Creating a blog as an asset to my website has been an interesting and fun (I think) project, but I have been mulling around in my mind the idea of moving my work directly onto my website pages. So, my next piece will be found at http://www.scrapbookingideasinspired.com/christian_scrapbooking_pages.html.
I will endeavor to have the next page up by Sunday evening. Thanks so much and hope to see you on the other side.
As always, please feel free to check out these pages I have already done on blogspot and tell your friends.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
A New Heaven and Earth
http://www.scrapbookingideasinspired.com/religious_scrapbooking.html
"Lift up your eyes to the sky, then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment, and it's inhabitants will die in like manner, but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not wane." (Isaiah 51:6)
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea." (Revelation 21:1)
Recently my husband and I sat through an astronomy meeting and we got to hear about the Big Bang theory and the Expansion theory. It was quite interesting. However the Big Bang occurred, it was supposed to have happened around 13 billion years ago. As time goes in space, that would be 13 billion light years ago. Now, it is one theory at least that our universe is expanding. Over time, that expanding will eventually pull everything further and further away until even everything that makes everything what it is, no longer exists either. What started out hot turns deathly cold.
Now, I am no scientist and so reiterating this would not be in any scientific lingo. But, I couldn't help consider what the scriptures had to say about the future of our planet and all who dwell on it.
It seems to me that in a way, those math bound theorists could well be right, to a degree. Where they leave off, though, the scriptures expound further. The rest of Revelation 21, verses 2 through 5 read
"And I saw a holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people and God Himself shall be among them,
and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes: and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I shall make all things new." (Revelation 1:2-5).
Indeed, God's plan is to make all things new. That newness is now in the hearts of all those who have believed, a salvation that is forever.
"Lift up your eyes to the sky, then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment, and it's inhabitants will die in like manner, but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not wane." (Isaiah 51:6)
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea." (Revelation 21:1)
Recently my husband and I sat through an astronomy meeting and we got to hear about the Big Bang theory and the Expansion theory. It was quite interesting. However the Big Bang occurred, it was supposed to have happened around 13 billion years ago. As time goes in space, that would be 13 billion light years ago. Now, it is one theory at least that our universe is expanding. Over time, that expanding will eventually pull everything further and further away until even everything that makes everything what it is, no longer exists either. What started out hot turns deathly cold.
Now, I am no scientist and so reiterating this would not be in any scientific lingo. But, I couldn't help consider what the scriptures had to say about the future of our planet and all who dwell on it.
It seems to me that in a way, those math bound theorists could well be right, to a degree. Where they leave off, though, the scriptures expound further. The rest of Revelation 21, verses 2 through 5 read
"And I saw a holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people and God Himself shall be among them,
and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes: and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I shall make all things new." (Revelation 1:2-5).
Indeed, God's plan is to make all things new. That newness is now in the hearts of all those who have believed, a salvation that is forever.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The Shadow of Death
http://www.scrapbookingideasinspired.com/religious_scrapbooking.html
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me." (Psalm 23:4-5)
"For the perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will put on immortality, then will come the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." 'O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, who gave us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15: 53-57).
Death - sounds so final, and for our mortal lives, our bodies as we know them now, it is. But, for the believer, it is only the end of this life and the door through which we will literally enter eternity.
The sting of death is sin and the power of sin (in our lives) is the law. Death came into our world through mankind's turning away from their Creator. This is referred to as disobedience and what ultimately brings the world into judgment.
Of course, we feel the sting of death with every loved one who eventually goes that way. In a very real sense, from the day we are all born, we have that shadow of death to follow us all through our lives.
But thanks be to God, who gave us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. For Christ was born to die in humanity's stead, the shadow of the cross that fell across his manger bed. For those who die in Christ will live again.
When Adam and Eve turned from God in the garden, when they disobeyed and sin came into the picture, long before their bodies were laid into the ground, they died spiritually. This is why to be born again is spiritual. It is a choice, a gift offered to us through our Lord's atoning death that we may know a spiritual life, where Holy Spirit communicates with our spirit, a testament to belonging to our Father in heaven.
Have you been born again? Do you personally know Jesus as Lord and Savior?
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me." (Psalm 23:4-5)
"For the perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will put on immortality, then will come the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." 'O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, who gave us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15: 53-57).
Death - sounds so final, and for our mortal lives, our bodies as we know them now, it is. But, for the believer, it is only the end of this life and the door through which we will literally enter eternity.
The sting of death is sin and the power of sin (in our lives) is the law. Death came into our world through mankind's turning away from their Creator. This is referred to as disobedience and what ultimately brings the world into judgment.
Of course, we feel the sting of death with every loved one who eventually goes that way. In a very real sense, from the day we are all born, we have that shadow of death to follow us all through our lives.
