Daily Archives: October 16, 2011
Just A Pencil? – You’ve Got To See This One From Mom – AMAZING!
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Something To Clap About
Lord, please give me
something to clap about
Allow me such joy
that I scream & shout
Lord, I’m begging please
let me be happy
That I no longer feel
so broken down & crappy
In my great rejoicing
jumping up and down
Don’t want my feet
to ever touch the groun’
Please my Mighty Lord
bring my daughter home
And let her always know
that she’s not alone!
Teresa Marie 10/16/11
For my sunshine baby, Sara Jayne
I love you tremendously!
This Week’s Sermon From The Ranch – Receiving The Spirit Of Sonship
(This Day’s Thought is pleased to bring you Eric Elder’s new sermon series, “Romans: Lessons In Renewing Your Mind.”)
Receiving The Spirit Of Sonship
Lesson 18 from Romans: Lessons In Renewing Your Mind
By Eric Elder
www.theranch.org
It’s only been ten days since Steve Jobs died and I’m still mourning the loss. I’ve followed his life and career for the last 28 years, ever since I used one of his first computers, an Apple Lisa (the predecessor to the Mac), to write a poem (complete with text and graphics) to my college sweetheart at the time (now my wife of 22 years).
It was an experience that changed my view of computers, and my major and career, to this day. I no longer saw computers as cold, sterile, and unmerciful machines. Instead, I began to see them as devices that could help me give expression to some of my innermost thoughts and feelings.
Today, 28 years later, I’m still using one of Steve Jobs’ computers to give expression to my innermost thoughts and feelings, now using them to encourage people all over the world to put their in Christ for everything in their lives.
I’ve written to Steve a couple of times in recent years to thank him for the impact he’s had on my life and, by extension, on the lives of others. I’ve also prayed for him and shared my faith in Christ with him in those letters, hoping to give to him the best blessing I can think of in return for the blessing he’s been to me. I don’t know if he ever did put his faith in Christ or not, but my hope and prayer is that at some point he did.
Although Steve’s time of decision has come and gone, there’s still time for you to make yours. If you haven’t yet put your faith in Christ for everything in your life, especially for the forgiveness of your sins, I’d encourage you to do it today. (But this message today is also for those who have put their faith in Christ, too, so I hope you’ll keep on reading either way!)
Jesus told the story of a rich man and a beggar, both of whom died about the same time. Jesus said:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
”He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
”Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
’No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead’” (Luke 16:19-31).
There are times when I wish we could get into heaven based on all the good we’ve done in our lives. But when I remember how much we’ve all sinned, I’m thankful that it’s not based on what we’ve done in life, for none of us have a perfect moral scorecard. Instead, it’s based on our faith in the One who gave us life, and our acceptance of the sacrifice that has been made for our sins. As Jesus said to Martha when her brother died:
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
It has always been this way. God has always required a sacrifice for our sins in order to escape the penalty that we would have received otherwise. Even in the days when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, God didn’t tell them to write their good deeds on the doorframes of their homes. He told them to put the blood of a lamb on their doorframes, as a sign of their faith in Him. Then, when He saw that sign, He would “pass over” their homes and not bring upon them the destruction that they would have received otherwise (see Exodus 12).
Why then do people not put their faith in Christ? Sometimes people have an intellectual block that keeps them from doing it. But other times there’s a more practical reason: they simply don’t have a good example of what a loving father looks like, which makes it hard for them to believe that there’s a loving Father in heaven who cares about them deeply, too.
I don’t know much about Steve Jobs’ personal life, but I do know that he was given up for adoption at birth. His biological parents were unmarried college students at a time when abortion was still illegal in the U.S. His biological mother left the University of Wisconsin and went to San Francisco to give birth, where Steve was adopted by his new parents.
When Steve eventually discovered who his biological parents were, he made contact with his mother and his biological sister, with whom he later became close friends. But according to his biological father, Steve never did make contact with him, even up to Steve’s death.
Although I’m not a psychologist, I’ve heard from my friends who have been adopted that they sometimes wrestle with feelings of abandonment and self-worth, wondering why their parents might have given them up for adoption. In some cases, this sense of worthlessness can drive them to prove their worth in other ways.
I have no idea if this was a factor in Steve Jobs own personal drive, yet if it was, he went after it with gusto. By this time last year, the company he helped to create had become worth more than any other technology company in the world, and just a few months ago, became the most valuable company of any industry, based on the value of it’s stock. More valuable than that, however, is the fact that Steve’s life has influenced millions of other lives like a wave around the world, even the lives of people who didn’t know who he was until this week.
But the truth is, Steve’s life was worth more than even he could have imagined even before he started his famous computer company in his garage. His Father in heaven had placed a value on him before anyone but God Himself even knew he was alive.
It’s the same for you. God has loved you since before you were even born. Your life is worth more than you can even imagine, and has been before you ever had a chance to make your mark on the world. God loves you so much He sent His Son to die for your sins so you wouldn’t have to, inviting you back into a personal relationship with Him if you’ll just put your faith in Christ.
And this is perhaps the most important part of today’s message: when you put your faith in Christ, God adopts you as His son or daughter. You become an heir of God, and a co-heir with Christ. You receive from God the “Spirit of sonship,” which includes the full rights and privileges of a son or daughter, as well the ability to see God as the truly loving Father that He is. The Apostle Paul describes this Spirit of sonship like this:
“…those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory” (Romans 8:12-17).
What difference does it make to be able to view God in your mind as the loving Father that He is? All the difference in the world. Paul uses the word “Abba” in his description of God, an Aramaic word that means “Daddy.” It’s a term of endearment. It describes a relationship that is not just a father and a son who are connected by birth, but who are connected by true affection for one another.
