All posts in category Christianity

A Merry Christmas Because of a Happy Easter!

As we come upon Christmas Day, it is important that we remember that we celebrate the birth of Jesus because we can celebrate His death and His resurrection. Without His death on the cross, we would still be dead in our sins, and without His resurrection, we would not have victory over the grave and the gift of eternal life in Heaven. Therefore, the celebration of Jesus’ birth is dependent upon His purpose for coming to the earth- to seek and save the lost.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very naturea God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

So as we wish one another “Merry Christmas”, let us remind ourselves of a “Happy Easter” to come!

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by M. Terry on December 22, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on December 22, 2011

https://wholetothecore.com/2011/12/22/a-merry-christmas-because-of-a-happy-easter/

Celebrating Advent – The Shepherd’s Candle or Candle of Joy

This, the third Sunday of Advent, leads us into the week of the Shepherds’ Candle or the Joy Candle! The shepherds represent the message of great joy that is brought to the world about Jesus’ birth.

  When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.
And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.
The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.!

Luke 2:15-21

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by M. Terry on December 11, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on December 11, 2011

https://wholetothecore.com/2011/12/11/celebrating-advent-the-shepherds-candle/

Celebrating Advent – The Bethlehem Candle: the Candle of Peace

Celebrating the Second Sunday of Advent The Bethlehem Candle- the candle of Peace:

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“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2-5

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:1-7

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by M. Terry on December 4, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on December 4, 2011

https://wholetothecore.com/2011/12/04/celebrating-advent-the-bethlehem-candle-the-candle-of-peace/

Pockets of Refreshment

A strange phenomenon occurred while Terri and I were doing a long run around Wickham Park not too long ago. As we rounded the back side of the park in the already 80+ degree weather, pockets of cool air had rolled out of the wooded area and was wrapping around our legs. It was a welcomed relief from the mugginess that we were pressing through! It reminded me of how God can send times of refreshment our way when we are trudging through the heavy points in our lives.

I think of Elijah…

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.    All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 1 Kings 19:3-5

How many times do we say, “I have had enough, Lord,” and then God answers us by providing just what we need or even more than what we expected? Or how about Jonah? Even in the midst of his constant struggle with his selfishness (sounds like someone I know- me!), God even provided the leafy plant to shade Jonah from the sun. (Despite his complaining) And then there is Peter who boldly stated that he would follow Jesus even if it meant death, but later denied Christ three times within just hours. After his resurrection, Jesus came directly to Peter and reassured him that He knew that Peter’s love for Him still filled his heart. Peter, at one of his lowest points, was gently restored by the Lord himself.

Blessings from the Lord. Meetings with Jesus. Encounters with our God. As we run this marathon called life, these pockets of refreshment are the moments that help us to press on to win the prize for which God has called us heavenword in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:14) May we run alongside God so that we never miss the pockets of refreshment that He sends our way.

He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
   for his name’s sake  Ps 23:3

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by M. Terry on September 14, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on September 14, 2011

https://wholetothecore.com/2011/09/14/pockets-of-refreshment/

Hunger Pangs, Physical and Spiritual

Scott has been gone for almost a week, and so my running schedule has not been what it usually is. Because I am behind on my runs, I have not had much of an appetite. I love having that stomach-growling type of hunger, and needed to get that feeling back. Thankfully, my mom sacrificed her Tuesday evening so I could get out and sneak in a run and meet with my book club. I came home hungry and had my usual greek yogurt with granola, raisins, and mini chocolate chips!

As I was doing my hill work, I was thinking about the parallel between physical hunger and spiritual hunger. Watermark has a song titled, “ Still “, and the opening line is, “The more I get alone the more I see I need to get alone more.” Isn’t this so true when it comes to our relationship with Jesus? When we flex our spiritual muscles, when we carve out time to meet with our Creator, we hunger for more of God. When we get out of the habit of meeting with the Lord, then we break fellowship with Him, and our hunger for seeking Him subsides. Just as physical activity creates hunger within our physical bodies, so spiritual activity creates hunger within our spirit. May our hunger pangs for the Lord never be quenched!

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

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by M. Terry on June 29, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on June 29, 2011

https://wholetothecore.com/2011/06/29/hunger-pangs-physical-and-spiritual/

Ruth- A Shining Example of Romans 8:28!

I finished teaching the book of Ruth today to the youth Sunday School class. As I finished my studies on this book, Romans 8:28 came to mind- And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God used the hardships and the blessings in the lives of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz to ultimately bring glory to Himself. Isn’t that what it is all about? God blessing us, challenging us, and using us in order to fulfill His divine plan- the redemption of man through faith in Jesus. We are His instruments to show others the boundless love of God, pointing them to the path of everlasting life. While we each are granted the choice to choose His way or our way, His Word is clear that He desires no one to perish but all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Our purpose is to be used by God and, in that process, we are promised that all that happens in our lives will result in the good.

John Piper has written a book titled, A Sweet and Bitter Providence . This is a great read for further study on Ruth. You can download it to your computer for free! Here is a sampling of his thoughts as he concluded his thoughts on Ruth…

 The book of Ruth wants to teach us that God’s purpose for the life of his people is to connect us to something far greater than ourselves. God wants us to know that when we follow him our lives always mean more than we think they do. For the Christian there is always a connection between the ordinary events of life and the stupendous work of God in history. Everything we do in obedience to God, no matter how small, is significant. It is part of a cosmic mosaic which God is painting to display the greatness of his power and wisdom to the world and to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Eph. 3:10). The deep satisfaction of the Christian life is that it is not given over to trifles. Serving a widowed mother-in-law, gleaning in a field, falling in love, having a baby — for the Christian these things are all connected to eternity. They are part of something so much bigger than they seem.