But thanks be to God, who gave us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. For Christ was born to die in humanity's stead, the shadow of the cross that fell across his manger bed. For those who die in Christ will live again.
When Adam and Eve turned from God in the garden, when they disobeyed and sin came into the picture, long before their bodies were laid into the ground, they died spiritually. This is why to be born again is spiritual. It is a choice, a gift offered to us through our Lord's atoning death that we may know a spiritual life, where Holy Spirit communicates with our spirit, a testament to belonging to our Father in heaven.
Have you been born again? Do you personally know Jesus as Lord and Savior?
Monday, January 10, 2011
Forgiving Grace
http://www.scrapbookingideasinspired.com/religious_scrapbooking.html
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASV)
No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed (Jesus Christ) abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John 3:9 (NASV)
What do I see
You draggin up here
Is that for your atoning?
I know you're sorry
I've seen your tears
You don't have to show Me
What makes you think you must
Make that go away
I forgot
When I forgave
I wish you would
Just come in...(Margaret Becker)
The Christian is no more perfect than the non-Christian. You were forgiven when you first gave your life to Christ. Some of us gave our hearts to Jesus as children while others later on. Regardless, once you have, according to the scriptures, the believer cannot "practice" or continue in sin on a daily basis anymore because of the Spirit of Christ in him. I think this is the meaning of 1 John 3:9. Yet, we do sin. We may even have besetting sins in our lives of which we need to overcome. 1 John 1:9 is considered the Christian's bar of soap...If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God knows the hearts of men and He knows what is in our hearts and minds when we come to Him. To His children, He is saying, just come in. Stop dragging around the guilt of past sin. Claim the victory that is yours in Christ Jesus.
How do you feel? Do you feel like running to the cross, or from it? If you feel drawn to the Lord, this is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If you feel you cannot come to the cross, then it is the devil using your weaknesses and fears to try to drive you away from the Father. Resist the devil and he will flee.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASV)
No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed (Jesus Christ) abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John 3:9 (NASV)
What do I see
You draggin up here
Is that for your atoning?
I know you're sorry
I've seen your tears
You don't have to show Me
What makes you think you must
Make that go away
I forgot
When I forgave
I wish you would
Just come in...(Margaret Becker)
The Christian is no more perfect than the non-Christian. You were forgiven when you first gave your life to Christ. Some of us gave our hearts to Jesus as children while others later on. Regardless, once you have, according to the scriptures, the believer cannot "practice" or continue in sin on a daily basis anymore because of the Spirit of Christ in him. I think this is the meaning of 1 John 3:9. Yet, we do sin. We may even have besetting sins in our lives of which we need to overcome. 1 John 1:9 is considered the Christian's bar of soap...If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God knows the hearts of men and He knows what is in our hearts and minds when we come to Him. To His children, He is saying, just come in. Stop dragging around the guilt of past sin. Claim the victory that is yours in Christ Jesus.
How do you feel? Do you feel like running to the cross, or from it? If you feel drawn to the Lord, this is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If you feel you cannot come to the cross, then it is the devil using your weaknesses and fears to try to drive you away from the Father. Resist the devil and he will flee.
Monday, January 3, 2011
God Bless The Children
http://www.scrapbookingideasinspired.com/religious_scrapbooking.html
"And He called a child to Himself and stood him in their midst, and said, Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea." Matthew 18:2-6
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 18:10.
It is said that children are a gift from God. They are so precious in His sight that to even enter the Kingdom, you must have a heart like that of a child. Why is that? I imagine it is because children generally have not developed hardened hearts. It is easier for a child to have faith, to have belief than for an adult. They are not weighed down by everyday life. That is unless something has happened to them to change all that.
The Lord even warns against causing one of these children who believe in Him to stumble. Nobody is perfect. But, the truth is children are growing up in a world of questionable values and one in which the Antichrist spirit is becoming more and more powerful. It is the parents responsibility to raise their children and faith starts in the home. All this concern over prayer taken out of school as far as I see it does not have to hurt your child if he or she knows that believing in God and in particular being a Christian is acceptable in the home.
Ever wonder how it is some people come to reject Christ? I think that in some cases it has to do with a troubled childhood. I'm not saying it's an excuse. Most parents probably respect it if their child believes in God but some may not. In some countries children when they become Christian, the family literally throws them out.
There is a saying "It takes a village to raise a child." While the decisions a child may make start at home, can and is often further molded in the village beyond the home. It is a major responsibility to care for a child. Even if the parents don't believe in God or specifically Christ Jesus, they ought to support their children's right to make up their own minds. That at the very least means not purposefully dissuading them or otherwise causing them to stumble.
