A Wonderfully Forgiven Birthday

Many of you know some of my favorite programs on my favorite radio station, there's even a few links on the side to help you locate them on the web.  I was thrilled when I heard that WCTS would be airing a new, in-house Bible study.  (It's hard to believe that it's been almost 2 years since they started broadcasting!)  What a joy it was to hear today's study in I John.  Today Rebecca, Sarah, & Crystal delve back into verses 9-12 of chapter 5.

"If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

This delights my soul so much because of a decision I made 20 years ago yesterday, a decision that I would like to tell you about....

Having been born at Christmastime, and with a name that means "Christmas child," it's natural to be thinking about birthdays and presents during the Christmas season.  My parents did a rather good job at not letting my birthday get swallowed up in the midst of all the festivities, too, which couldn't have been easy.  I also had the privilege of growing up in a Christian family and in a church dedicated to preaching God's Word as it ought to.  Of course, this means that from the time I was just a little tot, I knew that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, God's very own Son, on this earth.  I learned early on that He came for one reason, and that was to save His creation from their sins, and that it was available to anyone who would come to Him

So, with my birthday being just one night's sleep away, I'm sure I was thinking of Christmas and birthdays and presents as we were getting ready for church one evening so many years ago.  My train of thought might have even been that I receive presents on my birthday and His birthday, that He deserves so much more... and what could I give Him?  I don't really recall that, but I know I went up to my mom and said that I wanted "to give Jesus a birthday present.  I want to give Him my heart."

All preparations ceased at that point, and in my mom's presence, I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and save me from my sins and told Him I loved Him.

... And I still do.  He's done so much for me, and I want the world to know what He can do for them, too.  He showed His love for us those many, many years ago for us when He left heaven's glory and came down to this sin-cursed, imperfect world.  Then He lived a perfect life for us, never once falling to the temptations His human body felt, which is so important because an imperfection can't redeem imperfection.  He went on to show those around Him who He was by the things He said and the miracles He did, never ceasing when people believed not.  Instead, when their unbelief caused them to falsely accuse Him and sentence Him to the capital punishment of the day, He willingly went to the cross for us because our redemption required His blood to be spilled.  The greatest agony He went through was when God the Father had to turn His back upon God His Son because the sin of the world was upon His shoulders.  He died, but three days later He conquered death and hell with His resurrection.  Now, He's seated at the right hand of God, making intercession for those who call upon His name.  Because of His life, because of His death, because of His risen life, we can be saved from sin, from eternal death, from hell if we will humble ourselves, admit we can't do anything to redeem ourselves, and call upon Him.  I have done that, and I'll never regret it.

It thrills my soul to think of all that He has done for me.  As much as it actually hurts to think of all He went through, I'm so thankful He came.  I'm also thankful that this is something I can reflect upon during this special time of year.  And maybe, or rather more than likely, this is why one of my favorite childhood Christmas songs was and still is Happy Birthday, Jesus.

How about you?  Have you also trusted Him to be your Saviour?  If not, why not?  There's no better time than the present, and it's a very special time of year indeed.

Thanks For It All

King David obviously loved to praise & worship the Lord in psalm, and we must admit he wrote quite a few.  Among those many Psalms, one theme that occurs again and again is thanksgiving.  Since David, a man after God's own heart, loved to praise in song and singing happens to be a favorite pastime of mine, I'd like to share a few verses of a psalm and then song.

Psalm 136 is a medium-length psalm that has been a favorite of mine for many years, ever since my youth group went over it verse by verse.  It has become special to me over the years because each verse lists the mighty power Jehovah has.  It's a direct reminder of who He is and all He has done, which should remind us of all He still can do.  And I love its uniqueness.  Every verse ends with "for His mercy endureth for ever."  Not only did He do these things, but He did them because His mercy endures forever.  The verses I've chosen to highlight extol a few of Jehovah's wonderful names and describe the creative power that He, our Maker, has.

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalms 136:1-9, 26

The song I'd like to share with you today carries on with the theme of our Maker.  It is one I haven't heard in at least 10 years.  In fact, I'm not even sure if I'm correctly guessing its title.  I hadn't even thought of it for years, but then one day I tried to recall the lyrics.  Since then I've been trying to track it down.  After many months of searches, I was absolutely thrilled to discover it on a tape I didn't even know existed, let alone packed away in the basement below!  I'm still not sure who to credit as the author or composer, but at least now the lyrics are sure.

