Tag Archives: Christian

Stop and Think

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Dear Christian, stop and think before you move forward.

I have wondered why followers of Jesus of Nazareth will cross over sunset to sunset, day in and day out, making decisions, but forget to stop, think, pray, and test the spirit in a situation.

“My loved ones, I warn you: do not trust (believe, agree with) every spirit (everyone, every person, everyone who claims to have something good for you, everyone who claims to follow God).

Instead, examine them carefully (pray, test them, weigh and examine what they tell you) to determine if they come from God (or come from something else, not everyone who talks about God actually comes from God),

because the world is (corrupt and) filled with the voices of many false prophets (people who lie, people who give false statements, false testimony, false teachers, lying preachers).”  1 John 4:1

Why are people more afraid of what other people think of them (at work, church, clubs, community, family) than they are concerned with what Father God thinks about a situation?

The devil is deceitful.

The devil will try every which way to deceive people into following him.

He lures them into opening a door or window in their life for his demons (and people filled with his demons), to enter.

The devil wants you to trust him (or trust someone or something he has set up) for something you need.

He is Santa (s a t a n) with a big red bag of tricks and lots of elves (demons, ‘hel’pers) at his beck and call.  He knows all about you.  He roams the universe.  He roams back and forth through the heights of heaven to the earth looking for the people he can deceive.

“Keep your mind clear, and be alert (be watchful, be sober, be vigilant, self disciplined, temperate, on guard, spiritually awake). Your opponent (enemy) the devil (the accuser) is prowling around (walking about) like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour (trick, attack, surprise, deceive, defeat, catch, swallow, eat, trap).”1 Peter 5:8

Be careful what you wish (hope) for dear brothers and sisters.

It looks good.  It looks innocent.  It might smell and taste good.  It might push you closer to achieving your goals.  It might bring in money.  It might result in people looking up to you. It might fill your every dream.

But understand this, everything the devil gives you has a price.  Like credit, you get it now and he collects on it later.

The devil makes wishes come true for the price of tormenting and trapping your soul.

So what can you do?

One step you can take that will make a big difference is praying to Father God and asking him about a situation and whether or not you should participate.

Another step you can take is research.  Look closer.  Ask these questions:

Who is making the offer?

What is their character?

Who is their god?

What are the possible outcomes of agreeing to the task or working with them?

Is this a distraction or could it become a distraction?

The bible says that because of the pure sacrifice of Jesus of Nazareth who full-filled the law, all things are permissible (except blaspheming the holy spirit), but not all things are beneficial.

Jesus of Nazareth, Yahusha HaMeshiac, pointed out many things that are not beneficial:

trusting in other gods

having other loves or idols

money

following traditions of men

disobedience of the 10 commandments (He came to full-fill the law, but He did not do away with the law)

divorce

self preservation

self determination

lack of charity

and more

Test the spirit and ask the hard questions.

How will this situation benefit the kingdom of God?

How will this situation benefit your relationship with God?

If after taking time to pray and research a situation (a task or relationship), and you don’t see how it will be beneficial in your relationship with Father God, then it would be better to walk away than to proceed.

Take time to stop and think.

Pray and seek the Father, from sunset to sunset.  Trust Him and allow Him to lead the way each and everyday. 

Be wise and be blessed!

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Josefina Story Quilt Study Guide Progeny Press Review

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We were recently sent a fun study guide to review from Progeny Press called The Josefina Story Quilt – eGuide.

The Josefina Story Quilt – eGuide

Downloadable PDF Study Guide

34 Pages

Grades 1-3

Retails $11.99 e-book (or CD).

This study guide is 34 pages and is designed for kids in 1st through 3rd grades.   The study guide goes along with the book called The Josefina Story Quilt.  The study guide is available for $11.99 as a PDF download, or as a CD on the Progeny Press website.  The reader book is also available for $3.99 on the Progeny Press website, bookstores, and may be available to borrow in your local library.

Table of Contents

  • Note to Instructor
  • Synopsis (summary of the story)
  • About the Author
  • Background Information
  • Before-you-read Activities
  • Vocabulary
  • Looking at the Story: Part One
  • Looking at the Story: Part Two
  • Dig Deeper
  • Crossword Puzzle Review
  • Activities, Arts, and Crafts
  • Suggestions For Further Reading
  • Answer Key

Examples of Study Guide Pages:

Our Experience:

We received the downloadable PDF version of the study guide (e-study guide) for the purpose of this review.  I printed it and put it into a three ring binder.  We were expected to acquire the reader book on our own.  I purchased the book The Josefina Story Quilt from the Progeny Press website for $3.99 plus shipping.

This story is about a young girl named Faith and her pet chicken named Josefina. Her family is moving to California by covered wagon in 1850.  Her father wants her to leave her pet chicken behind, but she convinces the family to let her bring the chicken with them.  The main characters are Faith, Josefina, Pa, Ma, and brother Adam.

The story follows Faith’s family’s journey on the wagon train. While on the journey, Josefina stayed in a cage at the back of the wagon, but on the times Faith let her out, usually big trouble ensued and Faith’s father is ready to get rid of the chicken. But he eventually becomes fond of the chicken after she begins laying eggs and acted as a watchdog to scare away robbers on the trail in the middle of the night.  The family goes through a lot of hardships on the trail including running out of food and water and faced many dangers.

