Bountiful Living

"For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 NASB

Christ is our peace.

The Apostle Paul shows us how to receive the gift of peace Christ offers in Philippians chapter four. He writes to the church at Philippi from prison. If anyone had a reason to grumble, to complain it was Paul who was wrongfully imprisoned for preaching the good news. Paul encourages the church to have peace and joy no matter what the circumstance.

Stand firm in the Lord, my beloved!

Rejoice in the Lord always,
again I say rejoice!

Do not be anxious about anything,
pray about everything
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God
and the PEACE of God which transcends all understanding
will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.

Finally, whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, if there is any excellence, anything worthy of praise...think about THESE things.

What you have learned, received, and heard from Paul,
practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

(Summary of Philippians 4:1-9)

"We can choose to agree with God, or agree with our circumstances."

1. Spend time in His Word
2. Spend time in Prayer
3. Spend time in Praise

"Tremble" by Mosaic
"It is Well with my Soul"

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This is the final installment of our Advent series on faith.

Join us as we read the Christmas Story in Luke chapter two.
 
"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!'” Luke 2:10-14, ESV

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We continue in part 2 of Luke chapter 1 starting in verse 39 when Mary, the mother of Jesus visits her cousin Elisabeth. What faith these two ladies have!

"And when Elisabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.'" Luke 1:41-45, ESV

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Sharpen your faith on Instagram at @Bountiful_Living 

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1  

My children join me this week as we compare the faith of Abraham, Zachariah and Mary, the mother of Jesus.  This is part 1 of our discussion on Luke chapter 1.

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This is part three of God is our Hope. Today we discuss, God is our hope for tomorrow.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does he prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3, ESV

I recently finished my study on the book of Revelation and since this episode is all about Christ coming as a babe in a manger and waiting for His return, let's dive in and see what the Bible says about our future hope. Don’t let the book of Revelation intimidate you, even if all you do is read it or hear it, God says we are blessed.

Revelation 1:3 , ESV “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” 

This Christmas, remember what Jesus' birth means;
HE IS OUR HOPE, our eternal hope!
This little babe in the manger was destined for great and mighty things. 
He was the fulfillment of countless prophecies.
His life shows us how to live, shows us how to depend on and trust in our Father God, just as Christ, Himself did.
His death restored us. 
He took on our sin, our shame, for us to have life in His name.
His resurrection means He’s alive, death, and suffering was not the end for Him and it is not the end for us who have fallen on our knees, repented of our sinful nature, and believe in Him, that He died on the cross for our sin and rose again on the third day and is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.

Come quickly Lord Jesus, 
The Spirit and the bride say, “COME” 

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Because of Christ, our HOPE can never be taken away.
Whether it was that recent medical diagnosis, an empty bank account, or yet one more betrayal. Whatever it is today that is making you feel hopeless, I want to tell you my friend you do not have to STAY in that place of hopelessness. 

Because of Christ, we have a Bountiful Life including HOPE.
We know that “the thief comes to steal, to kill and to destroy, but Christ has come for us to have life, until it overflows.” John 10:10

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This week we are looking at the first week of ADVENT, God is our HOPE.

In the first part of this series on HOPE, we look at how God gave HOPE to humanity throughout all of history.

Hebrews 11:1 from the KJV says “Now faith (complete trust, confidence) is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence (indication, proof) of things not seen.”

God stood beside the men and women in the Old Testament through infertility, slavery, injustice, wars, peace, lack, and harvest. He gave HOPE to humanity and was faithful to encourage, teach, show mercy and walk alongside mankind starting in the Garden of Eden. 
 
“Hope is what fueled their faith, ….HOPE fuels our faith.” 

Did you know that the first promise of redemption for mankind was in the Garden of Eden?  Genesis 3:15 was the first glimmer of The Gospel, to the serpent God promised, “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15, ESV

Today, we have a gift that humanity waited thousands and thousands of years to receive. Today, we do not have to wait any longer to receive God’s promise, of salvation. God’s promise was fulfilled in the gift of JESUS, His precious Son.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16, KJV

That baby; born in a manger on that bustling night in Bethlehem, when Mary and Joseph arrived for their taxes, in the birthplace of King David. God never misses a detail!

The wait is over. King Jesus is here!
Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection give us eternal hope.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last days.”  1 Peter 1:3-5, ESV 

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Sharpen your faith on Instagram at @Bountiful_Living 

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21

Advent isn't a legalistic thing, but a love thing to make Jesus a priority not just at Christmas, but always.

HOPE: The Old Testament prophets foretell the coming of a Savior.
FAITH: Mary and Joseph's faith journey
JOY: Celebrating the JOY of the Savior's birth.
PEACE: Because of Christ, we experience peace on earth.
CHRIST is our sinless Savior, born to the world We await His return for His bride.

Check out this podcast on the history of Advent:
"The Joy of Advent with Theologian, Dr. Joel Muddamalle" 

BOOKS:
"Come, Let Us Adore Him" A Daily Advent Devotional by Paul David Tripp
"Emmanuel: An Invitation to Prepare Him Room at Christmas and Always" by Ruth Chou Simons

Our family is studying "Mercies at the Manger" this year published by Not Consumed.

CANDLES:
If you are looking for candles, I have found them at Christian bookstores and they are available online, just do a search. For a budget-friendly option, you could buy 3 purple candles, 1 pink, and 1 white and use your own and use your own candlesticks.

This episode is lovingly dedicated to the family we have spent almost every Christmas for the last 15 years celebrating Advent together. We love you guys!

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Sharpen your faith on Instagram at @Bountiful_Living 

Are you encountering JOY and PEACE for the holidays or does it leave you feeling stressed and pennyless? 

This episode is designed to reflect on how we celebrate the holidays as a culture.

RESOURCES:
"To Hell with the Hustle" by Jefferson Bethke

Discover life in Christ at bountifulliving.net
Sharpen your faith on Instagram at @Bountiful_Living 

I am coining the label of this generation to be "Everyone Gets a Goody Bag".

I come from the "Everyone Gets a Trophy" generation and just like that wasn't always in the best interest of children, neither is having this generation live with the burden of too much.

As parents, we can be counter-cultural and shift to a Kingdom Perspective.

Not all of our stuff is bad, but our stuff needs to be useful tools in our home that will steward the gifts and talents of ourselves and our families.

Jesus shifts our perspective to a kingdom perspective in Matthew 6:10-21,
 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

How do we maintain this kingdom mindset in our homes?

Identify your purpose. What has God called your family to do?
Answering this question will lend insight into what "stuff" you need to fulfill your purpose. Our "stuff" is a resource for kingdom living.

Let go of the things you do not need to fulfill your God-given purpose.
We want to fill our homes with tools that will steward our calling. Everything else might be noise, adding to the chaos and stealing peace from your home.

As you are letting go, some charities are better than others. Look for a "Buy Nothing" page in your neighborhood so you can bless your neighbor. Is there a women's shelter in need of quality clothing and things for children? Do you know someone with foster children who would be blessed by the things you no longer need?

Salvation Army is a great place to donate if nothing else is an option. 

(This episode is published with permission from my children. I am very careful about what I share about their lives and their privacy. They always have permission to take any of my work down that is about them.)

Discover life in Christ at bountifulliving.net
Sharpen your faith on Instagram at @Bountiful_Living