Enjoy Christian words of encouragement from the Bible, inspirational Bible
stories, Bible verses to live by, Bible teaching, homeschool tips and resources, and healthy easy recipes.
by Linda Hull
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"As we live out our daily lives, each must choose whom they
will serve. I seek to maintain a close fellowship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ, and to serve Him as He directs. My desire is to be in the center of His
will at all times. It is my prayer that Words of Encouragement will encourage
and exhort all of us towards a closer relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ
through increased knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. May it provide the help
and hope you seek. May it strengthen the Church of believers."
As the summer winds down, let us
cherish the beauty of flowers and green lawns, birds singing, and all the
richness of this special growing time. Enjoy gatherings with your friends,
storing up lots of memories. Rejoice and give thanks for this
special time before life ramps back up as we get ready for school, harvest, and
winter. Let us savor each moment.
Praise God for all His blessings!
He hasn't given up on us yet. There is still time to come under His
authority and obey Him. Submit yourself to Him, and He will cleanse you.
He will direct you in all your ways. He will fellowship with you and
restore you to Himself. Seek Him while He may be found, and reconcile with
Him.
If you feel like you are on the
outside looking in, draw near for the Lord God is waiting for you! If you
seek Him, He will be found! Do not delay. You will be welcomed and
loved. Find the acceptance you seek and the forgiveness your soul craves.
It's time to come back...
Begin Words
of Encouragement by clicking to continue for the first
article... or just scroll down to In This Issue.
Enjoy!
Linda
"Herein is love, not
that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation
for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one
another." 1 John 4:10-11
"Wherefore laying aside all
malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil
speakings,
As newborn babes, desire the
sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
If so be ye have tasted that
the Lord is gracious.
To whom coming, as unto a
living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and
precious,
Ye also, as lively stones,
are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Wherefore also it is
contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone,
elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be
confounded.
Unto you therefore which
believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone
which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the
corner,
And a stone of stumbling, and
a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being
disobedient; whereunto also they were appointed.
But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are
now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained
mercy."
1 Peter
2:1-10
Far out?
Come Closer!
"And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that
were nigh." Ephesians 2:17
Have you ever noticed that people who are hurting stand apart from everyone
else. They are hesitant to draw near, fearful of rejection. People
who have been in sin are on the outskirts, fearful they will be cast aside,
forever branded with the stain of their sin. Being on the outside looking
in is a terrible place to be.
I love the accounts in the Bible of people who were on the outside looking in
being invited inside...
You may remember the story of Zacchaeus, the dishonest tax collector. He
was a small man who climbed up into a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus.
To his surprise, Jesus invited him to come down from his perch to show the way
to his home so Jesus could spend time with Him. This simple act brought
Zacchaeus to conviction of his sin and led to repentance and reconciliation, not
only with God but with the people he cheated. (Luke 19:1-10)
Then there was Rahab, a Gentile prostitute, under the threat of death by the
Israelites who were going to destroy the city of Jericho. An encounter
with the Israelite spies brought her into God's family. For she was in
Jesus' family tree. (Joshua 2)
There was Saul, a persecutor of Christians who was known for his status among
Jews. For all his education and position and power, he too was on the
outside. He had no place in God's Kingdom until he met Jesus on the road
to Damascus. Jesus brought a change of heart and mind and name for Saul
who was called Paul. (Acts 9)
There were the children who wanted a touch from Jesus, but the disciples were
shooing them away. Jesus rebuked them and invited the children closer.
(Matthew 19:14)
Jesus drew the lame, the blind, the poor to Himself. Society's outcasts
found a safe haven in Jesus.
If you are on the outside looking in, realize that you too can have a haven in
Jesus. When you trust Him as your Savior and Lord, you will receive a
place in His Kingdom and a place of fellowship and relationship with Him.
You will no longer be on the outside looking in. You are accepted,
forgiven, and loved.
Jesus calls everyone to call upon His name and be saved.
"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord
shall be saved." Acts 2:21
Believers can take comfort in Jesus. He always receives us. He hears
our prayers and answers in accordance with His will. We praise God for His
love and faithfulness to us! Thank Him today for all the many ways He
intercedes on your behalf. If you are feeling outside, draw near to God
through prayer and song. Confess your sin so you can be free from that
awful bondage of guilt and shame. Sing! Singing provides an
immediate boost to your morale.
"Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners for to hear Him.