Thanks to Your Maker

Did you ever say "thanks" to your Maker?
Did you ever say "thanks" for your sight?
There are many who never see flowers,
There are those who know nothing but night.
There are many who never see springtime
Nor the change of the leaves in the fall
So when you see the dawn of morning
To your Maker say "thanks" for it all.

Did you ever say "thanks" while you listen?
There are those who cannot hear a sound.
Never hear children’s voices and laughter,
For the silence is ever so long.
Never hear the whispering wind in the treetops,
Nor the sound of the leaves in the fall;
So when you hear the voice of your loved one,
To your Maker say "thanks" for it all.

What I love about this song is that it thanks the Lord, who is rightly called our Maker, for the things we so easily take for granted.  It doesn't just mention our senses, but also describes what those senses allow us to enjoy.  The song could even be expanded to encompass other pleasures as well!

On this day of thanksgiving, I hope you truly are giving thanks to whom it is due -  the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, who fainteth not, neither grows weary, of whom there is no searching of His understanding (Isaiah 40:28).  Not just today, but every day & always.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Week of Blessings

What an absolutely marvelous week I just had!  As many of you are aware, my favorite radio station had their annual fundraiser, which they call "sharathon."  I love their daily programming - the Biblical preaching, Christ-centered music, & other programs.  Yet, even though they take a short break from most of the programs, I also love their sharathon!

My love for the WCTS Sharathon really began back in 2000 when my family started homeschooling.  It was the first time I'd had the chance to hear it during the day, and it was a delight to hear the conversations of the different radio personalities uninterrupted by anything but music.  Added to that, we were also able to schedule a field trip down to the station during the sharathon.... And now, for the last 3 years, I've had the wonderful opportunity of being down at the station every day of their fundraisings, which has led to volunteering in other ways throughout the year as well!

There is so much to enjoy about volunteering there: working with the WCTS staff, speaking with the guest speakers who come in, hearing from other listeners & taking their comments, and in general just staying busy helping the station.  This year, it was also fun to hear my siblings give the station phone numbers on the air live!  I didn't know about it ahead of time, so it was quite the surprise when I heard their little voices!  (As it turns out, they didn't know ahead of time, either... they had come in to see me, and were asked if they could read the numbers on the sheet of paper in front of them. Next thing they knew, they were on the air!)

Yet, if one was to ask me what was the apex of Sharathon 2010 (and every other sharathon as well), I would say that it is seeing how the Lord meets the needs of a ministry that seeks to please Him each & every moment of the day.  The daily goal was exceeded a few times, and other times it was close. Those times were so exciting!  But it's not really the excitement I'm talking about - it's seeing how God's people are responding to what He has laid on their hearts.  That's one reason that I can confidently say that we know the Lord will provide even though the overall goal wasn't quite met.  People don't need to pledge during sharathon; they can give whenever it's put on their hearts.  Or maybe the Lord has something else entirely in His mind.  I don't know.  However, I do know, and this is my other reason, that when the Lord is for something, nothing can hinder it!  And it's a thrill to watch His plan come together.

 

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
~ Romans 11:33-36 ~

 

 

P.S. If you would like to read more, check out friendsofwcts.blogspot.com.

 

My Soul's Sunshine

It's been a good summer for us so far, even though it hasn't been an easy summer. I know that it might even seem odd to some that I can walk around with a smile on my face and a song spilling forth from my heart.

(For those who may not know, my parents, siblings, and I have lived with my dad's mom for almost the past 10 years, taking care of the needs she has had due to Alzheimer's Disease. But Grandma [or "Grammy" as my littlest siblings call her] has not had an easy time physically for quite some time, especially since early summer. Soon, yet oh-so-slowly, August was upon us. On the 24th her suffering ended when she went to be with her Saviour Jesus Christ ... and so peacefully too, without any pain or agitation, not even needing any medications to assist her comfort level.)

So, in the midst of a time of pain & grief, I can see why others might not understand. But it's because we have so much to thank & praise the Lord for, that I can carry on as I do. As I alluded to in the paragraph above, our greatest comfort & confidence is knowing that Grammy is now with our Lord, because there was a time when she put her personal trust in Jesus Christ alone. It's also wonderful to know that she's now reunited with my grandfather & other loved ones as well, including her twin sister, and no longer confused nor mostly blind & deaf. Also, there are so many answered prayers to think back upon, and the way we have already been able to reach out to family & friends has been a joy. Now, our greatest desire & prayer is that all glory & honor would go to our Lord Jesus Christ, and that our friends & loved ones would come to know His saving grace.

