Celebrate the Creator and Sustainer of the Earth!

Thought it would be fun since tomorrow is 'Earth Day' to list a sample of passages in the Psalms that include the word 'earth'. I am thankful that Jesus Christ created the earth, and further that He came to it in order to give me life and a future when I die!

Enjoy!

Psalm 24:1
The EARTH is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,

Psalm 33:8
Let all the EARTH fear the LORD;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

Psalm 33:8
Let all the EARTH fear the LORD;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!


Psalm 65:9
You visit the EARTH and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.

Psalm 72:19
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole EARTH be filled with his glory!

Amen and Amen!

Psalm 74:17
You have fixed all the boundaries of the EARTH;
you have made summer and winter.

Psalm 77:18
The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lighted up the world;
the EARTH trembled and shook.

Psalm 83:18
that they may know that you alone,
whose name is the LORD,
are the Most High over all the EARTH.

Psalm 89:11
The heavens are yours; the EARTH also is yours;
the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.

Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the EARTH and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Psalm 104:14
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the EARTH


Psalm 119:90
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
you have established the EARTH, and it stands fast.

Psalm 124:8
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and EARTH.


Psalm 135:6
Whatever the LORD pleases, he does,
in heaven and on EARTH,
in the seas and all deeps.

A Living Savior

A friend of mine who lives in Malta wrote this. You can check out his website here. Wish him a Happy Easter; he's doing the Lord's work!

I learn a lot from my children ... patience, for instance! But recently John, my three year old son, is teaching me some theology as well.

Last Sunday at church, while we were singing ‘Majesty’, he heard the phrase ‘Jesus who died’. He turned to his mother, evidently shocked, and asked, ‘Jesus died?!’

Poor child. We had taught him that Jesus loves you, Jesus takes care of us, Jesus is always with us ... and now he died!

Like my son, the apostles were also baffled when their Master was taken away. They hid, they went back to their fishing, they were at a loss. I would be utterly confused if Jesus remained dead, for with him all my hopes and meaning will be buried forever. Just as the Scripture says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:17).

Thank God, Jesus triumphed over death. “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!” My son – all of us - may rest assured that the Saviour is alive!

Happy Easter!

Joe, Joanne, John, Elizabeth.

Holiness Unto the Lord by James Smith, 1865

Today's Grace Gem is perfect for New Year's Day! May we use this new year to take inventory of our possessions and our pursuits in life, and bring all under the Lordship of Christ. The following is taken from a sermon written over 140 years ago, but the message is still relevant.

Holiness Unto the Lord
by James Smith, 1865

"On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: 'Holy unto the Lord.' And the cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar." Zechariah 14:20

We are to write on all that we ARE, on all that we HAVE--"Holy unto the Lord!" We are no longer to live unto ourselves--but unto Him who loved us, and gave Himself up for us. We are to have . . .
holy thoughts,
holy desires,
holy motives,
holy aims,
holy pleasures,
holy sorrows, and
pursue holy objects.

1. See then, what we should BE--holy. This was God's end in our election, redemption, and effectual calling. This is God's design in all our trials, troubles, and exercises; they are for our profit--that "we may be partakers of His holiness."

2. See also, what we should DO--write, "Holy unto the Lord!" on all that we possess. We have no right to possess, use, or wear anything--on which we cannot write, "Holy unto the Lord!"

Christian, is there anything in your house, in your business, or on your person--on which it would be unfitting to write, "Holy unto the Lord?" If so--ought you to possess it, practice it, or wear it?

Would such an inscription look well on some of our costly furniture, fine clothing, or entertainments? Would it? Do not shun the question--but let conscience take it up, examine, and return an honest answer.

We should use all that we have--as consecrated to Jehovah's service and praise:
our mental powers,
our physical strength,
our wealth,
our abilities,
our possessions
--all should be used for God, and for His glory! When about to employ any of these, we should pause, and ask, "Will putting them to this use honor God? Will it serve His cause? Will it bring praise to His most holy name?"

All who see us, dwell with us, or visit us--should be able to perceive that we have written upon all we have and are, "Holy unto the Lord." Until they can, we are not what we ought to be--and God's end in what He has done for us, and conferred upon us, is not answered.

