Want a Great Adventure?

Life with God is a "sick" adventure (as my son would say). What I mean is that life lived in relationship with God - and in obedience to God - offers benefits this world can't even come close to. This past year God has taken my husband and I on an adventure that has been one of the highlights of my life. He opened the door for us to attend the Kanakuk Institute. The Institute is a strategic program for recent college graduates focused on equipping men and women with Biblical skills for a lifetime of ministry. It provides internal and external context for Christian faith through instruction in church history, archaeology, world religions, current issues, apologetics, situational ethics, Messianic prophecy, character, conflict resolution, overview of the Bible, and precepts inductive Bible study. KI partners with Dallas Theological Seminary, John Brown University, and Kanakuk Ministries to bring in the highest quality teaching professors and speakers from around the world.

We're way seasoned (older) than the students who traditionally attend the Institute. When we approached the man who started this school to see if he would allow us to come, he graciously said, "Yes. That would be awesome!" 


This year has been the sweetest kiss from God. What a refreshing, healthy change from some of the incredible hardships we experienced the three years prior. It feels very much like God's reward as He planted us right in the middle of some of the most promising young people I have ever met. We became family as we loved one another, prayed and worshipped together before class, played together, laughed together, hurt together, held each other accountable, built each other up, pushed each other forward, and encouraged one another daily.


During the year God gave us new insight and understanding, and stretched us way beyond our comfort zones as we developed and presented an overview of the entire Bible, presented and defended belief statements on 10 doctrines of the Bible before a panel of ministry leaders and pastors, gave two presentations to our peers and ministry leaders, and completed many, many assignments. The days were filled with hours in class learning from the highest quality teachers from around the world then going home to study and complete homework until it was time to go to bed. But through it all, God was in it - walking with us, giving us strength, courage, and perseverance. This year, God has equipped us further for ministry and for life - and that is a very good feeling. 


Some of you might ask why we would attend a school like this at this point in life. Here's my simple answer. God is BIG. We can never, ever know everything there is to know about Him. Life with Him is a continuous journey of intriguing discovery that has captivated my heart and my mind. 


In the book of Jeremiah, God says to us:


"Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth." Jeremiah 9:23-24


And God wants us to know Him. He goes to great lengths to show Himself to us.


1) God reveals Himself to us through the life of His Son, Jesus Christ. When we study Christ, we see God. 


"The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Hebrews 1:3


"Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." John 14:9-10


2) God displays His creativity, love, beauty, greatness, and power all around us in creation (nature).


"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20


"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Psalm 19:1-4  


3) God shows His sweet and wonderful self to us through His Word which I love very much and am so deeply grateful for. How gracious of Him to go to the effort of communicating those words to men making sure they wrote everything down just as He wanted them to for our benefit.


"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness . . ." 
2 Timothy 3:16


"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." Romans 15:4


"They are not just idle words for you-they are your life." Deuteronomy 32:47

The knowledge we received this year is not the end in and of itself.

From A. W. Tozer (The Pursuit of God-Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Christian Publications, Inc., 1948):

"Sound Bible exposition is an imperative must in the Church of the Living God. Without it no church can be a New Testament church in any strict meaning of that term. But exposition may be carried on in such a way as to leave the hearers devoid of any true spiritual nourishment whatever. For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts."


This year God has nourished and watered my soul. He has given me knowledge of Himself that satisfies the way nothing else can. He has delighted me with His Presence and I have tasted the sweetness of God Himself in the very core of my heart. In this, there is freedom, life, and tremendous joy.


For me, the journey of discovery continues . . . 


So back to my original question. Want a great adventure? If so, would love for you to join me in the adventure of pursuing knowledge and understanding of our immense and wonderful God - and living for Him - if you aren't already. It's truly a "ride" like no other.

With great confidence in the beautiful character of God,

Lisa~

A Letter Full of Good News

View from Mt. Precipice in Nazareth by Lisa @ The Warming House

“Gospel” means "good news." So what's so good about the gospel message? In the book of Romans, Paul paints a comprehensive and pure picture of this good news. He starts with doctrine/theology then explains how those teachings should take root in a person and work their way out into behavior that impacts the world. If you read this post, you'll see why this news is so good.

Righteousness of God Revealed

Paul was not ashamed to preach the gospel because “it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” – both Jew and Gentile. (Gentiles were people who did not have Jewish parents.)

In Romans, Paul taught that in the gospel “a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written . . .”