I know we'll all miss her. Indeed, we already do! There have already been so many times I've thought of her, anticipating her needing something, or expecting to hear her clear her throat to get our attention. And yet, if you could see me now, you'd also know that I'm not sorrowing my days away. Instead, you would see my heart is full with a deep, resounding, peace-filled joy ... and yes, a smile to fill my face.

With that in mind, I'd like to share a hymn that I've always enjoyed, and now has become extra special to me over the summer.

Sunshine in My Soul

Eliza Hewitt

There's sunshine in my soul today, more glorious and bright

Than glows in any earthly way, for Jesus is my light.

Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine,

When the peaceful happy moments roll;

When Jesus shows His smiling face,

There is sunshine in my soul.

There's music in my soul today, a carol to my King,

And Jesus, listening can hear the songs I cannot sing.

Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine,

When the peaceful happy moments roll;

When Jesus shows His smiling face,

There is sunshine in my soul.

There's springtime in my soul today, for when the Lord is near

The dove of peace sings in my heart, the flowers of grace appear.

Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine,

When the peaceful happy moments roll;

When Jesus shows His smiling face,

There is sunshine in my soul.

There's gladness in my soul today, and hope and praise and love,

For blessings which He gives me now, for joys "laid up" above.

Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine,

When the peaceful happy moments roll;

When Jesus shows His smiling face,

There is sunshine in my soul.

Of Fathers and Fish: Feeding 5 or 5,000

Isn't it amazing how some memories are so clear in your mind that it's almost like you're right there instead of looking back? I'm thinking about one in particular today, a story about my brother and I fishing with our dad and grandpa when we were quite young.

The day was picture perfect. It's a bright & sunny, nearly cloudless winter day, so the sky is a gorgeous shade of blue. The temperature that day was lovely, too, so even though we had access to an ice house, we didn't have to bundle up to check on the tip-ups. On nice days our usual set-up was a pole for each of us in the house for crappies, a possible rattle wheel in the house for northern, & 3-4 tip-ups outside for northerns, and this day was no exception.

Before I go on, I must say that ice fishing with Dad & Grandpa was always fun, even if we weren't catching much! (Actually, fishing was fun, regardless of the season.) Grandpa knew how to have fun, and he passed that down to Dad. There was always plenty to talk about, and always something to do, even if it was as simple as taking out a snack from our cooler. Sometimes, Dad would tell us to get in the sled and he would spin us around and around, kind of like a merry-go-round except better. Or sometimes, if fishing was really slow, Kev and I would romp around, always careful to stay in site of the ice house.

But we didn't need to find ways to stay occupied on this day! We were already having a rather successful day fishing, which means we were going to bring home enough for a meal or two by the time we pack up to leave, when suddenly, our bobbers were going down in tandem, and the tip-ups were sending up their flags, too! We're hurrying to set the hooks and pull up the lines (this was way before ice fishing poles had reels). Wow! That's enough to be a special memory all by itself. Even more so, perch had hit the tip-ups! That just doesn't happen. So we get the hooks set up with minnows again and put the lines back in. Next thing we know, the bobbers are going down again and the flags are going up!

Well, it must have been a huge school of fish! We soon realized that we would need to keep count because perch had a new limit of possessing 99 that year, and the fish kept biting without any sign of slowing down! For the next hour or two (you sort of lose track in the excitement), as soon as our lines went down, they were needing to be brought back up! By the time things seemed to be slowing down, we were nearing our limit, not including the small ones we tossed back (not that there were many to toss back - most of them were keepers). We caught number 99 when things had almost tapered out, and decided to try for the 100th keeper before we packed up. We did catch it a little while later, then tossed it back where it belonged.

Besides being a cherished memory, this story holds a two-fold meaning to me.

The Heavenly Father will always provide for His children, just as He tells us in Philippians 4:19, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." We never have to fear a need not being met, and He is always right on time, too. The Lord certainly provided for us that day. You see, as much as we enjoy fishing, it also fills a need - our physical need for nourishment and sustenance. We went home with enough for quite a few delicious meals.

The Heavenly Father wants to pour out His love and care upon His children, as He tells us in James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." In that, He blessed us thrice: we experienced the thrill & enjoyment that day; with a memory to look back upon; and He blessed us with an abundance of food. The memory was sweet to recall when I was younger, but it has become even more precious since my grandfather left this world and entered life everlasting. The thrill of bringing that many fish in, and in such a short period of time, not to mention the excited busyness, is hard to describe. Even knowing how exciting that was, it's hard to imagine what it must have been like to be in the crowd when Jesus fed the 5,000 men with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread ... and had twelve baskets remaining!