O Spirit of holiness, come down and by the finger of Your power--write, "Holy unto the Lord!" upon our hearts! Enable us, as the effect, to write upon all we that have and are, upon all that we purpose, plan, and do--"Holy unto the Lord!" in large and pleasing characters, such as all may understand!

Happy New Year to one and all!

Happy Father's Day Dad!

I am not naïve enough to overlook how ‘lucky’ I was growing up. We had both mom and dad at home, they loved each other, and there was no alcoholism or drug abuse. But not just that, there was genuine love and a stable environment. Sure, we had our problems as everyone does. But I thought I would just take a minute and express my gratefulness for my father. It’s Father’s Day after all, and the Bible commands us to ‘honor our father and mother’ (Eph 6:2). So allow me to introduce my father.

Gene Bonham, Jr spent most of his career in Criminal Justice, starting out as a parole officer and administrator of a corrections program before taking his knowledge to academia. He is now a grad-school professor at the University of Central Missouri holding a Ph.D.



Very cool! (by the way, I always thought he looks a little like D.A. Carson. How cool would it be to get those two brains together to talk about the meaning of life!) But I digress ...

My Dad put up with a lot from us boys growing up. I was definitely the most argumentative and self-centered of the four boys and I am blown away when I look aback at his patience with us, especially me. He demonstrated wisdom in knowing how to pick battles with us boys and with Mom. He exercised restraint and showed humility in not having to ‘win’ every argument.

Dad taught the importance of education and study, by example. He could often be found marking up a thick book on this or that. I am grateful for the rather ‘nerdy’ qualities he passed on. I still can remember the day I finally beat him in chess! Sure, we threw the baseball around at times but I owe my love of books to Dad.

The way Dad treats his wife is especially commendable. He simply will not tolerate her to be disrespected and has shown us boys that he will come after us when we fall short of that respect!

There are a lot of other things I can talk about, but I never quite learned from Dad’s aversion to procrastination! Need to run help get those kids to church!

Dad, I am glad you are my dad and I truly love you. I wasn’t 'lucky' to have been born into your family, it was exactly the way God designed it. I am grateful He did not leave it to chance! In fact, even if it wasn’t predestined, I would still choose you 999 times out of 1,000 (just once I would choose a family where the gene pool allowed for a 40-inch vertical!)

Memorial Day Surprise - a providential meeting

The Lord, in His providence, has provided a very special Memorial Day for my wife’s family this year. So to honor our Lord and the men who fought for the freedom to worship Him, I share this story with the family's permission. I’m merely an ‘in-law’ but this family story goes beyond family ties.

Two childhood friends from Iola, KS, have sacrificed their lives for America.

Harry Lightner was young and never married. My wife’s family knew he served in North Africa and in Italy during World War II. They knew he was in the 180th and was killed in action, but did not know much concerning the circumstances of his death. Though research has been done and the family has tried to learn of the details of his death, very little was uncovered. Until this week.

Friday, my father-in-law Scott Shanahan came across an article in the local newspaper’s online edition, and quickly called his wife, Candie. The article featured a World War II vet, who will be honoring fallen comrades at a memorial service in Paola on Monday. The vet was a 'remains convoy driver' during the war. The article explains:

Much of his time serving overseas from 1946 to 1949 was spent in Italy, where he and his fellow members of the Graves Registration Service took on the unenviable task of collecting and identifying the remains of fallen soldiers.

Later in the article is the paragraph which made this story possible.

Because the remains would often be indistinguishable by sight, (he) said members of his unit used dental records, tattoos and military dog tags to identify the fallen soldiers. With tears welling in his eyes and a quivering voice, (he) talked about the time they identified the remains of a soldier as Harry Lightner — his childhood friend.

Candie phoned the veteran from the article, Mr. Carl Gregg, and had a good talk. Turns out he lives in the same town as the Shanahans, Paola, KS. It was quite emotional understandably. Ryan (Candie’s son) got to speak with Mr Gregg Saturday. He learned the nature of Harry’s death and also heard other stories about the family.

The Shanahans plan to attend the services Monday, now with even more knowledge of how their fallen relative died. How gracious of God to orchestrate this meeting!

At the beginning of this post, I said that two childhood friends had sacrificed their lives for America. One of them (Harry Lightner) died in service to his country before the age of 22. The other is alive today, but some would say he has been a ‘living sacrifice’ in the way he has served others following the War. He served his community through the local VFW in Paola, and has done my wife’s family an invaluable service by simply sharing stories about a beloved family member.