And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, this man receiveth sinners, and
eateth with them." Luke 15:1-2
MUSINGS... Isaiah 12
"And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee though thou wast
angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord
Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his
doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in
all the earth.
Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of
Israel in the midst of thee."
"Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our
bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:22
The Perfect
Bible
A friend gave me a copy of The Perfect Bible by
Paul D. Lapides. Looking it over
I realized it was the perfect Bible for those who have issues with the Bible,
the Word of God. Why was it so perfect? It was blank. That's
right, blank.
I started thinking about the impact of a blank Bible on the world today.
Many people would enjoy it! Some would be scandalized by it. Others
would toss it aside as irrelevant.
People who have already rejected Christ will be glad to write their own Bible or
standard by which they live. Some already have. I know someone
who cuts out the parts that offend. Others simply ignore what they wish,
choosing instead
to disobey God's laws and commands. Many of us do leave out some parts of
the Bible, choosing to simply skim over the boring parts or the parts that cause
conflict.
If you think about it, the perfect Bible is one that is blank. What an
amazing opportunity to include all the ideas and values that are important to
you! More exciting is the idea of leaving out the things that dismay you
about the real Bible. With the perfect Bible, it would be impossible to be
imperfect! After all, you have the opportunity to write it to suit
yourself.
Sadly while this seems to be true, The Perfect Bible is not
perfect. Who knows us better than our Creator? He knows what we need
and how to protect us from ourselves and our foolishness. We only think we
know what is best. Isn't it astounding that mankind would dare to disagree
with God? Who are we to disagree with the Lord God Jehovah?
The Perfect Bible did prove to be a wonderful witnessing
tool. I handed it to an acquaintance who was politely interested.
After reading the cover info, my acquaintance then was ready to hand it back,
unopened. I suggested opening it. Laughter followed. It was a
good joke. I explained that the problem with most people is that the real
Bible offends them. They find it too difficult to obey, antiquated and
difficult to understand, and obnoxious in that it is so intolerant. Many
who call themselves Christians really only possess intellectual assent in their
belief in God. They prove their disbelief by their disobedience.
There are some who think acceptance of Jesus without obedience to His laws and
commands is acceptable to God. Even the devil believes in God, but he
isn't going to have eternal life in Heaven with the Savior. Nor will he be
saved from God's wrath.
God wrote a perfect Bible. It is His love letter to us as some pastors
say. I love that concept. He had humans write down what He wanted us
to know through the power of the Holy Spirit. We have the opportunity (one
afforded to anyone who will read the Bible) to learn who He is, who we are in
Him, and why we need Him. Plus as a bonus we get the history of the Jewish
people as an example to us. Thrown in for good measure is the history of
the creation. Wow! This is a great thing!
"Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth." Psalm
119: 151
A Woman of Grace
"A gracious woman retaineth honor..." Proverbs 11:16a
Do you read Proverbs 31 with gritted teeth? Does being a godly woman seem
impossible? Sometimes it seems that becoming a woman of grace, you know
that effortless inner beauty and outward charm that sets apart the godly woman,
is unattainable. I'm still working on it too, but I've learned that with a
few simple changes, you can begin your journey toward godly womanhood.
Change #1 Watch Your Words
A godly woman is discreet, careful of her words, exercising discernment and good
judgment. The godly woman speaks words of wisdom (Prov. 31:26).
Those words of wisdom often are words of exhortation and encouragement couched
in kindness and gentleness. Let your mouth be filled with praises to our
Lord.
The best way we can control what we say is by asking for our Lord's help.
I had a teacher say that counting to ten before you speak will buy you time to
think.
Purpose in your heart to control your thoughts
so they don't pop out your mouth.
We want our words to be words that
edify, not words that tear down. Words are responsible for many wounded
spirits. If you change what you say and how you say it, you will be less
likely to say the wrong words. I love to pray Psalm 141:3: "Set a watch, O Lord,
before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." Here are some more verses
that will help:
"Let the words of my mouth, and the mediation of my heart, be acceptable in
thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14
"I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I
will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked in before me. I was
dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good;..." Psalm 39:1-2a
Too many words will weary your listener and may result in sin. Idle words
waste time and energy. Let your words be words of necessity.
Remember this verse in Matthew 12:36-37:
"But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall
give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt
be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
Choose your words and choose when to use words. I'm learning that
sometimes it is better to be silent and listen.
