Sunday, December 30, 2018

Trusting God for the Unseen

by Dr. Paul Chappell

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrews 11:8-10

Charles Spurgeon routinely spoke to crowds of 6,000 or more at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. On New Year's Eve in 1891, he spoke to only a handful of friends who were with him in Mentone, France, where he had been seeking treatment for his painful illness. Spurgeon did not know when he spoke that night that in less than a month he would see the Lord, for whom he had faithfully preached, face to face. Although, Spurgeon did know that he trusted God.

Spurgeon said, “Could we procure a telescope which would enable us to see to the end of the year, would we be wise to use it? I think not. Great mercy has hung up a veil between us and the future; and there let it hang.” The following morning he preached a brief New Year's sermon at his hotel. “The vista of a praiseful life will never close, but continue throughout eternity. From psalm to psalm, from hallelujah to hallelujah, we will ascend the hill of the Lord where we will bow before the Divine Majesty in the bliss of endless adoration.”

While God does not expect us to be foolish or unwise in our lives, He does expect us to trust Him regarding the future. The path ahead will not be clear to us until we see God face to face. But, every day of our lives is already known to Him. We can trust Him even when we cannot see Him.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

The hope of eternity in Heaven with God gives us strength to face any challenge or trial.

Friday, December 28, 2018

Face it with God

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.”

Isaiah 41:10–12

Most of Frances Ridley Havergal’s life was marked by pain. She suffered from ill health most of her life, and died a painful death at just forty-two years old from complications with peritonitis. In the days before antibiotics and effective and widely available pain medication, it was a grueling life. Yet Havergal never lost the faith she learned growing up in her father’s church as a little girl. To celebrate the start of 1874 she wrote this poem:

What shall I wish thee? Treasures of earth?
Songs in the springtime, pleasure and mirth?
Flowers on thy pathway, skies ever clear?
Would this insure thee a happy New Year?

Peace in the Saviour, rest at His feet,
Smile on His countenance, radiant and sweet.
Joy in His presence, Christ ever near!
This will insure thee a happy New Year.

David spent much of his early life ignored, belittled, and rejected even by his own family. Then when he did become known in Israel, he spent years running from Saul who was jealous of David’s popularity with the people. He knew hardship and battle and danger as daily companions. Yet David wrote, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Those who have true Christian joy do not have it because their lives are easy, but because they have a real awareness of and focus on the presence of God.

CURRENT RADIO SERIES A Life of Purpose   CURRENT TV SERIES Home for the Holidays

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” —Romans 12:18 I heard about a man who went to Jonathan Edwards, the great preacher, wanting to marry his daughter. Now, Edwards had several daughters, and the one this young man was in love with was particularly disagreeable. So the man asked Edwards, “Sir, may I have your daughter’s hand in marriage?” To which Edwards replied, “No, you may not.” So the man quipped back and said, “Why, sir? She is a Christian and I want her to be my wife.” Jonathan Edwards said, “Yes, she is, but the grace of God can live with some people with whom no one else can!” If you’re honest, you can probably think of at least a few people you might say that about today! But the Bible is clear that despite the differences you may have with others, we’re to live at peace with them. In fact, the Scripture goes as far as to tell you to love your enemies (Matthew 5:44). So, as you think about those people in your life who might need a little extra measure of grace, pray that God would work in and through you to show it to them because cultivating good relationships with others will bless you throughout your life!   GOD WANTS YOU TO LIVE AT PEACE WITH ALL PEOPLE, SO PRAY THAT HE WOULD GIVE YOU THE GRACE TO LOVE OTHERS, EVEN YOUR ENEMIES. Proverbs 14:30 A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like​ ​cancer in the bones.

Life is good, enjoy it =)

• 

Here's how parents can raise successful children, according to a Stanford dean

"Our kids must be able to do all of these things without resorting to calling a parent on the phone".

Image: REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

This article is published in collaboration withBusiness Insider

05 Jan 2018

1. Chris WellerIdeas Reporter, Business Insider

Julie Lythcott-Haims is the opposite of a helicopter parent.

