Just a Women Trying to Live Well

Good morning to my dearest sisters in the Lord! How is your December going? 


Mine is a lot less frantic as school is now 100% completed for this past semester. I've now had the time to decorate my parent's house for Christmas, made a batch of my own fudge out of Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, scrubbed my carpets and have nice relaxing moments with my family and best friend, Jeff.


This blogger at Women Living Well has a great idea for relaxing this season–what is usually a time for running around crazy should be a time for rest in our Lord and keeping our eyes focused on Him. We need a mixture of Martha's serving and Mary's listening to her savior's words. I encourage you to make the Lord your priority always! Not just now, not just when things are easy, but always! As you pour out blessings on those around you, be sure to be filling yourself with the Word of the Lord, which does not return void. 


Blessings and love to all!
Christa

What's Going On...

Wow.... Hard to believe all that the Lord has done in my life since the last blog entry! That was April 4th, which happened to be the day of my first date with my amazing man that the Lord has blessed me with! As I look back, I'm blown away by how the Lord has graciously blessed me in that area. I've waited all my life for a Godly man, and my waiting has paid off. I would just like to share some things that we do that keeps us focused on the Lord, growing in sanctification and growing closer together.


Jeff and I read the same chapter in scripture each day and discuss 3 main points of that passage. We try to do this daily, but sometimes the world presses in, so we make it priority to really go over each chapter on Sunday before church. Each morning we see each other and before we say good bye for the day, we read up to two of the Puritan prayers from the little book called "The Valley of Vision". This has been a great way for us to pray out loud with one another and with the saints of old. We have been going through our own individual books for sanctification and growth and share quotes with each other and things we've been learning.


Those are just a few of the many wonderful things that we do to keep each other in the faith, spurring each other on and learning more about each other.


Perhaps in the next post, I will share all the fun little details that God did to bring to sinners together in order that we may glorify Him more together than apart. 


Until then, Blessings and Grace in the Lord,
Christa

Keith and Kristyn Getty - See, What A Morning

See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
As the angels announce, "Christ is risen!"
See God's salvation plan,
Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
Fulfilled in Christ, the Man,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

See Mary weeping, "Where is He laid?"
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
Will sound till He appears,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.
Honor and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with pow'r and authority!
And we are raised with Him,
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered;
And we shall reign with Him,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead! 

Oh the Ignomy! by Todd Friel

Oh the Ignominy! By Todd Friel www.wretchedradio.com

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Prepare to cringe. There is a rumor spreading around the internet that suggests the sponge that was used to offer Jesus sour wine while He hung on the cross was actually used Roman toilet paper (Matthew 27:48).

It seems that a sponge attached to a stick was indeed used as a personal cleaning apparatus in first century toilets. However, nothing in the Gospel accounts indicates that the sponge used by the Roman soldiers to deliver Jesus a bitter drink was one of those devices.

Regardless, while this particular detail is inclined to make us recoil, this particular ignominy is no greater than the countless other offenses Jesus suffered on our behalf.

Our God is infinitely holy. Any offense against Him is an infinite offense. Whether it is a grotesque gesture like a toilet paper sponge shoved in His face, or failure to bow to Him as King and Lord, any affront is infinite. We blanch at a possible detail like this, but Jesus endured profound humiliations beginning with His conception.

The Royal One of Heaven allowed Himself to dwell in a woman’s womb. He permitted Himself to be delivered in afterbirth. He was circumcised. He insisted on being baptized by a sinful man. He was called a son of the devil. His human heart was broken as the multitudes turned their back on the King of Glory.

The most aggressive attacks against the Kingship of Jesus occurred at the crucifixion. Twenty-six chapters of Matthew’s Gospel demonstrate that Jesus of Nazareth is the King of Kings. When we reach chapter twenty-seven, we see the willful humiliation of the King intensify.

The Jesus who created the world allowed His creation to bind Him with ropes. Absurd. He showed submission to a pathetic ruler who had been given authority over Him. A murderer was chosen to be released instead of Him. The very people He came to rescue chanted, “Crucify Him.” These were the same men and women He had healed and fed.

In derision, the soldiers stripped God and placed a scarlet robe on Him. This was not to acknowledge His kingship, but to mock it. While Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus was portrayed with a wreath on his head on Roman coinage, the true King had a crown of thorns smashed onto His. The very reed the soldiers placed into the hands of Jesus to ridicule His Kingship was then used to smash the King’s head.

The punches and spit flew as the derision climaxed with the mocking chant, “Hail, King of the Jews.” The very King of the Jews who wrote that criminals should be executed outside of the camp allowed Himself to be brought outside of Jerusalem to be completely “cut off” like a criminal (Daniel 9:26).

Was Jesus offered sour wine on a toilet sponge? It doesn’t matter.

No greater shame has been born and no greater love has been demonstrated. All of this, and infinitely more, was endured by the Savior so that you and I might be saved and God might be glorified. Amazing obedience. Amazing humility. Amazing grace.

May you have a contemplative Good Friday.

2 Corinthians 6

1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,

“In a favorable time I listened to you,and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,and I will be their God,and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst,and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you,and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

O Church Arise!!!

 Today has been an interesting day. But the best part about it was I got some new music by these "modern day hymn writers"!!! I am totally addicted to this one song, "O Church Arise" and every time I listen to that one I get so excited that I am on the Lord's side and we are called to fight for the Gospel and Jesus equips us with the armor to do His work! Just read the lyrics and if you can look them up on youtube to hear the melody. As you read these lyrics, I pray that you too will get such an urgency to preach the Gospel and "fight the good fight, run the good race" all knowing that Jesus is the ultimate Victor and We know that He chose us to fight this battle against all evil in this world!


Blessings Friends!
Christa :)


Keith and Kristyn Getty: "O Church, Arise"

O church, arise and put your armor on;
Hear the call of Christ our captain;
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We’ll stand against the devil’s lies;
An army bold whose battle cry is “Love!”
Reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war, to love the captive soul,
But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valor.
When faced with trials on ev’ry side,
We know the outcome is secure,
And Christ will have the prize for which He died—
An inheritance of nations.

Come, see the cross where love and mercy meet,
As the Son of God is stricken;
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,
For the Conqueror has risen!
And as the stone is rolled away,
And Christ emerges from the grave,
This vict’ry march continues till the day
Ev’ry eye and heart shall see Him.

So Spirit, come, put strength in ev’ry stride,
Give grace for ev’ry hurdle,
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old still line the way,
Retelling triumphs of His grace,
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When, with Christ, we stand in glory.

The Love of God

I've been talking with a good friend of late just how awesome is our Great God! Through all our failures time and again, His grace never ceases! His love is never ending! Tonight this Hymn came to mind as we were in conversation. I love the last verse especially! I pray you enjoy these rich words of Truth about our Great and Glorious God!

Blessings Friend!

Christa : )

Frederick M. Lehman wrote the song "The Love of God" in 1917 in Pasadena, California.

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.