So the word glory is not too strong. The life of the godly is not a straight line to glory, but they do get there — God sees to it. There is a hope for us beyond the cute baby and the happy grandmother. If there weren’t we would be of all men most miserable. The story points forward to David. David points forward to Jesus. And Jesus points forward to the resurrection of our mortal bodies (Rom. 8:23) when “death will be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

The best is yet to come. That is the unshakable truth about the life of the woman and the man who follow Christ in the obedience of faith. I say it to the young who are strong and hopeful, and I say it to the old, for whom the outer nature is quickly wasting away. The best is yet to come.

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by M. Terry on May 29, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on May 29, 2011

https://wholetothecore.com/2011/05/29/ruth-a-shining-example-of-romans-828/

Commitment

I began teaching the book of Ruth last week to the youth during Sunday School. This is my favorite book of the Bible. I love the parallel between the courtship of Boaz and Ruth and the pursuing love of Jesus and us. Only God can orchestrate such a beautiful story of redemption and love!

Our focus today was on Chapter 2 as Ruth sets out to glean in the fields in order to provide for her mother-in-law and herself. I emphasized the significance of commitment- Ruth’s commitment to Naomi, Boaz’s commitment to both Ruth and Naomi, and, ultimately, both of their commitments to loving and trusting the Lord.

Unfortunately, just in the past day, I have been in touch with three different individuals who are facing struggles in their marriages for various reasons. I am reminded that commitments can be hard to keep at times, and that it is only through the power of Christ that we can see them through.

Due to some hurting hearts surrounding me, several end-of-the-school-year activities, and our youth golf tournament fundraiser on Saturday, I am committing myself to these needs and taking a week break from blogging. I covet your prayers for all those, in my life and yours, who are facing attacks from the enemy. For our battle is not against one another- it against the prince of this world.

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by M. Terry on May 15, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on May 15, 2011

https://wholetothecore.com/2011/05/15/commitment/

A Reminder to Refocus

This is not what I intended to post today. But as I read this devotional this morning, God snapped my focus back to Him and so I had to share. Scott and I leave on Thursday on a cruise. There are many things to do this week to get all of us ready for our departure. I have meetings lined up, a house that needs tons of TLC after a crazy weekend, dog obedience training :/ , packing for us, packing for the kids, and a 15-20 page paper of Scott’s to review and correct before setting sail- and this on top of the never-ending, everyday stuff (i.e. laundry, meals, dishes, 5 hour long bedtime rituals) My mind is racing with my ‘to do’ list. However, when I read this devotional just awhile ago, God clearly reminded to keep my eyes open, for He has opportunities for me to minister to others this week no matter how busy I am. Having the chance to serve God by loving others is my prayer every night with my girls, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised when He reminds me of the very thing I ask him to do!

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by M. Terry on April 11, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on April 11, 2011

https://wholetothecore.com/2011/04/11/a-reminder-to-refocus/

Christ Through Me

Pastor Jim Johnson recently did a five lesson Bible study at our church. Since I was unable to get there every night, Scott brought home the CDs and I have been listening to them over the past few weeks.

I love how God’s Word is like a blooming rose, revealing more and more beauty as it opens. I don’t think I will ever stop being fascinated by how verses I have read countless times always provide me with new insight into who God is and how He wants me to live.  One of the statements that Jim made was one of those times when God revealed a truth to me that I had not caught before. Or maybe it is a truth that I have known all along, but it has been lost in the “churchyness” that we, as believers, can sometimes get bogged down in. Here is what he said (my paraphrase)…

We are not called to go out into the world and be like Christ. We are called to go out into the world and have Christ live through us.

As Phillipians 4:13 states, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We throw that verse around so often, that I think we forget exactly what it means. It is through Christ that we are able to complete what He has set forth for us to accomplish. If Christ is not the driving force in what we are doing, we will fail. It may not be an immediate failure, but you can be sure that you will encounter unnecessary frustrations along the way.  However, when we abide in Him, just as Jesus said, then we will bear much fruit. And he continues on in John15:5 to say that, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” And while he promises a challenging road ahead as we follow Him, He is able to handle our trials and give us victory as we allow him to live through us.

In an age where we are swallowed up by lengthy ‘to do’ lists and hectic schedules, it is easy to forget to lay our lives at the foot of the cross and seek God and His strength to live a holy life that glorifies Him through our service to others.

God has laid a “project” on my heart, and I know that I cannot do it in my own strength. I don’t have the stamina, the patience, the knowledge, or follow-through to complete it on my own. I thank God that He does, and I am praying that I will daily remember to allow Jesus to live through me- because I will never be able to live like Him!

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by M. Terry on April 3, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on April 3, 2011

https://wholetothecore.com/2011/04/03/christ-through-me/

Regroup and Refocus

Losing heart is something we all experience. I’m thankful that God’s Word has refreshment for my soul so that I can refocus on the task He has called me to!

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by M. Terry on March 27, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by M. Terry on March 27, 2011

https://wholetothecore.com/2011/03/27/regroup-and-refocus/

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