A former dean of freshmen at Stanford, from 2002 to 2012, and the author of "How to Raise an Adult," Lythcott-Haims has seen time and again that sheltered kids don't make for capable adults.

She has built a career on encouraging parents to take a more hands-off approach, favoring tough love instead of protecting kids from the big, scary world.

Here are some of the broad strategies she's outlined for how to get there.

Be authoritative, not authoritarian

There are three widely accepted styles of parenting, according to developmental psychologists: permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative.

The first two are no good. Permissive parents become their child's friend and fail to establish healthy boundaries. Authoritarian parents rule with an iron fist, which can fill kids with self-doubt and bruise their psyches.

Authoritative parents are the ideal, Lythcott-Haims claims. They show love and affection but still enforce rules and set high expectations for their kids. Kids more often emerge with strong identities and high self-esteems.

Make them do their chores

An 80-year study called the Harvard Grant Studyhas found the single biggest predictor of a person's success is whether they did chores as a child. Lythcott-Haims doesn't take these findings lightly.

"If kids aren't doing the dishes, it means someone else is doing that for them," she told Business Insider. "And so they're absolved of not only the work, but of learning that work has to be done and that each one of us must contribute for the of the whole."

Chores instill in kids the attitude that life is about teamwork and cooperation, and that a clean, tidy living space doesn't just happen by magic.

Let your kids forget their homework

Part of giving your child extra space is affording them the room to fail — in ways both small and large.

Lythcott-Haims uses the example of a parent who discovers their child left his homework at home. Some parents might have the instinct to rush the assignments to school, lest the child get a bad grade.

But Lythcott-Haims says parents should use the opportunity to teach their kids the importance of responsibility and staying organized. Mom and Dad won't always be there to save the day.

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Encourage kids to take risks

Being able to fail more broadly is essentially what it means to take risks.

In a recent Quora thread, Lythcott-Haims notedthat all kids should feel comfortable taking risks by the time they're 18. Otherwise, they may never fully appreciate how much they can get out of life by leaving their comfort zone.

"Our kids must be able to do all of these things without resorting to calling a parent on the phone," she wrote. "If they're calling us to ask how, they do not have the life skill."

Help your kids develop a sense of direction

Capable adults know how to navigate their surroundings, Lythcott-Haims noted in her Quora response. If they're outside their immediate neighborhood, they at least know how to use road signs and negotiate in traffic to get where the app on their phone says to go.

"We drive or accompany our children everywhere, even when a bus, their bicycle, or their own feet could get them there," she wrote. "Thus, kids don't know the route for getting from here to there."

Parents of successful kids recognize that a healthy sense of direction can (literally) take you far in life.

Prepare them for a world of assignments and deadlines

It's assumed parents will handle their kids' soccer practices, birthday parties, and meal times.

"We remind kids when their homework is due and when to do it — sometimes helping them do it, sometimes doing it for them," she said. "Thus, kids don't know how to prioritize tasks, manage workload, or meet deadlines, without regular reminders."

By age 18, however, Lythcott-Haims said these responsibilities must shift to the child. Knowing how to fit people into your schedule and manage their expectations based on your own plans is a crucial skill of adulthood.

Teach them how to earn and manage money

In addition to juggling schedules, adults also have the unique responsibility of juggling their finances. Even if kids don't have jobs yet, Lythcott-Haims says it's worth parents instilling in kids a sense of fiscal savviness.

It's the old chestnut of teaching kids the value of a dollar. But it's also teaching them the value of having a dollar saved up, invested, or spent on essential items — all stemming from having a boss "who doesn't inherently love them."

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Don't Give Up on People

by Dr. Paul Chappell

Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

2 Timothy 4:9-12

After being thrown out of school at age nine for throwing a desk at his teacher and being sent to juvenile detention at twelve after threatening to kill his mother and brother, the future seemed to hold little for Ryan Green. But there were people who believed in his potential and refused to give up on him. When he was exposed to the world of opera for the first time, a dream took root in Ryan's heart. He devoted himself to studying music and preparing his voice. He won several competitions and performed major roles in operas in concert halls around the world. Today, he is a member of the Vienna State Opera in Austria and continues to travel and sing in major roles.

