A Very Awesome Sunday

It was an exciting weekend for our family.

Firstly, on Sunday Nathan and I joined our church here in Dunedin. We have been very thankful to God for providing for us, a church that strives to live according to God's will.

Secondly, our baby boy, Dakota Zane, was baptized. (read to the end of this post for photos) :)

Don’t we have an Awesome God!

Today I’m going to share a few points that have really meant a lot to me over the last little while as we’ve been thinking and talking about “the Church”. There is so much that we’ve been thinking about- but I’m going to be very brief.

 

"...speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."   

                                         Ephesians 4:15-16

This is a description of a church that has Christ as its head. Everything is focused on Christ and His saving work. It is Christ that unites the church, holds the church together and grows the church.
             It all comes back to Jesus

 A Christ-centred church loves. It is through love, Jesus’ love for us and our love for Jesus and each other, that Christ unites, builds up and grows a church.

A Christ-centred church speaks the truth in love. It shares the truth of God's word with others and encourages each other with the truth of Christ’s saving work.

I pray that as we become members of this church I also will be able to be Christ-centred, loving and openly truthful, as I strive to be a “part [that] does its work”

And now just a little bit on Dakota’s baptism. (thanks Jess for the photos) 

It's always fun to see babies reactions to their baptism. Kody seemed to be quite happy with the whole thing, after all, he got to be held by someone other than mum or dad for a while and that's always fun for Kody.  

"I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you."                       Genesis 17:7

I thank God for giving us such a beautiful little boy and I hope to be able to teach him the word of God and that in God's time if it is His will, he will know God as his Saviour and serve Him with all that he has.

Energy for Today

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  I have things to do- lots of things to do. Some things are giving me butterflies in the tummy- because I really should have done them weeks ago and keep putting them off.  Now I just have a pile of things to do that are either urgent or just plain overdue.

But I’m sick, I’m tired and I can still think of all the excuses that stopped me doing them earlier.

Energy. I need energy. Just enough energy to do the things I HAVE to do. I barely have enough energy to love my husband and kids the way I should let alone everything else I need to do.

God, I don’t need extra energy- just enough. Then I remember that very important thing I learnt weeks ago- the thing that made me so excited- but still I did nothing about it.

Remember that Isaiah passage that is always on Christian bookmarks and posters:

  But those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.          (Isaiah 40:31)

How often do you read that and plead- “Me, God, please do this for ME”

 LORD, be gracious to us;
   we long for you.
Be our strength every morning,
   our salvation in time of distress.    (Isaiah 33:2)

 and yet… still I haven’t really talked to my husband for ages, still, I haven’t taken the kids to the park like I promised, still, I haven’t contacted my friend for-months, still, I haven’t sent that parcel or that letter, still haven’t done the million jobs around the house that have been waiting and waiting.

But

   
Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?         ( Isaiah 40:28)

 God doesn’t just promise this great strength he also shows us HOW

 

The answer is here:

The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength        ( Isaiah 12:2)

Can you hear the wonder of Isaiah here? Yes it really is that simple !  Read it again. Think about it.

The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength   

That is how we have strength. God doesn’t just give us energy, He IS our strength. We get energy by being with God.

  

 “This [God's word] is the resting place, let the weary rest”;
and, “This is the place of repose”    (Isaiah 28:12)

 

 And here

                  
            “In repentance and rest is your salvation,
              in quietness and trust is your strength”  (Isaiah 30:15)

Yes God will give me Strength. Strength to run and not grow weary.

Strength to get up to my baby again and again in the night, strength to phone that friend who is going through a trial, strength to lovingly talk with my children instead of yell at them, strength to ask my husband how he is going- really going. Even strength for all the little things.

He gives me Strength to serve Him, WHEN I turn to Him, trust Him, love Him, repent to Him, talk to Him, listen to Him, HOPE in Him.