Cookie Baking Night 04/25/11

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night. In attendance this evening was Emily, Ethan, and Carissa. As you may see from the pictures, there was plenty of energy to go around. We walked off a bit of it while we took a walk in the beautiful spring weather. For our cookie this evening we made Gingersnaps. We read lesson #45 from Leading Little Ones to God: A Child's Book of Bible Teachings by Marian Schoolland. The lesson was titled " The Holy Spirit Made the Disciples Brave". It was a great follow up to Resurrection Sunday teaching. We had good discussion around this lesson. Emily read Acts 5:25-29 from the Bible for us.

We finished off the night with a rousing game of Pictureka. As usual, a fun time was had by all.

Resurrection Sunday 04/24/11

What the world knows as Easter, we know as Resurrection Sunday. He is risen! He is risen indeed! May we live today in the knowledge of the truth of this glorious gospel message.

I offer for your consideration the words from the song "My Jesus Fair" (by Chris Anderson and Greg Habegger).

My Jesus fair, was pierced by thorns

By thorns grown from the fall

Thus He who gave the curse was torn

To end that curse for all

My Jesus meek, was scorned by men

By men in blasphemy

"Father, forgive their senseless sin!"

He prayed for them, for me

My Jesus kind, was torn by nails

By nails of cruel men

And to His cross as grace prevailed

God pinned my wretched sin

My Jesus pure, was crushed by God

By God, in judgment just

The Father grieved, yet turned his rod

On Christ, made sin for us

My Jesus strong, shall come to reign

To reign in majesty

The Lamb arose, and death is slain

Lord, come in victory!

Chorus

O love divine, O matchless grace

That God should die for men!

With joyful grief I lift my praise,

Abhorring all my sin, adoring only Him.

Evangelism Focus 04/23/11

On the heels of a very busy week, I knew today would be spent running errands. I didn't want that time to be gospel-less (especially on the day before Easter), so I made up several "Easter packs". They contained a note from me, a gospel tract (the one I wrote), and a couple pieces of candy contained in a Ziploc bag with a flower sticker on it. Many people spent the day running errands and preparing for a holiday about which they know not the true meaning. I wanted to put the gospel in their hands if at all possible. I encourage you to try something like this around Easter and Christmas. Everyone seems to be willing to accept a greeting and a token around the holidays. This might work better for the ladies. I just packed my purse with them and handed one out every time I had a transaction with a clerk in a store and whenever the opportunity presented itself in the parking lot to and from the store. The "Easter packs" are pictured below.

Here's the text from the note I included in each pack:

Did you know that Easter is about more than colored eggs and candy? Easter is celebrated because it is the day that Jesus rose from he dead. His life and death were predicted (in the Bible) hundreds of years before he was born.

In the book of Isaiah, it reads, "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one-- to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity [sin] of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6).

I have provided for you a gospel tract with a little more information about this event in history and its ramifications. I simply ask that you consider this information today and ask yourself, "Is it true?" If it isn't true, then reject it. If it is true, then it demands a response.

Thank you for taking the time to read this today. Happy Easter! May it be your best one ever.

Good Friday--Isaiah 53

The events of Good Friday were written down in Isaiah 53, which, amazingly, was written hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was born. 

 1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

A Night With A Niece/Cookie Baking Night Planning 04/18/11

Tonight Emily came over to spend some time and help me with a cooking project. She thought while she was here it might be a good idea if she planned the menu and events for the next Cookie Baking Night. I told her she could make three plans, and I would choose which one we would do first. She was very organized with her planning. She insisted we needed a meeting to discuss the plans, which also involved a pre-meeting (that was a first for me), and she had a written agenda for the meeting. After the meeting, she spent her time typing up the final plan. She did a great job on it.

It was a nice evening together. She's a hoot.

Cookie Baking Night 04/11/11

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night. In attendance this evening were Ethan and Carissa. We made spring bird nests. We also went on our first walk of the season (it was a beautiful Minnesota evening). We read from Leading Little Ones to God: A Child's Book of Bible Teachings. Tonight we read lesson 44 titled "The Holy Spirit Has a Special Work". Ethan read Acts 2:1-8 for us.

Here's the recipe for Spring Bird Nests:

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 bag chow mien noodles

Colored candy eggs

Melt the butterscotch chips, choc chips, and p-nut butter in the microwave until smooth. Add chow mien noodles. Mix until well coated. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto waxed paper. Decorate with candy eggs. Chill to set. Enjoy!

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS!

Cookie Baking Night side note:

At supper time, Ethan asked how many fluid ounces were in the cups from which we were drinking. I guessed 8 ounces. Soon after this question, Greg produced a digital scale (much to Ethan's delight). I believe Ethan's cup contained 8.6 ounces of fluid. Greg challenged him to get it down to 4 ounces, which he managed to do sip by sip weighing the cup along the way. It was good uncle-nephew bonding time. I do believe I see some "Uncle Greg" in young Ethan, as he loves to know how things work and seems to enjoy "all things digital".

Psalm 119 Conference

This weekend, Greg and I were able to attend the Psalm 119 conference organized by Wretched radio program. We won tickets through a giveaway contest offered by The Christian Worldview radio program. The Psalm 119 conference is traveling around the country to different sites (6 conferences this year), each offering different speakers. This past weekend, they were in Minnesota. The speakers were: Todd Friel (Wretched Radio), RW Glenn (pastor of Redeemer Bible Church), Milton Vincent (author of A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God's Love and pastor of Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church), Phil Johnson (Grace to You ministry), and James White (Alpha and Omega ministries). The theme for the conference this year is Discernment. It was a wonderful conference.

We also had opportunity on Saturday morning to sit in on a live recording of The Christian Worldview radio program. That was very fun for us. Click here to listen to the broadcast.

There was a point in our lives, not that long ago, when we (Greg and I) were in a church that wasn't preaching the gospel regularly and wasn't preaching from God's Word that often either. When we wanted deeper teaching, we found that on radio programs and through attending conferences such as the one we attended this weekend. We commented to each other several times this weekend that the teaching we received at this conference was simply a reinforcement of that which we receive as a steady diet at the church where we are now members. That sentiment was echoed back to us as the conference closed with these words, "We've heard some great preaching this weekend, but if you're in a Bible-preaching church, then the best sermon you will hear all weekend is going to be the one you hear tomorrow that was prepared by your pastor with his congregation in mind." And to that I say, Amen!

Be Back Soon

Lately, life's schedule has been such that a decision had to be made between blogging and spending time in God's Word and prayer. The second takes priority. This week you can expect two more blog posts, and then I'll return to the regular blog schedule on Monday, April 11.