As we work with people, we will face the temptation to give up—to decide that they are a hopeless case and there is no use spending any more time or energy or resources on trying to help them. But God does not give up on us, and we should not give up on others. Paul and Barnabas took Mark with them on their first missionary trip, but he abandoned their work at one point and went home. Later, Paul refused to take Mark with him because of that failure, which led to the breakdown of his long partnership with Barnabas. Yet, in the final years of his life, in his last letter to Timothy, Paul asked for Mark, because “he is profitable to me.” Barnabas never gave up on Mark, and it made a difference.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Do not give up on the people you are trying to help—a major change may be just around the corner.

CURRENT RADIO SERIES A Life of Purpose   CURRENT TV SERIES Home for the Holidays

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 25:21 Awhile back, a Christian economist told me that in the church-at-large in America, 15 to 20 percent of the people give 90 percent of the money. Now, I’m sure that number varies from church to church, but the overall statistic is simply staggering! It’s always been incredible to me that so many people give so little, because when you and I come to know Christ as Savior and our lives are transformed, our love for Him ought to be so powerful that we say, “Lord, here is my life. Everything that I have belongs to You.” But instead, people say things like, “I thought just the 10 percent belongs to God.” Well, yes God owns the 10 percent, but He also owns the other 90 percent as well! When it comes to giving, it’s not just about giving a certain percentage and doing what you want with the rest. No, giving to God’s purposes ought to be one of your greatest joys, and you should give or spend every single penny for the glory of God. So whether you have a little or a lot, be faithful with what you do have so that one day you’ll hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”   NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE, GOD WANTS YOU TO BE FAITHFUL WITH THE RESOURCES HE’S GIVEN YOU. SO GIVE AND SPEND EVERY PENNY FOR HIS GLORY!

I Quote =)

If you feel down and miserable, remember to be grateful because you are not blind that cannot see, you are not deaf that cannot hear, you do not have a tongue that cannot taste, you do not have a nose that cannot smell, you do not have a skin that cannot feel. It simply means you are healthy and strong. The fact that there are thousands of people dying every minute wanting to get a glimpse of another day, isn’t it be good enough to say thank you Lord for your grace. I have a choice. I am alive.  =)

Meg, 27 Dec 2018

Fear vs Fear Not =)

Traveling alone is risky yet fulfilling. 12 hours inside the plane can be very uneasy and inconvenient. However, the life well spent in every moment like appreciating the nature, looking at the blue sky, touching the tallest trees, breathing the fresh air, meeting new and old friends and experiencing that I am fully alive are something to be grateful for… truly rewarding and worth remembering. =)

Meg, 2018

PS. I am ready for the next =)

Quote of the day =)

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

God Offers New Beginnings

by Dr. Paul Chappell

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Genesis 22:1-2

Though Abraham is called the “father of the faithful” and believed God for impossible things, there were times when even his faith failed. When many years passed without the arrival of the son God had promised, Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hands. As a result, Ishmael was born, and a lasting division was created within the family. Though some of the consequences of sin may remain, when we seek God's forgiveness, He provides it, and removes the sin from our record forever.

Thus, when it came time for the great test of Abraham's faith, when God instructed Him to offer Isaac on Mount Moriah, God referred to Isaac as his “only son.” The consequences of Abraham's sin lingered, but the guilt and condemnation were removed, and taken away forever. God does not partially forgive those who seek His pardon and grace. He completely forgives. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:17).

Doubtless there are things about the year that is ending that you would like to forget. There are sins and failures and shortcomings—all of us have them. Although, God does not hold grudges. Instead, He graciously offers a new start and freedom from guilt and shame. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Do not live in shame or regret over past sins you have forsaken and confessed to God.

