Jesus Christ was our supreme sacrifice. He became the sacrificial Lamb, slain upon the altar for our sins. His ultimate sacrifice gives us forgiveness of sins, victory over sin in our daily life, sweet fellowship with Him, and eternal life. Romans 12:1 beseeches us that our logical and reasonable response should be to yield our lives back to Him as a living sacrifice. What does this mean?Because Jesus laid down His life to be our sacrifice, we should also lay down our lives to be a living sacrifice.
We face this principle every day as wives and mothers. Constantly we choose whether we will demand our own way, do what pleases us, or lay down our life for our husband, our children, and sacrifice our own selfish desires.
Sometimes this is a battle. We need to be constantly reminded of Psalm 118:27: “Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” We willingly lay our life upon the altar as we feel the moving of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But then we get back to the challenges of daily life and mothering and off the altar we jump!
We need His cords to bind us. What are the cords? God says in Hosea 11:4: “I drew them with cords of compassion, with bands of love.” He says again in Jeremiah 31:3 “Yes, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
Because Christ now dwells in our hearts (if we have been born again), we no longer live to ourselves, “but unto him which died and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14). This lifestyle of dying daily to our own selfish desires does not ruin our lives. Instead, it releases us into the joyful life of serving that is the life of Christ (Mark 8:35).
I read about a mission board that had an ox for its seal. On one side of the ox was an altar, on the other side a plough. Their motto was “Ready for either.” There are millions of Christians being martyred for their faith today (more than at any other time). They are literally dying upon the altar. Others (like you and me) become a living sacrifice as we take up the plough of the daily grind of life. Not doing it grudgingly, but with joy and exhilaration.
May God save us from being jumping jacks--jumping off the altar as soon as anything becomes too difficult, looms bigger than we can imagine, or does not work out the way we planned. Instead may it become our lifestyle to be bound with joy to the altar. This is the least we can do in response to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us.
Love from Nancy Campbell
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We need great discernment to truly know what is good and what not just “looks good,” don’t we? Many times, things that are good rob us of the best! We can be involved I so many “good things” in our parenting and in Christian work and yet they are not God’s best. They are what we think is good. Or even what the enemy tricks us to think is good.
THE TONE OF VOICE
TEARING DOWN OR BUILDING UP?
In Bible times God had a tabernacle and later a temple where He deigned to dwell in the midst of His people. Today, we have no temple, but God is a dwelling God and He still loves to dwell in our homes.
I have been thinking of the blessedness of motherhood. Yes, along with the blessedness is hard work and heartache. However, I believe that the devil robs mothers of the joys and glory of motherhood. Because God ordained motherhood and created us for this high purpose, the devil hates it. He hates what God mandates. He feeds us with lies to think we are wasting our lives when in fact, we are fulfilling the very perfect will of God. When we embrace motherhood, we are on God’s side.
I wonder if we really understand the power of God’s words that He releases into the universe. He spoke, and the worlds came into being. All it took was for God to open His mouth and speak.
Only two: male or female; feminine or masculine. Completely embrace who God created you to be. You bring glory to God when you live to the full who God created you to be. There’s no need to be confused.
Motherhood is the most powerful, far-reaching, influential career in the nation! Babies and children cannot survive without mothers. Families cannot survive without mothers. Nations will fail without mothers. It’s time for mothers to come back to the home.
Mother, God has chosen you and you are the BEST mom for your children.
The devil loves to break up marriages and he begins by putting negative and deceiving thoughts in your mind. You don’t have to listen to them. Resist them in the name of Jesus. Think of the good things about your husband. Thank the Lord for them. Tell your husband the good things you are thinking about him. When you focus on the positive, everything will become positive. When you focus on the negative everything becomes destructive.
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” A contented spirit brings a peaceful and happy atmosphere to the home.
There is a better way to live than on this lower plane of grumbling and self pity which only hurts you and everyone else around you.
