Immanuel

God with us! What an amazing gift was given. Christ left His throne on high and took on the likeness of man! He came to be God with us. But we still have Immanuel, He isn’t gone. If we have been saved by Jesus’ blood then we still have God with us.

To be saved requires a separation from the former life. There must be a severance between the old life and the new life. That new life mandates the death of the old life.

Immanuel. Our gift, our free gift from God. Amazing. Simply amazing. The King over all the earth, the One no mortal eye can even look upon, is willing to come down and dwell with us! For He is our Immanuel, God with us.

How can He be at home in our lives unless we live in the likeness of His perfect life? Salvation is the rescue from ourselves and the destruction we deserve. Galatians 2:20 makes the verbal picture of what our life is now. It is no to myself, yes to Him, no to my will and my understanding, yes to faith and obedience in His will, no to my small selfish choices and yes to those inconveniences on my part in the effect of blessing another. Small continuous "deaths" of the old me, and small continuous growth in Him, the new me.

We must determine to part company with our sinful nature and "put on the Lord Jesus Christ". "Likewise reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:11-14

And when the enemy comes to try to discourage us -"You hypocrite! You didn't really mean it when you said you'd start living for Jesus. You haven't been made new, you're still just as sinful as ever!" that's when we run to the cross and remember our Lord who cried out "It is finished". He is our Hiding Place, our Strong Fortress, we are new in Him.

Always keep in mind you have Immanuel. Your life is Christ's. Be careful where it goes. Be careful what it does. Be careful what it ponders. Be careful how it reacts. It is the temple of God.

Verse of the Week

Tchaikovsky, Quotes From My Sister, 2012, Ect.

While this is not the type of videos I usually share, I have been listening to Tchaikovsky's music dance around in my head so much I thought I better listen to some of his music so that maybe it would be able to skip out of my mind and be free.

2012 is only 13 days away.

And it is so easy to get wrapped up in all the fun or stress or other things that inevitabley come around this time of year. I'm reminded of how great my little sis is, last year she reminded me to think of others a little more. She said she didn't make New Years resolutions, but what about making a Year End resolution. Like 'I resolve to pray for all the people I've come in contact with this last year' or 'I resolve to spead some joy to someone who needs it' and other things like that.

Well I just have to quote her right now, and I hpe she doesn't mind, but like I said she's great. She said, "And whether you make a resolution or not, please remember all those who went without someone this year. Went without a father, a son, a brother, wife, mother, daughter, husband. This year...and maybe for every year. For every hero we have out there, there is a hero at home, trying to keep together an imcomplete family."

I don't know if you all know it but I have three amazing sisters, that I'm not sure why God allowed me to be related to such inspiring Christians but I'm oh so blessed, and she is one of them. So, don't forget those troops who are spending the rest of 2011 in Afghanistan or Iraq or any place away from their family, and let's remember to keep them in all our prayers.

-Ashlin

"Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments" -Deuteronomy 7:9

Joy of Obedience

"If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule earth’s grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of its meanest village, it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell to his lot, the post of ruler or the post of scavenger; for the joy of the angels lies only in obedience to God’s will, and with equal joy they would lift a Lazarus in his rags to Abraham’s bosom, or be a chariot of fire to carry an Elijah home." -John Newton

AmandaBeth Online: Win your own “Mix & Match” Swimsuit from Modest Sea!

There is a great modest swimsuit giveaway going on at AmandaBeth Online that you all should know about.

A truly modest swimsuit is hard to find these days!

Verse of the Week