While on the journey, Faith is tasked with making quilt squares that will later become a quilt that keeps the family warm, and the quilt also retells a story with fond memories. Faith decides to make the quilt squares about the journey with her pet chicken.  She makes a quilt square wagon wheel patch, and another for an egg patch.  On the journey she makes over 15+ quilt squares and then she made one for a pine tree to remember where she had to bury her pet chicken after she died.  Though it took a long time, maybe six months or more, eventually the family makes it to their new destination.  When Faith has finished her patches and has enough to make a quilt, her family pitches in and helps her make a blanket quilt for her bed to remember the story of their journey.  From that night forward, every night she sleeps under her Josefina Story Quilt.

Though the story book does not have a Christian focus, the study guide questions use a Christian perspective in evaluating the story.  Kids are encouraged to read bible scriptures and relate them to the events and characters in the story and there is a lot of room to write out their answers as they ponder these ideas.  They are also encouraged to use a dictionary and look up new words. Before you begin there is a map activity and questions about what you might take with you if you were on the wagon train, and a short encyclopedia look-up activity. There is vocabulary multiple choice questions and a word scramble and crossword puzzle.

In addition to reading the book and answering the study guide questions and cross word puzzle, my daughter enjoyed the few suggested activities in the study guide. She enjoyed homemade bread (we purchased locally made homemade bread as it was too hot to bake our own), and she made an art project creating paper quilt squares.

On her own, she also role played and retold the story to me with her Legos.  She had a wagon (her brother later dismantled), a bird (for Josefina), a girl (for Faith), boy, mom, dad, and two robbers.

Final Thoughts

For the purpose of this review, I had my daughter review this study guide with me.  She enjoyed this experience.  She enjoyed the bible study and crossword puzzle, but said she wished there were some more hands on activities in the study guide.  Also the suggestions to further the learning are additional books you can read about the time period.  Though we appreciated the book list, it was not super exciting for her as she would also prefered more hands on activities related to the book and time period.  She would have liked more opportunities to learn further and I plan to put more activities together for her.

There is a lot of writing practice scattered through out the study guide and many of the writing activities seemed more relevant for an older student rather than a 1st – 3rd grader.  However the story book itself was right for the listed age range.  I would say, given that this study guide was produced in 1995, and costs $12 plus buying the book $4 (so at least a $16+ or more investment), that updating the material and activity suggestions would be a good idea.

We plan to revisit this again with our American History studies in the fall.  My plan is to use the book and study guide along with my daughter to teach this story to her younger brothers.  She is practicing some teaching and helping skills and this will be a great book and guide to practice her skills with.

When we revisit this study guide in the fall with all three of the younger kids, we plan to turn it into a unit study.  We will take more time to learn about the history of the Wagon Trains that went Westward, do a lot more arts and crafts, and do science activities about breeds of chickens, learn more about eggs, learn about feathers, mix up some homemade bird food perhaps looking in the yard or a field for grass seeds and things birds can eat, caring for horses, oxen (caring for cows), practice hand sewing projects, and take a field trip to visit a hands on historical farm and a museum.  We will also do some campfire activities outdoors in the back yard when it cools off this fall, and some baking of historical recipes, but it has been too hot this summer to do those.  We may also study the night sky and study the moon and stars.  I found some free resources online to go along with the book and study guide to create a lap book.  I will print those out and get some folders to make the lap books.  My kids love making lap books so this will be a great way to further the learning.  I think my daughter might want to make her own story quilt to use for her bed in the future.

I was looking forward to doing this review because we enjoyed reviewing Sam The Minute Man study guide from Progeny Press a few years ago.  I am cautious about what books we choose to review, so many have pagan and heretic ideals, and there are many to choose from that don’t meet our requirements.  I don’t think you can view wizards, sorcery, reanimating the dead, magic, trans-humanism, gods and goddesses, pagan rituals, and aliens (that are really demons and fallen angels as they are noted in the bible) with a positive Christian spin, that would be delusional and hypocritical no matter how many bible verses you dump on it.  However, there are many historical books and study guides to choose from where applying the bible does give a deeper understanding, and enrich our lives and spiritual outlook.  Overall, we have enjoyed learning literature with historically focused books, and gaining a deeper understanding of Progeny Press study guides.

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What Pleases God?

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Have you ever asked “What Pleases God?”

We spend our lives pleasing ourselves and others.  But what about our Creator?  Do we stop to think about how we can please Him?

Looking into the scriptures, here is what I found…

Hebrews 11:6

“without trusting, it is impossible to be well pleasing to God, because whoever approaches him must trust that he does exist and that he is a Rewarder to those who seek him out.”

TRUST is Faith.  It is impossible to please Father God, Yahuah, Adonai, without complete trust in Him.

Trust him for everything.

  • Salvation.
  • Healing.
  • Guard and Protect.
  • Provision.
  • Food.
  • Covering, Shelter, and Clothes.
  • Restoration.
  • Nurture and mature.
  • Companionship.
  • Family.
  • Fertility.
  • Comfort.
  • Joy.
  • Understanding.
  • Discernment.
  • Tomorrow
  • Future.
  • and more.

TRUST Him to meet every need you have.  He wants you to come to him for your needs.  Trust Him just as a little child trusts their parent to meet their needs.  They don’t worry.  They have simple faith. They simply seek Him and trust Him and move forward knowing with confidence He will meet their every need.

John 15:16

“You did not choose me, I chose you; and I have commissioned you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that whatever you ask from the Father in my name he may give you.”

When you get time, check out the full chapters of John 15 and Hebrews 11.  John 15 is about staying connected to the source (you stay connected to the Son and he is connected to the Father), trusting Father God, and bearing fruit.  Hebrews 11 is about people who pleased God because they trusted in Him and He helped them do amazing, and some would say impossible things, bearing much fruit for the Kingdom of God.  We know with God all things are possible to those who love Him and are called according to his purpose.

Be wise and be blessed!

