Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Happy Tuesday! Baby, it’s cold outside!! And tomorrow it is supposed to get to 50 degrees. Go figure! I guess Daddy was right. The weather does change rather rapidly in Texas.

Two days down and three to go. Today we studied Christmas traditions from Germany. We talked about how the Christmas tree came from Germany and the origin of tinsel. I love teaching about where different traditions originated and how we have incorporated them into our own holiday celebrations. This year I think we are going to cut down our own tree from a Christmas tree farm and we will see how we progress from there.

Acts 4:4 says, “But many of those who heard the Word believed; and they numbered about 5000.” Last spring I was taking a “History of Christianity” course at Brite. We were studying the first half of Christian history dating from the early church up to but not including the Reformation. Anyway were discussing the martyrs and the persecution of the Christians during the time of the early church. There were members of the class who asked why Christianity continued to flourish and grow even though so many were being killed for their belief in Jesus and refused to bow to a man- made emperor declaring himself to be divine. My response to the question was, “well, we have the only God who came back”. There was a large silence in the room. Then, they actually asked what I meant. I replied, “Jesus was resurrected from the dead and empowered by the Holy Spirit”. There was another large silence.

I love the phrase, “But many of those who heard the Word… Is the Word amazing or what? Every day in my prayers I give thanks to God for His Word and what it has come to mean in my life. But as the first chapter of John says, “In the beginning was the Word…” God has always been present. I give thanks for God and His place in my life. God is there in times of celebration and in times of deepest sorrow. God is unchanging and unmoving. Once He enters your life He is there for keeps. But in order for God to be a part of our lives we must hear the Word. God gives the Word of invitation. God is polite and knocks first and waits to be invited. The Word that is given is “child of God I love you. You are my sons and daughters and I welcome you into the family of God.”

Let’s look at the verse in John 1; “In the beginning…” God was there at the beginning of the world. God was at the beginning of our lives and God was at the beginning of our faith. When God enters our lives He gives us the gift of faith. Faith is our connector to God. It is through faith in God that we can get through the most difficult of times and the deepest sorrows of our lives.

The loss of our son, Casey, to cancer could have completely broken our faith. In fact we have friends who do not understand why we still worship and love God in the shadow of the death of Casey. Their faith has been shaken. Yes, we hurt beyond words because of losing our son. Yes, we miss him terribly. The grief and sorrow is sometimes so deep that it almost takes our skin off. We do not have a moment waking or sleeping that does not have Casey in it. But, we also have the assurance that Casey is with God and lives in the perfect light of God’s love. Casey no longer has cancer. Casey’s last complete sentence to me was, “Mom, I just want to stand up.” Well, now he stands in the presence of God perfectly healed from all of the disease of this world. Casey is happy.

The promise of the Holy Spirit is there in spite of the seemingly insurmountable problems we face daily. As Bruce always says, “Gaylene, the sun will rise in the morning.” Well, guess what? The Son rose in the morning some 2000 years ago making it possible for our faith and assurance to grow like those early Christians.

Take joy in the journey of faith giving thanks for the rising of the sun each morning and the rising of the Son in our hearts each day.

Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.

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