What Coat are You Wearing?

Read Col. 3:5-11

Wondering if you are reading these, Josh? Today was about more death- die to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed, anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.

Dad said to Beth that we must wear our Jesus coat and leave our Satan coat lying on the ground. ("put on the new self").

PPP - It was really really bad, Josh. But it was something about a "fly in the soup", the punch line from a joke that began with a cooking seamstress. Sorry.

Jesus is the Cornerstone

Well, boys, we read Ephesians chapter 2, as a diversion from Colossians, as Dad seems to have workshop burnout and was too tired for thinking very hard. But if you can read Eph. 2, you will see many parallels to what we have been learning about in Colossians.

This is the chapter of the famous verse, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, ... ".

The last verse was cool, talking of how we as Christians are the dwellling place of the Holy Spirit, and consequently, God's witness to the world. He has no building, no temple on earth. It reminded me of the verse that "God does not dwell in temples made with hands ..." How exciting that we are His vessel!! We must be His light. His people "are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."

And here is a funny story from after devotions. Anne was explaining about a quote from someone's "wall". She asked Dad if he had seen it, and he responded, "I've never even been in so and so's room". Of course, she was refering to a facebook wall. I knew what she meant!

The workshop is over tomorrow! Yea! Another year down.

Set Your Mind

Colossians 3:1-4
"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."

Dead people do not care about what is going on around them, do they? They are insensitive to what is happening. They just lie there without any awareness of anything. Play dead sometime.

Paul says that we have died --- died to the earthly things such as worry, death, sadness, annoyance, anger, sickness, material wealth, social status, etc. And we are now alive to heavenly things, i.e. peace, joy, grace, light, mercy, purity, happiness, etc.

So what do I eagerly desire? To be like Jesus, to witness to people, and to love and bless people. My motives will determine if my daily life is being lived for Christ or for the world.

"Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle"

Read Colossians 2:20-23

Will it help you to be more like Jesus (the King of the Universe) by following rules?

Rules may be fine, but they don't make me more like JESUS.

How could they? He is perfect.

So what does have value in making me not indulge my flesh? (v. 23)

Answer: Sticking close to Jesus. Watch out for self-imposed religion. The only thing that helps me to be like Jesus is to study Him, be filled with the Spirit, love people, don't be judgemental, and obey Him.

Heb. 12:1,2 lay aside sin and look to Jesus

The new "PPP Corner" (Papa's Pathetic Puns)

In response to me mentioning to Anne that we may have to go to the mall to take our evening walk because of the deluge, dad replies, "You'll have to wait until it is dark." What? "Then you can be Amahl and the Night Visitors."

Empty Chairs

My main reason for starting a blog is to share with my kids what Dad has been teaching us in family devotions. Lately we have gotten very scattered, and our hearthstone of 6 is readily becoming a gathering of 3.

Sitting down together and reading and discussing the Word with Dad was always my favorite time of the homeschool day.

For those of you who happen to visit my site, Welcome! Hope you may find some blessing.

I must confess that ever since Josh went to London, I have been hooked on reading PHC students' blogs. And truthfully, my soul has been encouraged to press on because of your wonderful character and spiritual depth.

I stand amazed, now comprehending what was happening in the unseen world 20-25 years ago, as so many families across our great nation were establishing a godly culture in their homes, turning their backs on the world. The Holy Spirit was working powerfully at that time in history.

We were just one isolated family. And now hundreds of young people have come together at PHC with parents who had similar convictions.

May God bless each and every one of you as you graduate and establish godly homes, reading and studying God's Word together with your own families. And may He bring victory to PHC in the coming years as the battle rages for Christ.