Avwee Boo’ful

Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Malachi 1-2
NT: Revelation 21
W&W:

Today’s Reflection:

Along with our three daughters and two sons-in-law, we had our two grand-daughters home for Christmas – Avery and Annabelle. On Sunday morning, their parents – Jenny and Eric – dedicated little Annabelle to the Lord in a wonderful service here at Bethel Naz. Avery was the big sister, and she got to stand on the platform with Mom and Dad and Bella during the dedication rite. So, Avery had on a pretty dress that she just loved wearing. As a matter of fact, she wouldn’t take it off all day long! She would say, “Avwee boo’ful!” (Avery beautiful!) Of course, Nana and Pahpooh agreed with her!

The next morning, while she was getting ready to pack up and go to her other grandparents’ home, she caught site of that dress again and wanted to put it back on: “Avwee boo’ful!” But, it wasn’t what a little two-year-old needed to wear during a car trip, so Momma had to say no. Avery just wasn’t too happy about that! She wanted to be beautiful!

I got to thinking about the verse in Revelation that talks about the bride of Christ being given new clothes to wear. (See memory verse below.) When Jesus calls us all to heaven, we are going to be dressed in his righteousness! We are going to be beautiful because of the new clothes with which Christ has clothed us. I’m glad we don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to wear those new clothes, but that we can put on the righteousness of Christ right now! I want to be able to say, like Avery, “Boo’ful! Jesus makes me beautiful!”

The Bible says to be “dressed and ready.” The wedding of the Lamb is coming!

This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Revelation 19.6b-8a: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."

Young and Old Alike!

Today’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Job 32
NT: John 12
W&W: Psalm 71.17-24

Today’s Reflection:
Like the Psalmist said in Psalm 71.5, God is my hope. He has been my confidence since youth. As a young teen of 14, God saved me, forgiving my sin and giving me eternal life in Jesus. But “even from birth,” even before I knew Christ personally, I relied on God – without even knowing it! And he was faithful to me.

I have learned, however, that God is not only the God of my youth. He is my God in maturity as well. He has not and will not cast me away now that I am older and my strength isn’t what it used to be (v. 9). I always have hope (v. 14)!

Whatever season of life you are in right now, God is your hope. Have confidence in him!

This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
1 John 1.1: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

Keep the Romance Alive

Today’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Esther 3
NT: Luke 14
W&W: Psalm 54

Today’s Reflection:

Yesterday I began preaching revival at Obetz Nazarene. God has led me to preach on “Sharing the Hope of Jesus” for this revival. Last night’s message was “Sharing Hope at Home.” I would like to share a portion of that message with you today.

What are the things that dash our hopes at home? One of them is Dying Romance. I came across the following quote that I feel captures our desperation for love:

“All our lives we search for someone who makes us complete. We choose partners and change partners. We dance the song of heartbreak and hope, all the while wondering if somewhere, somehow there is someone searching for us.”

And the following poem, The Hope of Loving, by Daniel Ladinsky:

What keeps us alive, what allows us to endure?
I think it is the hope of loving,

or being loved.
I heard a fable once about the sun going on a journey

to find its source, and how the moon wept

without her lover’s

warm gaze.
We weep when light does not reach our hearts. We wither

like fields if someone close

does not rain their

kindness

upon

us.

I heard this joke this week: “What's the difference between a boyfriend and a husband? About 30#!” At first I didn’t get it, then I remembered Lana’s boyfriend in college weighed about 145 pounds. As a matter of fact, he weighed that much on their wedding day. After he became her husband, though, he topped out at about 180#! The difference between Lana’s boyfriend and husband was 35#! Like our bodies, if we let it go, romance can become flabby and unattractive. We begin to neglect all the nice things we did for her or him But we don’t need to.

How long does it take for romance to die? Or how old do you have to be? I don’t know. I’m not that old yet! One fella down in NC told me, “We were sittin’ out on the front porch one day and my wife came out. She looked so purty to me, my pacemaker opened the garage door across the street!” I can’t attest to how pacemakers work, but I do know that God will put a love in your heart that will never die!

What can we do to keep romance alive? Beware of and guard against these immorality attractions:

• Persistently thinking of someone other than your spouse
• Disengaged from intimate conversations and activity with your spouse
• Discussing things normally reserved for your spouse with others
• Visiting explicit sites

(From Ministry Coaching Int’s Extraordinary Living Conference with Greg Salciccioli, Jan/Feb 2009):

The Bible is a champion of marital love. Go to it for help in keeping romance alive. Live according to Ephesians 5. Or, try reading the Song of Solomon together to add a spark to your lives! Go to the book of Ruth to read one of the greatest love stories I’ve ever read.

Like anything else that’s alive, love has to be taken care of. Nurture it and it will bear much fruit – the fruit of joy!


This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Isaiah 53.8-9: By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Special Thanksgiving Edition!

Psalm 147 is a great Psalm for Thanksgiving. Read it at the table before you eat:

1 Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
6 The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.
8 He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.
10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man;
11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
12 Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion,
13 for he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you.
14 He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
19 He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the LORD.

As I read this Psalm, I was thankful that God:

• Builds up my "city" (family and friends)... v 2
• Gathers me to his heart when I feel unwanted... v2
• Heals my broken heart... v 3
• Binds up my wounds... v 3
• Sustains me in my humility... v 6
• Delights in me as I fear (reverence) him and hope in him... v 11
• Secures me with his strength... v 13
• Grants me peace in my relationships and emotions... v 14
• Satisfies me with the Living Bread come down from heaven... v 14
• Reveals his Word to me so that I understand his will... vv 19-20

As you look at these reasons for gratitude, go around the table and briefly respond to them from personal experience. Share your reasons to be thankful before you eat your Thanksgiving meal. Make it truly a celebration of the goodness of God and the gratitude of his children! Then, as you "break bread together" your Thanksgiving will be a time to "Praise the LORD!