Dec. 1, 2008 - Christmas decorating
Last night, Mom and Dad came down and we had a great time decorating our tree. We have a tradition that on tree decorating night, we invite the grandparents, have party foods and end the evening with Santa's hats(cherry ice cream topped with whipped cream, ginger ale and red sprinkles, with a cherry candy cane). The children really enjoy this special time with grandparents.
We started last year doing a Jesse tree and the devotions that go along with it are wonderful. After we decorated the tree, we had the Day 1 devotion and talked about what a wonderful gift we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Even today in our Jesse tree devotion, we learned about how in THE FALL, sin entered the world and God killed an animal and covered Adam and Eve. Even way back then, he gave clues to the coming of His precious son and the shedding of His blood for the atonement of sins. It is an exciting season to contemplate the redemptive love of Jesus and God's promises in the Old Testament even during dark and terrible times of sin, and how God is faithful to those promises.
This reminds me of the sermon our pastor preached yesterday from Isaiah. I praise the Lord for His teaching and guiding through studying His Word.
In Isaiah 1-11, God describes His faithful mercy. The nations of Israel and Judah are living in horrible idol worship and Chapters 1,2 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 are long passages describing unfaithful Israel BUT God gives wonderful, refreshing glimpses of light throughout these dark times. Chapters 4, 7, 9 and 11 give dawnings of hope.
In Chapter 4, God tells of a beautiful, glorious, effective Branch of God that will come. The effects of His labor will be to judge and purify. They(WE) had so much filth, they were filled with it and spewed it from their lives daily. He would come to wash away that filth. He would change them(US) from the inside out and there would be real change on the outside as well. He promises re-form- ation of His people. New creatures -a radical idea. Chapter 4 also says that the Lord will create over all of His people a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of fire by night, indicating His prescence would be with them continually and that there would be a covering over them to be a shelter where all their needs (internal/external struggles) would be met. God's glory will dwell with each rescued soul and that soul will be covered.
Pastor John also told of the other glimpses of light from ch. 7 where it is foretold that HE would be born of a virgin, and in Chap. 9 that He will be from the line of David and the government will be on His shoulders and from Ch. 11, He will come from the stump of Jesse and the Spirit of the Lord will rest of Him.
Because of God's faithfulness, all these promises did take place. WE live on the other side of them. Joy to the World - He has come!!! We have the record of where they were gloriously performed in the birth, life and death of Jesus.
The Lord has shown me lately how priviledged we are to live in the light of the gospel story - how the OT saints only caught a glimpse of what was to come and how we can walk in the promise that Has come.
How do we walk daily in the light of these truths?
How do we live on these truths?
We must respond to His word that we hear and read. We must come to the Bible and Bible study seriously, not just checking it off as done for the day or whatever we think.
Do we believe that He is faithful, do we expect Him to be faithful to us as a believer? I know my life falls short of the wonderful promises of Isaiah ch 4,where God promised that Jesus, the glorious branch, would make us holy, set apart, cleansed on the inside so that it shows on the outside in what I say and do. And another question to ask ourselves,do I experience the joy that comes from abiding in His glorious cloud and fire presence?
Help us to pray to experience these promises for His glory.
Do we know the difference in waking up and living the day for ourselves as compared to living for Him in His prescence?
Do we believe God lives in us as He said in John 14:23?
Does Isaiah Chap. 4 guide our expectations of a Christians life?
What must be altered in my life so that I can walk in these promises?
This should effect the way that we pray and we should be sure not to lay our expectations on our own performance but on the faithfulness of God. Our good intentions are not a good foundation.
He is faithful, He said His branch would be effective. Let us live in submission to this truth so that others can see that He is the true God.
These are just some of my notes from the sermon yesterday. Please do not take these as direct quotes from Pastor John. I hope I have gotten at least some of his message across. His sermons are available on the internet at http://christchurchnewalbany.org/
I hope you all have a blessed week of thinking on Him and His faithfulness to all His promises.
Comments
Dec. 7, 2008 - Christmas Decorating
Posted by Anonymous
Merry Christmas to The Blassingames
Whenever you are in town and can drop by for me to see you guys, it would be great. I spend most of my days at home unless I have a doctor's appointment and am forced to get out. It's just easier to stay at home. I think it is that way for all people, not just the disabled.
Pray for me, as I am having real difficult dealing with the loss of my daddy just a year ago.
Give everyone hugs and lovings from Aunt Paula
LOL.................Aunt Paula