As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids.  This is number 57  of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.

This one’s fun, especially in the springtime, and particularly if you live in an area where there are lots of wildflowers. You just hand your child a cheap vase and say, “Go outside and make this as pretty as you can with the flowers that God has clothed (Matthew 6:28-30). We are going to take flowers to Sister Jones.”

If you live in an apartment complex  or in a crowded subdivision, you may have to take your kids to an area where the Queen Anne’s Lace or whatever the blooming things are in your area, are covering the roadside. Take these flowers home, shake the tiny bugs off, and lay the flowers out for kids to choose what looks good in their vases. Then be sure to have them make cards or notes to give the  elderly recipients along with their bouquets.

Kids love this activity. I have early memories of teen girls in our congregation coming over to my house to help the pre-teen girls pick flowers and assemble them. Then these high school seniors drove us middle schoolers around to deliver to widows in our congregation. It was a service project I will never forget…so fun, so simple and so directly related to the bottom of Matthew 25!

If you’re working in autumn or winter, it’s little more challenging, but it still works so well with cotton and ivy in the fall, or with holly and magnolia leaves in winter.

Cindy Colley

Acts 1:24 “And they prayed and said, ‘You, oh Lord, who knows the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen.’”

Life for Christ-followers had been greatly tested. Their Lord had been hung on a cross until death claimed his precious breath. The pious religious leaders, the Roman soldiers, a few faithful followers, and Mary, His mother, stood on the hill and witnessed it all. With His final exhale, the very earth Christ helped speak into existence shook violently with fury, and its rocks split. The Father’s overwhelming grief extinguished His heavenly light, and all creation was wrapped in darkness.

But Hope returned, for no grave could conquer the Son of God. He rose to walk again among them before He returned to the glory of heaven from whence He came.

So, as the book of Acts opens, the disciples gathered to replace Judas, the traitor. The magnitude of choosing a replacement weighed heavily upon them. One would assume the discussion at that gathering centered around the criteria for their new appointee. Did they speak of someone with power and prestige who might help dispel persecution? Did their discourse revolve around an educated man capable of debate against the relentless religious scholars? Perhaps they considered men of wealth who might elevate their reputation. On the contrary, scripture records none of these were considered. Tossing human logic to the wind, the disciples prayed for a man with one criterion: a heart belonging to the Father.

Scripture reveals a God whose desires are often in contrast to what we admire. If we treasure outward appearances, our hearts will be found among the shiny things of life. If we hold dear our position, our hearts will be found among the ranks of hierarchy. If we cherish material possessions, our hearts will be lost in a world that will one day return to dust. It is important to know, God is not impressed by our position, our looks, our popularity, nor our station in life. So, if we seek what the Father seeks, social media will not consume us. The quest for perfection, looks, and popularity will not define us. Power and wealth will not drive our ambitions. Our pursuit will be of what really matters: a heart belonging to our Heavenly Father.

Father God may our hearts seek You.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that we are living in a slightly stressful world these days. This may or may not be a good thing, but I hardly ever watch the news. In fact, if it weren’t for some of our friends at church, I would not have known about the last two tornadoes that were in the area recently or the snow storms that we have experienced over the past couple of months. But now that I know I can count on them for the weather, I really see no need to start! Next, I’ll slowly delete my social media accounts (where the news still seems to be loud and clear) and then happily retreat into my own little hermit world where the sad, scary, and anxiety-provoking headlines can’t find me. Now, I realize this isn’t really the answer, but sometimes it sounds like a good idea. Did you know that, according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, over 50 million Americans report dealing with anxiety? I don’t know how accurate that number is, but I do know that 50 million is a really big number.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines anxiety as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” If I had to describe that in my own non-dictionary words, I would simply say “a lack of peace.” For many, peace can seem so elusive sometimes. Now, I understand that some people suffer from clinical anxiety due to chemical imbalances and things outside of their control. This is not an attempt to cause guilt or shame to those people. However, some of us create these feelings of unease in our own lives when we simply don’t have to.

In Philippians 4, we read about the God of peace:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

The Cliff Notes of this text:

1. We are given the following command: ”Do not be anxious about anything.”

God doesn’t just leave us hanging, but is offering us help. Christians have the incredible blessing of belonging to a God at whose feet we can lay our greatest (and smallest) problems. And not as a burden to Him, but by His own command because that’s how much He loves us.

