Dressing The House to Celebrate

December 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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I was spending time “Dressing the house” and putting finishing touches to my Christmas tree to celebrate the season, when I took a moment to sit down with my Scottie and Westie, to reflect and be inspired as I read Jack Hayford’s Christmas Devotional where he  writes:-

“Be assured this is righteous.

I mean it! Decoration of the house at Christmas is neither a surrender to pagan traditions nor a capitulation to commercialism.

Listen….
If God commissioned angels to roll back the night and fill it with blazing light
If God provided a mighty celestial choir to serenade a few startled shepherds,
If God graced the heavens with a miracle star,
If God arranged such a memorable entry point as a feeding trough in a stable,
If God went to all this trouble to open our eyes to His entry into our world
Then we needn’t apologize for festooning our home with a few seasonal reminders!
Since the light of the world has come, lights strung across the roof only shout it from the housetop. Candles and candelabra, stars and starlight, gifts and giving, songs and sonnets, light and lightheartedness, angel cookies and wise men or ornaments – all are consistent with what transpired on our little planet two thousand years ago.
That we celebrate the memory with attention and care, the wonder-filled and wonder-full is entirely appropriate”.

CHALLENGE: As we prepare our hearts for His Advent let us also prepare our homes as a window to display the celebration and joy of the season for family, friends and neighbors as they visit our homes.

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Offering the Lord a Table of Thanksgiving 

November 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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As we prepare our tables this week for a thanksgiving meal let us prepare a table of thanks to offer the Lord.

As we prepare a table of fresh delicious food let us prepare a feast of fresh grateful thanks to the Lord for what He has accomplished in our lives during this past year.

As we place a freshly ironed tablecloth with no wrinkles over our banquet table let us place a garment of forgiveness over the creases of conflicts and hurts over our hearts thanking Him for the grace to forgive.

As we place items of tradition connecting generations and past years or use recipes handed down from past generations to keep precious memories alive, let us keep the sacrifice of Calvary precious and alive in our hearts as we set that table of thanksgiving.

As we bow our hearts in unity to pray at our tables let us give thanks not only for the food provided for our bodies but families and friends provided for our emotional beings and the heavenly manna provided for our spirits.

Since we are only made happy by what we appreciate a feast of grateful thanks will make this thanksgiving a feast of joy unspeakable!

Wrapped in the warmth of family and friends, the security of His unconditional love and enjoying His abundant provision, may you all have a wonderful THANKSGIVING.

I often prepare my table of thanksgiving by using photos of thanksgiving as my center piece.

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Psalm 103;1-5 Bless the Lord, O my soul:and all that is within me, bless his holy name Bless the Lord, O my soul,and forget not all his benefits: 

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;

Who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction

Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

CHALLENGE: If you don’t have any Thanksgiving Traditions start one this week to hand down through the years. It is these precious traditions that rekindle warm memories and bind families and even generations together. 

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How Does the Potter Mold Us?

November 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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In my book “Developing a Secret History with God” I have a chapter entitled “Changed from Glory to Glory” and I believe this photo depicts the truth from the chapter so well that I had to share it with you since it is said that a picture speaks a thousand words.

Page 182 reads “How does the Potter mold us to that image? He molds us through His Word during our time alone with Him. The WORD is the Potter’s wheel. We must allow it to mold and transform us. If we are not IN the WORD we are not on the wheel. Do we yield that it might transform us or do we jump off the wheel without it making a molding impact on our hearts? By listening we have visited the Potter’s shed! But only as we act upon that which we have heard, have we been on the wheel! Only when our actions change have we been molded.”

Jeremiah 18:2-4 Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter:so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Watch my latest video “Changed from Glory to Glory”  http://margaretmearnsbass.com/changed-from-glory-to-glory-2/ which teaches more on this topic.

CHALLENGE: Make a commitment to spend time on the Potter’s Wheel this week.

May my book DEVELOPING A SECRET HISTORY WITH GOD encourage and inspire as you daily visit the Potter’s Shed. Purchase a signed copy from me via my website contact. Available also on Ebook and Kindle from Amazon/Barnes/or a bookstore near you

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Basking in The Presence of His Peace

November 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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Dear Child,

Peace, peace, my peace I give you even in the storms, sense my presence through my peace. Be still and know that I am God. In the stillness of the moment basking in my presence that you might be refreshed and encouraged. Allow my presence, peace and encouragement to sweep over you!

Don’t faint weary pilgrim, allow me to be your God, the glory and lifter of your head. Don’t be afraid of stillness, in that stillness you are in my presence and tasting a little of eternity for you are stopping time for a moment.

                                        Thus saith Papa

Psa. 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

During this time of uncertainty and unrest in our world we must not allow the enemy to rob us of our peace of mind. For he comes to steal and destroy and rob us of our freedom and the Word tells us “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36

Serenity is not necessarily freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation:but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

It is said that the eye of the storm is always the safest place to be. Storms may arise within us and around us but in the center lies a calm. We find that center by pressing into His presence wherein lies that peace that passes understanding.

Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned;neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

CHALLENGE: In these uncertain times we can no longer afford NOT to  invest more time than ever before in stillness before God basking in His presence and peace.

May my book DEVELOPING A SECRET HISTORY WITH GOD encourage and inspire you to press into His presence.  Available also on Ebook and Kindle from Amazon/Barnes/or a bookstore near you

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He is Weaving the Tapestry of My Life

November 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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A mission statement is the thread that runs through the fabric of my life, holding it together, even when the design i.e. the role changes, so the fabric of my life will not unravel.

    A vision, goal or role is not the mission, they only add pattern and color, as our lives take many turns. Thread gives fabric strength. Even if the thread color may fade or even change color its strength is still there.

    God is the Great Seamstress with expert hands weaving with the thread the canvas of my life. When I was born the canvas began, and the Great Seamstress sewed my simple steps, but as I grew up the pattern became more elaborate, and often with the intricate pattern the thread slips out of the needle, but with His help, I can pick up the needle again i.e. the motivation and discipline to rethread it, and place it back in His loving expert hands. Even if some of the pattern and fabric have unraveled He is able to restore it.

    Often the thread becomes knotted with trials, and it is more difficult as the Great Seamstress faithfully pulls the thread through the fabric. I may not understand the picture He is weaving until I see it from the other side. Only He knows the way to sew the most beautiful and fruitful tapestry of my life.

© MJBass 1998 

Although there is a universal mission to the church in Matthew 16:15 there is also a unique mission for each life that only you can fulfill.

We see in the life of the Lord Jesus:

That His mission was planned from the foundation of the world:

 The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8

Likewise in our lives:

Our mission was planned from the foundation of the world:

Ephesians1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 2:8 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

We read His unique mission in: 1John 3:8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

We are all given unique talents to define our unique mission:

Matthew 25:14-28 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability….

We see Him determine to fulfill that mission regardless of what lay ahead in: Luke 9:51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem

No matter what others may be doing we are to be determined to fulfill our mission regardless of what may lie ahead:

John 21:22 Peter seeing John saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 

CHALLENGE:- DO YOU HAVE A MISSION STATEMENT?

                             WHAT IS YOUR PASSION?

                             WHAT  MAKES YOU FEEL MOST ALIVE?

                             WHAT GIFT HAS GOD INVESTED IN YOU? 

                             WHAT IS REALLY SPECIAL OR UNIQUE ABOUT YOU?

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