by Stacey | May 24, 2012 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
Define the gospel. As a long time believer in Jesus Christ you would expect that to be a simple request. Yet many believers struggle to put into words the essence of the Gospel, especially into understandable words.
With the help of my husband (guys check out his blog here) we have attempted to explain the Gospel, simply, honestly, and with the hope you will consider how this truth affects you and your loved ones.
- Always start with God. The gospel is what God has done for us, to extend His grace to us, to bring glory to Himself. God is holy, perfect, righteous, pure, and just. We are not any of those things. Therein lays the problem. God will not tolerate our sin.
- Us: We are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), created to be in a relationship with him, but sin separates us. Every person sins (Romans 3:23) and the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Our problem just got bigger.
- Solution -Jesus. Jesus is God’s son (Luke 3:22), is fully God (Titus 2:13) and became fully man (1 John 4:2, 2 John 1:7). He is the exact representation of God (Hebrews 1:3). He is sinless (1 Peter 2:22). He died in our place as the only perfect sacrifice, paying the penalty of our sin and absorbing the full wrath of God (1 Peter 2:24). He was forsaken so we don’t have to be forsaken.
- Faith. God requires faith that Jesus’ death on our behalf is all that is needed to declare us clean before God (John 3:16-17). Then we act on that faith by living according to His Word (James 2:14-17).
- Victory. After he was dead three days Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:39) by the power of God accomplishing full victory over sin and death. He extends the invitation to all individuals to accept his sacrifice on their behalf. I trust that despite the guilt of my sin God will declare my payment has been made in full by Jesus and I will be able to enter into eternity with Him.
- Help. God sends His Holy Spirit to live inside each individual that accepts Jesus’ sacrifice. It is by the power of the Spirit that I can obey God, seek forgiveness, and live a transformed life no longer defined by my sin (John 14:16-17).
- Future: Christ will return for his followers! Until then, we live in anticipation of His return and in anticipation of reigning with Him in glory forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Good News
Life goes on forever. Not physical life, of course, but our spiritual life. Once our physical life comes to an end, all who die in an unforgiven and sinful state do not enter into Heaven, but instead spend eternity separated from God in torment. The Good News is that Jesus solves the problem that we cannot solve on our own. It is called Good News because without it, we have no hope.
I cannot earn God’s acceptance. I cannot be good enough. Gaining God’s forgiveness for my sin requires a payment, it requires death. Either my death, both physically and spiritually resulting in eternity apart from God or Jesus’ death, which is already done and already victorious. I need to confess my need and accept the payment made on my behalf.
This is the Gospel. This is the Good News of Jesus. This is the central message that God has given us to pass to our kids, and their kids, and on and on and on. It is a multi-generational message of Good News not meant to be kept to yourself.
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:56-57
Suggested further reading:
How can Jesus be God and Man
by Stacey | May 10, 2012 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
Submission. Just hearing the word can put us on the defensive. In a culture steeped in personal rights and freedom, the idea of setting aside our desires to bow to authority can raise our hackles.
Yet, submission is biblical. Scripture portrays it in many forms. Children submit to their parents (Ephesians 6:1), employees submit to their employer (1 Peter 2:18), citizens submit to the government (1 Peter 2:13, Titus 3:1, Romans 13:1), a believer submits to God (James 4:7), a wife submits to her husband (Ephesians 5:22), Jesus submits to the will of God the Father (Luke 22:42).
Like most, I struggled with submission as a child and teen and acted out in disobedience. As an adult, I am surprised to learn I still struggle with submission. The struggle just shows itself in subtler forms. Instead of labelling it disobedience I called it demanding my rights (what’s fair, my due, you fill in the blank).
Our adult Sunday school class is working through the book of 1 Peter. Chapter 2 verse 13 and onward hit me with all the subtlety of a 2×4.
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God (1 Peter 2:13-19).”
