Guidelines in making decisions

 Sept. 20, 2020

What are we 'free' to do as Christians? When it comes to: movies, tv shows, school options, Bible studies, churches to attend, food, drink, drugs, hair or clothing styles, music, shopping, or hobbies, how do we know what to do? Sometimes we don't have point by point answers from the Bible for the activity we are considering. How do we make decisions that honor God for things that are not specifically addressed in scripture?

The following are a few ideas that I gleaned from a two-part sermon by John McArthur called: Using Your Liberties - the E's of Decision Making

1.  Will this 'thing' I'm considering be spiritually beneficial and profitable?  Is it helpful to me spiritually?

2.  Will this 'thing' edify (improve me spiritually) me?

3.  Will this 'thing encumber (restrict, burden) me?

4.  Will this 'thing' bring me into bondage? Is it habit forming?

5.  Is this 'thing' something I am doing to cover up my sin? Does it turn my liberty into license?

6.  Will this 'thing' train me to ignore my conscience?

7.  Will this 'thing' be a good example to others? Sometimes we must limit our freedoms to set a good example for someone else.

8.  Will it help me to or allow me to share my faith?

9.  Would Christ do this activity? Would I be emulating Christ?

10.  Will it bring Christ glory?

This is just a 'quick' recap of the messages.  You can find them on Grace to You on the internet.  

Hope this is helpful to you and the decisions that you make! Have a good day! 

Happy 48th anniversary to Gail and I!

 Sept. 1, 2020

Happy anniversary to us, happy anniversary to us, happy anniversary to us!!

Gail and I are celebrating our 48th anniversary today. (celebrating? at home? yes, two of our girls fixed us a wonderful steak lunch!!)

I just want to encourage any of you out there reading this.  Marriage does get better and easier as the years march on.  So hang in there!  Seek God and His ways and you will be blessed.  God's ways are right and good and rewarding. There are some rocky roads in marriage. They are some seasons that are more difficult than other.  So hang in there!  Stay committed to your mate.  Stay committed to God's Word and His ways.  Hang in there! He will carry you through whatever you are going through and bring you into greener pastures.

I am so thankful for the years Gail and I have had together.  I am thankful for God's leading in our lives and that He is molding us to be more Christlike and mature. 

Seek God.  Seek His ways. He will bless you too!

Praying continually ... as I tromped through the pasture. Why?

 Sept. 2, 2020

This looks harmless enough.  It actually looks very appealing with all the wild flowers blooming.  It was a 'fun' cool morning out in the pasture as I again was pulling those old devil's claw plants.  I was actually doing what I had learned from I Thessalonians 5: 16-18.  Those verses say: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

You see we live in south eastern Colorado where there are plenty of rattlesnakes.  There is a danger in roaming around in the pasture.  Most every summer my husband kills about fifteen of these deadly rascals on the ranch. So as I was out pulling weeds I was thanking God for the beauty around me BUT I was praying continually and being watchful for snakes around me.  

I thought that really this is what we should be doing in our everyday life.  

We need to:

1.  Rejoice always - thanking God for his gift of salvation, for His Word to guide us, for the Holy Spirit to empower us, and for blessing us so abundantly

2.  Pray without ceasing - Satan is like that rattlesnake.  He is lurking around the corner waiting to trap us and to hurt us and to take us down.  Pray for God's help and direction and protection at ALL times because we need His help to give us victory over Satan.

3.  Give thanks in all circumstances - In life we have good and bad things happen to us.  Let us remember to look to God to give Him thanks for what ever situation He has put us in. May we use every circumstance we are in to glorify Him and grown us in our faith. 

Romans 8:28, 29  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. 

P.S.  No, I didn't see any snakes.  Thank you Lord for answering my prayers!!

A lesson from the devil's claw plant......

August 29,2020

Today's lesson is about sin and comes to us from the devil's claw plant.  How many of you know what this plant is?  

Well.... it looks rather pretty growing in the pasture.  It has nice little flowers and the plant is soft to touch.  Looks harmless enough.....

As it grows it develops pods that hang down and they look kind of nice too.....

BUT when the plant matures those pods are not nice at all!!

 They are very frustrating!  The ends are sharp and catch in everything they can get a hold of.  The are horrible in your horses tail or on your boots. What looked like a harmless little attractive plant turned into a nightmare problem.  

