What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?

This is an excerpt from a sermon by Samuel Davies, "The Sacred Import of the Christian Name"

I highly reccomend reading the whole sermon! It goes into much detail about the word\label "Christian", including that is a family name, a name of honor, and a name of obligation, showing that there is a big difference between the Christian world and the Christian religion.

"The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch." Acts 11:26

What is it to be a Christian?

1. To be a Christian--is to depart from iniquity.
2. To be a Christian--is to deny yourselves, take up the cross and follow Christ.

3. To be a Christian--is to be a follower or imitator of Christ.

"He left us an example--that we should follow His steps!" 1 Peter 2:21

Christ is the model for every Christian.

Paul tells us that believers will be conformed to His image, Romans 8:29; and that the same mind must be in us--which was also in Christ Jesus. Phil. 2:5.

Christ's heart glowed with love to His Father! He delighted in universal obedience to Him; it was His food and drink to do the Father's will, even in the most painful and self-denying instances! He abounded in devotion, in prayer, meditation and every pious duty.

He was also full of every grace and virtue towards mankind! He was meek and humble, kind and benevolent, just and charitable, merciful and compassionate towards all. Beneficence to the souls and bodies of men was the business of His life; for He went about doing good. Acts 10:38.

In regard to Himself--He was patient and resigned--and yet undaunted and brave under sufferings. He had all His appetites and passions under proper government. He was heavenly-minded; above this world in heart--while He dwelt in it.

This is an imperfect sketch of His amiable character; and in these things every one who deserves to be called after His name, does in some measure resemble and imitate Him. This is not only his earnest endeavor--but what he actually attains, though in a much inferior degree; and his imperfections are the grief of his heart.

This resemblance and imitation of Christ is essential to the very being of a Christian, and without it, all profession is a vain pretense!

Does your Christianity, my friends, stand this test? May one know that you belong to Christ--by your living like Him, and manifesting the same temper and spirit?

Counseling Is For Every Christian

Are you familiar with Dr.Jay Adams?

If not, I beg you to get to know him. His ministry has blessed my life greatly! One simple yet very powerful truth I have gleaned from his ministry is that, the Lord has given every Christian the ministry of counseling...

2 Timothy 4:2-5
Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away frim the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Galatians 6:1
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.

Whether we intend to or not, we counsel everyday...either by what is said or not said and by what is done or not done. Everyday there is someone watching and\or listening to see how we (professing Christians) will deal with life's issues and it is our chief end to glorify God through them.

I pray that you will really consider honing your skills in the area of "edifying and building one another up". It will be a blessing to your soul and to those around you, but more importantly, it will be honoring to God.

You can find more information on the ministry of counseling through Dr.Adams at the
Institute For Nouthetic Studies.

The Whole Christ

Thomas Sherman, 1680

"Yet to all who received Him . . . He gave the right to become children of God" John 1:12

A whole Christ must be received--with the whole heart.

Some in their understanding, assent to the way of salvation--yet do not consent to it with their will. In judgment they are for Christ--but in affection they are for other things. There is only a part of their soul that is for Christ. Others would have the benefits that are from Christ--but have no love for the person of Christ.

Some would have Christ only as a Savior--but not as a Lord. They desire Him only as a Priest to offer a sacrifice for their sins--but not as a Prophet to instruct them, nor as a King to rule over them. So that it is but part of Christ, that they would receive.

But both of these courses are equally dangerous; for, if we would be saved, we must cleave to Christ with all the faculties of the soul--with will, judgment, affection, etc. And so, again, we must cleave to the whole of Christ--Christ in His natures, person, offices, etc. If, therefore, you would rightly receive Christ, see that your whole soul receives a whole Christ.

Grace Gems

I enjoy and highly recommend receiving daily email devotionals from Grace Gems.
Here is a sample...

J.R.Miller ~ Our words and deeds are irrevocable

"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken!" Matthew 12:36

We cannot recall any word we have spoken. It may be a false word or an unkind word--a word which will blast and burn! Instantly after it has been spoken--we may wish it back and may rush after it and try to stop it--but there is no power in the world that can unsay the hurtful word--or blot it out of our life!

It is just so with our acts. A moment after we have done a wicked thing, we may bitterly repent it. We may be willing to give all we have in the world to undo it, to make it as though it never had been. But in vain. A deed done takes its place in the universe as a fact--and never can be recalled.

We should be sure before we speak a word or do an act--that it is right, that we shall never desire to have it recalled--for when once we have opened our lips, or lifted our hand--there will be no unsaying or undoing possible.

Our words and deeds are irrevocable. We cannot recall anything we have done, neither can we change it. But by other words and deeds, we may in some measure modify the effect of that which we cannot blot out. Paul could not undo his persecutions of Christians--but by a life to devotion to Christ's cause--he could in a sense make reparation for the terrible harm he had done.

Just so, we cannot undo the wrong things we have done--but we should strive to set in motion other influences which may at least compensate in some sense for the harm they have wrought. We cannot unsay the sharp word which wounds our friend's heart--but we can by kindness and loyal devotion--yet bring good and blessing to his life.

Miss Me?

I'm so sorry to have been gone this long! Sometimes life takes you on a little detour and you just have to go with the flow...you know what I mean? Priorities...priorities...priorities :)

Anyways, I thought I'd just give you a quick 3 month update...

January...