CURRENT RADIO SERIES A Life of Purpose   CURRENT TV SERIES Home for the Holidays

“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.” --Psalm 103:10 Sin is a serious subject with God. And the Bible has a lot of straight talk about sin, its consequences, and the damaging affect that it has on our souls. But the Scripture also tells us that because of the cross, you and I are forgiven! You see, some people have this idea that God is some ogre who got up on the wrong side of the bed about 10 million years ago, and he’s been in a bad mood ever since. But here’s the truth. The Scripture says that God loves you with an everlasting love. So he does not deal with us according to our sins, but out of his love! And here’s the deal: God dealt with your sins and mine on the cross.  Second Corinthians 5:21, says, “He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus didn’t die for some people’s sins. And he didn’t die for part of your iniquities and part of mine. On the cross, Jesus took upon himself all of our iniquities – past, present, and future. And ALL of our sins are gone! All the other religions of the world are focused on man and the required actions of man to know God. They require that man do things to seek God’s approval. But Christianity is not about man. In fact, there is nothing that any person can do to save himself. The Christian faith is completely and totally about the work of God and Jesus Christ. It is completely about the work that Jesus finished on the cross for you when he died for us. And that is how you and I receive forgiveness. I want you to embrace this precious and amazing gift from God right now and never take it for granted. And remember this: God doesn’t love you because you are somebody who deserves to be loved. No, you are somebody because God has chosen to love you. He has crowned you with his steadfast love and mercy and you are his!    THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY ABOUT THE WORK THAT JESUS FINISHED ON THE CROSS FOR YOU WHEN HE DIED FOR YOU.

Reunited =)

CURRENT RADIO SERIES Christmas Time is Here   CURRENT TV SERIES Home for the Holidays

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” --Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus clearly states in the Scripture that believers in Him “are the light of the world.” So my question for you on this Christmas Day is this: Are you letting the light of Jesus shine through you? Far too often, followers of Christ forget that they influence other people. Whether it’s for good or for bad, we do influence others! And as believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to shine the light of Jesus Christ in any circumstance in which we find ourselves. You and I are called to influence others for Him! It might seem overwhelming at first to shine the light of Christ into such a dark world, but you have nothing to fear! You don’t have to be afraid of the dark anymore because Jesus Christ has already overcome it. He will make a path for you and light the way. You just need to trust and follow Him. As you gather with friends and family today, it’s my prayer that you would take the light of Jesus Christ to those who don’t know Him. Be responsible with the light God has given you… and help others live in the light like you do!   AS BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST, WE ARE CALLED TO SHINE THE LIGHT OF JESUS CHRIST IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE IN WHICH WE FIND OURSELVES. Tuesday, December 25, 2018 Room for Jesus by Dr. Paul Chappell And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6–7 One of the most poignant moments of the Christmas story is the arrival of Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem to find that there was no place for them. Even Mary's advanced pregnancy was not enough to convince anyone to open their doors to the desperate couple. Yet that was only the beginning of a pattern that would follow Jesus in His ministry. Again and again he was asked to leave or threatened with death if He stayed. Harry Ironside said, “I suppose hundreds of people were crowding into Bethlehem. The wealthy would make reservations ahead and preempt the good places to stay. You can imagine there would not be much attention paid to this poor carpenter. One cannot but wonder, however, whether the innkeeper himself ever realized what a wondrous Guest he had failed to find room for. Surely he must regret now that he did not make it possible to entertain them, no matter how crowded the inn might have been.” Before we critique the people of Bethlehem for not making room for Jesus, we must look at our own lives. Do we have room for Him in our time, our finances, our conduct and our worship? Or do we try to squeeze Him in whenever other priorities lessen and we have spare time? “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). Christmas is a special day to remember Christ’s willingness to come for us. As we thank Him today for His sacrifice, may we renew our commitment to make Him the center of our lives all year long. Today’s Growth Principle:  Make sure that Christ is the center of your life and there is room for Him, not just on Christmas but every day.