Lastly, some people believe that angels serve as protectors of humankind. As we were all once children, I might believe that because of the last verse which also shows the love God has for children in that each one has his or her own angel in the presence of the Father.
"And He called a child to Himself and stood him in their midst, and said, Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea." Matthew 18:2-6
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 18:10.
It is said that children are a gift from God. They are so precious in His sight that to even enter the Kingdom, you must have a heart like that of a child. Why is that? I imagine it is because children generally have not developed hardened hearts. It is easier for a child to have faith, to have belief than for an adult. They are not weighed down by everyday life. That is unless something has happened to them to change all that.
The Lord even warns against causing one of these children who believe in Him to stumble. Nobody is perfect. But, the truth is children are growing up in a world of questionable values and one in which the Antichrist spirit is becoming more and more powerful. It is the parents responsibility to raise their children and faith starts in the home. All this concern over prayer taken out of school as far as I see it does not have to hurt your child if he or she knows that believing in God and in particular being a Christian is acceptable in the home.
Ever wonder how it is some people come to reject Christ? I think that in some cases it has to do with a troubled childhood. I'm not saying it's an excuse. Most parents probably respect it if their child believes in God but some may not. In some countries children when they become Christian, the family literally throws them out.
There is a saying "It takes a village to raise a child." While the decisions a child may make start at home, can and is often further molded in the village beyond the home. It is a major responsibility to care for a child. Even if the parents don't believe in God or specifically Christ Jesus, they ought to support their children's right to make up their own minds. That at the very least means not purposefully dissuading them or otherwise causing them to stumble.
Lastly, some people believe that angels serve as protectors of humankind. As we were all once children, I might believe that because of the last verse which also shows the love God has for children in that each one has his or her own angel in the presence of the Father.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Holy Spirit
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (John 14:26).
http://www.scrapbookingideasinspired.com/religious_scrapbooking.html
When we think about what we cannot see, we often use what we can see to help describe it. In this case, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, biblically can be described in terms of fire, water, oil, a dove of peace, the wind, and the wax seal of a King.
Matthew 28:19 says "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,..."
Many a letter either has a salutation or ends with something like "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14).
God is said to be Spirit, not man or woman.
Let's take a closer look at the symbols that have come to represent the Holy Spirit.
Fire is a popular representative of the Holy Spirit. We have the tongues of fire that appeared on the disciples heads on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3) and looking back into the Old Testament, we also have in Exodus 3:2 the burning bush on Mount Sinai from which God spoke to Moses. During the Exodus, the people of God were led by a pillar of fire at night, also called the Shekinah glory. Fire calls attention to the strength and force of the Holy Spirit.
Water is symbolic of birth and life. From the perspective of faith, it shows the cleansing and life-giving action of the Holy Spirit at baptism. As the person is lowered into the water, they have symbolically died to the old life and as they come back up, they are raised to the new life. This is symbolic because it is a picture of what has already occurred in the heart of the believer.
The cloud is also used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit because clouds provide life-giving water. In the Old Testament, God often leads his people with a cloud (by day) or appears to them in a cloud. (Exodus 16:10).
Anointing with oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit's uniting us with Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One. (Acts 10:38; 1 John 2:20-27).
The dove is an excepted symbol of the Holy Spirit because at Jesus' baptism when Jesus saw "the Spirit", he likened it to a dove, descending upon him." (Mark 1:10). The other three gospel writers use similar wording to describe this event.
In instruction to followers, as we are admonished to be "wise as serpents" we are also instructed to be "as gentle as doves."
The Holy Spirit is also represented by wind. The original Hebrew and Greek words for "Spirit" can also be translated as "wind." I like the conversation that goes on between Jesus and Nicodemus. This was the passage I struggled with before making my own personal decision to follow Christ.
Starting with John 3:3, Jesus replies to Nicodemus, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time int his mother's womb and be born can he?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:3-8).
Again, the wind that appeared on Pentecost (Acts 2:2) was reminiscent of the wind that blew over the waters at the beginning of Creation. (Genesis 1:2).
Finally, official documents in the past (Nehemiah 9:38, Esther 8:8), and documents today, were sealed with hot wax. An imprint was made on the wax with official seal of the person (in the past, often a King), sending the document. In a similar way, we are "sealed" by the Holy Spirit to show that we are forever part of God's family. (Song of Solomon 8:6; John 6:27).
One last thought...I heard my maternal grandmother once exclaim that no one can really understand the scriptures the way they needed to be understood unless they had the Holy Spirit. Just something to think about.
These are the common ways in which the third person of the Godhead is referred. If you were to draw a representation of the Holy Spirit, what would it look like?
When we think about what we cannot see, we often use what we can see to help describe it. In this case, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, biblically can be described in terms of fire, water, oil, a dove of peace, the wind, and the wax seal of a King.
