Another giveaway from Gluten Free Frenzy. This time for one of my favorite product lines - Pamela's Products. Hopefully I'll win and sample some new products our store doesn't carry before I start ordering in bulk from Amazon.

If anyone is interested there's a great giveaway over at glutenfreefrenzy.com. This girl is so generous with all these giveaways to help us find good products!

 

" Abraham do not be afraid I am your shield and your very great reward."  I know that those words were addressed to Abraham and not to me but they said something about how God relates to his people.

How much I've been shielded! How much protection I have received from the grace of God! God is our shield Anytime we feel a little bump in the road or an arrow that hits us we panic and despair and complain that we aren't being protected.  Just think how much more has missed us because He has been our shield! How much easier it is to bear the difficulties in life when we keep our focus on the One who shields us, and the rewards that await us.

(From a lecture by R.C.Sproul)

Exerpts from R.C. Sproul

God' providence is best understood in retrospect.

He is in control of the good and the bad in my life.
Gen. 50:19-21.

The reach of God's providence extends to all areas, times, situations, etc. It's universal. Our lives are never given over to blind luck. God is dedicated to preserving His saint's lives. We are never beyond His reach.
Even in the difficulties of Josephs life he was able to see and submit to God working in his life.

The rule of Gods providence is all encompassing. Extending even to the unsaved ( the jailor in Acts). Sometimes it's long-coming, opaque He is still in control. It is good. Active in our lives.
His hand may be hidden but His control is infinite.

God's riches are eternal.
What He is doing in and through us is lasting and precious.

We're never more like the devil than when we try to be God.

Have we become Gods critic? Or are we responding to His grace ?

(from Sunday's lesson. Westminster Presbyterian Church)

Sent from my iPhone

Pain for Pilgrim Days

James 1:2-4
Therapy thru pain is muh easier thAn a theology of pain but as Christians we must have a theology of pain. God tells us that thru muh suffering we will enter Heaven.
The question "why did God put me in pain?" isn't a lack of faith, it's a struggle for faith during our part of Gods greater plan.
Theology of Pain:
"Life is pain, anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something". Some try to escape pain (maybe thru alcohol, pleasures, etc.). Some try the stoic route. James tells us to embrace the pain " Consider it all joy". Not focusing on getting through the current stage to "Utopia" of "making it". You never "make it".
Joy is not merely a feeling, it's a mindset that leads us to a Person. The pain is there to draw our minds and eyes to Christ, not focused on our pain, the One Who allowed the pain, has conquered the pain, and is removing the pain in His time.

Yes, pain is ugly but it is also useful. Steadfast means "I will not give up", staying power. Joy and endurance/struggle go hand in hand. All sunshine and no rain storms make a desert.
When God stretches us we need to look at where He may be going and what He may be doing in us.
Our goal should be that rather than focusing on escaping the pain,in making it stop, but that pain will shape our way of thinking, what we need to achieve, what we need to become in Christ. The power of the Cross is at work in us thru the trial. We are being made more like Christ, more like the person we're supposed to be.

When difficult times come we must set our minds to seek God and His way despite the pain. Be conscious of our constant need of God.
Pain often plays like a broken record "noone cares, noone knows what it's like, I'm all alone...". Christ has already experienced this pain/ struggle/affliction. Been there done that. He's present with is during our experience of the same sufferings He (and other saints) have suffered. He shares the rial with us. He doesn't leave us. This is where we have to focus our thoughts.
As we embrace our suffering we get to know Christ in new, and varied ways, be made like Him in new ways.

Are we ready to share the love of Christ, the joy to be found in Him with another who is suffering? Have we made use of the pain God has allowed us to experience and prepared to tell another of what you learned and what Christ has done in you and thru your trials?

Sent from my iPhone

Why do we do what we do?

Why pray each day? Why read Bible daily ? Why come to church? To be shown our need of Jesus.
Why obey Jesus, love our children, serve others? Because we've been shown our need of Jesus and have received His grace and mercy.

Sent from my iPhone

Persevere in patient prayer

Luke 18:1-8-Christ gives us this parable to illustrate prevailing prayer. The judge who didnt fear God or man and the widow petitioning for justice. Christ is not teaching us to treat God in this manner. Not bugging , wearing down, pestering God until we get what we want. We are to always pray and not lose heart, be patient knowing that God is just, He will hear and give justice. He will meet our needs. He has overcome.

At the heart of the Gospel is our need to for prayer, communion with God. .

In Christian circles Rom. 8:28 is mistaught - that we are to become theological stoics. Even when circumstances stink God calls us to be persistent in humble prayer, and not lose heart-that is the true msg. This type of prayer is when we're trusting in God as He truly is not our idea of who He is or who we want Him to be.
Enduring, continuing on, persisting, don't give up. Why? Bcs Christ promises to bring things to a proper end, even when things in life are getting heavier and heavier. It's a Kingdom necessity.
Rom 8:32- God says that He gave His only Son for us, how will He not also with Him (Christ) graciously give us all things? It is God Who justifies. We must also remember that the "all things" most likely isn't what we think we want or need, isn't done in the timeframe we want or think it "should " be answered. It will be done in Gods way and in His time. We need our minds renewed so we learn to see things as God does.

Sent from my iPhone

 

Yay for free giveaways!!! Hope I win, this would help GF cooking for our family!

Go to www.glutenfreefrenzy.com for your chance to win.