Trials and Pain: Piles of Ashes

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.—Hebrews 12:11

If God has singled you out to be a special object of His grace you may expect Him to honor you with stricter discipline and greater suffering than less favored ones are called upon to endure....

If God sets out to make you an unusual Christian He is not likely to be as gentle as He is usually pictured by the popular teachers. A sculptor does not use a manicure set to reduce the rude, unshapely marble to a thing of beauty. The saw, the hammer and the chisel are cruel tools, but without them the rough stone must remain forever formless and unbeautiful.

To do His supreme work of grace within you He will take from your heart everything you love most. Everything you trust in will go from you. Piles of ashes will lie where your most precious treasures used to be. That Incredible Christian, pp. 122-124

{http://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/tozer-on-leadership/2013/12/02}

A Crucial Question: When, why, and how does the Lord God discipline us when we sin?

The Lord's discipline is an often-ignored fact of life for believers. We often complain about our circumstances without realizing that they are the consequences of our own sin and are a part of the Lord's loving and gracious discipline for that sin. This self-centered ignorance can contribute to the formation of habitual sin in a believer's life, incurring even greater discipline.

Discipline is not to be confused with cold-hearted punishment. The Lord's discipline is a response of His love for us and His desire for each of us to be holy. “My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:11-12; see alsoHebrews 12:5-11). God will use testing, trials, and various predicaments to bring us back to Himself in repentance. The result of His discipline is a stronger faith and a renewed relationship with God (James 1:2-4), not to mention destroying the hold that particular sin had over us.

The Lord's discipline works for our own good, that He might be glorified with our lives. He wants us to exhibit lives of holiness, lives that reflect the new nature that God has given us: “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

(Provided by S. Michael Houdmann, CEO of gotquestions.org)

Witnessing!

I've always loved videos like this. They offer a broad perspective on how the world views Christianity and the meaning of life along with providing examples as to how to go about spreading God's Word. As you go throughout your Christian walk spreading the Good News you'll meet so many people with different beliefs. It can be a challenge figuring out what to say and how to say it - especially when dealing with those who aren't willing to know the truth. Here's an example (out of many) on how to deal with these challenges.

Operation Christmas Child

Hey everyone, It's time to start with Operation Christmas Child. Here is all the info that you need. Please get the word out to all your friends and classmates. How to Pack a Shoebox 1. Shoe Box Use an empty shoebox (standard size, please) or a small plastic container. You can wrap the box (lid separately), but wrapping is not required. Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift. 2. Boy or Girl Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Print out the appropriate boy/girl label by downloading the artwork to the right. Mark the correct age category on the label, and tape the label to the top of your box. Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child. Use the gift ideas provided on the bottom of this page. Please include at least one item a child can immediately embrace such as a stuffed toy, doll, ball or toy truck. 4. Include $7 Donation Please donate $7 or more for each shoebox you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online by using our “Follow Your Box Donation” option, or you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the gift items inside your box. If you or your family are preparing more than one shoebox, please make one combined donation. 5. Drop Off Place a rubber band around each closed shoebox and drop it off at the collection center nearest you during our collection week, November 18–25, 2013. For locations and hours of collection visit our Drop-Off Locations page where you can find the nearest place to take your shoe box by entering your ZIP Code or you can call 1-800-353-5949. You can also send your shoebox gift to: Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child 801 Bamboo Road Boone, NC 28607 Gift Suggestions ◾SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc. ◾TOYS: Small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch,® toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky,® etc. ◾HYGIENE ITEMS: Toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc. ◾OTHER: T-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries) ◾A PERSONAL NOTE: You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. (If you include your name and address, the child may write back.) ◾DO NOT INCLUDE: Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; out- of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snowglobes or glass containers; aerosol cans.

A Crucial Question: If God knew people would sin, why did he make them?

Provided by CARM.org (Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry)

This is a simple question and we are tempted to answer it simply by saying, "Why not?  Why shouldn't God make people if He knows they are going to sin?"  But, such an answer isn't very satisfying.  We could always say we don't know why God would do this since He is infinite and we are not and His ways are not our ways.  But this answer also leaves us a bit empty.  So, let's see if we can answer the question by analogy.

When parents have children they know that their kids will eventually act in sinful and even harmful ways.  Yet, that doesn't stop them from having children. Why?  First of all, it is worth the risk of their rebellion to bring them into the world.  Second, the nature of love is to give and by having children the parents can better express their love.  Third, just because the children will sin and rebel doesn't mean they shouldn't exist.  Fourth, children have their own wills and can freely choose to rebel.  Knowing this parents all over the world still have children.  As you can see, analogies help us to make sense of things, but they can't answer every question.  That is why we must go to God's word for more insight.

The Bible tells us that God is love and that He sacrificed His Son on our behalf.  The greatest act of love is to sacrifice one's own life for another (John 15:13).  In a very real sense, God has performed the greatest act of love in sacrificing Himself (Remember, Jesus is God in flesh - John 1:1,14).  Since God is love and love sacrifices, God has now manifested the greatest love by dying for us.  In this, God is glorified.  But, without sin in the world, there would be no way to demonstrate the greatest act of love -- which is self-sacrifice.  So, perhaps God allowed sin in the world so that He could demonstrate the greatest act of love.

Furthermore, in this self-sacrifice God demonstrates the perfection of His holiness, the sinfulness of sin, the proof of God's righteousness, the victory over the evil one, and the guarantee of the saved with whom He can shed His love and glory forever.  In this, God is glorified.

We could come up with a variety of possible reasons why God made people knowing they would sin and we probably can never fully answer this.  But, knowing that they would sin is no reason that God shouldn't make them, especially if His plan includes the acts of sinners so that others would be redeemed.

Welcome to the New School Year!

T-Shirt Design Ideas

Just a few T-shirt designs that I came up with. The Bible verse, like everything else, is subject to change.

Short and Sweet.