By the way, there is a letter that my wife’s family holds in very high regard, a special family artifact. It was perhaps the last letter Harry Lightner ever wrote. He reportedly wrote the same message to at least three different people. It included the words, “Don’t worry about me, I’ve accepted Christ as my Savior.”

The Miami County Republic article referred to above can be found here.

Happy Mother's Day!

I thought this was well said about Mother's Day:

Mothers Day is not primarily about being a mother and receiving honor, but thanking God for the mother he gave you, and giving honor. The people giving honor should include all moms. Persons receiving honor as moms should also being giving honor for their God-given moms.

Mothers are common: Everyone without exception has one. Jesus had one. ...

The set of all people with no mothers is zero. The set of all people with mothers is everyone. The two sets do not intersect.

Though moms are common, the mother of any given individual is a rare mother, uniquely designed and assigned by God to be a person’s tailor-made mom in order to accomplish God’s good purposes.

Honoring your mother is a way to honor the One who gives the command to honor your mother. Thank you, all-wise and almighty God, for giving me exactly the mother you gave me.

Besides this post by Sam Crabtree, there is a lot of other good Mother's Day reading out there. Here is a sample:

• Why Should We Honor our Mothers by Lance Quinn
• The Reluctant Mother: Amy Carmichael by Susan Verstraete
• She Loved it! by Jim Elliff
• Memories of Mothers by James McAlister
  

I have a wonderful mother, and my wife is a wonderful mother. Praise the Lord for our mothers! Thank you God for giving us all mothers!

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, 9 for they are ja graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. (Proverbs 1:8-9)

HT: Tyler

Resurrection by J.I. Packer

Resurrection: Jesus Christ was Raised from the Dead
by J.I. Packer

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (Luke 24:1-3)

Jesus’ resurrection, which was a divine act involving all three Persons of the Godhead (John 10:17-18; Acts 13:30-35; Rom. 1:4), was not just a resuscitation of the ruined physical frame that was taken down from the cross for burial. It was, rather, a transformation of Jesus’ humanity that enabled him to appear, vanish, and move unseen from one location to another (Luke 24:31, 36). It was the creative renewing of his original body, the body that is now fully glorified and deathless (Phil. 3:21; Heb. 7:16, 24). The Son of God in heaven still lives in and through that body, and will do so forever. In 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, Paul envisages that Christians who are alive on earth at the moment of Christ’s return will undergo a similar transformation, though in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 he shows himself aware that Christians who die before the Second Coming will be “clothed” with their new body (the “eternal house in heaven”) as a distinct event, at or after the time of the old body’s return to dust (Gen. 3:19).

Christianity rests on the certainty of Jesus’ resurrection as a space-time occurrence in history. All four Gospels highlight it, focusing on the empty tomb and resurrection appearances, and Acts insists on it (Acts 1:3; 2:24-35; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30-32; 13:33-37). Paul regarded the Resurrection as indisputable proof that the message about Jesus as Judge and Saviour is true (Acts 17:31; 1 Cor. 15:1-11, 20).

Jesus’ resurrection demonstrated his victory over death (Acts 2:24; 1 Cor. 15:54-57), vindicated him as righteous (John 16:10), and indicated his divine identity (Rom. 1:4). It led on to his ascension and enthronement (Acts 1:9-11; 2:34; Phil. 2:9-11; cf. Isa. 53:10-12) and his present heavenly reign. It guarantees the believer’s present forgiveness and justification (Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:17) and is the basis of resurrection life in Christ for the believer here and now (John 11:25-26; Rom. 6; Eph. 1:18-2:10; Col. 2:9-15; 3:1-4).

From: Concise Theology: A Guide To Historic Christian Beliefs

Christ in the Passover

A friend at work shared this video and I saw it for the first time this morning, Good Friday! In the video, the Jewish Passover is demonstrated and explained, and all throughout the presence of the Lamb of God, the Messiah is pointed to. I was brought to tears as I watched how even Jewish traditions (and the entire Old Testament-the Jewish Bible-for that matter) point to the second person of the Trinity: Jesus Christ, the Messiah! Click the full-screen button and enjoy!

