Articles

Parenting: One of God’s Greatest Callings

 

As the mother of two beautiful children, ages 21 and 16, I have discovered both the pains and the pleasures of parenting. Almost three years ago, we proudly and tearfully sent our oldest child off to college. And unless you have personally experienced this sort of parental separation, it is hard to wrap your mind around the sense of heartache and sadness that can come from this inevitable life-changing event. Although, no life has been lost, there is a definite shift in the way you once lived. A shift that can send shockwaves through a once unwavering home.

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Aspiring Christian Authors: A Note to Self

Given the cutting edge technology era we are in, the writing process has never been so important, especially to young aspiring authors. We can transmit a message for the world to see in an instant. Although I would not trade this innovative tool for the world, a moment of weakness could produce chaos. When we pair passionate emotions that create fervent and fiery words, fueled by the heat of the moment, this gift of transmitting our thoughts can cause a self-inflicted wound. In the blink of an eye, before pondering the content of our impulsive, yet “crucial” message, the hasty decision causes us to second guess ourselves as soon as we hit the send button. I would be the first to agree that writing from an impassioned heart quite often produces the best work. However, we must be careful not to confuse it with enthusiatic emotional energy. As I write, no matter how excited I am to put a completed piece out for others to read, I must remember these things.

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Nov 18 2013

God the Father’s Endorsement- Part 2

Author: jolulabug@aol.com • Discussion: 2 Comments

God the Father’s Endorsement:

After John the Baptist baptized Jesus, God the Father announces that Jesus is His son:

After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.  And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him” (Matthew 3:16-17)

 There are two things to take note of:

  •  God the Father is identifying Jesus as His Son.  
  • It reveals the three Persons of the Trinity present in one place at one time: God the Father’s voice is heard, Jesus Christ the Son is being baptized, and the Holy Spirit appears in the form of the dove. 

At that Baptism the Holy Spirit came to Jesus and it was made known that He was the Son of God. This is the only time in the life of our Lord that you will see all three of the Godhead manifest at one time. 

Jesus’ Humanity 

The invisible God had appeared on earth. Even though Jesus declared Himself to be God, the Bible describes Jesus Christ being all man.  He referred to Himself as the son of David because He was born into the bloodline of Israel’s famous King David. Jesus referred to Himself as “the Son of Man” (Luke 19:10) and it was revealed in His life:

  • Jesus got hungry (Matthew 4:2)
  • Jesus got thirsty (John 19:28)
  • Jesus grew weary (John 4:6)
  • Jesus loved and had compassion (Matthew 9:36)
  • Jesus wept (John 11:35)
  • Jesus was tempted (Hebrews 4:15) 

Everything about Jesus was human. He had all the human emotions and was just like we are…except for one thing: He knew no sin.  He never did anything that displeased God or violated the Mosaic Law.  He was holy in every way and was declared innocent 11 times:

  •  Six times by Pilate (Matthew 27:24; Luke 24:14; John 18:38; 19:4,6)
  • Once by Herod (Luke 23:15)
  • Once by Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19)
  • Once by the repentant thief (Luke 23:19)
  • Once by the Roman centurion (Matthew 27:54)
  • Once by Judas (Matthew 27:4)

 Jesus was without sin; therefore He was the only acceptable sacrifice and died for our sins.  All of Christianity is based on this fact.  Those who knew Him better than anyone else would not have been willing to be persecuted and die for their faith if they knew this was not true.  (1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21)