Change #2 Cultivate Honesty
Speak the truth, teach the truth, and live the truth.
A godly woman has integrity; she is honest in all her ways. A woman of
integrity practices a moral code founded upon the teachings of the Bible.
Her code begins with an attitude of fearing the Lord. This is not a fear
of hysterical terror, but a deep seated respect for a holy and righteous God who
has power and control over every aspect of our lives. We owe Him all honor
and glory for all He has done for us. Let us remember that He knows our
heart's motive for all we do. He hears our words and sees our actions.
There is nothing hid from Him.
Building trust with others is so important. Don't be guilty of telling
lies, half-truths, or adding to a story with falsehoods. Telling lies
destroys your witness for Jesus and your credibility with others. Don't
accuse. Don't allow suspicions to cloud your thinking. If you make a
mistake, own it and apologize.
Keep the commandment that says "...Thou shalt not steal" (Romans 13:9).
Be blameless so that no one may accuse you as it says in 2 Peter 3:14, "...be
diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."
Be willing to live honestly (Hebrews 13:18b) before others and even when no one
is watching. Having a clear conscience helps you to sleep at night!
Change #3 Be Faithful
Dependability is so rare these days. People think nothing of making a
commitment and breaking it when something better comes along. Faithfulness
is a necessity. When you commit to a task, people depend on you to
accomplish it. That means showing up for work when you are scheduled to
work or meeting volunteer commitments.
Keep your word. If you find that you cannot perform your oath, go to the one
you made a promise and ask to be excused. Be careful what you promise. It
is better not to make promises says James 5:12: "But above all things,
my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any
other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into
condemnation."
In the Bible Paul reminds us in 2 Thessalonians 3:13: "But ye,
brethren, be not weary in well-doing." Don't be guilty of expecting
others to do for you what you can do for yourself. Also be quick to help
those in need. Be faithful to do all God has called you to do, even if it
means a sacrifice on your part.
Let us emulate the faithfulness of Jesus. He is ever faithful in all His
ways and dealings with us.
# Love Others
Loving others is not easy. We all have our quirks that cause irritation
and frustration. It's easy to give in to our frustrations with others and
vent our feelings loudly. Or maybe you handle your irritations with
silence. Either way, reconciliation becomes very difficult. Someone
must humble herself to seek forgiveness and foster a reconciliation and
restoration of fellowship. When the same irritation happens over and over
again, we must work even harder on forgiving!
Avoid the temptation to just give up on someone who is constantly making
mistakes.
Let us remember that God forgives our sin, no matter how many times we come to
Him seeking His forgiveness. Can we do no less for others? 1
Corinthians 13 is called the "love" chapter. Paul writes about what love
does in verses 4-7:
"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth
not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her
own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but
rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all
things, endureth all things."
Love gives people another chance. Love overlooks mistakes and faults.
Love forgives even when you know it will happen again and again. Love
restores even when you want to push away. Love embraces rather than
withdraws. Love confronts and exhorts and sacrifices. Love never
fails.
Becoming a gracious woman crowned with dignity and inner beauty is a lifelong
process of change that only our Lord can bring about. Our task is to be
cooperative, allowing Him to change us as He deems necessary. Trust Him
for the process and the beautiful outcome, for He alone will receive the honor
and glory for His beautiful creation: YOU!
"But
it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord
God, that I may declare all thy works." Psalm 73: 28
GRANDMOTHER'S
SCRAPBOOK
"Inspired by great-grandmother's scrapbook, compiled before
1918."
The Home Lights
by Fay Inchfawn, 1920
"In my father's house!" The words
Bring sweet cadence to my ears.
Wandering thoughts, like homing birds,
Fly all swiftly down the years,
To that wide casement, where I always see
Bright love-lamps leaning out to welcome
me.
Sweet it was, how sweet to go
To the worn, familiar door.
No need to stand a while, and wait,
Outside the well-remembered gate;
No need to knock;
The easy lock
Turned almost of itself, and so
My spirit was "at home" once more.
And then, within, how good to find
The same cool atmosphere of peace,
Where I, a tired child, might cease
To grieve, or dread,
Or toil for bread.
I could forget
The dreary fret.
The strivings after hopes too high,
I let them every one go by.
The ills of life, the blows unkind,
These fearsome things were left behind.
ENVOY.
O trembling soul of mine,
See how God's mercies shine!