What does luck have to do with it? By Jim Elliff

Top of the morning to you! Jim Elliff discusses Joni Eareckson Tada and the Sovereignty of God.

Joni Eareckson Tada is one of the most gracious and effective Christians in the world. She has lived with the results of a diving accident that broke her neck during her teen years. In her 50's she continues to radiate Christ to a listening world. Joni is known by thousands of Christians, perhaps millions, through her books, radio program, and conference speaking.

Once my brother asked Joni how she made it through the difficult battle with her paraplegia. I later heard her give the same answer in a large conference in Orlando. Her reply will surprise you. "I suppose what helped me get through this more than any other thing" she said, "was reading Loraine Beottner's Reformed Doctrine of Predestination."

Now that caught you off guard, didn't it?

What she was saying was that she came to understand through this book that God is in control. And if God is in control then her accident wasn't just a fluke, but a purposeful arrangement by a loving God. She could trust a God like that. That accident cost her freedom and brought chronic suffering. But to Joni, that diving accident was a huge gift from God—a platform for speaking to the world about her favorite subject, Christ.

Click here to read the entire article.


Also, Susan Verstraete tells us a little about the Patrick who is honored on this St. Patrick's Day.

Patrick, Missionary to Ireland

Enjoy, and wear something green!

New Year's Resolutions Ideas

While I have not yet formally written down my 2010 New Year's Resolutions, here are some areas I'm considering. Perhaps some will be helpful to you as well. So, here are some things I'd like to 'resolve' to do/do better next year (along with relevant links):

• Know God better through His Word (Bible Reading Plans, Bible Reading Record)
• Alter my lifestyle to reflect God's passion for world missions (Resource: Let the Nations Be Glad)
• Know the Gospel better (and SHARE it!) (Resource: What is the Gospel?)
• Read a good Christian book (Recommended Reading)
• A more disciplined prayer life (Resource: 9 Characteristics of Biblical Prayer)
• Love One Another (1 Corinthians 13, Romans 12:10) HT: Dan

See you next year, Lord willing!

Still, still, still

I found someone who sings worse than me!



This video is hilarious, but the Chritmas Carol itself is actually quite beautiful. According to one web site, "The traditional Austrian carol "Still, Still, Still" is set to the "Salzburg Melody" dating from around 1819. "Silent Night," with words by Joseph Mohr and melody by Franz X. Gruber, is probably the most widely known and sung Christmas hymn in the world. It has been translated into 300+ languages."

Here is the Vienna Boys Choir doing it right!



Here are the English lyrics.

Still, still, still,
One can hear the falling snow.
For all is hushed,
The world is sleeping,
Holy Star its vigil keeping.
Still, still, still,
One can hear the falling snow.

Sleep, sleep, sleep,
'Tis the eve of our Saviour's birth.
The night is peaceful all around you,
Close your eyes,
Let sleep surround you.
Sleep, sleep, sleep,
'Tis the eve of our Saviour's birth.

Dream, dream, dream,
Of the joyous day to come.
While guardian angels without number,
Watch you as you sweetly slumber.
Dream, dream, dream,
Of the joyous day to come.

Enjoy!

Warm Christmas greetings from the Bonhams. May the truth of the Incarnation lead us to the foot of the Cross!

Thanksgiving thoughts

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There is no pressure in present-giving (and receiving), delicious food is plenteous, and football is on the TV and in the back yard. Family get-togethers are great, and fellowship is rich. But this Thanksgiving I want to be sure that I am most thankful for the God who gives--not the gifts He gives!

In that spirit, here are some words from John MacArthur and a young preacher from Countryside.

Rekindling the Gratitude - John MacArthur
The Thanksgiving season is a wonderful time to heighten your sensitivity to the blessings bestowed by God. Thanksgiving grabs your attention, shakes the cobwebs loose, and reminds you of all God's most precious gifts. That's one reason Thanksgiving has always held such a special place in my heart. It rekindles in me the kind of God-centered gratitude that our Lord demands and deserves—the kind that should readily be on our lips year round.

To help stimulate that kind of deeper gratitude, my family has adopted a Thanksgiving tradition we've found extremely helpful. Each year after our Thanksgiving meal we gather in our living room and simply recite the blessings of God that have touched our lives. One by one we circle the room, each one of us expressing our gratitude to God for His many physical and spiritual blessings.

