be encouraging and a great reminder of the”blessing” and “sacrifice” of our Savior!

Guys vs. Girls shopping adventures

I was reading a blog written by Kevin Shipp. It is posted on the CBMW website- Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. It is written about the difference between shopping for clothes as a girl or a guy. It is rather interesting. Enjoy!

A “startling” start to my day…Earthquake!!!

5:35 am – A sleeping Allison with her alarm set for 7am

5:36 am – A very startled, confused, disoriented, not wanting to be awake Allison

5:37am – what is happening at my house? I sit up and finally realize that we are experiencing an earthquake!

Crazy! It was a 5.4 magnitude and it hit about forty six miles west of Evansville, IN. I was wide awake at that point and eventually decided to go back to bed. It was funny at 8am this morning the local news station had not switched to national news. They were still going over the same thing that was being said at 6am. To those who live in California we must look like complete loons for all the media coverage. I do hope we do not experience any aftershocks or more anytime soon.  Anyway, back to the monotony of life…and hopefully back to my boring old alarm clock!

 

Q. What is the chief end of man?

A.  Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever

This is the first question in the Westminster Larger Catechism. It is easy to forget our “chief end” in life is to GLORIFY our Lord in EVERYTHING that we do.

Romans 11:36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 1 Corinthians 10:31. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

The second part is completely left by some, “to enjoy him forever.” Yes, we are to ENJOY our Savior and “Glory in our Redeemer.”

Psalm 73:24-28. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

John 17:21-23. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Just a few thoughts…I have been more than a little lax in posting. Working on some job stuff and preparing for surgery here in the next couple of weeks. Here are a few A.W. Pink quotes from the chapter on Sovereignty of God in Prayer.

That things happen whether a man prays or not is exemplified daily in the lives of the unregenerate, most of whom never pray at all…Again, that other things will happen if he prays, is also true in repsect to the subjective benefits derived from prayer: God will become more real to him and His promises more precious. That other thinsgs ‘ will not happen if he does not pray’ is true so far as his own life is concerned – a prayerless life means a life lived out of communion with God and all that is involved by this. But to affirm that God will not and cannot bring to pass His eternal purposes unless we pray, is utterly erroneous, for the same God  who has decreed the end has also decreed that His end shall be reached through His appointed means, and on of these is prayer.The God who has determined to grant a blessing, also gives a spirit of supplication which first seeks the blessing. (Page 167 first paragraph)

Some snippets of truth…

This week has been a little different and the only way to post about it requires a list (I love lists)

• ~Josh and I went to Bernheim Forest on Sunday afternoon and that was a beautiful place to hike! It was so nice to just be together for a whole day and not have to rush to work (me) and school or work for him. I suggest you go check it out if you live in the Bardstown/Louisville area. It is free on the weekdays and only five dollars per carload on the weekend. The trails are marked well and are rated for difficulty from easy to difficult.
• ~I found out last Friday that my nerves were in tact as well as my muscles in my shoulder. That is a huge answer to prayer. I still have to have shoulder surgery here in the next couple of weeks, but they will only have a labral tear to fix. Having messed up nerves is just a little more complicated!
• ~I am still reading the A.W. Pink book – The Sovereignty of God – love it! I may finish this book before the end of the year (started reading it in January)…we’ll see! Some quotes that really reasonate about The Sovereignty of God in Human Will ( one of the chapter’s in the book)…

In order for a sinner to be saved three things were indispensable: God the Father had to purpose his salvation, God the Son had to purchase it, God the Spirit had to apply it. God does more than “propose” to us: were He only to “invite”, every lasat one of us would be lost. (Page 139)

The sinner’s will is enslaved because it is in bondage to and is the servant of a depraved heart. (Page 135)

Adam was created in a state of innocency, but not in a state of holiness, as it is often assumed and asserted…there was no constraining bias in him toward either good or evil, as as such, Adam differed radically from all his descendants…

The sinner is born with a will that is not in a condition of moral equipoise, because in him there is a heart that is “decietful above all things and desperately wicked,” and this gives him a bias towards evil.

The Lord Jesus Christ could not sin because He was the “Holy One of God”…The will of the Lord Jesus was biased towards that which is good because, side by side with His sinless, holy, perfect humanity, was His eternal diety.            (Page 134-135)

• ~I absolutely have enjoyed reading this book and challenging my brain to think about the Doctrine of Election and the process of God’s sovereignty. I by no means understand it all, but enjoy reading and getting to ask questions and search the scriptures for further study!
• ~I have been spoiled this week with time to accomplish many tasks that have been ”waiting” for me to focus my attention upon them. It feels great to complete things and have them out of my court and into somebody else’s! 
• ~I have been reading in James. It discusses the tongue and the wise use of our speech. Today in Chapter 4 :7-10 it gives a clear directive of how to draw near to God:

1.  Submit yourselves therefore to God,
2. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
3. Cleanse your hands,  you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
4. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.
5. Humble yourselves int he presence of the Lord,and He will exalt you

• ~Lastly, in following the last thought about taming the tongue take the time to go read an article at C.J Mahaney’s view from the cheapseats, C.J, Mahaney’s blog. It talks about wive’ and their husband/pastor’s in ministry and how to handle the tough situation of helping your husband when he is critized. Well written and quite an important topic to be discussed and covered.