My Father's World: Deception -By Their Fruits You Will Know

My Father's World: Deception -By Their Fruits You Will Know: Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one who saith to me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he ...

Deception -By Their Fruits You Will Know

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one who saith to me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Farther which is in heaven.  

Matthew 7:20,21

The kids and I were so excited when we found round squishy eggs in the dirt of our potato patch. They were about the size of a quarter. From all accounts, they looked like land turtle eggs. We kept a watch all summer. We waited for a full moon. We reasoned that sea turtles hatch on the full moon surely land turtles did the same. We searched the internet for more information.

Nothing seemed to be hatching. After school started I decided to take a few to class to put in the terrarium just to peak some interest. I placed some soil in a plastic carton, then nestled in the eggs that were left. Odd some of the eggs that were deep in the soil were gone. I added water to make sure they were hydrated in case some turtles were still incubating and placed them in the floor board of the car. I didn’t want to forget them the next morning.

Ah, the next morning a little nose was poking through a shell. I was thrilled. I placed the eggs still in their carton on the soil in the terrarium and called the children to come and see. We invited the other class to view the hatching of our turtle egg. As the day passed the turtle pulled its nose further back into the shell. I figured he had had enough of school for the day.

Next morning, I anxiously arrived at school, hoping the turtle had made its entrance into the world. Two other eggs were hatching! To my surprise my turtle had hatched without a shell and it had a really long tail! I didn’t have turtles! I had corn snakes! I didn’t need snakes of any description in a class of small children. Call the principal, now! Thankfully he disposed of them for me.

I thought, wasn’t that a deception? For months I treated the eggs as if they were turtles.  My eggs looked good on the outside but on the inside, well you know – snakes! Jesus knew that all along. He made the turtles and the snakes. He also knows about people. He told the Pharisees they were like painted sepulchers. They looked good on the outside but on the inside they were full of dead men’s bones. Jesus knows us too. We live in a day of deception. It may be hard for you and me to tell if someone is really a Christian or just putting on a good front, but Jesus knows. He tells us to look at the fruit. If a person is truly a Christian they will act like a Christian. Don’t be deceived by those who tell you it is wrong to judge. Be a fruit inspector. You may help someone become a true Christian.

What experiences have you had with “fruit inspection”? We would love to have your comments.

Blessing

Hey Kids:

Many things, if not most things, are identified by their fruit.

Even an egg is the fruit of the animal that laid it. 

We can usually identify the animal or plant by the fruit.

Different size and color of eggs help us identify the animal, usually. Don't forget I learned a lesson!

Plants can be identified by their fruit or sometimes more easily by their flowers.

Seeds are part of the fruit of plants and help us identify the plant.

Talk a walk in the yard, or garden, or forest. 

How many "fruits" can you find? How are they unique? In what ways do they help you identify the parent plant or animal? 

Remember, you bear fruit as well. Are you displaying the fruits of the Spirit? Galatians 5:22,23 

Have fun!

Study - Learning Will Take You Places

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15

 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:19,20.

Our school's theme this year is "Learning Will Take You Places". Teachers made Flat Stanley to take with us this summer on vacation and other interesting places. My grandchildren helped me make Flat Stanley and his friend Flat Sally and Go Dog (We made up the extra characters). Friday we took a day trip to several of the places near our home, Campbell's Covered Bridge (the last in SC, I think), Pleasant Ridge Park and Poinsett Bridge. Kady had checked out books at the library to find interesting places to visit. She was reading to her younger brother while we traveled between places. Having already learned some facts about the places they were visiting made the visit and the place more meaningful.

 (Salamander at Campbell's Covered Bridge)

 Monument to Poinsett Bridge and its Greenville architect, Joel Poinsett. 

Poinsett Bridge was constructed to span the river on the original Hwy 25 from Greenville, SC to Asheville, NC. The wagon road is now a dirt trail.

Jesus commanded us to study and to go into all the world and preach the gospel, baptize the believers and teach them how to live like Christians. How will we know how to preach and teach if we ourselves are not well studied? Scripture tells us so many interesting and important things. It gives us reasons for Christian living. It is our guide. Prayer and the Word is our conversation with the Master Teacher.  When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman, she was in walking distance, yet she was not the typical person for Jews to converse with, to say the least. Jesus knew she was a Samaritan. He knew her culture. He new everything about her. We can't know everything about everyone. We are not God, but through study both of the Word and cultures we can learn how best to approach others with the gospel. Paul knew about Roman culture when he preached on Mars Hill about the unknown god. 

 Where can you begin? Imagine where God can take you if you are trying to follow His commands.

We'd love to hear what you are discovering that will be beneficial in sharing with others, both the lost and saved. Be sure to leave a comment in the section below.

Blessings, 

Gail

Hey Kids: 

Making a Flat Stanley and traveling with him can be lots of fun, but what if you mailed him to places you can't yet go. That, I think was the original purpose of "flat".