Allow me to share with you just five blessings that deeply touch me every year and prompt me to thank God. Perhaps it'll catch and you'll be able to rekindle your gratitude!

You're Saved and You Know It
No work of God's is more beyond my comprehension yet closer to my heart and more worthy of gratitude than salvation. Before coming to know Christ, each of us lived in a self-imposed prison. Guilty, condemned, spiritually blind, and with no means to pay our debt, our destiny was one of eternal separation from God.

But Christ not only rescued us from the power and penalty of our sins, He also lifted us to a place of blessing. He delivered us from punishment and brought glory. He took away the threat of hell and gave us the hope of heaven. He dismissed us from divine wrath and brought us a divine benediction. One hymn writer put that unfathomable transaction like this:

In wonder lost, with trembling joy, We take the pardon of our God; Pardon for crimes of deepest dye, A pardon bought with Jesus' blood, Who is a pard'ning God like Thee? Or who has grace so rich and free?

We sing of salvation. We talk of salvation. Salvation is the essence of Christianity. Thanking God for saving us should be the unceasing occupation of our lips—only a stone-cold heart could offer anything less.

Read the rest of the article here.

JD Summers (CSide) kicked of November with this message, and it still echoes in my brain and heart as we look to Thanksgiving tomorrow. JD asked, "What is it that you are most thankful for?" Stop and answer that before reading. JD went on to say that your answer to this reveals what is most important to you. Is it God or is it His gifts? God is the Gospel.

Finally, Jim Elliff has some practical ways we can honor God on Thanksgiving.

May the Lord richly bless you all with His mercy and grace!

Nathan Clark George @ Redeemer & Rolfs at SSKC

A couple of Christmas concerts to let you know about (get your sharpies out; you'll want to mark these on your calendars!)

First, Nathan Clark George will be doing a free Christmas concert at Redeemer Presbyterian on Sunday evening, December 21st. The tentative time is 6:00 pm, but check his website for updates. Bring $$$ to buy his music!

If you don't know who NCG is, you obviously don't read my blog so you're probably not reading this post either! Or are you?!? If you missed these posts, click here and here ... or just go to his website. NCG is my favorite musician 'of his kind' (of which there is no other.)

Second concert to let you know about: The exquisite Rolf family (Devon Rolf that is) will be performing in the StateStreet Tower 1 lobby on December 12th at noon. You're welcome to come by and listen. There is a public cafeteria in the building so come early to eat, then enjoy the bluegrass and Gospel tunes! Not sure but I think someone who works at StateStreet might have organized this!

Here is a map. The Rolfs will be in 801 Penn (which is the one with the StateStreet sign)...


View Larger Map

Thankful for Adriana!

I saved this post for Thanksgiving, because God has given our family much to praise and thank Him for, in sparing our daughter, Adriana (11), on Sunday.

She had a violent, life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to some mixed nuts, despite no previous reactions to peanuts/tree nuts before this. Very quickly, Adriana had hives all over her body, face, tongue and throat (which quickly swelled up affecting her breathing.) She could have died.

In fact, had she been with us in Spring Hill (15 minutes from the nearest hospital) she might not have made it to Olathe. By God's grace she was at Grandma's house in Paola (which has a hospital in town.) We now have an Epi-Pen so that she can be injected to stop an allergic reaction, giving us time to get her to the hospital.

Adriana is fine now, but coping with a life without nuts (no pecan pie!) until we can see an allergist in December to determine exactly what she's allergic to.

We're obviously very thankful we still have our little girl!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Now Thank We All Our God!

I'm thankful for Joni Eareckson Tada. My wife gets her daily devotional and often shares with me. Today's was a gem.

"O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15)"

I have this game. Well… really, it’s more than a game. For me, it’s serious fun. In my travels around the world, I will sometimes find myself in a great, cavernous hall or cathedral. If it’s empty and no one is around, I will fill the place with music by singing one particular hymn—“Now Thank We All Our God”—as loud as I can. I think it’s important to remind these great places of who designed them, who is King of their space, and that they are only great because God gave the ideas to the architects in the first place.