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Ocean Waves

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I am at a loss for words to describe the power and beauty of these ocean waves…

So I thought I would share a few scriptures about the Creator of the sea, our Father God.

Psalm 93:4  “The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.”

Isaiah 51:15 “But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is his name.”

Jeremiah 31:34-35  “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.  Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name.”

Luke 21: 25-26  “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”

May you be blessed today with knowing our Father God who is the Creator God.  He created you and me and the ocean waves.

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Home School In The Woods Review

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My kids have been enjoying learning about history with several exciting hands on Á La Carte Projects from Home School in the Woods.

We have used several of the larger projects from Home School In The Woods in our homeschool and we love the details and learning adventure they take us on.

Home School In The Woods has a wide variety of affordable single Á La Carte Projects to choose from such as: creative writing, 3-dimensional crafts, authentic historical crafts, period games, historical timelines, Art history, newspapers, Lap booking, World History, American History, Ancient Empires, and more.

The smaller single projects offered in Á La Carte Projects are samples from the larger projects they offer.  These single projects can be completed easily and quickly. Á La Carte is a win win for busy homeschoolers who might not have time for the larger study but want to enhance their learning.  Or maybe they just want to sample a project before diving into the larger project studies.  Either way, you can now choose from a variety of quick to create hands on projects that help your child interact with history while having lots of fun.

We were recently sent 3 of their Á La Carte Projects to review:

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses File Folder Project

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses File Folder Project

18 pages

PDF Download

Grades 3rd-12th

Retail $4

Five hundred years ago, the religious and political world was changed by a man named Martin Luther.  He was a German theology professor (he held many titles including university theology professor, priest, Vicor over 11 Catholic churches, monk, clergy, etc),  and publicly stood up to corruption, man made traditions, false doctrine, and hypocrisy in the church.

Martin Luther bravely nailed his 95 Theses to the doors of the All Saints Catholic Church in Wittenberg Germany on October 31, 1517, the eve of All Saints Day.  Within two weeks printed copies of the Thesis had spread all over Germany and within two months copies had been distributed all over Europe.  This event is considered as the pivotal moment in history when the Reformation of the church began, and what soon followed as the Roman Catholic church split into two main groups called Catholics and Protestants.

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses File Folder Project was created specifically to honor the 500th anniversary of this historic event.

This project contains a beautifully illustrated pictures on the one side, and a biographical summary of the life of Martin Luther, a list of his hymns, and the 95 Theses on the backside.

The Jamestown Replica

The Jamestown Replica

8 pages

PDF Download

Grades 3rd-8th

Retail $3

If you are studying early American History then this project is for you.  Jamestown, Virginia, was the first settlement to establish itself permanently in the English colonies.

Founded in 1607, the Jamestown Colony provided the British with a foothold in the New World as the those in religious and political powers, including the Vatican and the Kings of Europe, race to conquer the world’s resources.  This project is also found in the larger product called Time Travelers: The American Revolution.

This project uses a few printables and double sided tape to make a 3-D replica of Jamestown.

In this project, you create a fenced fort, with a church and several houses.

The Progress of Faith From Europe to the Colonies Timeline

The Progress of Faith From Europe to the Colonies Timeline

Covers 1500 A.D. through 1791 A.D.

16 pages

PDF Download

Grades 3rd-12th

Retail $3

If you are studying the History of the Protestant Church or the American colonial era, then you will definitely want to get this project.  You can get The Progress of Faith From Europe to the Colonies Timeline as a stand alone project or you can also buy it in the project called Time Travelers: Colonial Life.

This timeline helps us understand the faith of early Americans.  It helps us understand how key men and women in history influenced the Christian faith that was a part of the early American colonies and helped establish this nation.

This set comes with 24 labeled and dated figures from the Timeline Figures Collection and a predated timeline that covers from 1500 A.D. through 1791 A.D..

First we printed the project pages and cut off the extra area from the timeline pages.

Then we taped the timeline pages together, and hole punch one edge of the timeline.

Next we cut out the figures, and glued the figures on to the timeline.

This timeline opens and folds back nicely into a three ring binder, and is easily unfolded for study and presentation.  It has plenty of room to add additional information, such as key historical events (wars, technology, economy, plagues, migration, etc) that your student might want to add later.

It is very interesting to see all of the key people who were involved in helping develop the Christian Protestant church and eventually bring this religious freedom to America.

Final Thoughts:

We have really enjoyed working on these projects.  Each project is simple to create and go together easily.  They make a nice visual presentation of the subject.  Because these learning projects are multi-sensory and hands on, kids retain they information they learned better than just reading about history.

While we worked on our projects for this review, we looked up information on Wikipedia about Martin Luther and his 95 Theses while creating these projects (we did a a google search for en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety-five_Theses) so we could understand the bigger picture of what took place.  Now we want to learn more about this time in history and how it impacts the Christian faith, freedom, and life today.  I am very interested to continue the learning and purchase three larger studies for my family: the Project Passport: Renaissance & Reformation and  Timeline Pack: Resurrection to Revolution and the Time Travelers: Colonial Life.

We love using hands on history projects in our home. I would like to get more of these Á La Carte Projects soon. There are so many great projects to choose from.  It will be hard to decide.

I think my kids would enjoy The Art of Quilling 3D Project.  This looks project like a lot of fun and a way to really be creative once you learn how and do a few templates first.  I would think imagination and how much time you have to give it would be the only limit to this.  It also looks like a great “quiet” activity, which is needed sometimes. 

We would also like the do the Greek Life! File Folder Game.  The older three kids have been learning Greek and I think this game would enhance their learning even more. It comes with lots of pieces to create including a game, players, cards, ancient coins, and more.