Righteousness is the state or condition of perfectly conforming to God’s perfect law and holy character. The perfection of God has been revealed in Jesus Christ. As a result of faith in Christ, a person is declared “righteous” and given eternal life. (Romans 1:16-17)

Mankind’s Need of God’s Righteousness

Romans 1:18-3:20

Paul began his case by first establishing something that I know from my personal life to be very, very true. It’s the dilemma facing every human being who has ever lived on this planet called Earth:

• We are all imperfect and unable to live life without any mistakes or sin.
• We are absolutely helpless to do anything to make ourselves good enough to stand in the presence of a perfect and holy God whose invisible attributes, eternal power, and divine nature are clearly seen and understood through His creation. (Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1-6) All men are accountable to God.
• Because we are flawed, the wrath of God rests on us.
• The consequence of our imperfection is death and permanent separation from God. In essence, sin is the kidnapper that holds us in bondage and separates us from the One who loves us. There is a ransom that needs to be paid or we will die apart from Him.

God's Compassion For Our Dilemma 

Romans 3:21-5:21  

In Romans 3:21-5:21, Paul goes on to explain that God was patient and longsuffering – refraining from enforcing punishment until he revealed His righteous One who could take away the sins of those who put their faith in him. So here’s His solution for our dilemma:

• In great compassion, God's Son - Jesus Christ, stepped in to pay our ransom by taking the punishment we deserve.
• He endured the brunt of God’s wrath on our behalf while we were still filthy and undeserving.
• His actions removed God’s wrath from us once and for all.
• Christ is able to do this for us because he is perfect and without sin.
• In the process, Jesus places His righteousness on us. God now sees all who put their faith in Jesus Christ through the lens of Christ’s perfection. The guilty verdict is removed and we are declared innocent. This is called justification. I am a recipient of this justification and am eternally grateful for what He has done.

Paul hammers home the message that we are saved from condemnation solely because of what Christ has done for us. Thankfully, it isn’t about us and our efforts. It’s about God’s goodness and mercy. 

God’s Righteousness Within

Romans 6:1-8:39

After putting faith in Jesus Christ and receiving a verdict of innocence, God begins to live and work inside believers with the purpose of making them look like Christ from the inside out. (Romans 8:28-29) This is called sanctification. Pretty cool!

This is how it works:

• Change comes when a believer turns away from their old way of living, lives in oneness with Christ, and allows God to reign freely and with complete authority over their life.
• Believers still struggle against sin, but sin no longer controls them. (Yes, I sometimes feel as though I’ve “sweat blood” as I’ve strained against my humanness.) Through dependence on God, His Holy Spirit inside of them provides all the power they need to conquer temptation and sin. (God is so good!)
• Failure happens – even in the lives of well-meaning Christians. In great compassion and grace, God forgives them then helps them to persevere and move forward.
• Bottom line: God never lets go. Nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:35-39) I praise God for His limitless mercy.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

Israel’s Reception of God’s Righteousness

Romans 9:1-11:36

Paul urged the people of Israel (who he loved like crazy) to come to the understanding that the true “sons of Abraham” and “children of God” are those who are sons by faith – spiritual sons.

He explained that:

• Gentiles received righteousness through faith while Israel pursued righteousness through the Law and works. Israel failed because it is impossible to achieve complete righteousness through works.
• Righteousness/justification come only through Jesus Christ. The Jewish people could not accept that. They stumbled over Christ and missed him.
• God used their rejection for a very good purpose – the adoption of the Gentiles into His family. (Christ came first to save the Jewish people, but when they rejected Him the door was opened to the Gentiles.)

“But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles . . .” Romans 11:11

“. . . a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in . . .” Romans 11:25

• Paul wanted his people – the people of Israel – to wake up, recognize, and receive true righteousness through faith in Christ. He told them that God has not rejected Israel completely. Although they rejected Him, He will give them fulfillment and life through Christ when they believe.

“Now if their transgression is riches for the world, and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!” Romans 11:12

“And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.” Romans 11:23

God’s Righteousness Works Its Way Out

Romans 12:1-15:13

Those who love Jesus Christ and have a relationship with Him, abandon all that they are (heart, soul, body, and mind) to all that He is. That abandonment of self and submission to Him affects:

• Our bodies and what we do with them
• Our spiritual gifts and talents - and how we use them
• How we live out our daily lives (i.e., behavior)
• Our respect for authority
• Our convictions
• Our interactions with others
• Our worship
• Our unity with other believers

God loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way. He works to change us into the image of His Son. Those changes are meant to work their way out into our behavior.

The believer’s desire is to glorify God for His incredible and unexplainable mercy.