The first big, important place I remember singing this hymn was in a railway station at eleven o’clock at night with a few of my friends from high school choir. Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices…. The second place was in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Then there was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and Westminster Abbey in London. Who from our mothers’ arms, has blessed us on our way, With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today. And just last fall when I toured the Sydney Opera House, someone said, “Hey Joni, want to sing something?” I could think of no better song to fill the wide-open spaces of that world-renowned, acoustically-perfect concert hall than to sing my signature hymn. Everywhere you and I go, everywhere we visit, every place, every square foot of ground, is territory we can claim for a song for the God of all nations.

********

Try it! The next time you’re in a big empty building—or even the great cathedral out-of-doors, declare his praise out loud… in a psalm, a chorus, a hymn, or a shout!

Great God and Savior, may your praise be on my lips more and more as the days and weeks of this year slip by.

I'm thankful for this hymn Joni introduces.

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;
The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

I'm thankful for the story behind the hymn.

Martin Rinkart (cir­ca 1636), a Lu­ther­an min­is­ter, was in Eil­en­burg, Sax­o­ny, dur­ing the Thir­ty Years’ War. The walled ci­ty of Eil­en­burg saw a stea­dy stream of re­fu­gees pour through its gates. The Swed­ish ar­my sur­round­ed the ci­ty, and fa­mine and plague were ramp­ant. Eight hund­red homes were de­stroyed, and the peo­ple be­gan to per­ish. There was a tre­men­dous strain on the pas­tors who had to con­duct do­zens of fun­er­als dai­ly. Fi­nal­ly, the pas­tors, too, suc­cumbed, and Rink­art was the on­ly one left—doing 50 fun­er­als a day. When the Swedes de­mand­ed a huge ran­som, Rink­art left the safe­ty of the walls to plead for mer­cy. The Swed­ish com­mand­er, im­pressed by his faith and cour­age, low­ered his de­mands. Soon af­ter­ward, the Thir­ty Years’ War end­ed, and Rinkart wrote this hymn for a grand cel­e­bra­tion ser­vice. It is a test­a­ment to his faith that, af­ter such mis­e­ry, he was able to write a hymn of abid­ing trust and gra­ti­tude to­ward God.

We have much to be grateful for in America, even in this current financial downturn. Our God is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving!

Happy Mother's Day 2008

I'm thankful that our kids have such a good mom, my beautiful wife, Aimee!

Adriana, 11 in June, wrote this piece about her mom, so I thought I'd share on this very special day in which we honor our moms.

Need of a Mother
All through out my life I would complain. I felt as if I had too much to do and nobody to help me. I was very angry at my mom and angry with God. I was living a selfish life of sin.
Then something unexpected happened. In the middle of the night my dad woke me up and told me I had to babysit my two year old brother and seven year old sister while my dad took my mom to the emergency room.
After a while my grandparents came and took us to their house, Praise God!
But I was still thinking about Mom.
It had been a whole week and she still wasn’t back.
Her being in the hospital made me realize how much I need a mom to help with school, cleaning, making dinner, and loving and raising her kids.
I was also thinking about how God gave me a mom that is perfect for me and my siblings. God was in control in this event in my life and still is. I felt horrible about the way I had acted before, and it was wrong. Through God’s grace He forgave me, and my mom got home soon after that!
I will never forget God’s grace shown in this event. I love my mom.

This ordeal happened in February when Aimee was hospitalized for her migraine attacks. She's being treated now by a chiropractor and has seen some very promising results, for which we give God much praise!

Aimee, the girls love you and are delighted to have you as their mother!

Happy Mothers Day!

P.S. To my own mom: if you're reading, love you, thanks for sticking with me despite my "annoying years", ... age 3-20.

In the aftermath of April Fool's Day!

My daughters are pranksters and love April Fool's Day!

• I went to put on my tennis shoes and there were plastic frogs in them.
• Sophia had hung a plastic frog in the inside of the freezer at eye level.
• Adriana got into the act and was more elaborate: She wrote a letter to me stating that a former bank owed me money and enclosed was a fake check for $20. I found this letter in my dresser drawer!
• There were also plastic frogs in my bed!!!
• Sophia told Ana they didn't have school today.
• Earlier in the day, she had put fishing line on her door so everyone would trip when entering and did the same on Myles room and in the basement.
• My favorite: the rubber band around the kitchen sprayer so when you turn on the water you get sprayed!