A few of the wonderful Home School In The Woods projects we have completed in the past few years are:

Project Passport: The Middle Ages

Time Travelers: Industrial Revolution through Great Depression 

Home School In The Woods has a huge variety of hands on History products to choose from.  Be sure to check out their website and see if they have something that might interest your kids and enhance their history studies.

For a great explanation of these different kinds of projects, check out these short videos:

Activity Paks, Activity Studies, and Lap Paks

Time Travelers Series

Project Passport Series

Timelines and Maps

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Recipe for Fuitfulness

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Would you like to bear fruit?  Would you like your children to bear fruit?

I came across a recipe in the bible.

It is a recipe for fruitfulness in our walk with God.

On judgement day, we will be examined.  Two specific things will arise and be examined.  First, are we a believer in Jesus Christ the Messiah and son of Father God and therefor have our name written in the Lamb’s book of life?  If our name is found in his book of life we will be sorted out from the unbelievers.  Those who believe will be placed on the right side as sheep, and those who didn’t believe will be placed on the left side as goats.   Next our life will be examined for fruitfulness in the Kingdom of God.  When he examines our life,  he will either say “well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of the Lord” or he will say “depart you wicked servant”.

According to Jesus in Matthew 24, he will examine us by our fruit.  We are expected to produce good fruit for the kingdom of God.  Some produce 30, some 60, and some 100 times increase from the kingdom of God seed they were entrusted with.

“For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

Matthew 24:14-46

When he examines our life,  and he will evaluate if we were loving and loved our neighbor.  He will either say “well done” you gave me food when I was hungry, drink when I was thirsty, you cast out demons, set me free from bondage, you visited me when I was lonely, and cared for my needs”, or he will say “depart from me I never knew you”, because you did not have love, “you did not care for my needs, you did not give me food, nor drink, nor shelter, nor healing, nor compassion, etc”.

There is a process of maturing in our faith.  Father God did not leave us without a method for it.  He gave us the recipe for this maturing process.  It is like a young tree who after receiving water, nutrients, and sunshine it matures into an productive tree and it produces blossoms and then it is pollinated and then it’s fruit develops and ripens for harvest.  Our faith is also like this.  Our faith needs nurtured and matured so we can produce a harvest for the kingdom of God.

Father God gave us the recipe for producing good fruit. We are to first of all love and obey Father God with all our heart.  He gave us only 10 commands to live by and gave us the gift of Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help us.  We are to believe in Jesus his only son who gave his life as a ransom for yours.  Confess your sins to Father God and ask for forgiveness.  Tell him he is Father God of your life and you serve no other gods.  Next, Love your neighbor as yourself.

Then we are to add one ingredient at a time, and then add the next ingredient, and the next and so on.  When we have added all of the ingredients, our recipe will be complete and our life will produce good fruit for the kingdom of God.

Recipe for Kingdom Fruit

  • Give all diligence
  • Faith in Jesus Christ the Son of Father God
  • Virtue
  • Knowledge
  • Temperance
  • Patience
  • Godliness
  • Brotherly Kindness
  • Charity
  • Produces FRUIT!

 

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 1:5-8

May we know him, love him, and serve him with our life, and produce good fruit for the Kingdom of God.

Be wise and be blessed!

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The Lord Is My Shepherd

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When I was a young girl, I learned this passage of scripture.  But it wasn’t until I was older, and went through life experiences where this verse became real to me and I truly understood what it meant.

I am thankful to have learned this verse when I was young, and tucked into my heart and memory, so when I was in the midst of living life, I knew the truth.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.“

Psalm 23

This verse is comforting.  It is especially comforting when you find yourself going through a difficult time.  Having this verse memorized in your heart and mind helps you let go of fear and trust that Father God has everything in control and you don’t have to worry about anything.

Truly believe as a child of God that no matter what circumstance you go through, Father God will meet all your needs.  He will even meet your needs when you are in the midst of your enemies, Father God has made a way ahead of time and will take care of you even creating a banquet table prepared for you.

A few examples of when this verse became so real to me a few times in my life that I know truly who my Father God is and that he will always take care of me. These are only a few examples of the many that I could share.

During my Mother-in-laws battle with cancer and subsequent death, I saw first hand how Father God’s comfort and compassion in my life.  She was my best friend since I was 19 years old.  We talked daily by phone until her illness and then she moved in with me.  I took care of her 24/7 for the last year of her life until she died.  After a long and painful illness, she took her last breath surrounded by family in my home.   This was a very difficult time for me.  I was witnessing my best friend and the mother of my husband slowly slip away in this life.  My own father had died suddenly, on my birthday, the year before.  I was only 25 and these were the two people in my life who knew me the most, who I could call on to talk and lean on and they were my biggest supporters.  Now they were dead.  I could never hear their voices or call them for prayer and share something exiting that had happened.

Father God taught me to rest in him.  He helped me to put my trust in Him for guidance and trust Him for reassurance.   Father God taught me to be at peace and just trust him no matter what the circumstance I was going through.

Years later during pregnancy and childbirth (several times), I truly felt Father God was there leading me, and protecting me, even in moments that seemed like I was at death’s door.  I knew without a doubt that God was going to bring me through it, I didn’t need to fear death, and it would turn out exactly as he allowed it to.

Another part of this verse became real to me a few years ago.  At a time when things should have been great, and we had so much to look forward to, a man we thought was a friend and had gone into business with, stole nearly everything we had and stole the business and left us financially crippled.  It was a very hard time for our family.  It took a long time, several years, to recover from the financial loss we suffered by him, and we still have never been able to replace most of what he stole.   Father God wanted us to forgive that man for the evil he had done.  It was hard, but daily we prayed and asked God to help us forgive and prayed for that man to be blessed.