2. If you have known the peace of God, then you know that it truly does surpass all understanding. The verse says, that if we will let our requests be made known to Him, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” What a priceless blessing!
3. We are given practical instructions on how to avoid unnecessary anxiety. Here are the things we should think about:

Anything:

1. True
2. Honorable
3. Just
4. Pure
5. Lovely
6. Commendable
7. Excellent
8. Worthy of praise

Eight things we are given in this verse to fill our minds with. We should elevate our thoughts to a higher, holier mindset by constantly focusing on these types of things. The “Elevated Eight,” we shall call them. If we watch movies and shows filled with bad language, violence, and obscenities, or listen to music and podcasts centered around worldly topics, we can’t expect to have thoughts based on the “Elevated Eight.”

4. At the end of this verse, Paul and Timothy give us one last piece of advice: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” We must take action and put these things into practice. They have given us great examples in their own lives and we would be wise to learn from them. If we just twiddle our thumbs and cross our fingers, while hoping to find peace, we will be greatly disappointed. We are not told that the God of peace will be with us by sitting idly by. However, we are promised that if we practice these things, then He will. And we may not be perfect at it at first, but as we’ve surely learned throughout life so far, practice makes perfect!

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics

By Janelle Pollard

Several weeks ago, my husband, his sister, her husband, and I made a short trip to a lovely site to purchase cemetery lots. It is not the kind of trip one looks forward to, but one that is necessary.

This cemetery is located directly behind a beautiful little church building, with wooded areas on two sides of the cemetery lots. It is peaceful and quiet and is very well maintained.

We naturally think of the sadness of losing a relative or friend when we visit a cemetery, and it is not the kind of place one just visits. There is usually some particular reason for going there.

Such was the case with Jesus when He visited the tomb of His friend, Lazarus. John 11 relates the story of Jesus being called to Bethany because Lazarus was sick. Jesus delayed going, and Lazarus died. This delay was so “the Son of God might be glorified.” In other words, there was a reason Jesus allowed Lazarus to die–so that He might show His authority and the power of God.

When Jesus stood before the tomb of Lazarus, verse 35 says, “Jesus wept.” Why did He weep? The logical answer would seem to be His love for His friend. Some might say it was because of the sadness of Mary and Martha. We know that Scripture speaks often about the compassion of Jesus, so both of these would make a lot of sense.

Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. The purpose of the miracle was to glorify God. Jesus knew He was going to bring Lazarus back to a sinful world from a place of comfort. Could that be a reason for His tears?

Soon after the raising of Lazarus, the rulers determined that they not only wanted to kill Jesus, they wanted to kill Lazarus as well. So, no matter where Lazarus went following his return from the grave, his life was in danger. He was a living testimony to being brought back to life by the Lord Himself.

This story teaches us many things.. It teaches us that Jesus showed compassion to His friends, sympathy for their grief, and the use of this opportunity to glorify God. Lazarus was His friend. It shows us what true friendship really is. It shows Jesus’ power over death. It also poses a question. If Jesus was on earth today, and you or I died, would Jesus weep at our grave? Would He call us friend? Would Jesus bring us back to life for the glory of God?

Lazarus’ life was obviously worth this miracle. God had plans for Lazarus. Would we be valuable to God?

Sandra Oliver

Paul was a fascinating apostle and inspired writer. Many people believe his letter to the Roman Christians is a challenge to read and comprehend. However, I find the twelfth and thirteenth chapters quite enlightening. He spent the first eleven chapters laying ground for doctrinal truths. When he opened chapter twelve he began with practical applications of those truths. He delivered a series of “do not” commands followed by a bundle of “do” these things. I call them collectively Paul’s marching orders for Roman Christians, as well as for us today.