Matthew 28:19 says "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,..."
Many a letter either has a salutation or ends with something like "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14).
God is said to be Spirit, not man or woman.
Let's take a closer look at the symbols that have come to represent the Holy Spirit.
Fire is a popular representative of the Holy Spirit. We have the tongues of fire that appeared on the disciples heads on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3) and looking back into the Old Testament, we also have in Exodus 3:2 the burning bush on Mount Sinai from which God spoke to Moses. During the Exodus, the people of God were led by a pillar of fire at night, also called the Shekinah glory. Fire calls attention to the strength and force of the Holy Spirit.
Water is symbolic of birth and life. From the perspective of faith, it shows the cleansing and life-giving action of the Holy Spirit at baptism. As the person is lowered into the water, they have symbolically died to the old life and as they come back up, they are raised to the new life. This is symbolic because it is a picture of what has already occurred in the heart of the believer.
The cloud is also used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit because clouds provide life-giving water. In the Old Testament, God often leads his people with a cloud (by day) or appears to them in a cloud. (Exodus 16:10).
Anointing with oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit's uniting us with Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One. (Acts 10:38; 1 John 2:20-27).
The dove is an excepted symbol of the Holy Spirit because at Jesus' baptism when Jesus saw "the Spirit", he likened it to a dove, descending upon him." (Mark 1:10). The other three gospel writers use similar wording to describe this event.
In instruction to followers, as we are admonished to be "wise as serpents" we are also instructed to be "as gentle as doves."
The Holy Spirit is also represented by wind. The original Hebrew and Greek words for "Spirit" can also be translated as "wind." I like the conversation that goes on between Jesus and Nicodemus. This was the passage I struggled with before making my own personal decision to follow Christ.
Starting with John 3:3, Jesus replies to Nicodemus, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time int his mother's womb and be born can he?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:3-8).
Again, the wind that appeared on Pentecost (Acts 2:2) was reminiscent of the wind that blew over the waters at the beginning of Creation. (Genesis 1:2).
Finally, official documents in the past (Nehemiah 9:38, Esther 8:8), and documents today, were sealed with hot wax. An imprint was made on the wax with official seal of the person (in the past, often a King), sending the document. In a similar way, we are "sealed" by the Holy Spirit to show that we are forever part of God's family. (Song of Solomon 8:6; John 6:27).
One last thought...I heard my maternal grandmother once exclaim that no one can really understand the scriptures the way they needed to be understood unless they had the Holy Spirit. Just something to think about.
These are the common ways in which the third person of the Godhead is referred. If you were to draw a representation of the Holy Spirit, what would it look like?
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The Arm Wrestle
I was a freshman in high school and it was the last class of the day. One of the guys challenged me to an arm wrestle. I took his challenge since I had been taking dance class and those arm isometrics were a daily part of our routine. Most of the time, especially today, I would never win these things. I would have that day and did, at least by default. What happened? The guys friends jumped in and helped him beat me. To them it was better I won by default than by actuality. Yet, I am pretty sure I would have got it. So what is the point of this little story?
The world hates weakness. Yet, God uses the weak to confound the strong, the foolish to shame the wise. We live in a world where women are considered the weaker sex. In ways we are. Yet, still, we are stronger than we seem, even to ourselves.
In the time of the Judges, Deborah instructed a man named Barak to lead the army of Israel against a tyrant by the name of Jabin. Barak, for whatever reason, was scared and would not go unless Deborah would go with him. Deborah conceded with one warning or prophecy...for Barak, there would not be any glory for him in this battle. While Israel would indeed conquer this enemy, God would allow a woman to kill Sisera, the leader of Jabin's army. That woman was Jael. Read more about it in Judges 4:1-23.
It dawned on me the other day as I thought about the verses in scripture that restrict how a woman in the church can serve God. We do not all fall into the traditional roles of womanhood nice and neat, obviously. 1 Corinthians 1:27 says, "but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong." (NASV).
In many Christian homes, it seems often to be the women to have to step up and set the example for their children (of those who have children), yet it is given to the man to be the "spiritual" leader of the household. If it is not right for women to do the leading, than it is only because the men have somehow abdicated their own place. Should the children be left in darkness because the leader refuses to lead?
Yet, sometimes God does choose a woman, the weaker vessel, to make his point in the world. In some parts of the world it seems to be a crime to be female. Perhaps it is because women are perceived as weak (or they are blamed for the weaknesses of some men) that they are chastised. But again, it is weakness and those things which seem foolish that are hated in the world. Survival of the fittest? Yet, ironically, God continues to use the foolish, the weak, to glorify His name.
So, what are your thoughts about God and the role of women; the weak and the foolish?
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