In a nutshell:

“Once we too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled by others and became slaves to many wicked desires and evil pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy. We hated others, and they hated us. But then God our Savior showed us His kindness and love. He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did. He declares us not guilty because of His great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life.” Titus 3:4-5 (New Living Translation)

 Thanks for sharing your time with me here at The Warming House. Glad you stopped by!

Lisa~

To the Ends of the Earth

The book of Acts is nestled in the Bible just after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. After Jesus died and was resurrected, he appeared to his disciples and followers for 40 days. In the book of Acts, he instructs them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promised Holy Spirit to come. He said that the Holy Spirit would give them power to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. I'm sure they wondered what he meant. By the way, Judea was the larger region surrounding the city of Jerusalem, and Samaria was the area just north of Judea.

Illogical Instructions


His instructions probably shook them up a bit. The apostles were from Galilee. (Acts 2:7) In the Galilean culture of that time, everything revolved around local community/village life. Villages were "inward focused" and its residents looked out for one another.  In addition, God had told the Jews that they were his chosen people. They were proud of that fact and felt tremendous animosity toward those on the “outside.”  Samaritans (a mixed race with one Jewish parent/one non-Jewish parent) and Gentiles (no Jewish lineage) were all outsiders. Gentiles were the people living at “the ends of the earth” beyond Judea and Samaria. Do you think it might have been difficult for them to do what he was asking - to go to those people they felt such animosity toward?

A New Way of Thinking

Some believe Jesus’ primary intent was to instruct his followers to minister and preach first in their hometown – then go out from there. But was there more to it than that? As he spoke his last words before his ascension, was he trying to break their inward-focused mindset? Was he trying to get them to see God’s heart? Was his intention to stretch their thinking and help them see what he had been revealing along the way – that the gospel was meant for the outsiders too? 

                                                           

The Early Church is Born


In Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit came from heaven and filled the apostles permanently. Through the power of the Holy Spirit they began speaking in foreign languages so that many could understand their words. About 3,000 people put their faith in Christ that day, and the church was born. Those who followed the way of Christ shared their possessions with one another. They were devoted to learning, loving, worshipping, praying, and evangelizing together. Individual churches supported and encouraged other churches. They were one in heart and mind. 


The Early Church - An Example For Today


This unity is something I don’t see much of today. Denominations divide us. Church walls divide us. People become angry when members leave one church to go to another – even when it’s for constructive reasons. Many churches in America today have adopted a “we” versus “them” mentality. It seems that a huge number of churches view each other as competition – and it’s killing us. We’ve forgotten that we’re on the same team. If we were to remember the one who links us, and love one another like the early church did, we just might see God “add to our number daily those who are being saved” - like he did back then. Unfortunately, too many people have been damaged by the church and have run for the hills.

The Gospel Spreads

Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, a man of faith named Stephen, was stoned to death after speaking to the religious elite – the Sanhedrin. On that same day, great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem. The believers fled town to avoid being imprisoned or murdered. And guess what? They fled to the surrounding areas of Judea and Samaria. As they uprooted their lives and made their way to safer places, do you think the words of Jesus ran through their minds? Instead of questioning their faith as they endured persecution, I wonder if his words brought them comfort because things were unfolding just as he said they would. Is it possible that his words in Acts 1:8 weren't so much a command as they were a statement or prophecy of what was to come?

“. . . and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest parts of the earth.” Acts 1:8

As they established new lives in these areas, they took their faith with them - and shared it.

Paul - Preacher to the Gentiles

What about those at “the ends of the earth?” Well – along came Saul. Among the Jewish religious leaders, he was royalty. He had the right lineage, understood the scriptures . . . and viciously persecuted Gentiles and Christians. One day as he was traveling to Damascus to persecute Jews who had escaped to that area, he encountered Jesus and everything flipped. Instead of being a persecutor, God made him a preacher to the Gentiles. What a turnaround! His name was changed to Paul.

Paul's Journeys

Here’s a quick rundown of the places Paul traveled and the letters he wrote during that time. These letters are now “books” in the Bible.

1st Missionary Journey:

After Paul’s first missionary journey to Galatia, he returned to Antioch and wrote Galatians. He had heard that false teachers had come into the new church and were teaching a false gospel. He wrote to the Galatians defending the truth of the gospel and encouraging his readers to live the Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit.


2nd Missionary Journey:

On his second missionary journey, Paul traveled to Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth. While in Corinth , he wrote 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians to encourage, commend, answer questions, and call his readers to hope and greater excellence in Christian living.


