Don't buy into the lie

The following is a Facebook entry made by my daughter this week. Her heartfelt message is aimed at a female audience, but there is vital truth presented for men, too. After all, are we not subject to the enemy's same lies about the definition of "beauty?"

The world pushes beauty, in order to "fit in," telling us we need to adorn ourselves with clothes, jewelry, worthless stuff to be somone. Magazines, Facebook, Pinterest, television, billboards, movies, malls, all push outer beauty that will fade away!

But what about GOD'S truth, ladies? Jesus is all we need. Our one true treasure is being a woman of God through Jesus Christ His Son! Now this is truth! "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Fear God! "Fear " means "to be in awe of....to honor." Our children are watching. Do they see the treasure of Jesus in you? Does your outside reflect the, ONE living inside of You? Jesus! Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, and not the empty things of this world.

In Jesus we find rest. His glory shines through us as we continually yield to Him! Be encouraged! For you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God! He knit you together in your mother's womb!

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things." Romans 10:15

Be strong in the Lord!

Thank you for your words, sweet daughter. Men: take time today to re-examine your definition of "beauty," and take action to let the women in your life know in no uncertain terms how precious and beautiful they are to you.

In the beginning was the Word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:1-3
(I shot this photo from the street a couple of blocks from my childhood church, Mt. Baker in the background. I once climbed this mountain, finding opportunity on the first day of the climb to pray fervently over cramping leg muscles. God answered my prayer when an experienced climber reminded me to hydrate! The rest of the trip was wonderful, including clear skies from the summit.)

Divine appointments

What a blessed morning! It's only 8:30 a.m. and I've had face-to-face prayer with one brother; start-of-day conversation with my wife; an Scripture-laden email praising God for His mercy from my daughter; Skype time with my brother in Israel who is volunteering with Bridges for Peace; and a welcome home opportunity with a brother just home safely from a commercial fishing season in Alaska. Whew! Divine appointments. May I be aware, Lord, in the course of my day, of your will for me as husband, father, friend, co-worker -- and even as a stranger/friend-in-progress. May I be an obedient bondservant, living this life in the joy of Your mercy.
"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere." 2 Cor. 2:14

Feeding the children

“Then what happened, Mommy?”

What a joy it was the other day to hear my daughter recall the excitement demonstrated by her children as she read the story of Jesus as related in the precious gospel of John.

My grandchildren are only three and six, but they are blessed with godly parents whose loving care includes “feeding” them from the Scriptures on a daily basis. On this occasion, mother shared the story of Christ’s trial and torture.

It was a brief struggle for me to come to grips with the idea of sharing that cruel story with children, but I quickly realized – Christ’s death at the hands of man is a critical part of understanding Who He is. We all love the story of the babe in the manger, but it is Christ’s death and resurrection that distinguish Him as God’s precious Son … our Redeemer King.

Even a child can understand the significance of the news that “…God so loved the world, He gave His only Son…” Christ’s love of children has inspired many artists. Most have heard the familiar Scripture: “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

It is clearly a mistake to respond to Satan's lie that we should “protect” our children from the truth Jesus must have shared with little ones each time they sat at His feet. God calls us to use discernment in our roles as parents and mentors, but He is also entirely capable of blessing our children with wisdom beyond their years.

So it is I commend those, like my daughter and son-in-law, who act in obedience to the Father, delivering the lavish gifts of His word and responding after study and prayer to the questions that arise from their children as they “digest” the word together.

“What happened then, Mommy?”

“Well, let me share with you the good news, my child!”