Submitting to authority willingly, without grumbling, keeping Jesus as my example is hard, especially when the figure of authority is wrong, unfair or cruel. Yet, notice what Scripture doesn’t add. Scripture doesn’t say submit if your employer is kind, it is not submit if your government follows God. Just submit – “not only to the good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh (vs 18).”
Yikes. That hits me right between the eyes prompting a fair bit of time confessing my sin of failed submission to God.
Under the pretense of fairness and wanting what is mine I have failed to submit the way God requires. How much more would have Christ been glorified if I had endured the pain of unjust suffering and entrusted myself to God? Perhaps respectful and gracious conduct would have won my tormentor to Christ.
We’ll never know.
Living for Christ is such a journey. Always learning. Always humbled. always seeing afresh my great sin. Always grateful for the grace of God that covers even this.
***
Author’s note: If you are not currently attending an adult Sunday school class, I encourage you to find one. It is a great way to dig deeper into a text and discuss with other believers the challenging words of God.
by Stacey | Apr 19, 2012 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
Our furnace shut off in the night causing the temperature inside the house to drop to an uncomfortable degree. A morning spent trouble shooting revealed an unexpected problem. Four year old hands had stuffed stones and gravel into the furnace exhaust pipe. Stones that could neither be dumped nor removed.
Deep breaths.
Was I angry? You bet! I had a good idea which mischievous boys under my care had been playing in the stones and they had been warned multiple times not to touch or play with those pipes.
Thankfully God interrupted my internal rant. As a mother, every moment of every day I am teaching. Whether I recognize it or not, act purposefully or not, choose wise words or not, I am teaching.
What does this moment teach? About life? About God? About forgiveness?
A 4-year-old boy will never tell an angry adult the truth. Anger breeds fear and he will lie to protect himself. Feigning calmness to turn on him afterwards breeds distrust.
Abstract ideas like forgiveness solidify when taught in the moment.
It took about 45 minutes for me to ask the question with a proper heart. The boys were honest, repentant, and sad they caused so much damage. They understood this was big and they didn’t need me to raise my voice or shake my finger to drive that point home.
A call the furnace company further revealed the repair cost. Yikes!
More deep breaths.
What did they boys learn in this moment? Hopefully more than just to leave the pipes alone! I hope they learned that I am a safe, trustworthy person – even when they mess up. I hope they learned that forgiveness and grace can be expected because I have experienced them. I know what it is like to stand before the judge aware of my sin yet hoping for undeserved grace.
What did I learn? Children respond to gentle corrective discipline while outright anger intensifies their defiance.
Okay, I knew that already.
But on this day I had the chance to live like I believed it and it made all the difference in the world. I hugged the boys, told them I love them, told them I forgive them, and that we all make mistakes. Now we learn from them and move on.
They ran off to play and I walked into the cold, cold living room to wait for the repair man. A smile appeared out of nowhere. Anger evaporated. Grace in the moment.
Thank you God.
by Stacey | Mar 29, 2012 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
Most mothers plan to make delightful memories with their children. They usually have good – correction- great intentions. But I must confess, memories of my short temper or selfish heart haunt me and my good intentions can go unrealized.
I ask for God’s strength to flow through my limbs making me His hands and feet. I ask for this because it does not come naturally. I have no love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness or self-control outside of that given to me by God.
I know this pleases Him. I know He will grant my request. I didn’t know how hard it would be.
I wake to the sound of the toilet flushing. My seven-year-old early riser is wide awake. I lie in bed trying to decide if I should get up or drift back into dreamland when wet sloshing and splashing abounds.
I run into the bathroom to find my daughter staring down the plunger as if debating her course of action. Water seeps over the toilet rim and spills onto the floor as she deliberates the wisdom in trying to fix this herself. Her wide eyes turn to me and she calmly shrugs her shoulders and says, “I don’t know why.”
With blurry vision I splash my way forward and begin this Monday dancing with the plunger.