Here are the “do not’s”:

• Do not be conformed to this world. Society is trying to pour us each day into its mold. We must be ever watchful that we do not fall into this scheme.
• Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought to think. God cautions his people to run from pride and embrace humility. After all, that was the sin which brought Satan low (1 Timothy 3:6).
• Let love be without hypocrisy. We should never put on the pretense of loving an individual. Love should be sincere in every way.
• Abhor what is evil. Burton Coffman commented that the word rendered to ABHOR is particularly forcible, and expresses the highest degree of hatred, p. 396.
• Do not lag in diligence—that would constitute a lukewarm Christian, which certainly displeases the Lord (Revelation 3:16).
• Do not set your mind on high things, that is, things that the world highly values, such as power, wealth, fame, possessions, etc.
• Do not be wise in your own eyes. This reminds me of the three friends of Job who came to console him. They had it all figured out and proceeded to set Job straight. However, God’s anger was aroused against them because of what they spoke (Job 42:7).
• Do not repay evil for evil. Do not avenge yourselves. The words “getting even” and “retaliation” should not be in the Christian’s vocabulary!
• Do not be overcome with evil. James wrote about how each one is tempted when drawn away by their own desires and enticed. If one gives in to the desire, it will conceive and bring forth death (James 1:12-15).
• Do not curse those who persecute you. Jesus reminded his followers that when we are persecuted, we are in good company,  for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:12).
• Cast off works of darkness. Scripture often describes evil as darkness and righteousness as light. We should always strive to identify evil allurements and run from them.
• Let us not walk in revelry and drunkeness, or lewdness or lust, or strife and envy. Paul helps identify some of the dark areas of sin.
• Do not make provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts (13:14). Make sure your plans do not include provisions for lustful actions.

It is vitally important to replace the evil, negative practices in our lives with good things that please the Lord.  When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first (Luke 11:24-26).  So Paul said to do these things:

• Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Remember, God does not command us to do something that is unattainable.
• Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Renewing our minds begins with immersing ourselves in His word.
• Think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. In other words, the gifts we have been given are not about us. They are about glorifying God.
• Do use the gifts/talents God has given you (Matthew 25:14-30).
• Cling to what is good. “Cling” here carries the same weight as “abhor.” It is strong and intense.
• Be kindly affectionate to one another, with brotherly love.  And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us (1 John 3:23).
• In honor, give preference to one another (Philippians 2:3).
• Be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Fervent, boiling in spirit, as opposed to being lukewarm or dead.
• Rejoice in hope. Hope is confident expectation, which we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast… (Hebrews 6:19-20).
• Be patient in tribulation. This kind of patience will serve to perfect and complete us (James 1:3-4).
• Continue steadfastly in prayer. …the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16b).
• Distribute to the needs of the saints. …visit orphans and widows in their trouble… (James 1:27b).
• Be given to hospitality. Great men and women of faith practiced hospitality—Abraham and Sarah, Lydia, the Philippian jailor, and more.
• Bless those who persecute you. Do good to those who treat you unkindly.
• Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Both are expressions of love and compassion.
• Be of the same mind toward one another (Philippians 2:2).
• Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. This is how we influence others to know God and then seek Him.
• If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Pursue peace with all people… (Hebrews 12:14).
• Give place to wrath. A better translation for this verse is from the New American Standard Bible, Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 
• Overcome evil with good. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart (Luke 6:45).
• Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. The reason? Because God rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he chooses (Daniel 4:32b).
• Pay your taxes (Matthew 22:21).
• Owe no man anything except to love one another (John 13:34-35).
• Put on the armor of light (Ephesians 6:11-17).
• Let us walk properly, as in the day (Ephesians 5:13-14).
• Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Wear Jesus daily as a glorious robe of obedience. By this, the world will come to know Him.

There we have them, the Lord’s marching orders, delivered by Paul, for Roman Christians and Christians of our day. March on!!!

Today’s Verse:  Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him, that it would be paid back to him? For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:33-36).

Audios available at http://christianwomanaudiodevotionals.abiblecommentary.com/index.html

by Teresa Hampton

Exodus 18:18 “Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.” (quoting from Jethro as he spoke to Moses)

I felt ill-equipped to lead the group, but somehow I had drawn the short straw for an assignment far outside my area of expertise. As I bemoaned my predicament, it dawned on me the solution lay right before me. Yes, I was incompetent for the task, but all around me were those highly qualified.

It was time I invest in the quest for advisers. Long story short, after recruiting experts, the job turned out to be rewarding, fulfilling, and successful. And as an unexpected bonus, I gained valuable wisdom.

