Autumn - Showing Our True Colors

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. Psalms 134:2

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has over 9 million visitors each year. I think all 9 million of us must have chosen this weekend to visit. This was one of the peak weekends for leaves. The views were amazing and no picture can ever capture the feeling of actually being there. The sound of the last cicada trying to whir, the crickets in the leafy sides, the caw of the crows, all added to the peace and drama of the real scene. Yes, there were oodles of people, but for the most part, quiet people releasing the things of this world and absorbing the beauty of God's creation. 

In autumn the true beauty of a leaf shines forth. All the green of spring and summer cover up the real color of a leaf as it tries to create the food necessary to maintain the life of the tree. Green is the color of chlorophyll. As a leaf finishes its job, the chlorophyll no longer controls the leaf and the true color is the beauty we see in fall. 

I got to thinking, people are a lot like leaves. We put on a front while we date or at our jobs or wherever we think it will benefit our lifestyles, but our true colors will eventually shine through. Most of the pictures were taken as we caught our breath on our way up Clingman's Dome. As we rested again at the base of the tower, a young father came up and addressed my husband who was wearing a Christian t-shirt. The father said, " I like your shirt. You must know the Lord." My husband and I affirmed his assumption. "We are to lift His name on high. We're high!" the father said as we shook hands and began our assent up the tower. 

We often feel alone in our walk with the Lord, but when, like the leaves, we let our true colors show, we find there are lots of others around us who want to join us in lifting the name of the Lord on high. The cool autumn air, the quiet of the forest, and the meeting of a brother and his family, felt really good after a long hard week of work. 

Friday night as we sat out on our balcony, a falling star graced the sky. 

Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints! 

Revelations 15:3b NKJV

May you find rest in His marvelous works this week. 

Gail

Hey Kids!

Here's a great site with a leaf experiment so you can see how leaves change colors.

Let us know what kind of leaves you used and how your experiment turned out. We'd love to see pictures too!

http://www.howweelearn.com/science-experiments-for-kids/

Apple Butter and the Church

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Acts 2:41

The apples are in, here in the Carolinas, so apple butter is in the making. It's really quite simple when you have the right tools. I use a crank apple peeler. I can crank out a 1/2 bushel of apples in about an hour. Try hand peeling that many and see how long it takes. And I have a large turkey roaster that holds my apples. It will cook a 1/2 bushel of apples into apple butter while I sleep. The next day, all I need to do is put it in the jars. The apple peeler will take out the core, peel the apple and slice it into rings all at the same time. I use a large variety of apples so the mixture brings out the best apple flavors. Winesaps and Cameos are my favorites. I also added Mutsu, Golden Delicious, Fuji, and maybe a Gala or two. Add a little apple pie spice and sugar, a few splashes of apple cider and the apples have a new purpose, the makings of great homemade apple butter.

I was thinking about how we tell the kids about the salvation transformation with pumpkins, taking out the yucky stuff and putting the light inside to shine through the smiling face. That put me to thinking about apple butter and the church. Apples have a core with the seeds. The seeds contain a cyanide compound. It won't hurt us to eat the seeds. A person would have to eat a tremendous amount to cause harm but our mothers told us apple seeds were poison. We take out the core before we make apple butter.

We have a core that has to be removed before we can become a Christian. That core will kill us if left inside. You know I'm talking about our sinful heart. We have to allow Jesus to cleanse us of our sins if we want to be saved. That's the first step in becoming part of a church. Just as a rotten apple would spoil the whole batch so an unsaved person will spoil the witness of the whole church.

The appearance of an apple has to change before it becomes apple butter. The peel has to be removed. To leave it on would add a tough consistency to the butter.  It has to become soft, sweetened and spiced to have the right smell and taste. It needs to be cooked on low for several hours to get the tenderness and consistency needed to create great butter.

What do you think we might need to be a great church? With salvation our tough exterior will come off. We become the tender-hearted, loving person that desires to be like Jesus. We become part of a church where we can become that sweet odor of God to the world. Our lives are spiced with the truth of God's word. We are warmed to the things of God. We mix with others who may be of other races and cultures to create a wonderful mix that is able to reach out to a lost world, telling them, once, we too were lost but now we're saved. Once, we too were tough guys who didn't need help. Once, our attitudes stunk, but with Jesus we have a new life and a new attitude and a new purpose.

Apple butter is the best a mix of apples can be. Just put it on a little homemade bread and see how delectable it is. Apple butter on a foundation of homemade bread, that's another analogy in the making. Got it? The church on our foundation, Jesus Christ the Bread of Life.

Be the church sitting strong on our Foundation, Jesus Christ, to a lost world who is searching for truth and purpose.

Blessings.

Gail

Hey Kids

Apple butter can be as easy as pie. If mom has an apple peeler ask if you can help crank. 

Wash and peel about 12 apples.

If you don't have an apple peeler, have an adult peel the apples. 

Slice the apples into small pieces with a plastic picnic knife. 

Place the apples in a crock pot.

Add about 1 cup of apple cider, juice or water.

