SHINE

www.slideshare.net/DavidTurner28/rise-and-shine-ephesians-58-14

It is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NSRV)

We have often heard we are to show Jesus to those we meet. Also, we hear we are the only Bible some people read.  What can we do when we try to incorporate these thoughts into our personas?

At my Tuesday morning prayer group, I shared a reading entitled “Shine”, from an Advent devotional book, Pauses for Advent Words of Wonder by Trevor Howard. Our Sunday school class is studying it. 

A dear friend of mine responded that she always tries to smile when she meets people in the stores and in passing. I discovered I am also trying to smile more than I have in the past.

I believe there is something else that would help us shine for Jesus. We can try to speak in well-modulated tones of voice when we answer someone else. (Here again, I point three fingers back at myself.)

One way we can do this is to think before we speak or act. Even taking a deep breath before we begin to speak might give us time to think about how we want to respond to what we hear and time to send up a sentence prayer to God to guide us in what He wants us to say and how He wants us to say it.

Lord God: Thank You for Your guidance and instruction as we learn Your ways to shine for You in this fallen world. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen

A song I have had in my heart as I prepared this post.Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory,

HOPE

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To them, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Colossians 1:27 (NRSV)

Christ in us? Yes, when we seek Jesus and ask Him to forgive us of our sins, we also ask Him into our hearts. Some sects have believed that God created the world and then sat back to see what man would do with it. However, God, through Jesus, lives in each believer who surrenders his or her heart to Him.

Hope of Glory? Yes, just realizing that Jesus is in me has, more than once, given me hope when I have faced trying circumstances. This hope has given me the courage to proceed on toward a goal or the ability to stay the course and wait for the resultant ending of God’s planning. (I must say that I did not always realize why I ‘stayed the course’, not giving up in certain situations.)

Due to our humanity, we might not always, at that time, recognize the hope God gives us. However, when we reflect on those difficult, issue-laden times, we begin to see that God was with us.  

Lord God:  Please help us to remember that You are in us and that you give us hope when the world gives us harm. Help us to communicate Your hope to those who are facing life-changing issues. Allow us to truly present Your presence in our lives at all times in order that those around us may see You and Your hope in us.                             

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. . . .

I have had this old standard Christmas song on my mind several times so far this season.  I have done some decorating that I haven't really done in quite some time. I hope you enjoy these pictures.

This is on our front door. I used to make wreaths and had a nice wreath hanger. When we refurbished our enclosed front porch, it went by the wayside. I found this hanger at Dollar Tree. I got the idea for this from fellow blogger Pam Steiner.

This is my version of an advent wreath. The greenery is part of a garland I purchased at Walmart. I used the rest of it to make the front door wreath. The major expense I had with this was the four colored candles. 

Back in the summer, we went to an antique store in southern Indiana. I found this unusual glass basket with a movable handle on it. I have had it sitting on our coffee table empty most of the time I have had it.  The ornaments are gold with a cardboard peace dove sitting in the middle. Please excuse the cardboard behind it. I had no other place to keep it, it is my display board for book signings. This sits on my grandmother's cedar chest. The doily was made by my great aunt, one of her sisters.

Above our couch, we had a piano window that had a replacement insert. Hubby thought the gold balls would look nice up there. It took us three different times trying to get them hung on the wire. The gold balls are new but the thing in the middle is a leaf-shaped red ornament from my childhood. IT also has gold glitter on it to show the veins.

This is a picture from last year of my little Christmas tree. It measures about  18" tall. And is easy to store, I put it away each time I use it and leave the ornaments on.  I haven't got it out yet. I have to decide what to do with the items that are on the table. BTW, the table is believed to be a Duncan Phyfe library table that was originally my dad's grandmother's.  It was in my childhood home and came to me when we had to place Dad in a nursing home.

A Guest Post from James Watkins

jameswatkins.com/asaph/

James Watkins is an author and speaker I have heard speak several times. He lives in a town not too far from where I live. He has been a help to all who have heard him. I hope you enjoy reading his post.

Why? Why? Why?

Guest post by James N. Watkins

If you have children, nieces, and nephews, or younger siblings, you know that a three-year-old’s favorite word is why.

“Johnny, hold my hand while we cross the street.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want you to run out in front of a car.”

“Why?”

“Because if a car hits you, you’ll be hurt or killed.”

“Why?”

“Because if it’s a contest between a thirty-five-pound boy and a three-ton SUV, the truck is going to win every time.”

“Why?”

“Because the laws of physics state that mass plus momentum equals . . . Just take my hand!”

And on it goes-right into adulthood!

“Why didn’t God heal my friend?”

“Why do bad things happen to good people?”