We complete our morning routine and I drop my oldest two off at school. My youngest and I stop by the grocery store. Upon our return home I open the van door and my shopping bag hits the pavement cracking six of my twelve eggs. Irritation rises threatening to dictate my response and sour my morning.
Deep breaths.
I salvage the six beaten and bruised eggs aware of my three-year-old son watching my every move. I announce with false enthusiasm we are baking today.
Six broken eggs become two loaves of banana bread and twenty-four cupcakes. I stir the batter as God stirs up my beaten and bruised heart.
Good morning God. I‘m listening.
Yes, it is a good morning. I have a husband who loves me, three beautiful children who regularly wake with happy faces and I serve a Lord who never leaves me. Yes, a good morning indeed.
We can choose to allow our day to unfold by chance and let circumstance shape our attitude or we can actively participate in our day and with God’s help give thanks in everything – including cracked eggs.
Thank you God for the early start that allowed me a few moments of quiet before You (albeit the sounds of plunging filled the air). Thank you for the presence of mind to share a hug with my daughter and whisper assurances that she did nothing wrong. Thank you for the unexpected motivation to bake and for the opportunity to model self-control to my son.
From the adoption of our children to our move across the country and back I’ve learned life rarely unfolds according to my plans. But God has a better plan and He is moving the pieces of my life into place so He can accomplish His will in me. No, I don’t believe He caused my eggs to break or for the toilet to overflow. But I do believe Him when he says He can use all things for my good and His glory – including cracked eggs.
God worked through my hands today. God guided my feet today. He is shaping me into the image of His Son and in the process He is making me a better mother.
He helped me make good on my good – correction – great intentions.
Photo credits: Cracked egg, John Penner.
by Stacey | Mar 1, 2012 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1
This is one of our family verses. We are working hard to keep the tone in our home gentle and encouraging, even in the midst of discipline (not always easy!) because God’s Word is truth and it applies to both our children and to us as parents.
But it’s not easy. It’s not easy to keep a gentle tone when one squirms on the floor refusing to put on his shoes when the others are late for school. It’s not easy on the fifth warning to quiet down and go to sleep. It’s not easy in the midst of temper tantrums and tears.
But who said parenting was easy?
So much is at stake.
Their whole outlook on life, how they grow up and treat others, how they relate to people in authority, and what they believe about God will be shaped in these early years at home with us. There is too much at stake to miss the target God has given us.
Strength comes from God. He will give me what I need to parent in wisdom, gentleness and love. I know that. I believe it. What scares me is that I also know myself – my tendency to move ahead of Him, to try it on my own strength first, rush into my day full of my own plans.
So this is me, putting it out there publicly so you can hold me accountable, or maybe we can hold each other accountable. I am praying for gentleness in all conversations.
I cannot control the choices my children make. They are ultimately accountable to God. But I can control how I speak to them, what I teach them, and the example I set. For this, I am accountable to God.
“Let your gentleness be evident to all. (Philippians 4:5a)”
by Stacey | Feb 2, 2012 | Devotionals, reflections, and encouragement
If I receive Your words and treasure Your commands,
If I turn my ear toward wisdom,
If my heart is inclined to understand, and I call out for insight and discernment,
If I seek it like silver,
If I pursue it like a hidden treasure,
Then I begin to comprehend the fear of the Lord
This is the beginning of wisdom – the sweet and reverent awe of my God, my Creator, my King.
The price of which is far beyond rubies and the procuring of is a blessing.
May my eyes never focus on earthly goals.
May I never despise instruction.
May I never forget Your teaching.
This is the beginning of wisdom.
Proverbs 2:1-5, “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.”
Job 28:18, “Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.”
Proverbs 3:13, “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.”
Proverbs 17:24, “A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.”
Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Proverbs 3:1, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart.”
*We touched on Proverbs 2:1-5 this week in our parenting class, Instructing a Child’s Heart. The passage stayed with me long after the class dismissed.
Good News