Thank you, Lord for community, for You never intended us to journey alone. Even heroes of Scripture utilized a village of people as they walked God’s path and grew into faith legacies.

Consider a reluctant Moses. After hearing of God’s intention for him to lead Israel, God calmed Moses’s panic by bringing on board Aaron, whose talents complimented Moses’s shortcomings. (Exodus 4:14). And during the battle, when Moses lacked the physical strength to keep his arms raised, he was immediately surrounded by those who held him up (Exodus 17:8-12). And again, when Moses’s duties of leadership drained his energy, Jethro warned Moses of burnout and saw to it that Moses recruited help (Exodus 18:18).

So friend, if you haven’t done so already, invest in the quest for your people. Find those who desire to elevate you towards God’s high calling.

Track down those who will promote your spiritual growth. Walk with them as you deepen your intimate and loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Imitate those who offer grace and forgiveness freely. Learn from them how to lovingly redirect sinfulness toward redemption.

Then, once your village is established, it is time for you to invest in a different quest. You must now seek those who need encouragement from you. Remember, God did not create us for solitary Kingdom existence. Only a comic on stage finds success as a stand-alone.

Father God, help us surround ourselves with those who will work with us to build up Your Kingdom and glorify you with our lives.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

John 1:16 “From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.” NRS

With celebrations of red and green packed away and the New Year’s Eve countdown shouted in unison, the season of fun, food, friends, and frivolity comes to an end. Now’s the time to focus on Resolutions.

Truth be told, it is not my favorite thing. I even prefer Groundhog’s Day to New Year’s Day. It is difficult to enjoy any holiday that comes with a homework assignment! However, after much introspection, my New Year’s Resolution is made: I resolve to be like my stretchy pants.

I hold high regard for my yoga pants, having lived in them since the pandemic began. But their true benefit is indisputable this holiday season where after a month of grazing, consuming, devouring, nibbling, and overindulging, those yoga pants are the only item in my closet continuing to comfort me. They overlook my indiscretions of indulgence. They forgive the bulges I now regret. They sympathize with my waistline which is no longer as it should be. They adapt to meet me in whatever state I am now. They never gripe nor complain, yet patiently wait for me to find the strength to recover from my recklessness and thoughtlessness. My yoga pants offer me grace without judgement.

So, this year, I resolve to imitate my stretchy pants and offer abundant grace. I will choose to forgive indiscretions. I will attempt to sympathize with the struggles of others. I will offer comfort to those hurting. And I will suspend judgement of those undergoing difficulties. This season of merriment has revealed the grace of my stretchy pants to be extravagant. But even more lavish is the grace of our God.

Father God, strengthen us toward generous grace this coming year.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

Here is a small sample of the many verses of God’s grace. Add to this list and stand amazed at His abundance of goodness towards us.

Ephesians 2:8

2 Corinthians 12:9

Romans 6:14

It seems to be a tragic and trending phenomena in the church. Hundreds of millennials and those just younger, are turning to atheism. These are not always children of careless or inattentive parents. Further, they are often those who have graduated from Christian universities—even those who have shown great potential and talent as they worked in the kingdom. But something went terribly wrong. And parents in their fifties and sixties are deeply hurting.

Sometimes, it’s an incremental journey. Parents and elders and friends can sometimes detect that the ship is sailing toward unbelief when a person begins to take issue with what he calls “traditional viewpoints” in classes or private studies. These “traditional  beliefs” are often those that are grounded deeply in Scripture and have irrefutable divine authority behind them. Often the dissenter will then begin absenting himself from worship services, first on occasion and then more often. He will distance himself from the close friends (people of faith) with whom he once spent lots of time. All too often, it is during this time that the world’s immorality pulls hard and begins to slowly destroy the moral and ethical compass of these precious souls. Faithful people of God need to  be sacrificial in spending time with these skeptics and confronting the growing unbelief with reasoned Biblical teaching, done in love.