3rd Missionary Journey:

On his third missionary journey, Paul wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus to address factions in the church, immorality in their midst, unjustified lawsuits, and questions. He wrote 2 Corinthians from Macedonia to commend believers who had changed their ways, to encourage them to give funds to help believers in Jerusalem, and to defend his authority.  Paul had a strong desire to preach Christ in Rome. He traveled back to Corinth and wrote Romans – the most theological of all his letters that included a thorough explanation of Christian doctrine and its application to everyday life.


4th Missionary Journey:

Paul’s fourth missionary journey took him to Rome as a prisoner. He wrote Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians.

After his release from prison, he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus.

During his final imprisonment in Rome, he wrote 2 Timothy - his last letter before being executed for his faith.

When I look at the books of Act, I see strong faith, earnest prayer, great courage, tenacity, unity, and tremendous perseverance. Christians in the book of Acts were committed believers who boldly proclaimed Christ and loved one another well. Love that!! Want to be like that! I am so thankful for their example and for their faithfulness so that the message of the gospel could come to us today. Now it's our turn to be his witnesses even to the remotest parts of the earth, and we know Jesus will be with us as his Holy Spirit empowers us to do so. 


Blessings,


Lisa~

Relationship vs. Religion

#3

Living from the Inside Out 

 Jesus didn't come to make us religious - to carry our Bibles, to "look" the part on the outside, to speak Christianese (Christian lingo) that no one else can understand, to act superior, to sit in judgment, or to earn our way to God. 


He came to restore a broken relationship - the one between you/me and the living God. We have a sin dilemma that separates us from God. It's our fault. We chose it. Christ fixed it. I couldn't have done it. You couldn't have done it. Only he could.


Relationship is about Jesus Christ - and it's personal. It's about embracing Jesus, drinking him in, depending on him, and doing life with him day by day, moment by moment. It's about what Christ has done in my life - the saving of my soul and the changing of my person. It says I am who I am because of his goodness and the work he has graciously chosen to do in me. It's about Christ living in me and through me to love and testify to the truth in a hurting world.  


I can tell you relationship has changed my life. In the beginning I believed in Christ, but didn't realize God wanted a relationship with me. I was about as broken as they come . . . carrying around a whole lot of junk . . . a complicated mess and completely disgusting in so many ways. Things I had done that I thought were unforgivable did not keep him away. As I began to live in relationship with him, he took the nasty, shame-filled, damaged condition of my heart and poured himself into it. His brilliant glory outshines the darkest places in me. He has healed my hurts, given me a fresh start, and set me free. 


When we realize who he is and what he's done, the only response is to say, "God, take my life - all of it." 


This is relationship. It's what God desires with us. 


Relationship is essential to living from the inside out.


Desperately dependent and grateful for all he's done . . .
Lisa~

From the Inside Out

Hello and welcome to The Warming House! You might want to turn down the music on my playlist at the bottom of this post before playing this video. :)





In my first post in this series, I shared that there are people rejecting Christianity because of the hypocrisy and lack of transformation they see in the lives of professing Christians. When we live "from the outside in", we allow the culture to determine our attitudes, thoughts, and behavior. I can tell you for certain that when I lived predominantly from the outside in I was pretty miserable. I didn't realize God wanted a personal, moment-by-moment relationship with me. I kept a tight grip of control on my life, tried to find significance in the world's eyes, and went down a path making choices I deeply regret. In many ways, I was "lost" as a Christian.


Living from the inside out . . .


There's a key scripture from a letter Paul (a follower/apostle of Jesus Christ) wrote to the Christians living in Philippi. It encapsulates what it means to live from the inside out.


Paul told them - 


"So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you; both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13


Don't misinterpret this scripture. It isn't telling us to work for our salvation. It's saying that:

~When we receive salvation as we surrender to Jesus Christ, God begins to work inside us. 


~As he lives and reigns at the center of who we are - He changes us by His power.


" . . . for it is God who is at work in you . . ." 


~God's purpose is to work in us to make us look like Jesus (Romans 8:28-29). It's a lifelong process.


~The changes God works inside of us are meant to work their way out to our behavior, conduct, and lifestyle. God wants us to put into practice in our daily living the changes he is working within us.


This is living from the inside out.


So if God's power is at work in Christians, why is there a lack of transformation in so many? From my own life and mistakes, I believe the problem is a lack of surrender. Too many of us want to maintain control of our own lives. We're afraid to give God control and hold him at arm's length so there's no way he can work freely in us. 