A few months after it happened, a local church knew we were going through a difficult time and gave our name to a local restaurant that each year gives a family a free dinner for the Thanksgiving Holiday.    We accepted their offer and went and enjoyed a wonderful meal.   We were blessed with so much kindness and food that it was overwhelming.  This was a very nice restaurant.   They had several staff wait on us, sometimes three and four staff at the same time as we have a large family.  The owner checked on us several times too, and we were treated so nice.  There were several courses of food, salad, bread, soups, entrees, etc.  They even brought a variety of deserts at the end of the meal.  The table was filled to overflowing, and we were treated as if we were some kind of royalty or something.  After the meal, they offered to show our kids around the restaurant.  They put aprons and hair nets on them and took them for a full tour of the kitchen where food is cooked for the guests and they were allowed to go into the refrigerated coolers where food is stored and to meet the chefs and shake their hands. They were also invited to come again anytime.   About a month later that restaurant blessed our family again and gave us several gifts of new clothes and toys for the kids.

I don’t know when during the meal that I started thinking of this verse, but my heart was filled with gratitude and this verse came to me.  I told my husband that even when we go through the most difficult times, our God is with us, leading us, filling our stomach, giving us drink, and protecting us.  At that very moment of gratitude, I saw a look on my husband’s face as he noticed something in the distance.  I turned and looked behind me over my shoulder.  There at another table, several rows away, was the very man who stole from us and had made our life so difficult.  I honestly nearly fainted.  It was so sureal to be in the whole situation.   I knew this verse had come true “He leadeth me” and “he prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies” right before my eyes.

What are the odds that the very man who caused us so much harm would be at the same restaurant at the very same moment in time?  Father God had prepared this a head of time.  How was this even possible?  Only God could do this.

I know this truth.  God is with us!  God will take care of us when we follow him and allow him to lead us in the way we should go.  He will protect us and provide for us.  He is our shepherd.   This is comforting.

The choice is ours to make.  How will we proceed in life?  Who will we follow?  Who will we place our trust in?

We can TRUST Him.

I would encourage you to memorize this passage of scripture and teach it to your children.

Be wise and be blessed!

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Keep The Sabbath Holy

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Father God established His calendar in the beginning.  Specific events are listed during the first week of creation that show He set his calendar in motion.  On the first day, He established that “evening” and “morning” equal a “day”.  On the fourth day, He established the method of keeping track of days.  On the 7th day of creation, He established the Sabbath day.

Genesis 1:1-5  “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

Genesis 1:14-19  “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”

Genesis 2:1-3  “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”

Later, when he had chosen a people for himself to be set apart from the world, he gave them 10 rules to follow called “commandments”, and He told them to remember the special Sabbath day and to keep it holy.

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

He wrote these rules into stone with his own finger, and He signed them with his name “Yahuah” as a covenant between them.  There are 8 “Do Not” rules and 2 “Do” rules.  He said if they chose to obey them, it would bring life and blessings.  If they chose to disobey them it would bring curses and death.  He encouraged them to teach their children these commandments and pass them on to each generation.

The 4th commandment is to remember to obey His Sabbath day and keep it holy.  This is His Sabbath Calendar.

#4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

When is Sabbath and how do we keep it holy?

Exodus 31:13  “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.”

There are 4 Sabbaths each month.  A month is about 29 evenings mornings (days) long on Father God’s Calendar.

The sighting of the moon by two witnesses begins the month, next work 6 days, then rest 1 evening and morning (Sabbath day) and repeat this cycle 3 more times to complete the month.

The next month begins with sighting of moon by two witnesses, next work 6 days, then rest 1 evening and morning (Sabbath day), repeat cycle 3 more times to complete the month.

These are the cycles of the Sabbath Calendar!

We are instructed to keep the Sabbath day holy!

Exodus 20:11  “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

The scriptures tell us the New Year begins when the barley is ripe for harvest and the next sighting of the moon takes place (this usually takes place during mid March-April time of year on the Gregorian man-made calendar).  The first appointed feasts of the year begin during the first biblical month according to the barley harvest and the sighting of the moon.  The following  months of the year continue the cycle of the Sabbath calendar by sighting the moon each month to establish the days for work, Sabbath rests, and any appointed feasts for that month.

There are 7 appointed feasts that are to be celebrated on specific dates during the year according to the scriptures.  These are “appointed” dates Father God has scheduled and are not man’s calendars and man’s traditions for holidays.  One must understand and obey the Sabbath days to understand when to keep the appointed feasts.  We will go over these in the next story about Father God’s Calendar.

Faith in Father God’s only begotten son, Jesus, Yahusha (Yahuah saves) brings us into a right relationship with Father God, and because we are forgiven and have been adopted as his children, we can walk in a right relationship with Father God.   We walk with Father God as we love him, think about him, and obey his commands.

He established the calendar schedule for blessings and life.  We are to Work, Sabbath Rest, and Celebrate appointed Feast Seasons with Father God at the days and times he established.  We do not need a blood sacrifice, ritual, building, or man-made tradition to meet with him, because of the perfect gift of Jesus Yahusha.  He is Lord of the Sabbath.  He said the Sabbath was created to bring blessings into the life of those who keep it.  Obeying Father God’s commandments and calendar is where blessings and power flow into the lives of those who will believe and obey.