Truth be told, though, it’s probably late for apologetics teaching when the skepticism develops after college. I’ve come to see more and more that it is extremely critical that the probing questions of children find answers from parents who are not afraid to go digging, themselves, for the evidences that solidify faith. This has to be done, of course, one question at the time, as kids grow up. My son, who just turned 40, noted recently that, while teaching a class of teens, who were believers, he asked them questions about how they know the Bible is the Word of God. While their answers were Biblical, they were cyclical. They know that the Word is from God because it says it is from God. “All scripture is given by inspiration…and is profitable…” (2 Timothy 3:16). When a child asks how we know the Bible is different from all of the other books on our shelves at home, we have to be willing to do whatever it takes to be sure those answers are presented to them in understandable form. This involves researching the accuracy of Scripture—its foreknowledge and predictive prophecy, learning about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the evidence for things like the flood of Noah’s day and the resurrection of our Lord. It’s the stuff of great home education term papers or science projects. It takes time to prepare kids for the barrage of neo-”science” that the university peers and professors will present. The skeptics will speak in terms that will make your kids’ faith appear very backward. Students must  understand the apologetics behind faith and be able to articulate the arguments for the authenticity of Scripture in order to survive the criticisms of faith in the classrooms of non-believing academia or in the high tech workplaces after graduation.

The pulpits and classrooms of congregations should be full of the Bible, but also, they should be full of apologetics resources. Bible Land Passages, Apologetics Press and Christian Courier are excellent sources of curriculum for the foundational evidences kids need as they grow.

Cindy Colley

Bonus post:  The Samaritan Woman

I have been reading again the story of King Saul and David in the time before David became king. The behavior of both men is a story filled with emotion and drama. There is disobedience on the part of Saul and a struggle within David to do the right thing. There is also a lot of anger displayed in the story, and that is the focus of our thoughts.

The center of my thoughts is not about this particular story but on the anger and the results brought about by anger. Paul says in Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” This is a repeat of a statement by David in Psalm 4:4, “Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.”

Anger is simply the feeling and expression of displeasure with something. According to the dictionary, it can include anything from annoyance and displeasure to hostility. Sadly, hostility is often where anger leads.

The consequences of anger provide us with the reason we need to pay attention to our anger.  Genesis 4 is the first place we see the results of anger. Cain and Abel offered sacrifices, but Cain’s sacrifice was not acceptable to God. Verse 5 says God had “no regard” for Cain’s sacrifice, and Cain was very angry. Hebrews 11:4 says that Abel’s sacrifice was more acceptable than Cain’s, and Abel was commended as righteous. Jude 11 condemns those who “have gone in the way of Cain.” They were displaying pride, disobedience, and rebellion.  John also used Cain as an example when he said, “We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.” Cain killed his brother because he was angry.

Consequences of anger don’t always cause someone to murder. Sometimes, they do cause long-lasting, even permanent results. Such was the case with Moses and Aaron. Though the children of Israel had seen one miracle after another, they continued to complain about what they didn’t have. In Numbers 20, the people suffered the loss of Miriam. After they had buried her, they found that there was no water. So, they gathered themselves together and complained to Moses and Aaron. They used the same hateful attitude with their leaders that they had used since they left Egypt. “You made us come out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place. There are  no grains or figs, no vines or pomegranates, and once again, no water.” Moses and Aaron left the people and fell on their faces before God. The Lord came to them, and told them to gather the people before the rock, speak to it, and they would have water. I would suppose that when they returned to the presence of the people that all of Israel continued to complain. Moses lost his temper, drew back his staff, and struck the rock, not once but twice. The people got the water they needed, but the price was a heavy one. “And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.” Neither was Moses allowed to enter the promised land.

Both Cain and Moses lost control. They were angry, and they sinned. That leads us to the rest of Paul’s instruction on anger. He gives three qualifiers: sin not; examine yourself at day’s end; and don’t give place to the devil. He realized people are going to get angry, but we have to do it without sinning. Examine yourself, and refuse to let anger grow. When it grows, the devil will take the opportunity to grow that anger into something evil.

Cain needed to own his disobedience in offering the wrong sacrifice. Had he done that, God would have forgiven him, and Cain could have saved himself from the curse that was placed on him.

Moses had dealt with the complaining Israelites before, and should have left the punishment to God. He spoke in anger and struck the rock out of anger. His punishment could have been avoided.

At the closing of each day, we need to examine the thoughts of our hearts so that we won’t be caught up in sin. “The wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”

Sandra Oliver