A father's love vs The Father's Love

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16

I don't listen to country most of the time, but when you are driving through no mans land and you have played so many cds that your cd player has decided to boycott, you have no choice but to listen to country music.Now before I get hate mail ;) I like some country but I don't like the scandalous version of country music now. Anyways, back to my my reason for this post. As I was driving a song titled "A love without end,amen" sang by George Strait came on. I welled up because 3 years ago my dad went home to be with the Lord. I was a daddy's girl, and he was the type of dad that didn't have to be. He took me as his own child, and if there hadn't been a different last name I would have never known differently. That's how much my dad loved me.

As I was listening to this song and thinking about my dad I started thinking about my heavenly father, Abba Father. A father that loves me so much and wants to have a relationship with me. Loves me so much that he would send his one and only Son to die on the cross for my sins. Not just my past sin, not just my present sin, not just my future sin, but ALL of my sin.

I know when I look at my husband with our children that he would do anything for them, within his ability. I know that he loves them so much. How much more does our father love us? All through scripture we see the Father's love for us. Let us be mindful every day of our Abba Fathers love for us!


To listen to the song click here

Change

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1 

Change is an ugly word to me. I don't like it, change is not something I look forward to. Although, in the past 3 1/2 years there has been a lot of changes. Some I have looked forward to, others where I have thought I was excited to only meltdown when they actually happened, and others I have dug my heels in and refuse to accept.

Two years ago we moved to Montana so that my husband could be a youth pastor at a church. I thought I was excited about the cross country move, but for the first four months I hated it. I wouldn't let myself get settled, I bucked the system so to speak every chance I got, and just refused to call this home. One day I was having a "gripe fest" with God, okay really lets be serious I was the one doing all the griping and our loving Heavenly Father faithfully listened to me, and then spoke ever so gently  spoke to me and said this is home!   From that moment on I knew this was home. Now two years later God is calling us away from this home.

For the past few weeks I have "bucked the system" again. I have not been happy about having to pack everything up, and move again. I am a plan person, I like to have a plan laid out. There is no plan. We are going to take a small "break" and pray about where God is leading us from there. After much prayer, talking with my mentor and lots of tears I am excited about the new direction God is sending us. I can't wait to see what his plan is, because as we know God's plans are bigger and better than we could ever expect.

Please be in prayer for us as we start this new journey.

Blessings!

What kind of seed do you want to be?

In Luke 8:1-15 Jesus tells The Parable of the Sower. After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,

“‘though seeing, they may not see;

    though hearing, they may not understand.’[a]

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Jesus gives the meaning of the parable in verse 11. The seed is the word of God!  With the first seed we see that some may hear it but the devil comes in and takes away the word from their heart. Then they don't believe and therefore do not get saved. The second seed, sown among the rocky ground, they hear the word and joyfully accept it but it doesn't take root, or doesn't "stick" because of trials. We find in James 1:2-4 we find out that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. But that requires us to be in our Word, praying, believing Jesus and following God's commands. The third seed, the one that fell among the thorns. We hear it but the world and our worldly outlook on life chokes the life out of our beliefs. We care more about what people think of us, about how much money we can make and we do not grow in our relationship with Christ. Then there is the last seed. This seed falls on good soil, it stands for those who have a noble and good heart, they hear the word, retain it, persevere through life's struggles and a produce a crop. John 15:5 says "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." 

My prayer is that I am the seed that has fallen on good soil. That I have heard the word, retained it, persevere through life's struggles, and that I bear much fruit and produce a plentiful crop, but that I give all glory to Christ. What seed are you? What do you strive to do everyday? We are called to be in our word everyday, praying, seeking wisdom from others. It is about a relationship with Jesus. Apart from Him we can do nothing! 

