Sunday Scripture

 

I've been posting Sunday Scriptures on both of my blogs this December, taken from an Advent study I did in 2013 with Good Morning Girls.  The study, Keeping Our Hearts Focused on Jesus, is still available as a free download; it's not too late to get it, though it might not be of a lot more use to you this year.  You could save it for next year!  Scroll down and click on the book-like image, and the pdf should open right up.  More than just a Bible study, this is an ebook that includes recipes, Advent activities, and more.  I think it will be a blessing to you.

I've mentioned before that I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the studies from GMG use a very similar one.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or passage,  or praise for what it means to you.

This fourth week's verses are focused on Peace.  If you downloaded the study and are following along with it, this is the one from December 23.

S= "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."  (Isaiah 9:6)

O= Written by the prophet Isaiah, these beautiful words speak eloquently of Christ's birth.  No ordinary Child, the government would be upon His shoulder.  The fact that this child is given these names of God -- Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace -- prove once again that Jesus is in fact God.

Since the emphasis this week of Advent is on Peace, I wanted to look somewhat more closely at the name Prince of Peace.

Jesus is the One Whose rule will bring peace At His birth (and death) He made possible peace between God and man. At His second coming, He will establish His kingdom in peace at the onset of the Millennium. Our world desperately longs for and tries to achieve  peace in the middle east, but as believers we realize that lasting peace will not transpire until the end of this age when the Prince returns and bring His peace.

Adrian Rogers notes that Jesus "is the secret of peace—of personal peace, domestic peace, international peace. And, world peace waits upon His coming, but friend, you don’t have to wait ’til Jesus to come for you to have peace. For the Bible says that 'therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ' (Romans 5:1)." 

A= I've been reminded that "Wonderful" is a noun and speaks of Christ's Person  and His work on my behalf.  Because I have accepted His free (but oh-so-costly) gift of salvation, I can see Him at work in my life every day in these magnificent roles.

Counselor -- I can turn to His word every day for guidance and wisdom.

The Mighty God -- He is sovereign and all-powerful.  What a difference it makes in my daily life when I acknowledge this!

The Everlasting Father -- God Himself is my Heavenly Father and cares for me in every area of my life.

The Prince of Peace -- As I trust my Heavenly Father and rest in His love, trusting and acknowledging His sovereignty over my life, I will have His peace in my heart.  This peace that passes all understanding could only come from the Prince of Peace!

An Our Daily Bread devotional helps with our application: "Christmas is the season of peace. The Old Testament tells the story of how God set the stage to introduce the Prince of Peace. Jesus came to break the cycle of sin and blame by making peace for us with God 'through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20)   Instead of blaming us for all the trouble we cause, He bore the blame for all of us ... When we accept forgiveness from God, we lose our desire to withhold it from others. And when we live in peace with God, we are eager to make peace with others. We can both give and receive the gift of peace this Christmas. "

P= "Lord, I praise You for all that You are, as depicted in this beautiful verse.  I praise You for Your magnificent work in salvation and for drawing me to where I accepted Jesus as my Savior.  Since that has taken place, I can see the realities of this verse in my life every day.

"I thank and praise You for Your Word, in which I can find counsel, guidance, and direction for my life.  I praise You that You are the Mighty God, omnipotent and sovereign over all the events of history, working all things together for the good of Your children and for Your glory!  I thank You that You are my Heavenly Father, perfect in Your love and care for all of Your children.  And I praise You so much so much for Your peace which garrisons my heart as I commit my cares to You.  Truly, You are wonderful!

I praise You in Jesus' name, Amen."

And that's the Sunday Scripture for this third Sunday in December!

December 20

 

Today has been another full day!  We picked up a couple more Christmas gifts and did a lot of baking.  My hubby made another batch of Eggnog Logs -- the cookie part only they still need to be frosted.

I made a double batch of Christmas granola and will likely make another double batch tomorrow. Today's granola is for a friend who will soon have an influx of family coming to stay.  My hubby packed up a large container of cookies and a tin of fudge for the same dear friends.

I wrote Christmas cards for our church family, and both Mr. T and I prepared Christmas devotionals for our Sunday School classes.  These will be smaller classes than usual as so many folks are taking part in our Christmas cantata, and will have their dress rehearsal during the Sunday School hour.  

That may be it for Christmasy things today.  Tomorrow will need to be the day to write all the rest of our Christmas cards.  It's coming fast!

December 19

 

Just popping in with a quick report from today and last evening.  Yesterday afternoon I worked on some kitchen gifts -- little apricot cakes.  They are wrapped in plastic and waiting in the freezer to be wrapped more festively.

Festively wrapped loaves from a previous year

We did stay at our cottage last night and it was such a delight to be there on a winter evening with the little place decorated for Christmas.  

The photos above are older; I must get some updated ones that show our indoor decor and some new colored lights on the outside of the cottage.