Jesus said that if you accept and obey him, the same spirit that dwelled in him will also dwell in you.   The Holy Spirit of God worked through him to do all of the miracles he did during his time on earth, and raised him from the dead on the third day.   This spirit is able to work through you and empower you to do even more miracles than he did.

However, I believe the reason the followers of Yahuah Father God today have very little blessing and essentially no power in their daily life to help others is because they don’t follow His calendar and obey the true Sabbath and appointed time for Feasts.  Instead they have put a different calendar created by men in it’s place.  They choose to worship on Sunday, or Friday, or Saturday instead of the true Sabbath.

Jesus told us to continue with the way he showed us freely giving in love because it had been freely given to us.

Are we doing the “great commission” Jesus gave us by healing the sick, casting out demons, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, setting the captives free, and meeting the needs of those around us, and sharing the good news with all those we meet?

Or are we unable to fulfill his instructions?  Are we too far in debt, financially lacking, too physically feeble and weak in our own lives to meet this command of Jesus?

Why?  Jesus said “Man’s traditions nullify the power of God in people’s lives.”

We need to understand the importance of keeping the true Sabbath in honoring Father God.   We need to implement keeping the Sabbath day holy.   What does Father God want from a Sabbath?  The same instructions Jesus Yahusha gave us.

Read Isaiah 56-58.

Read Matthew 25:31-46

The sighting of the moon begins each month’s Sabbaths and the barley harvest begins each year’s cycle of Sabbaths and Feasts with Father God.  Check out the next post about the Calendar of Father God.

Be wise and be blessed!

Maranatha!

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Schoolhouse Teachers Review

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My kids are loving the variety of Homeschool Courses available with the Yearly Membership from SchoolhouseTeachers.com.

There are almost 3 million children currently being Homeschooled across all 50 states in the USA.  SchoolhouseTeachers.com is a great “go to resource” for these Homeschool families, for both students and parents. They offer great courses and Homeschool helps at an affordable price.  Be sure to check out the time limited special offer below.

SchoolhouseTeachers.com

350+ Courses Online

Available 365 days a year

24 hours a day at your convenience.

 Preschool through Highschool and courses for Parents too.

Resources for Teachers

Resources for Parents

Online Subscription Membership

With a membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com it is easy to find just the right courses to fit your family’s needs.

Courses are available by Grade Level and are easy to access.

Courses are also available / organized by Subject Area so you can find what you need that fits your interests.

These courses are USER FRIENDLY.  Besides being extremely convenient and available 24/7 many of the courses also have varying components like choosing either to use the lessons online or download them to your computer, printable lessons, printable worksheets and video components, etc.

Once you select the class or classes you want to do, then each class has more user friendly information such as:

How to Use This Course
Course Details
Course Introduction
Components
Length
Ages/Grades
Course Outline
Transcript Information
Download a Preview
For courses with videos – Watch a Preview Video
Course Completion Certificates
Links to lessons
Links to lesson plans if available

Additional Resources and Help For Members:

In addition to the huge variety of courses, some of the other features I love about our Yearly Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com include:

Media Center which includes a FREE subscription to The World Book eBook Library.  World Book is an online educational encyclopedia and resource hub filled with eBooks, written articles, videos, games, worksheets, quizzes, experiments, trivia, lesson plans and more.  This is a new component of the Yearly Membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com

Preschool Playground which includes a full curriculum covering a wide variety of subjects, plus lots of tutorials and helpful resources.

Bible
Language Arts
Multi-Subject Learning
Numbers, Patterns, and Cognitive Skills
Manners and Healthy Habits
Arts, Crafts, and Music
Science
Social Studies

Focused Learning Centers for kids who are struggling.

High School Helps includes a list of courses and tips and resources for fulfilling transcripts.  There is also a really neat Highschool Planner you can print out to help your student set goals, organize assignments, and stay on track. 

Special Needs Resources includes helpful tips for choosing curriculum and making modifications and adaptations to the lessons.

Literacy Center includes how to teach your child to read in 101 easy steps, and includes activities for better comprehension.

Just for Parents section that includes courses, planners, and unit studies to make it easier to balance homeschooling, managing your home, maintaining a healthy marriage, and much more.

Schoolhouse Expos is like being able to get all the great information at a homeschool conference (great speakers on a wide variety of homeschool topics) from the comfort of  your living room!

Monthly Menu section helps you create family meals that your family will love.

TOS Magazine Resources

Certificate Library includes downloadable, printable certificates so parents can reward and motivate their students.

Help Charts include printable charts for homeschooling and household management.

Videos Library includes hundreds of free streaming videos.

Our Experience

We have been using SchoolhouseTeachers.com consistently for the past year in our homeschool.  A great feature with this site is that no additional text books are required.  Also most of the supplies needed for courses are usually found around your house or easily acquired through a local store or online if needed.  But usually you can find away to do the class without additional expenses.  Sometimes library books are suggested, but you can usually find everything you need on the internet for FREE.

We had used SchoolhouseTeachers.com a few years ago, prior to this past year, with a break in-between, and after using it again this past year I can honestly say their website just gets better and better each year with more classes and resources offered with your membership.  I missed it the year we took off and was truly glad to have a subscription for 2017.  As a member of the Homeschool Review Crew, we were sent a new 1 year subscription for 2018 in exchange for writing an honest review.

I like the variety of courses available to us, 350+ courses, plus videos, World Book eBook Library, printable resources, and more.  I also like the freedom to choose as few or as many courses as we want that fit our family’s needs.  I like the flexibility of doing the classes at our own pace and the ability to change courses if we desire and there are no penalties.  I like all the special features for parents like making calendars, lessons plans, certificates of completion, and help with dinner menus.  I especially like the variety of self-paced highschool courses available.