Colossians Online Bible Study

I recently became a leader through Good Morning Girls. I'm really excited to lead my first online Bible Study, through email. We will be studying Colossians. It's an 8 week study and we will be starting November 18th. The deadline to join will be November 11th. If you want to get an idea of what the study is all about and the method that is used you can check it out here. I look forward to you joining me in on this journey through Colossians! If you are interested please email me at lane1105@gmail.com. 

Hope you are having a blessed week! 

Jen

Are you asleep?

Nope, it's almost 4 a.m. I have class at 8 a.m. and I am NOT asleep. This question goes deeper though are we in a spiritual sleep? 1 Thessalonians 5:6 says "So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober." Paul is giving us a spiritual wake-up call. We are to be set apart from the world. We need to be telling others about Jesus and not be sleeping on our job. Right now I am so sleepy but can not fall asleep, I can hardly think, and will probably want to delete this post tomorrow. I also know that tomorrow I am going to walk around in a fog, I am going to drink enough caffeine to get me through class, and then come home and take a nap.  

Who is asleep? Non-Christians and those who have accepted Christ but have taken a little snooze. WAKE-UP! JESUS is coming and we need to be prepared and we need to prepare others. If you have become weary in doing good cling to, Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

So maybe you have found yourself asleep or you are being tempted to fall asleep remember that Jesus died on the cross for you and me and that he rose 3 days later and is alive and at the right hand of the Father. Remember that you have been given a calling and you agreed to that calling when you accepted Christ. It's time for operation wake up call! 

In Christ,
Jen

Raising from the dead

Earlier this week I read a scripture and then today at a women's breakfast at Church it was brought up again, so I had to share :)

All through the New Testament Jesus raises the dead. Jarisus's daughter  (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:41,42; Luke 8:40-56) A widow's son (Luke 7:11-15) and Lazarus (John 11) and of course the greatest resurrection ever Jesus (Matthew 28:1-7; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12)

One story of resurrection, that I don't ever remember reading, was of Tabitha in Acts 9:35-41 36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.

First, we see that Tabitha was a disciple, we see that she has a servant's heart, she was always doing good and helping the poor. Next, we see she became sick and died. Men went to get Peter, and he went with them. The widows were standing around him crying, and showing him the robes that Tabitha had made, this tells me they loved her so much and appreciated her hard work. Peter then sent everyone out of the room, he turned toward Tabitha and told her to get up. This is the first time we see someone, other than Jesus, raising someone from the dead. She opened her eyes, saw Peter and she sat up. He is then the perfect gentlemen and helps her to her feet. Peter then called for the believers and scripture says especially the widows, so I am left wondering (or concluding ;) that she must have had a huge impact on them. They were mourning her when she died, and immediately showed Peter the clothing that she had made, she was loved. 

It's amazing how God uses scripture to speak to us. I want to make sure that I am using the gifts Christ has given me each and everyday to further the Kingdom. I do not want to be sitting idly by and not fulfill the calling that the Lord has given me, what a waste that would be. 1 Peter 4: 10-11 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.  

In Christ,
Jen

Praying for other believers

Last month (September) Andrew, James (our pastor) and Amber (children) started praying for the believers of our church. Andrew sent it to me and I did it along side of him. This month (October) our Pastor "challenged" the congregation to do it, so I am going through it again. This time though with a little more passion. See when I did it last month my prayer was, "Lord bless those, and watch over those, and help those of Kirkwood grow in you." That's as far as it went though. This time I went through and wrote down every person's name and I pray for them each individually. It has been more meaningful this time. I don't feel like i'm just flying through prayers to just get through them, but I'm actually taking the time to pray for each person. 

These past few weeks I have been reminded how important prayer is. Not that I didn't believe it was important, I did however get caught up in the, praying to pray, because it was my Christian duty. When I started praying specifically for each person, by name, it all changed. Part of the scripture that we are reading is coming out of Colossians 1 vs. 9 tells us, "we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11. being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully, 12. giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." We are called to pray, we are called to pray for others. If you would like to join in on praying for other believers, click here. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray continually