Add 2 cups of sugar (optional)

Stir in 2 1/2 tsp of apple pie spice.

Place the lid on the crock pot and turn on low overnight. Stir once in awhile, especially in the morning until the apples have cooked down to the consistency you desire.

Sterilize 4-6 jelly glasses (1/2 pint jars)

Spoon apple butter into glasses.

Bring to a boil in a water bath and boil 5 minutes.

If you don't have a water bath, place several table knives in the bottom of a large pot. Place the jars on top of the knives so they don't touch the bottom of the pot. Cover with water and boil the same way as with a water bath. 

S.O.A.P. Wash Me and I Shall Be Whiter Than Snow

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

Last week was Promotion Sunday at our little church, so today was the first day of the new classes. I wanted to make sure everyone knew how to use S.O.A.P. so I reviewed and introduced it to the class today. We used John 12:1-11. Though I have shown this method before, I thought you might be interested in a refresher on how to use S.O.A.P. as well. You might want to buy or make a journal to record your daily readings.

S. Scripture - Prayerfully read a chapter and allow God to impress one or two verses on your heart. Copy that scripture as the heading of today's reading.

O. Observation -  In your own words, what are your observations about the context of the verse? 

A. Application - How has God impressed upon you to apply these verses in today's world? 

P. Prayer - Write your prayer about applying this scripture in your life.

The verse we took from John 12: 1-11 was verse 9. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 

Our observation was that people came to see Lazarus because he knew what it was like to be dead and then come back to life. They probably had questions like; "Did you go toward a light? Was it scary? Did you hover around and watch people as they mourned for you? Did you go to paradise or heaven?" One of the biggest take aways we had was that Lazarus was a man just like the people and they wanted to see someone whose life God had resurrected from death to a new life.

Our application became our Christian walk. We say we are Christians and people watch us every day to see how God has changed us, how He has delivered us from a lost/dead state to a new/resurrected life in Christ. Usually folks don't really come to church looking for God. They come because someone invited them. People want to see how God can change us in such a way that we are new people/creatures in Christ. They've never known what it is like to have their lives completely changed. They are curious to see how it works. 

Our prayer was of course personal and individual but here's my thoughts.

Father, help me demonstrate my life in Christ every day that others might see the wonderful change Jesus makes in my life because I have asked for forgiveness and salvation. May others be so affected by the change that it would cause them to turn to Jesus as well. In Christ name. Amen

Where will you be using SOAP this week? Won't  you share the insights God has given you?

Blessings,

Gail 

Hey Kids:

Paul wrote these words to young Timothy. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 

II Timothy 3:15.

You can use S.O.A.P. You may want to do your own study or find out where your parents will be studying each day. God may reveal something different to you that you can share at family alter. God has something for each of us no matter how old or how young. We'd love for you to share with us, but most importantly, share with your family and demonstrate Christ to others.  

It's Too Late to Build a Boat Now - Or Is It?

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. II Peter 3: 9,10

We are feeling the results of Joaquin here in the Upstate of SC. Our talking about the weather always begins, "Have you built your boat yet?" It's not just wet yards and flooded sidewalks. Creeks and rivers are out of their banks. Roads are closed and the deluge continues. But one day next week there will be sunshine and rainbows. I know this because God's promise when He sent the rainbow, was to never flood the earth again. He didn't say He wouldn't destroy the earth again, just that next time it wouldn't be water. 

Noah didn't build an ark in a few weeks or months. It probably took over a hundred years. During that time he was warning the people of the destruction to come. His great grandfather, Enoch even prophesied the flood when he named his son Methuselah. One of the meanings of Methuselah is that "when he is gone judgement will come." Methuselah died the year of the flood. Methuselah's son was Lamech and Lamech named Noah, whose name means "rest". The earth did have rest from wickedness when the flood came, but until that time a family spent hundreds of years trying to warn people to turn from their wickedness and seek God. God was not being slack by asking that family to preach hundreds of years. He was being longsuffering, merciful, not will that any should perish. We don't know if anyone listened during those hundreds of years, but we do know when Noah and his family entered the ark, all that were to be saved were inside.

God is not being slack now. I'm thinking we may be the ones who are slack. We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. Who are our neighbors? We are commanded to love one another. Are we in fellowship with the Christians around us? We are commanded to love our enemies. How's that work? Though we speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, we are nothing. Charity - love in action. How are our actions demonstrating love? God is not slack concerning His promises. When He comes He will destroy the earth with fire. We have no idea how long that will be. So even if it takes hundreds of years, will He find us working, loving, warning the lost of the day of destruction? 

Even as Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah worked hundreds of years preaching the coming destruction, so must we be diligent in telling others that destruction is coming and there is only one way out. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Him. 

Blessings on your work in Christ this week, 

Gail

Hey Kids,

Do you know what your name means? Have your parents told you why they chose your special name? Who are the people in your family who have sought to serve the Lord? How did they accomplish that service? You might want to do a little family history research this week. You may be surprised at the wonderful things you discover. Please feel welcome to share your discoveries with us.