This present day, I realize how blessed I am to have such a wonderful grandfather and father, too. I'm thankful for Grandpa's influence in my life, and so very thankful that I'll see him again someday because I know he put his trust in Christ alone, asking Jesus to save him. Grandpa raised a wonderful son - who is a great dad, and has taught me what it means to love the Lord.

Happy Father's Day, Dad! Thank you for being the godly example you should be and for teaching me in the wisdom & knowledge and admonition of our Lord - not only in my growing up years, but even now. I love you!

A Canopy of Protection

If we could see the big picture instead of the tiny snapshot-through-a-window that we think we see, I wonder how much we'd realize we take for granted. I'm guessing we would begin a seemingly never-ending list. There's so much we could list with just considering the tangible alone, and that the more we find to make our lives and daily tasks easier, the more there would be to list. But, of course, there's so much more besides, things that are even more important than the things we can see and touch.

The Lord's protection of His children would rank high on such a list. Oh, we trust in Him for it all the time when we know there's danger around us; indeed, we pray for it. But how often does He supply it and we don't even realize it because we aren't even aware of the danger that had surrounded us? Or how often do we thank Him because of what might have been?

This past Wednesday was a wonderful reminder of how precious it is to have such an One looking after us. My dad had asked my brother to keep our younger siblings occupied so he could concentrate. Since they were already in my room, Kevin decided it would be a good idea to keep them in there (and it would have been if it weren't for the clean laundry in piles to put away, the ironing board in the middle of the room, and some miscellaneous things taking up floor space).

So my 3 siblings are in there with me, I'm taking a moment to relax with a book, and Kev is annoying me. Soon a faux tug-of-war ensued between he and I, but when I eventually let go, his footing wasn't sound, and he's thrown off balance. In the very next instant, glass from the ceiling light fixture is raining down into every corner in the room, in all shapes and sizes, including the entryway that should have been shielded by an outcropping wall.

Yet none of us were hurt. Despite the fact our younger sister was standing under the light and glass fell all around her, or that both little ones looked up when they heard the crash. Nor Kev even though evidence shows a good amount showered toward him. Nor myself.

Almost a week later, I'm still cleaning up shards of glass that serve as a reminder of just how bad things could have been. And to think that this is just one instance when it was obvious the Lord was covering us. How else could one explain that, despite glass shattering everywhere, no one in the room was hurt, neither was there any trace of glass found on us? It would be pointless to try finding another explanation.

Psalm 145 is a beautiful psalm that speaks of God's goodness, power, & mercy, and I can't think of a better way to conclude than meditating on a few of the treasures found in the passage.

I will extol thee, my God, O king;

and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

Every day will I bless thee;

and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;

and his greatness is unsearchable.

I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty,

and of thy wondrous works.

The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion;

slow to anger, and of great mercy.

The LORD is good to all:

and his tender mercies are over all his works.

All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD;

and thy saints shall bless thee.

The LORD upholdeth all that fall,

and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways,

and holy in all his works.

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him,

to all that call upon him in truth.

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him:

he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

Psalm 145:1-3, 5, 8-10, 14, 17-19

The Resurrection and the Life

We read a beautiful promise in John 11:25-26. While the passage it is in is of Mary and Martha's grief over their brother's death, Jesus' response addressed the physical issue at hand and the spiritual life of those who believe in Him. "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

We can claim that promise because of what we commemorate today: Jesus' resurrection. What a wondrous thought that God would provide our salvation through Himself! He had to come to earth as a man (one hundred percent man, yet still one hundred percent God!) to provide that Way, the only Way. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Paying the price for our sins came at a high cost: He had to give His own life for us on the cross. A painful death, the death of a criminal with the shameful sentence of capital punishment. Not only that, but because my holy God can't look upon sin, and because Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, God the Father had to turn His back upon God the Son until it was finished by Jesus' death. Then Jesus was buried. For 3 days and 3 nights He was in the sealed tomb, and by the time Mary Magdalene came with spices at the dawn of 4th morning, He had risen just as He had said. Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead was the completion of His work on the cross, and by it He conquered death and hell.

Because of Jesus' triumph, those who place their personal, permanent trust in Him may say, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 15:55, 57) Death has no sting, the grave has no victory over us because Jesus has redeemed and justified our lives, and even when our lives on earth shall end, we shall be with Him for the rest of eternity. Our Redeemer lives, and so shall we. And that's a promise for forever.

Happy Resurrection Day!