Some of the classes my kids used this past year from SchoolhouseTeachers.com are:

  • Introduction To Architecture
  • Elementary Art
  • Drawing With Realism
  • Leadership 101
  • Public Speaking
  • Studio Art For Teens
  • Digital Art and Product Design For Small Business
  • Introduction to Graphic Design
  • Art Tips with Jan Brower
  • Preschool Playground
  • Bible Stories For Kids

Here are two examples of SchoolhouseTeachers.com courses the kids have taken.

Course Example 1:

Introduction to Architecture.

My son loves this course and he highly recommends it to other kids.  It includes 37 lessons and qualifies for a full highschool credit on his transcript.  This is a big course and covers 246 pages.  Each lesson is several pages long and includes background and historical information, geography, maps, research, videos, websites, vocabulary worksheets, and architecture projects.

Module 1 – Ancient Structures

Lesson 1 – Introduction/Architecture in the Beginning
Lesson 2 – Pyramids
Lesson 3 – Pantheon

Lesson 4 – Parthenon
Lesson 5 – Coliseum
Lesson 6 – Petra
Lesson 7 – The Great Wall of China


Bonus Lesson 8 – Gingerbread Houses and Christmas Architecture

Module 2 – Transportation Structures

Lesson 9 – Tower Bridge
Lesson 10 – Brooklyn Bridge
Lesson 11 – Golden Gate Bridge
Lesson 12 – Panama Canal
Lesson 13 – Hoover Dam
Lesson 14 – Channel Tunnel

Module 3 – Living Structures

Lesson 15 – Neuschwanstein
Lesson 16 – Mount Vernon
Lesson 17 – Fallingwater

Module 4 – Entertainment/Touring Structures

Lesson 18 – Guggenheim
Lesson 19 – Eiffel Tower

Lesson 20 – Statue of Liberty
Lesson 21 – Washington Monument
Lesson 22 – Grand Canyon Skywalk
Lesson 23 – Spaceship Earth
Lesson 24 – Sydney Opera House

Module 5 – Skyscrapers

Lesson 25 – Empire State Building
Lesson 26 – Willis Tower
Lesson 27 – World Trade Center (before and after 911)


Lesson 28 – Petronas Towers
Lesson 29 – Taipei 101
Lesson 30 – Burj Khalifa

Module 6 – Worship Structures

Lesson 31 – St. Basil’s Cathedral
Lesson 32 – Cathedral of Notre Dame
Lesson 33 – St. Peter’s Basilica

Module 7 – Government Structures

Lesson 34 – Capitol Building
Lesson 35 – Pentagon
Lesson 36 – Architectural Fails
Lesson 37 – The Architect

For this course, and most of the courses we have used, we have had the option to download all of the lessons onto our computer with the provided link or use the lessons online.  He wanted to download them, and he had quick and easy access and it was easy to download and save them to the computer.

Each time he logs in to his course at his convenience, he reads through his lesson, watches a few linked videos, prints out and completes a worksheet that includes vocabulary and definitions, world maps of locations of buildings, he researches and then puts this into his 3-ring binder, and then he completes a building challenge in almost every lesson.

Some of the building projects have been 3 D paper models of famous structures around the world such as Roman Coliseums and Pantheons and the Great Wall of China.  One of the projects was building a ginger bread house.  In the curriculum, there are many links to paper models you can print out and build and my son has made a few of them, but he prefers to use 3 D models made of metal, plastic, wood, or building blocks for building famous bridges and other structures.  He has made a wish list of various models available on Amazon and Ebay that he wants us to buy for him and he plans to put them on a display shelf in his room when he finishes them.  He is only half way through the course at this time and is really enjoying it.

Course Example 2:

Elementary Art

Elementary Art covers 22 lessons /weeks including learning about 12 famous artists, 10 advent art lessons, art techniques, suggested library books, and looking up resources about each artist online and more.

12 Artists

My kids have enjoyed studying about 12 famous artists and their unique styles of art, and the projects they did in each style.

Lesson 1: Michelangelo
Lesson 2: Pablo Picasso
Lesson 3: Vincent van Gogh
Lesson 4: Georgia O’Keefe
Lesson 5: George Caleb Bingham
Lesson 6: Cassatt
Lesson 7: Grant Wood
Lesson 8: Rembrandt
Lesson 9: Pierre Renoir
Lesson 10: Andy Warhol
Lesson 11: Leonardo da Vinci
Lesson 12: Claude Monet

Here is an example of Lesson 2 and learning about the Abstract Art Style called Cubism by the famous artist Pablo Picasso. 

Their project assignment for this lesson was to use various shapes cut from colored papers to make their own masterpiece.  They really enjoyed this lesson.

Here is an example of Lesson 3 and a Van Gogh painting project.

We found a coloring page of Starry Night by Van Gogh.  The kids didn’t want to finger paint this day, so they modified painting the picture using the pressure technique with a brush.

Advent Art

The course also contains another 10 lessons called Advent Art that centers around the Christmas holiday and the birth of Jesus Christ.

Lesson 1: First Saturday of Advent – Luke 1:26-28, 31 An Angel Appears
Lesson 2: First Sunday of Advent – Luke 1:46-55 Mary’s Song
Lesson 3: Second Saturday of Advent – Matthew 1:20 Joseph’s Dream
Lesson 4: Second Sunday of Advent – Luke 2:4-5 The Journey
Lesson 5: Third Saturday of Advent – Luke 2:6-7 He Has Come!
Lesson 6: Third Sunday of Advent – Isaiah 9:6 Prince of Peace
Lesson 7: Fourth Saturday of Advent – Luke 2:8-11 Good News of Great Joy
Lesson 8: Fourth Sunday of Advent – Luke 2:13-18 Glory to God in the Highest
Lesson 9: Christmas Eve – Matthew 2:1-11 Three Visitors, Three Gifts
Lesson 10: Christmas Day – John 1:14 The Word became Flesh!

