The Principle of FIRST

Grands exploring with friends
Summer 2018
(Photo by our Rebecca)

"Abel...brought the firstlings of his flock...for his offering." (Genesis 4:4)

Well, the carefree, lazy days of good ol' summertime have ended for our midwestern grands. Today's the..

FIRST day of school 2018-2019,

FIRST  day of middle school for the oldest grandboy,

 

FIRST day to go to a school for grandboy #2 

(he was homeschooled K-2nd grade)

FIRST day as a 5th-grade teacher for our Rebecca.

In Genesis chapter 4, we're offered the valuable and biblical principle of first. Moses wrote: 

"So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, also brought a gift - the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The LORD accepted Abel and his gift, but He did not accept Cain and his gift."

Why did God accept one and reject the other? Not because of the size of the gift, but because of the order. Abel gave first fruit, whereas, Cain gave the LORD his leftovers.

Christ is the head of the church. He is the beginning, supreme over all, and He deserves first place in everything (Colossians 1:18).

From your paycheck, beloved, does Jesus get the first or the leftovers?

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S-T-R-E-T-C-H

Grandboy's 6th-grade graduation
Spring 2018

"Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs." (Isaiah 54:2)

Over this 21 Days of Prayer, by the Holy Spirit's prompting, I'm meditating on Isaiah 54:2 and asking God to: 

ENLARGE

S-T-R-E-T-C-H

L...E...N...G...T...H...E...N

and

STRENGTHEN


His CHURCH, our NATION, FAMILIES, the next GENERATIONS, YOU, and ME.

So, beloved, by the power of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, may our roots grow down into Jesus, and our lives be built upon and in Him. May our faith grow strong in the truth we were taught, and may we overflow with the Good News of eternal life in Christ, thankfulness to Him, and praises to His faithful, holy name! Amen. So be it!

21 Days of Prayer: churchofthehighlands.com

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God, Please Make Puddles

Grandboy #4

"Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)

Yesterday, when lightning flashed and thunder rolled, our two-year-old grandboy pressed his nose against the glass door, and his parents heard him praying, "God, please make puddles. God, please make puddles."

Hundreds of churches around the USA have joined together for 21-Days-of-Prayer. Will you pray with us, beloved? (Prayer services available online all day at: churchofthehighlands.com

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His, His, His, His, His

grandboy #5

"Bring all your tithes to...My Temple...I will open the windows of heaven for you. ...Try it! Put Me to the test!" (Malachi 3:8-10)

Remember the "seagull scene" from Finding Nemo? 
"Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!" 

In a recent conversation with a financially-challenged friend, I sounded like the broken-record seagulls - repented: "His! His! His! His! His! So, Tithe! Tithe! Tithe! Tithe! Tithe!"

Why in heaven's name would I tell a friend that's barely scraping by to give the first 10% of her small paycheck to the Lord? Because the God of heaven is faithful to His promises 100% of the time.

Got money troubles, beloved? Then tithe, tithe, tithe, tithe, tithe!

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God Bless You

Our kids, 2004



"And Jesus took the children in His arms and placed His hands on their heads and blessed them." (Mark 10:16)

As kids, our children knelt at their daddy's feet. He placed his hands on their little heads and blessed them. Today, now grown men with kids of their own, our boys call on their way to work for the daily blessing.

Beloved, may God bless you this day and prosper you in body, soul, and spirit. May He bless the work of your hands and make you the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. May He give you and your family strong protection, godly wisdom, His favor, and Holy Spirit anointing, and may you love Him with all your heart, obey His voice, hold fast to Him, and serve Him with a whole heart and stedfast mind. May He make your marriage a watered garden, and may your children and your children's children walk as faithful servants of God. May the Lord bless you financially with more than you need so that you may be a blessing to others. May Jesus Christ have first place in your life in everything, and may you complete the work God assigned you for His glory. Amen and so be it!

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Instructions

Rebecca, Ben, and Dan 1993

"The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise." (Psalm 19:7)



Years and years ago (summer of 1993 to be exact), because my Phillip received a job transfer to Shreveport, Louisiana, we conducted an exhaustive search for a rental house, but came up empty-handed. Three tired kids slouched in the back seats of the minivan. Phillip was driving, and with an open Bible across my knees, I prayed out loud (maybe Phillip prayed): "Lord Jesus, please help us."

When I opened my eyes (I kid you not!), a tall billboard loomed in from of us. It read: "Need help? Come to Willow Point Baptist Church."

On that late Friday afternoon, Phillip whipped off the freeway into the practically empty church parking lot. The interim pastor "just happened" to be locking up for the day. After patiently listening to our story, he said, "A house is a small thing in the sight of the Lord. Come to church on Sunday."