What if you placed your Flat Stanley in an envelope with a stamped, self-addressed envelope and mailed him to a missionary sponsored by your church? 

Don't forget to include a letter telling the missionary you'd like to learn more about their work and the culture and language of the people. 

Hopefully, your missionary will send you information and maybe a picture. 

In the meantime, be sure to pray for the missionary and his family. Research the country and culture to get a better understanding of the place and people. 

Who knows how God will one day use your study to influence others.

Thrilled With the Water

Thursday, we took the grands picnicking in the Pisgah National Park. The Davidson River, like all our mountain rivers, is "take your breath away cold." Our youngest, Molly, was thrilled to get her hands and feet in the cold river. She was going to reach and splash as long as Papa would hold her.

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22:1

Jesus, The Water of Life, wants us to reach out and splash in His wonderful, refreshing love. He wants us to be thrilled with all He has to offer. Just as Molly wouldn't have been able to maintain herself in the cold swift currents, neither can we maintain ourselves in the currents of life. But we have a Papa, a Father, who will hold us and keep us, allowing us to be thrilled with His Son and the refreshing life only Jesus can give us. 

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.Revelation 22:17

Are you thirsty? Can you hear Jesus calling you? If you have never come to Jesus, repenting of your sins, today could be the best day of the rest of your life. He will give you The Water of Life freely and hold you forever. Trust Him.

Won't you leave a comment about your relationship with Jesus, the Water of LIfe?

Hey Kids:
Have you been in the creeks this summer?
They are teaming with life!
In the water, under the rocks, along the edges of the banks and in sandbars, is abundant life. 
Without the flowing water none of the life would exist. 
Without Jesus, the Water of Life, there would be no eternal life.
This summer take a wading hike with an adult. 
Many of the parks have junior ranger programs that let you explore the life in the rivers and streams.  The rangers can help you name the creatures you find. 
If you and your adult are going on your own, you might want to take an identification guide of aquatic animals for your area.

Happy splashing!

Gail

God Hears My Every Whisper

Image and information provided by 

http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/virtualexhibit/2howdowehear.html

Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.Psalms 30:10

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: John 10:27

Do you ever talk to yourself? Have you answered back or a thought came to mind that gave you an answer? I've heard many people say, "I've never heard the audible voice of God." But what is hearing? 

The picture above shows how sound waves enter our ears, travel through the ear canal, then to the ear drum. The ear drum passes the the vibrations to the middle ear bones where they pass farther into the inner ear that looks like a snail. That's the cochlea. There are thousands of tiny hair cells inside the cochlea that change the vibrations into electrical signals which are sent to the brain through the hearing nerve. The brain tells you that you are hearing sound and what that sound is. So, hearing actually takes place in the brain? I believe it does.

Have you ever heard the question, "If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one around, does it make a sound?" It does make vibrations, but unless there is a person or an animal around whose brain will interpret those waves, there really is no sound. I may hear another language and understand some or all of it because I understand a smattering of several languages, but my husband may hear the exact same words and have no understanding because he only speaks and understands English. True hearing involves more than sound waves as the diagram above explains. 

Here's the second matter, if you hear a sound but cannot interpret the meaning of the sound, have you heard it? I certainly can't follow any directions if my brain can't interpret the meaning. Often we mothers ask a rhetorical question of our children, "Did you hear me?" Sure they heard you, but did they understand, or are they ignoring you?  

Just because sound waves have not traveled down our ear canal to our ear drum, vibrated their way to our middle ear and farther to our inner ear turning into electrical signals for our brain to interpret does not mean when God speaks, we have not heard Him. It does not mean, he does not talk to, or with us. How often have I asked, "Lord where is ...?" Then a little voice in my head says, "Look in the ...?" I didn't think up that answer or I would have already looked there. Sure enough, the object for which I have been searching (my keys or my phone) are right there. Just yesterday, I saw a little thunderhead making, and I whispered, "Lord, you know best, but it sure would be nice to get a little soft rain from that cloud. It's awfully dry." Less than ten minutes later a little soft rain began. I needed to go to the store and the farther away I went the less rain. By the time I came out there was no rain, but a quarter mile from the house, the drizzle picked up again. I turned on my street and the rain was coming down - just right for my garden. Coincidence you say. There are no coincidences with God. He hears my every whisper and gives amazing answers. By the way, I did not pray out-loud. God and I by passed the ear and went straight from the brain/heart to His Heart. The more we listen for His voice, the more we will allow Him to lead us. 

What amazing talks are you having with God? We'd love for you to share. 

Thank you Lord, for hearing my every whisper.

Gail

Hey Kids:

Have you ever thought about hearing without using your ears?

Have you ever seen anyone use sign language? 

What about reading? I say the words in my head when I read. Am I hearing? 

What other ways can you think of that cause you to hear with your brain or heart but no sound is heard with your ears?

For one day, or a few hours, make a list of the things you don't hear with your ears, only with your brain.

Is your conversation with God on the list?

List - hmmm - did I hear myself say that word as I wrote?