We did not do all of the Advent Art section of the course as it is listed.  Many of the arts and craft projects are designed to create a baby Jesus with felt, or paper plate angels, or star ornament with popsycle sticks, etc.

However there were a couple of projects in this section that I really liked such as Lesson 6 where the kids learn the “Names of God” and create a word picture.

Father God has many names.  The lesson provides several names for your picture, however there is still room on the page to add several more.

Yahuah = Father, He who breaths life

Yahusha = Yahuah Saves

1. YAH (“I am”) = Father and Judge (Creator and King)
2. YAHuah (“I am He who breaths life”) = Father (Abba)
3. YAHusha (“I am He who saves”) = Yahuah Saves = Son (Jesus)
4. Ruach HaQodesh (“the Dedicated Breath”) = Holy Spirit
5. Adonai (“Master”) = Lord
6. HaMashiach (“the Dedicated One”) = MessiYAH (Christ)
7. HalleluYAH = “You follow The Way of YAH”

Learning the names of God and making a list of his names on beautiful paper is fun to do.  This makes a lovely picture to hang on the wall, or put in a frame, and remind yourself and your kids of how great and loving Father God is and that he sent a part of himself, his only son, to save us.

I plan to tweak the Advent section of the Elementary Art course. I want to add in a few other bible art projects, while still focusing on the suggested bible scriptures about God sending his son Jesus to save mankind.  One tweak I am making is to help my kids create a bible art journal that includes the scriptures about Jesus Christ the Messiah.  I alternated colored paper and lined writing sheets so they can have plenty of space for writing and for art.  It has a “Jesus Christ Messiah” theme instead of a “Christmas holiday” theme and I believe will be more beneficial in learning about and focusing on faith in Jesus year around.  I am debating what binding to use for this project, so for now, the pages are loose and put into a folder.  I may simply use a three ring binder for them so it will be easy to add more pages when desired.  This journal will be a great way to keep related bible art projects and bible scriptures together and will make a fun memory book and encourage their faith.

Coming UP for 2018

Coming up this semester, some of the courses we will be using include:

  • Classic Architecture
  • All About Art
  • Accounting 101
  • Starting A Micro-Business For Teens
  • Early American History
  • Changes in Transportation, Communication, and Technology
  • Whole Foods Cooking with Sue Gregg
  • Fun With Cooking
  • Machines
  • Health and Fitness
  • More Preschool Playground!
  • Camping With Jesus course is filled with activities and discusses issues such as: What Will Heaven be Like? What Is Sin? Who Is Jesus, and Why Did He Die on the Cross? What Does It Mean to be Forgiven? How Do I Grow to Know God More?

Special Offer

New Members can SAVE BIG when you join SchoolhouseTeachers.com’s 2018 Fresh Start New Years Special!

Sale valid from 01/03/2018 – 01/31/2018

Be Sure to use the Special Code of your choice at checkout:

$90/yr (reg. $179/yr) Coupon Code: NEWYEAR18

                                 OR

$9.95/MO (REG. $19.95/MO) Coupon Code: MONTHNEWYEAR18

Sale ends: 31 January 2018

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Come, Ye Blessed Of My Father

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If Jesus Christ showed up in your life today, at your church, job, or neighborhood, would you recognize him?

Would he stand out?

When he came the first time, he was of no reputation.  He didn’t stand out.

He didn’t hand out business cards.

He didn’t dress like a wealthy man.

“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:7-8

Would you notice him?

Would he look like the perfect gift to you?

Would you see the treasure that is in him?

Or would you ignore him?

If he asked for a drink of water from your water bottle, would you freely offer it to him?

If he asked you for money, would you walk on by or would you reach into your pocket and give him some dollar bills?

If he had no where to go, would you buy him a hotel room for the night? Or would you invite him to stay at your home on your couch for a night or a week or indefinately?

If he didn’t look dressed for church, or the office, or presentable to go to dinner, would you sit next to him?

Would you avoid him or try to prevent him from sitting in the most desired seat, where the wealthy in your community, or church, or the most esteemed in your job or neighborhood sit?  Would you willingly give him your seat?

Would you stop him from walking to the front of the church and taking the microphone to read the scriptures out loud?  Would you stop him from speaking from the pulpit, or leading the church in singing?

If he tried to share his gifts and talents would you let him?  Would you have eyes to see the perfect gift of God?

Would you have room in YOUR ministry for him?

Would you pass over his gifts, would your mind be clouded by his appearance and lack of degrees and fame?  Would you prevent him from handling the offering plate, or greeting others at the door, or even sitting up front in a noticable seat?

If he tried to speak up and tell you that he must share his gifts anyway possible, would you let him?  Or would you let him know he is not a good fit for your church, let him know you will pray for him, and wish him luck to move on and find a church he is a “better fit” for?

Do you even know the voice of the master?

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

Would you recognize him?

Would you recognize someone he sent in his place?

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in: Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, and fed you? or thirsty, and gave you drink? When did we see you as a stranger, and took you in? or naked, and clothed you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and came to visit you?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.”   Matthew 25:34-40

 

I pray that each of us can recognize each and every opportunity to be a blessing to those in need, and that we can see Jesus Christ in each person.  I pray we are found worthy and faithful servants, and we will hear those precious eternal words, “Come ye blessed of my Father.”

Be wise and be blessed!

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