I wrote a few Christmas cards and worked on a small crocheted gift while we were there.

Today we had an hour or so to visit with our second oldest granddaughter, here on a short visit from Georgia.  She heads back tomorrow.  We enjoyed Christmas cookies and tea together and she took a plate of cookies when she left.

I did a bit of Christmas shopping this afternoon -- just a few more gifts to find!

My hubby and I also worked together to make four pans of lasagna to freeze as gifts for friends.

He also took inventory of his cookie supply and noted he needs to make another batch of Whipped Shortbread, Eggnog Logs, and Chocolate Mint Crisps.

I'd hoped to finish the small crochet project this evening, but that didn't happen.

And that was our day!

December 17-18

 

Yesterday was a day of laundry, housework and catching up from our overnight getaway.  The picture above was taken in Kennebunkport, Maine.  We detoured there on our way home on Tuesday and took a short walk around this charming town so well decorated for Christmas.

I will post more about our getaway later, hopefully, but I want to share these beach pictures especially for my friend Pam, who had wished to see them.

You can see how we had to walk through a bit of snow to get to the actual beach.

 

Today I am hoping to send out some more Christmas cards and emails, and then work on a few kitchen gifts this afternoon.  We will see!

It's a mild day and promises to be a mild night, so Mr. T wants to stay at our cottage, so that may impact how much I accomplish here.  I will check back in tomorrow and report!

December 15-16

 I will post more about this in the next few days, but we just returned from a wonderful overnight getaway to the coast of Maine. 

We stayed in a charming seaside inn, enjoyed delightful food, Christmasy decor and lights inside and out, walked on a beach, and just had a relaxing, refreshing time.  I even got a few Christmas cards written and worked on a small handmade gift.

Tomorrow it will be back to the busyness of life and of the season, but I am coming back to it rested and refreshed.

Sunday Scripture

 

 I'll be posting  Sunday Scriptures on both of my blogs this December, taken from an Advent study I did in 2013 with Good Morning Girls.  The study, Keeping Our Hearts Focused on Jesus, is still available as a free download.  Scroll down and click on the book-like image, and the pdf should open right up.  More than just a Bible study, this is an ebook that includes recipes, Advent activities, and more.  I think it will be a blessing to you.

I've mentioned before that I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the studies from GMG use a very similar one.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or passage,  or praise for what it means to you.

This week's verses are focused on Love.  If you downloaded the study and are following along with it, this (interestingly enough) is the one from December 14.

S= "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod, the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

"Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him."  (Matthew 2:1-2)

O= The Gospel of Matthew, as C.I. Scofield explains, "was written originally for the Jews" and "presents Christ as the Son of David and the Son of Abraham.  Because He is portrayed as King, His genealogy is traced to King David; and the place of His birth, Bethlehem, the home of David,  is emphasized. 

Verse 2 is considered the key verse in the book of Matthew.  It emphasizes Jesus as King -- and King of the Jews, at that.  It's interesting to me, also, that these wise men, obviously Gentiles, came "to worship" this King.

As one scholar noted, "They had come to bow down in adoration and reverence to the King of kings. How is it that these Gentiles recognized what His own people refused to accept?"

A= Is Jesus King of my life?  Am I acknowledging Him as sovereign over every aspect?   I think of the hymn which begins, "King of my life I crown Thee now; Thine shall the glory be".  Is that my mindset?  It should be!

Someone has written, "Jesus is King of our lives, so we must serve Him all of our lives."

P= "Lord, I thank You for the amazing way in which Your Word fits together, the way in which You inspired the various writers to share information that would target different aspects of the Bible for specific purposes.  It's also a blessing to see how accurately prophecy has been fulfilled.  

I praise You for the privilege of owning multiple copies of the Bible in my own language.

And Lord, You know the desire of my heart that I would have You to be King of my life.  Thine shall the glory be!

In Jesus' name, Amen."

That's the very simple Sunday Scripture for this week!

December 13

 Today has been a busy day -- our annual tradition with four of our local grandkids.  It has evolved over the years but now is essentially a three-part day:  (Photos are all from previous years.)

1.  Breakfast at our house, using Christmas dishes.  This year's menu was breakfast sliders, hash brown casserole, cinnamon apples, eggnog coffeecake, and hot spiced cider.

2.  Hours of crafting fun with all kinds of materials.  Ornaments were made, also gift tags, a charming Christmas tree, an amazing reindeer, and a Santa dragging a pack made of walnut shells.  I failed to get photos, but hopefully their mom will.

3.  Ice cream sundaes at Kellerhaus, a place we took our own kids to every Christmas season.  Such fun to be able to carry that on with the grandchildren.  

I also worked a bit on a small crocheted gift project.  Tonight my hubby and I cleaned up the kitchen and I prepped a main dish for tomorrow's fellowship meal at church.  

And that was our day!