before, after and end......

Wow!!!! my daughter, Bethany made a post on her blog!!!!! She is still with us! and she even gave it some seasonal flair! very major!!!

A dreary day here for sure, rain/cloudy, but coffee and a warm toasty fire can cheer ones heart!! Bethany and Anna headed over to Ada to fumigate/clean the rent house! Guys.....I can't understand how they can ALL live like that?!?!?!? We still got the two crews going, one in Ada and one on OKC.

We had a great Sunday! For the past several months we have been visiting local church in our little town and through prayer and input from our older children our family officially became a part of this body of believers. We feel blessed to be apart of such wonderful folks, sound teaching/doctrine, expository preaching, and ministry opportunities. Had some friends over after church for dinner, lotsa fun, back to church and then to pizza hut as it is becoming a Sunday eve tradition, but this coming Sunday eve. we are going to do a "plan b!!" Haha!!!

I read two verses this morning in I Peter that made me think of our journey here. It got me to thinking and caused me to view our journey in light of these three words, "before, after and end." The scripture says there was a time before faith came, Galatians 3:23, but before faith came we were kept under the law. If I look back I see my life before faith, lost, enjoying sin, no fear of God, a life without God. Then through the Spirits work of grace affecting my heart.... repentance and faith was given, and the after thus began. Galatians 3:25, But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. Now I want to spend some time here because this is where I am, you are if you know Jesus as your Savior. You are now in the after faith. It might also be considered the "middle" because there was a before faith and there will be the end of faith. What happens in this "middle section, or time, or journey??? Well.....a whole lot, a life time of stuff and it all has the goal of making us more fit for eternity. The verse I read in I Peter gives us one thing that happens in this "middle" section that comes after faith yet before the end of faith. Chapter 1:7, the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire. Everyone's "middle" will be different, and I am not talking bout your belly!! hehehe!!!!! Our before is all alike, we are sinners and our after will all be alike, we will be made in His image. Some peoples "middle" will have many trials of faith, some few. There are also many other things that should happen to our "middles." Our faith should grow in grace and knowledge, live by faith, demonstrate works because of faith, ask in faith, pray in faith, stand fast in the faith, godly edifying which is in faith, fight the good fight of faith, greet them in faith, a testimony of faith and many more. Right now is when all this should be happening because one day the end of faith will come. Not that we will loose our faith but there will be that glorious day when we will not need faith anymore, it will all be sight, face to face!!!!!! Everything we had to have faith for will be visible....Jesus!! The verse in I Peter verifies that the end of faith will come, recieving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls, (v 8). So if you are in the after/middle of faith, then do the living of it, seek God, love him, know we will be tried, know we will have victory, know he will never forsake us, know he wants us to become more like him. Maybe your in the "before" faith, maybe you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, the scripture says that whosoever will can come! You can be cleansed, forgiven, made a new creature in Christ. And for all that know Him, well, one day our faith will end and wow, what a wonderful day!!! Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith!!!!!

Gotta get some deer chili going! They got volley ball on the agenda tonight! ( in a gym that is) I just want to stay snuggled in my warm house!!

Happy Monday......