I think Sophia likes this day so much because she was born a few days before it (3/29). It's like the chicks that imprint to the first thing they see, usually their mother! Sophia's first and favorite holiday is April Fool's Day! :o)

When Was Your Yom Kippur?

I plan to feature a number of articles by Christian Communicators Worldwide here on Promoting Christ. CCW is a ministry of Jim Elliff. I encourage you to browse his site for a TON of resources (articles, sermons, books, ministry tools, CD's and more!) Every Tuesday (until further notice), I'll feature another article from CCW. This one sheds light on Yom Kippur, which takes place Saturday, 9/22/07. (I emailed Jim to ask permission to share his resources and he promptly replied and welcomed me to share the materials. What a neat guy! Enjoy!

When Was Your Yom Kippur?

Daryl Wingerd

Yom Kippur is Hebrew for "The Day of Atonement." The modern observance of this day by Jews around the world is based on the annual ceremony prescribed by God for Old Testament Jews in Leviticus 16. On this day the Jewish high priest would sacrifice a bull, two rams, and a male goat as atonement for his sins and the sins of the people. The high priest would take some of the blood of the bull and the goat inside the holy of holies where he would sprinkle it on the mercy seat—the place on top of the ark of the covenant between the two golden cherubim. A second goat was then led away into the wilderness, symbolically carrying away the sins of the Jewish people. One modern Jewish source describes the importance of the high priest's work this way:

The eyes of all Israel were raised toward the Kohen Gadol's [high priest's] order of service, which began toward the break of dawn. On his success, the atonement of all Israel was dependent.¹

The work of the Jewish high priest on the Day of Atonement was unarguably essential for God's Old Covenant people. First of all, God commanded that it be done, so any neglect of the ordinance would have been disobedience. Secondly, we know that "without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22). But even in the Old Testament, there are clear indicators that the work of the Jewish high priest and the shedding of the blood of animals on the Day of Atonement was only symbolic, not effective as an atonement for sin.

Abraham, for example, was reckoned by God as righteous (i.e., justified) on the basis of faith well before the Levitical system of sacrifices was instituted (cf. Gen. 15:6). Other prophets, writing hundreds of years after the laws of sacrifice were given, spoke of atonement for sins through a future sacrifice. Consider, for example, the words of Isaiah as he spoke of the Messiah:

He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall upon Him. (Is. 53:5-6).

Although Isaiah seems to be speaking in the past tense, as if the event he was describing had already happened, a few verses later he affirms the forward-looking purpose of God, saying that the Messiah "will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities" (v. 11, emphasis added).

Most importantly, the New Testament assures us that "it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Heb. 10:4). The Jewish temple and the mercy seat inside the holy of holies were merely "copies of the things in the heavens" (Heb. 9:23). These copies could be ceremonially cleansed by sprinkling them with the blood of animals, "but the heavenly things themselves" required "better sacrifices than these" (Heb. 9:23). Thankfully,

Christ [the Messiah] did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (Heb. 9:24-26)

We do indeed rely on the work of a Jewish High Priest for the atonement of our sins, but not a priest who is "prevented by death from continuing" (Heb. 7:23). The only High Priest whose work makes an eternal difference is the One who died and rose again—Jesus Christ, who, "because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently" (Heb. 7:23). Only this High Priest is "able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:24). Furthermore, Jesus "does not need daily [or annually], like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself" (Heb. 7:27).

Many people around the world observe Yom Kippur as though the annual ceremony were necessary to please God. The truth is, however, the real and final Yom Kippur occurred on a tragic yet victorious day in first-century Palestine. Jesus Christ fully accomplished the salvation of God's New Covenant people, consisting not only of many Jews, but people "from every tribe and tongue and people and nation" (Rev. 5:9). On that true Day of Atonement, God's great High Priest offered Himself once as the only effective sacrifice for sin. Any continuing work by another priest is unnecessary—actually futile—because, as Paul says, "there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5). He is the One who "bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed" (1 Pet. 2:24).

In the words of Jesus Christ Himself, "It is finished!" (John 19:30).

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¹Orthodox Union website, http://www.ou.org/chagim/yomkippur/ykavodah.htm

Copyright © 2007 Daryl Wingerd. Permission granted for reproduction in exact form. All other uses require written permission www.CCWonline.org