When thou shalt rise,
And, stripped of earth, shall stand
Within an Unknown Land;
Alone, where no familiar thing
May bring familiar comforting;
Look up! 'Tis but thy Father's
House! And, see
His love-lamps leaning out to welcome
thee!
"Salvation
is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes." Psalm 119:
155
HOME SCHOOL TIPS
HELP! I DON'T UNDERSTAND MATH AND
SCIENCE!
There are those times in every homeschooler's life when a
subject comes up that you are unable to teach. For me it was the meter of
poetry. I have no sense of rhythm and never learned about poetry when I
was in school. The best we got was a variety of classic poems to read and
interpret. When my kids were studying poetry, we muddled our way through.
If I had been thinking, we could have checked with friends who might have had
the knowledge base that we needed. Then our study of poetry would have
been more enjoyable and informative.
Here's the rule: Whenever you find your comprehension
challenged, seek assistance.
You do not have to struggle. Many support groups offer
assistance for struggling parents. Parents can trade off teaching skills.
By pooling your resources, you can inexpensively boost the subjects you can
offer to your students. For example, some may be skilled in music or art
and be willing to teach a class for a semester. Parents would purchase
curriculum and trade teaching expertise in another subject.
In some states homeschoolers form co-op schools where a
knowledgeable parent or retired teacher may come in and teach students in
specific subjects during regularly scheduled class times. Parents pay the
teacher per semester.
Consider using high school and college students who are willing
to tutor your struggling student for much needed pocket money. Check with
the local community college or high school principle for recommendations.
You can also bolster your own skills and knowledge base by
taking evening classes at the local community college in a variety of subjects.
Find more resources by scrolling down...
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Record keeping couldn't be easier or quicker!
"Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for
it is pleasant; and praise is comely. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: He
gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart,
and bindeth up their wounds." Psalm 147:1-3
THOUGHT PROVOKERS
Who is Our Neighbor? by Bishop G. F. Seymour
The difficulty as to who is our neighbor is
met and overcome by the parable of the "Good Samaritan" which our Saviour
related in answer to the question, Who is my neighbor? Our neighbor, He
shows us, is every one who is brought within the range of our influence, and to
whom it is within our power to do good. But, recognizing this fact,
recognizing our neighbor, how can we love him as ourselves? He is often
uncongenial to us in our homes, our rival in our business, our competitor in
politics; he seems to us to be cross and petulant, as a child; or unfair or
ungenerous, as a companion; or mean and dishonorable, as a man or woman; at best
he is very unsatisfactory. How can we love him? How "love him as
ourselves?" And yet again the law confronts us and is inexorable; we must
love our neighbor as ourselves in order to win the favor of God and find
ourselves happy children in our eternal home.
Seymour, G. F. (1896). Who is our Neighbor? [Electronic Version].
In Good Housekeeping, Volume 23, (p.265). Hearst Corporation.
Retrieved July 29, 2010 from:
"Take counsel, execute judgement; make thy shadow as the night in the
midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.
Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face
of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the
oppressors are consumed out of the land." Isaiah 16:3-4
RECIPE CORNER
"And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." I Timothy
6:6
MENU
Click on the links below to go to a recipe or
the tip of the month or scroll down.
"Hear, and
understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that
which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." Matthew
15:10-11
Preheat oven to 375 degree.
Melt butter in a 9x12 inch casserole dish. In a large bowl, combine
all other ingredients, reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon bits. Pour into
baking dish with melted butter. Bake for one hour. During last
ten minutes of cooking time, top with remaining bacon bits.
Put apricots, coconut, and pecans through food grinder. Mix with Eagle
Brand milk. Scoop out small portions and roll in small balls.
Roll balls in powdered sugar.
"And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and
breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and
singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people.
And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Acts
2:46-47
TIP OF THE MONTH
-
Carpets
When
moving heavy furniture, slip a towel or throw rug underneath the feet so it can
be easily dragged.
After
carpet shampooing, let carpet dry thoroughly before replacing furniture.
Place furniture legs in coasters to prevent deep indentations.
To remove pet
odors, use a natural enzyme product. Check for carpet color fastness
before using product.
Before
removing stains, check your carpet warranty. Stain removal using some
products could void your warranty. You may be required to use a
professional cleaning service.
Letter from the Editor...
IN THIS ISSUE
The
Believer's
Mission...
MUSINGS... Isaiah 12
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT .gif){kind=small}
HOME SCHOOL TIPS
THOUGHT PROVOKERS