Sin is that way to.  At first it looks harmless enough.  It looks attractive and enticing.  Doesn't look like it would hurt anything.  BUT watchout!  It will get you too!!  

Genesis 4:7  sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”.

Let's all examine our lives.  Have we opened the door to sin?  Shut it quick, confess your sin, repent, and get back into a right relationship with Jesus!  Let us glorify Him in all we do!  

A passion for purity....helps for all of us lest we fall.....

 August 25, 2020

No one is exempt from temptations and the pull of sin.  

I recently heard a message from Alistair Begg titled "How to Maintain a Passion for Purity".  I have gone back and listened to the message again and I'd like to share my notes with you from his program.  I think his Biblically based ideas are beneficial to all of us as we try to follow Christ more devoutly. He said many greats fall in the area of moral purity.  He says it is a slow steady leakage but one that finds you out and takes you down. May this review of his message be an encouragement to you to STAY STRONG in our Lord's ways. 

The scripture used for his points were Proverbs 6, 7, and 24.  You might benefit from going and reading them now. 

To maintain moral purity:

1. Cherish the Word of God  - cherish:to value, prize, lay hold of, to possess, to adore

- Psalm 119:97 "O how I love your Law.  I meditate on it all day long."

2.  Stay awake and alert

- the young man in Pv. 7 failed to use good judgment, was living in carelessness

- I Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9. Resist him, firm in your faith,...

3.  Make choices in advance and on the basis of God's Word

- good decisions can't be made 'on the fly' in the heat of the moment

- make decisions about your behavior before they need made, before you go on the date or to the event, before the problem confronts you

- Ps. 119:106 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

4.  Determine to live your life in the center of the narrow way and not on the edge when it comes to moral purity. 

- have an absolute act of determination to stay on the narrow way.  This is unlike the young man in Pv. 7 who walked toward evil and sin. 

5.  Walk in the light and live with the children of the light

-I Thes. 5:5,6 tells us we are children of the light.  We are to keep awake and be sober. We are not of the night or the darkness.

6.  Don't be naive of sins appeal and power 

-sin is a predator crouching at your door.  It desires to have you.  You must master it! Don't be like the foolish young man in Pv. 7

7.  Live with eternity in view. 

- Philippians 4:8 Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

-Philippians 2:15 ... so you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

I am so very thankful for God's love and His wonderful Word to guide us!! 

Another lesson from pictures...let us not forget.....

 August 15, 2020

In early July I took pictures of our ranch and put them on this blog.  It was VERY dry.  

We did get some rain and things have turned around, greened up, and grown some grass.  We are SO thankful for this!!! I know there are still some very dry areas in the country and I am sorry for the hard times this makes.  We continue to pray for rain for every area.

The Lord has put it on my heart that thankfulness is very important.  

Romans 1:18–24 (ESV): 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 

Things may not be perfect but we need to be thankful for what we do have from God.  Be SURE to GIVE HIM THANKS!!!

Our spiritual health.....

July 28, 2020

How is your spiritual health?

"Spiritual health is very similar to physical health -- it requires attention and effort." Intentional Faith by Alan Jackson

What are you doing to keep yourself or your family healthy spiritually?  We must intentionally keep in God's Word, in fellowship with other believers, following the Holy Spirit and more!

I hope to do a miniseries on this subject. 

The first is TODAY! 

What are you intentionally doing today to grow closer with Jesus in your daily life?

I have always taught our girls that what you listen to and fill your heart and head with is important.
One of our daughters said today that her husband had noticed the boys were singing country songs as they went about their day.  So what had they been listening to?  Yep, country music!  Her husband said, "We'd better get them back on track listening to Christian music and memorizing the Word!"

We get off track so easily. We must be INTENTIONAL in what we do and how we spend our time. 

So today:  make an effort to LISTEN to God's Word and good music.  We have so much at hand today that we didn't before.  In many ways the digital age is good and bad.  Choose to use it for your good.  Tune in to only Christian radio.  We live in a rural area and can't do that so I have Sirus radio where I can listen to good music and Godly sermons.  I know you can do the same with Alexa or Echo.  These may cost us some money but the outcomes will be worth it. 

Do whatever it takes to fill your hearts and minds with God's Word!  Be strong and spiritually healthy!!

Have a good day!