At the close of the service that Sunday, Pastor Sonny Duprang announced that a family was looking for a place to rent, and if anyone had one, please meet the Glasscos at the altar. A family met  us there, and that day, God led us to a lovely, rental home.

God used a billboard and a pastor to instruct His weary children. Need help, beloved? Call to the Lord and then listen and watch for His perfect and trustworthy instructions.

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Patience, Mi Amor

Superboy
(grandboy #3)




"But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:4)

Upon "outburst" of frustration when things don't go his way, superboy's sweet mama says, "Patience, mi amor. Be patient."

During this morning's visit with Jesus, I "heard" the Lord say, "Write patiently, Jill. Don't hurry through this new book."

Galatians 5 tells us that patience is fruit of the Holy Spirit. Need patience, beloved? Tell flesh to scoot over and let the Holy Spirit take the wheel.

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Discover Together

Grandboys

"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:25)

My Rebecca recently posted on Instagram this photo of her boys and entitled it: "Discovering Together."

In a few short weeks, fall small groups and Bible studies kick off. What a picture-perfect place to "discover together."

What about you, beloved? Are you consistent or negligent in meeting together with fellow believers in Jesus Christ?

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Stuck Like Glue

"Isaac" from Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer
by talented artist Dawn Copeland

"For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."(Luke 12:12)

"And he puts spiders in Halloween candy," whispered nine-year-old Isaac.

"No way," Logan whispered back.

"Tell him, Jacob."

Moon-shadow cobwebs hung heavily over the three-story mansion. Out of the darkness, a whippoorwill crooned a lonesome tune. 

~

Because I'm fully aware that my own abilities are incapable of writing this new book assignment, I'm hanging on to Jesus in every paragraph.

In the Old Testament book of Exodus, Moses received a beyond-his-capabilities assignment from the Lord and argued, "O LORD, I'm not very good with words. I have never been, and I'm not now, even though You have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled."

But the LORD answered, "Who makes a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say." 

Beloved, ask God for an assignment far beyond your abilities, then stick to Him like glue. He will be with you and instruct  you every step of the way.

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Bridge Out

Kalmulga Covered Bridge
Childersburg, Alabama

"Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will grand you His blessing." (1 Peter 3:8-9)

My natural attitude toward someone acting unkind, foolish, hateful, or sinful is critical. Jesus' natural attitude toward someone acting unkind, foolish, hateful, or sinful is compassion. 

He explained it like this: "Jill, think of that person as someone running in the dark down a road toward a canyon and the bridge is out. Wouldn't you do everything in your power to save them?"

Beloved, the next time criticism spews from our heart, let's cap it with bridge-out compassion and pray rather than criticize!

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DING

Mrs. Willowkins from Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer

"Ask Me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come." (Jeremiah 33:3)



Yesterday, I asked, "Lord, will there be a new book in 2019?" 

The words were barely out of my mouth when - DING! - a story idea popped into my brain along with the advice, you'll need your grandkids' help to write it.

Got a question, beloved? Ask Jesus.

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Secret Lantern Society

Grandgirl up high in the sky




"The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense." (Proverbs 27:9)

At last year's church camp, our grandgirl was one homesick little puppy; however, this summer, she swang from the trees with the greatest of ease.

Grandgirl on the Big Swing

When a couple of homesick little boys came to her attention, she wrote them notes of encouragement signed "Secret Lantern Society."

See a down-hearted someone, beloved? Let Jesus shine through you, and brighten their day.

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Free Give-away

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)



This week, the LittleFreeLibrary is offering free copies of The Schoolhouse based on the true story of Elsie Thomas as told in a 1955 letter she wrote describing her adventures as a young teacher at a one-room schoolhouse in the 1916 Tennessee Mountains. Despite the fact that the book is a free gift, only a handful of folks will take one.

What sorrow God must feel when His free gift of eternal life by faith in His Son, Jesus, is refused. 

Rejected. 

Declined. 

Turned down. 

Brushed aside. 

Given the cold shoulder. 

Jesus explained: "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gate to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it (Matthew 7:13-14). For I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me (John 14:6)."

Pastor Chris Hodges: "Heaven is where people choose Jesus to pay for their sins. Hell is where people choose to pay for their own."

Have you taken Jesus, God's free gift, to heart, beloved?

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Happy Heart Story

Grandboy





"A miserable heart means a miserable life; a happy heart fills the day with a song." (Proverbs 15:15)

Smile for the day:


Our two-year-old grandboy has been waiting months and months for his baby brother, Luke, to arrive. At the library, when a lady set a newborn in a carrier seat beside his mother, our grandboy exclaimed with joy, "Mama! Baby Luke!"

Beloved, I pray that your heart is filled with "happy" and many songs of praise to the Lord. Have a joy-filled weekend!

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