My younger kids will often call me Daddy, and it’s a truly affectionate term. And every once in a while, even my teenagers will still call me Daddy, whether it’s my nineteen year old son writing an email to me from college, or my seventeen year old daughter using her most playful voice to tell me I’m doing something silly. It always warms my heart when they do this, to think that they not only see me as their father, but also as their “Abba,” their Daddy.
That’s the kind of relationship God the Father wants to have with you. He doesn’t want to be a distant and formal father, but a close and familiar one, a daddy, a daddy you can trust and run to and lean on whenever you need to.
Although God wants you to make the most of your life here on earth, and to use the gifts and abilities that He’s given you to their fullest, you don’t have to create a multi-billion dollar corporation to prove your worth to Him and to enter into that sweet relationship with Him. You just have to believe in Him, putting your faith in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and when you do, you’ll be given the Spirit of sonship, and become adopted as His son or daughter, with all the rights and privileges that come along with it.
If you’ve already put your faith in Christ, you’ve already been adopted as His. Your role now is to believe it and receive it, letting it work deep into your life and heart today. And if you’ve never put your faith in Christ, I’d encourage you to do it now and receive God’s Spirit of sonship today.
Will you pray with me?
Father, thank You for giving us Your Spirit of sonship when we put our faith in Christ. We pray that You will help solidify what that means in our lives today, helping us to know that You really do care about us, that we have worth just in being one of Your children, and that You will strengthen us by that same Spirit in our lives today. Thank You Daddy. We love you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
P.S. If you’d like to learn more about the important role that fathers play in the lives of their children, I’d encourage you to go and see the movie “Courageous” which just came out here in the States a few weeks ago. It’s an action-packed, emotionally vibrant, and powerfully inspirational movie for those 13 and over that I believe will help anyone live their life with more courage and hope. Here’s a link where you can watch the trailer and learn more about the movie:
http://www.courageousthemovie. com/videos
Questions for Reflection
1. Read Romans 8:12-17. What images come to mind when you think of the word “Daddy”? How would using that word to describe God change your relationship with Him compared to other words you could use for Him?
2. What are some of the benefits Paul lists in this passage of receiving the Spirit of sonship?
3. What difference would it make to think of yourself as an heir of God, and a co-heir with Christ?
4. If you’ve never put your faith in Christ, what benefits do you see of being adopted by God? Why not put your faith in Christ today and receive from God His Spirit of sonship?
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The Longing
How I long for you
in the quiet of night
For you strong arms to
hold me ever so tight
In my longing I do
ache for just the sight
Of you coming home to
me with the morning light
And the aching overwhelms me
as the time goes by
Your face to really see
not just in mind’s eye
All I want to be
what is my heart’s cry
Is to love you endlessly
until the day I die!
Teresa Marie 10/16/11
For my hardworking husband, Mark. I love you!
http://gooseberrygoespoetic.blogspot.com/
Poetry Picnic Week 9 : Longing, Loss, Loosing and Failure
Set Your Sail
When sigh becomes sob
When cry becomes scream
When a single tear
Becomes a flowing stream
When nightmare takes over
Your fondest of dream
When time has come
In the middle of life
That overwhelmed you are
With pain and strife
Hold on I say
It will turn around
God has placed your
feet on solid ground
For it’s in Him
That you will prevail
When upon His course
You set your sail!
Teresa Marie 10/16/11
A Soldier’s Tear
Have you ever seen
a soldier shed a tear?
Ever needed to react
with courage in fear?
Have you ever put
your life on the line?
Was there a circumstance
that your character define?
Over your fallen buddy
did you ever pray?
Do you wonder if
you’ll live another day?
I think that war
is a crying shame
But for the cause
who is to blame?
The weak and poor
we are to defend
Which is no game
that seems to end
And I do believe
what God would expect
Is for us all to
give the soldiers respect
When in these days
others act in terror
To do nothing at all
would seem the greatest error
And so it’s hoo-rah
that I now say
To the fighting forces
of the U.S.A.
Teresa Marie 10/16/11
Dedicated to my nephew Nathan,
I’m so proud of you!
http://gooseberrygoespoetic.blogspot.com/
Poetry Picnic Week 9 : Longing, Loss, Loosing and Failure Poem #2
My Sunday Thoughts – An Irish Blessing For Your Day
This is my wish and blessing for all
of you today and every day!
May God make it so!
Teresa Marie 10/16/11
A Dark Side
We all do possess
a much darker side
That is only waiting
for the first tide
When our anger is
way out of control
For in our rage
does it become whole
That it may then
overcome what is good
Making us say things
that we never should
And do the things
we normally don’t do
As the darker side
takes power over you
But the choice does
belong to us all
If on the tide
we rise or fall
For our anger we
must keep in check
This is what God
does from us expect
That the good side
may overcome the dark
We must hold fast
to our Divine spark!
Teresa Marie 10/16/11
Someone’s Opinion
The opinion of someone
and things they say
will not affect you
down along the way
For people like to talk
to hear their own voice
can’t make it true
just by their choice
Don’t ever allow it
to become your reality
but let it roll off
with all its brutality
For their silly yapping
won’t mean a thing
if you show them
that you’re not listening
People with their own
eyes will then see
what the truth is
if you let it be!
Teresa Marie 10/16/11
In Your Name
Lord, in Your Name
meaning I have found
There is no shame
contained in its sound
Lord, by Your Name
have I been healed
And by the same
my forehead is sealed
Lord, through Your Name
strength is given me
I know You came
to give us eternity
Lord, it’s Your Name
that none is above
In glory You became
the object of my love!
Teresa Marie 10/16/11