“Why do I still have acne at 50?”

I’ve worked up way too much spiritual perspiration trying to answer why my second-grade Sunday school teacher committed suicide, why I was laid off from the perfect job in publishing—twice—or why bad things happen to such good people as you and me.

I have learned that while why is often a futile question, God is more than willing to answer other questions. But, like the popular game show, Jeopardy, the answers are in the form of a question.

What can I know?

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8).

So, while I’ve struggled with hundreds—probably thousands—of questions about God’s workings, I have grown in my knowledge of who he is. While agonizing about an estranged relationship, I burst into tears—for God. I had described to a friend my pain: “It feels like my heart has been cut out with a chainsaw, run over by a logging truck, and then fed through a wood chipper.” If I was feeling this excruciating pain for one broken relationship, how was God feeling about billions of heartaches? It was one of the few times I actually felt I understood God.

I can also find the answer to . . .

How can I grow?

I’ve always leaned into Romans 8:28:

^“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV).

But what is that “purpose”? The very next verse answers: “To be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). So do other verses:

“And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18b).
 

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:1).

That’s our purpose! So ask, how can I grow more like Christ through this difficult time.
 
Who can I show?

Second Corinthians 1:3-6 has become one of my favorite passages in encouraging me while I’m going through terrible times:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer” (NLT).

The Greek word translated comfort is paraklesis. It is a calling near, summons for help; a prayer, a plea; exhortation, admonition, encouragement; consolation, comfort, solace, refreshment; or a persuasive speech, motivational talk, instruction. And it’s feminine case. No one comforts like a mother.

We offer our best comfort to those experiencing what we have personally gone through.

So, sorry, we can’t always answer the why questions, but we can answer these three.

Condensed from The Psalms of Asaph: Struggling with Unanswered Prayer, Unfulfilled Promises, and Unpunished Evil by James N. Watkins. Browse and buy at jameswatkins.com/asaph/

AWAKE

https://treasureboxmy.blogspot.my/2016/02/seekers-god-promises-to-you.html

What I say to you, I say to all: Keep Awake. Mark 13:37 (NRSV)

Have you ever felt you have missed something when someone said or did something that ultimately affected you? Did you feel as if you had sleepwalked through an event?

               

During the season of Advent, we find ourselves having certain realizations about God. The morning I wrote this I had to sleep in and get some more rest before starting my day. Hubby had some business to take care of. He couldn’t find out information he needed over the phone. He believed he would have to drive all over town in order to find what he needed. As he departed our home, I said a short, simple prayer. Shortly, he returned and told me he discovered he could get what he needed at a neighborhood store. I automatically praised and thanked God. He asked me what I was doing and I told him. He relaxed a bit and smiled. God is present for us in times we don’t think about. Because of this experience, I am aware that God hears all our prayers and chooses to act on our requests as He sees fit, always in our best interests.

May we all try to be more awake to God during this season as we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth?

Open

Warner Sallman Painting.

Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking, if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come into you and eat with you, and you with me Revelation 3:20 (NRSV) 

When we hear the Gospel message we may or may not be receptive to it.

As God works in our hearts we realize the need to receive Him into our hearts and give Him control of our lives.

In the focus verse, we see Christ standing at a closed door. He knocks and continues to knock. Then, He tells us something that surprises us. if you hear my voice and open the door.

We have to open the door to Him.

 I have seen the painting showing that the door where Jesus knocks has no knob on His side of it. I have also seen a home décor piece depicting this verse. The first time I saw it, it set my heart to thinking.

God, in His wisdom, created each of His children with a free will. He chose to make us not like robots who always do as they are commanded because His desire was for each of His children to choose to love Him.

Let’s all proclaim the message to others to be open to Jesus and to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Prepare

In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD. Isaiah 40:3 (NRSV)

During Advent, we prepare our homes for Christmas. Do we also prepare our hearts?

At the last session of a Lay Witness Weekend at a church, I was in there was a time when those who participated in the activities shared their feelings about what they heard God say to them.

An older woman who was like a spiritual mother to me said she realized anew that we should prepare to worship Jesus. She pointed out that we prepare to take a trip, to have company, to go shopping, and to go to the grocery store.

She also reminded us that as we prepare to attend church we tend to our clothing and that of our families. She then stressed we also are to prepare our hearts to meet the LORD. 

How can we prepare our hearts for worship?

We can:

   · Try to get a good night’s sleep.

         · Find a time to pray a short prayer.

         · Give God anything in our hearts that bothers us or what we don’t understand.

         · Put a smile on our faces.

         · Greet those we meet with kind words.

Let us all prepare our hearts as we prepare our homes to celebrate the birth of our LORD, Jesus Christ.