Sun, 27 May 2012 04:39:08 -0800WeeblyWed, 14 Dec 2011 19:34:42 -0800http://www.cypresswoodpca.com/2/post/2011/12/eager-expectations-for-the-coming-of-christ.htmlAs children, most of us can remember eager expectations for Christmas morning. As we age those expectations generally become less eager. But we happily remember those experiences and may even long to have such pure excitement once again. I really like the eager expectations of Simeon in Luke 2:25-35. I believe he can teach us to regain the appropriate eagerness for the advent ('coming') of our Savior. Many times we wonder why more people were not as excited as Simeon, Anna, and the Magi. But then we must ask ourselves how excited we are right now for the second advent of our Savior. We have a lot more revelation and yet most of us don't seem to be excited in the least for the coming of Christ in glory and the remaking of the new heavens and the new earth. But if we can see that Simeon's excitement was the fruit of trusting God's promise then perhaps our genuine, eager expectation of our Savior's coming can blossom as we meditate on His promise: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,1 that we who are alive, who
are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  17 Then we who are
alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

]]>Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:26:36 -0800http://www.cypresswoodpca.com/2/post/2011/11/thankful-to-who.htmlHave you ever noticed on Thanksgiving how people speak about being "thankful" but rarely, if ever, make reference to WHO they are thankful to? We say "thank you" when we receive something from someone. It could be receiving food on your dinner plate or even receiving a compliment. But during Thanksgiving we more commonly speak about being thankful for family, friends, and the fact we have our basic needs met. But where did we get our family. Did we choose them from a lineup (perhaps it seems like you did!)? Did they chose us? Obviously, we can't determine who our family is because only God makes such choices. We may also be thankful for our homes, jobs, and health or we may ignore these things if we think we deserve credit for buying the home, getting and maintaining the job, and taking care of our own health. But to truly enjoy Thanksgiving for its original purpose we must give credit to where credit is due. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:17 ESV)

Happy Thanksgiving!

]]>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:19:40 -0800http://www.cypresswoodpca.com/2/post/2011/08/growing-in-grace-can-be-slow.htmlI was listening to a sermon by Steve Brown the other day. Steve usually challenges my assumptions in some very helpful ways and other times it seems like he takes grace too far. But then I wrestle with that. How much farther could God's grace be taken than for the Father to ask His own Son to become man, live a perfect but humiliating life, die a dreadful death even receiving the full rejection and wrath of His own Father for those who are by nature His enemies, then rise again and empower His disciples to make disciples of all nations through the work of the Holy Spirit. I don't suppose in my wildest dreams I could push God's grace any farther than He has gone to make a sinner like me His own. May He give us eyes to see how pitiful our desires are when only set upon earthly things and that He deepen our desire to know  and depend on this grace-giving God intimately. ]]>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:36:01 -0800http://www.cypresswoodpca.com/2/post/2011/08/a-new-blog.htmlWelcome to my new blog called Growing in Grace. This is the start of a new journey since I have never had a blog before. So why start one now? The name "Growing in Grace"  comes from 2 Peter 3:18 which says, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." As we see spiritual maturity is all about Christ and His glory. Maturing is also not an event but a process. So I plan to write only what enables myself and others to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I also want to welcome you to our new website design. Some things are still under construction. Please check back regularly to enjoy the new features we add to help us fulfill our mission of equipping faithful disciple-makers. ]]>