We had a wonderful time at the Stone's Christmas\New Year's Party....

I had a terrible mishap with my thyroid medication and lost half my hair! Huge lesson in humility :) and that you should NEVER take the generic brand of thyroid medication.

**Sorry, no pictures of this event!**

We traveled to Panama City to bury my 98 year old great-grandmother. She was a lovely Christian woman and I have many fond memories of growing up with her. She is who I was named after. Her full name was Iola Lillie Dee Vandores Hood Strickland. Whew! Things were a lot different back then! Here's a picture of her younger years...

Lane became more and more involved in his 4-H Archery Club and starting winning several competitions...

And we began some of our "Homesteading & Self-sufficiency" projects...starting with the animals... we built hog pens...Lane is showing one in the Flagler County Fair this April and we have one we are raising for our freezer...Leah is raising chickens to show in the Fair but not to sell, these will be be for eggs and meat...and Lacy is raising rabbits for rabbit stew...I'll post more pics on all that later... :)

February...

Jamey was forced to start Paramedic school, which he wasn't very happy about since the previous year he had quit a very high paying job to take a very low paying job in order to be home with his family more to pursue some "family entrepreneurship" BUT we are trusting the Lord has a reason and a plan that will be for His glory and our good :) The grueling schedule hasn't been easy (roughly 2-3 days off a month and will soon only be 1 day!!!) so we would covet your prayers. Lane and I are filling in the gaps as much as we can and we've learned to treat every moment with dad as extra special!

Lacy celebrated her 4th Birthday...

Lane won more Archery competitions...1st place in Pre-State and 2nd in State! Then he went on to Nationals in Kentucky!!!

We had another great visit at the Stone's...maybe I'll try to do a post of just party pics??

Started an organic vegetable garden, that is quite pitiful...no pics of that yet...

As well as many many other things...

April and May are approaching fast and they will be very busy too...

More ministering to dad...

Easter...

Leah's 8th Birthday...

Lane's 16th Birthday...whoo hoo!!! Big Party????

The Flagler County Fair...to which YOU ARE ALL INVITED...April 15-17

And the end of another "school year"...just to name a few...

I don't know how often I'll be able to post but I hope to squeeze it in somehow!

..........Would love to hear from everyone.........

Ten Questions to Ask in the New Year

Don Whitney:

Once, when the people of God had become careless in their relationship with Him, the Lord rebuked them through the prophet Haggai. "Consider your ways!" (Haggai 1:5) he declared, urging them to reflect on some of the things happening to them, and to evaluate their slipshod spirituality in light of what God had told them.

Even those most faithful to God occasionally need to pause and think about the direction of their lives. It's so easy to bump along from one busy week to another without ever stopping to ponder where we're going and where we should be going.

The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?


In addition to these ten questions, here are twenty-one more to help you "Consider your ways." Think on the entire list at one sitting, or answer one question each day for a month.
11. What's the most important decision you need to make this year?

12. What area of your life most needs simplifying, and what's one way you could simplify in that area?

13. What's the most important need you feel burdened to meet this year?

14. What habit would you most like to establish this year?

15. Who do you most want to encourage this year?

16. What is your most important financial goal this year, and what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it?

17. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your work life this year?

18. What's one new way you could be a blessing to your pastor (or to another who ministers to you) this year?

19. What's one thing you could do this year to enrich the spiritual legacy you will leave to your children and grandchildren?

20. What book, in addition to the Bible, do you most want to read this year?

21. What one thing do you most regret about last year, and what will you do about it this year?

22. What single blessing from God do you want to seek most earnestly this year?

23. In what area of your life do you most need growth, and what will you do about it this year?

24. What's the most important trip you want to take this year?

25. What skill do you most want to learn or improve this year?

26. To what need or ministry will you try to give an unprecedented amount this year?

27. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your commute this year?

28. What one biblical doctrine do you most want to understand better this year, and what will you do about it?

29. If those who know you best gave you one piece of advice, what would they say? Would they be right? What will you do about it?

30. What's the most important new item you want to buy this year?

31. In what area of your life do you most need change, and what will you do about it this year?

For more Don Whitney resources please visit:
http://www.biblicalspirituality.org/index.html

The Art of Divine Contentment - Part 9

The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11

"I have learned, in whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content." Philippians 4:11

"Highlights" from Chapter 15 Consolation to the Contented Christian...

To the contented Christian, I shall say two things for a farewell. 1) God is exceedingly taken with such a frame of heart. If you would please God, and be men of his heart, be contented. God hates a froward spirit. 2) The contented Christian shall be no loser. What lost Job by his patience? God gave him twice as much as before. What lost Abraham by his contentment? God made a covenant with him that he would be his God, that he would be the father of many nations; God makes his seed as the stars of heaven; nay, honors him with this title, "the father of the faithful". God will be sure to reward the contented Christian. As our Saviour said to Nathaniel, "you shall see greater things than these:" (Jn.1:50) so I say, art thou contented (O Christian) with little? thou shalt see greater things than these.

End.

That concludes this 'Book Highlight'. I hope that you have been encouraged, edified, and spurred towards a closer walk with the Lord. It is my earnest prayer that we all glorify Him more with our lives as we "learn to be content in whatever state we are in". Thanks for following along. I hope to see you again next time.
If there are any specific book requests you have, just let me know, and I'll see what I can do!
Thanks again, and may God bless you!