Let me tell you that when we let him in and give him control, everything dramatically changes. There is intimacy with God that we never thought possible.  In that intimacy, we experience the astounding greatness of who he is. And I do mean greatness. He is so immense in his goodness, sweet love, power, constant faithfulness, unending mercy, extravagant grace, infinite knowledge, and life-saving compassion that it is impossible to find words to describe him adequately. We want more of him. There is nothing else that satisfies us like he does. My life is so very different since I've surrendered and given him complete control. I will NEVER go back to the way things were before. He is my healer, protector, defender, strength, hope, joy, peace, rescuer, comforter and great love of my life.


God is the only one who has power to bring true change in our lives. Letting him reign at the center of who we are is the answer for true life change, fulfillment, peace, power for living, authentic joy, freedom, and the ability to accurately reflect his heart in the world.


Imagine what the world would look like if Christians were to bow their knees to our awesome God and begin living from the inside out? How would our culture change? How would our churches change? How would our lives change? Would people be attracted to the beauty of Christ in us? It all begins with you and me. Will you give God control and begin living from the inside out?


Bowing my knees . . .


Lisa~


Series on living from the inside out will continue . . .

Crossing Borders

Mountain View ~
Stealing Your Breath With Views of the Heart of God

A friend of mine heard about the distressing predicament of many Russian orphans. She interrupted her life to cross the borders of her country to be with them. She could have  ignored their needs, but instead she placed herself smack-dab in the middle of their lives. She ate with them, conversed with them, listened to their stories, held them in her arms, and wiped their tears. While she was among them, the scales fell from her eyes. She came to understand their fears, their living conditions, and their needs. She made their suffering her own. During this time she connected with a boy named Andrei. 

When the day came for her to leave Russia, she shares that she placed her right palm against the window from inside the van, carefully extending each finger to align with Andrei's on the opposite side of the glass. She looked into his face full of promise and possibility against the stark, gray background of the Russian countryside and tried to memorize each feature.

Andrei reached up with his right hand and wrote two Russian words on the van window, wet with condensation.  As the van slowly rolled forward, she kept her hand pressed tightly to the glass.  Andrei moved alongside the van until he could no longer keep up.  

She strained to see him standing there waving until the van rounded the corner of the building. Pine trees passed by in a blur.  She watched the windowpane intently until she could no longer read the two words he had written on the window.  “Come back." (Story shared by Tarissa Helms)

God has memorized every feature of our faces (Psalm 139). He designed us with huge promise, and potential. Like the pane of glass in the van’s window, our disobedience and rebellion places our relationship with God in a state of separation. He tries to get our attention, but often we ignore Him and go our own way. His heart is deeply grieved as He watches us move further and further in the opposite direction. There are times when I have grieved God's heart in this way. My choices and my strong will have pulled me away from him.

When we begin to understand the extreme holiness and perfection of God's nature, we realize there is no way we can make ourselves good enough for him. There is no way to remove that distance between us by our own efforts. Our choices, mistakes, and human nature make us orphans, and leave us with a longing in our hearts for him to come back and claim us (whether we realize it or not).

To resolve our predicament, God did something unthinkable. Through the birth of Christ, he became present in our daily existence.                                                                                                           


The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23

capturedmiracles.org



http://www.capturedmiracles.org/shoppingcart/products/Son-of-Man.html

Jesus inconvenienced Himself and crossed the borders of heaven in order to be present with us. He was perfect and could have turned His nose up at all of us, but He placed Himself smack-dab in the middle of the lives of imperfect human beings from all walks of life. He ate dinner with tax collectors, touched the lepers, conversed with a Samaritan woman, listened to the story of a bleeding woman, defended an adulterous woman, patiently taught ordinary men, and wiped away tears.

As a result, He gained an intimate understanding of who we are as human beings. He understands our struggles, fears, insecurities, and temptations; our loneliness, pain, and suffering; our regrets, sadness, and despair; our circumstances, dreams, hopes, and joys. He came to make our suffering his own. 

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” Isaiah 53:3 (NIV)

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18 (NIV)

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)

At Christmas time, we remember that God couldn’t stand to leave us alone and orphaned so He came to be with us. 

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. John 1:14

Through Christ, God makes us a part of his family. (Romans 8:15; 1 John 3:1)

In love, he predestined us to adoption as sons (and daughters) through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will . . . Ephesians 1:4-5

When you think of the baby in the manger, keep these things in mind:

• God came to be with us so that we could be with him. 
• Without him, we are all orphans.
• He yearns to draw us into his "family." 
• If you are feeling lonely, alienated, and estranged from family this holiday season, remember there is a place where you "belong". If you would like to join his family, see my page (in menu at the top of blog) entitled, "Knowing Jesus."

Anticipating the celebration of his gift to us,
Lisa~