The Story of Ian and Larissa

Meet Ian and Larissa Murphy.  

Their story is a beautiful one of a godly marriage and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ladies, grab and tissue and be blessed :)

Their story:

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/why-we-got-married

Their blog:

http://prayforian.blogspot.com/

Ian's company:

http://vinegarhillcreative.com/

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Rom 8:28

Ten Ways To Love

1.  Listen without interrupting.  
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. 
Proverbs 18


2.  Speak without accusing.  
Know this , my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger...
James 1:19


3.  Give without sparing.
All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.
Proverbs 21:26


4.  Pray without ceasing.
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding...
Colossians 1:9


5.  Answer without arguing.
Better s a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.
Proverbs 17:1


6.  Share without pretending.
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the heard, into Christ...
Ephesians 4:15


7.  Enjoy without complaint.
Do all things without grumpling or questioning
Philippians 2:14


8.  Trust without wavering.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Corinthians 13:7


9.  Forgive without punishing.
...bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Colossians 3:13


10. Promise without forgetting.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12

WHAT IS MINISTRY?

Ministry is....

Giving when you feel like keeping...

Praying for others when you need prayed for...

Feeding others when your own soul is still hungry...

Living truth before people when you cannot see results...

Hurting for others when your own hurts cannot be spoken...

Keeping your word when it is not convenient...

Being faithful when your own flesh wants to run away.

-Author Unknown

The Comfort and Encouragement of Brotherly Love

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

1 Peter 1:22-25

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 40:1-11

The Story of Isaiah 40

After announcing comfort, the ending of warfare, iniquity pardoned, the prophetic announcement of the coming Messiah and all flesh seeing Him, the Lord reminds these people of he difference between the power of men and the power of God.

Into that overwhelming discouragement, the Lord speaks reminding the people of His power even in the face of seemingly unstoppable superpowers...He is God.

The Relevance of Isaiah 40 in 1 Peter 1:22-25.

We, the people of God, by our birth as new creatures in Christ, are now strangers and exiles in this world, and we can also find ourselves discouraged if we do not stay focused on our God and His unchanging decrees.

We wait for the coming of our Lord, confident that He will return, tend his flock like a shepherd, gather the lambs in his arms, carry them in his bosom, and gently leads them.

As those not belonging to this world, we remember that regardless of what man may say, it is the Lord's Word that stands and controls our lives.

How does this passage relate to brotherly love?

Because we are strangers to this world, members of the Kingdom, and a true ethnicity of God, we have much more in common with the people of god than we do the people of the world.

As the body of Christ, we comfort and encourage the people of God with the Word of God.

The Word preached to us is the Word of God in which He has decreed full and final salvation when we will be sinless and perfect brothers and sisters in Christ.

...while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."

Ex. 19:3-6

Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you.

Deut. 11:16-17

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Gal. 5:19-24

...since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God

1 Peter 1:23

The Command of Brotherly Love

A continuation of our church study on "brotherly love".

The Command of Brotherly Love

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

1 Peter 1:22-25

Brotherly Love is the Hallmark of a Believer.

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

John 13:35

Because of the purifying work of God brought about in our salvation we are now able to obey the command of brotherly love.

The very reason that genuine brotherly love can be a proof of discipleship is because it is only possible because of the transforming, purifying work of the Spirit of God in the heart of believers.

...remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,

because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. Timothy 1:3-5

Brotherly love is evidence of being of God and knowing God.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

Brotherly love is evidence of being a child of God.

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

1 John 3:10

Brotherly love is the evidence of God abiding in us.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

1 John 3:14

Brotherly love is the proof that we genuinely love God.

If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

1 John 4:20

Brotherly love must be carefully guarded.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Heb 10:24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

Heb 10:25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:23-25

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Hebrews 10:32-39

Because brotherly love is a mark of true discipleship, it will be one of the first actions abandoned and discarded by false believers in times of oppositions and especially as the coming of Christ draws nearer. True believers must be even more careful that their love for each other be vibrant and strong in these times of opposition as living proof of their commitment to Christ and His body.

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24:9-12

To listen to the sermon in it's entirety, click here: http://www.crossroadsfamily.org/531091PeterCh1Vs22thru25TheCommandOfBrotherlyLove.mp3

Getting to the Heart of Modesty

At the Well…In Pursuit of Titus 2, an online gathering place for Christian women, with articles written by around 20 ladies plus guests. They’ve just started a new series of questions and answers, and one of the questions was about modesty. Those of you who’ve gotten to know me will be able to imagine how my eyes lit up when I read that one. I wanted to share the question and my answer here. (And I encourage you all to check out the full post to read the other ladies thought-provoking responses as well.)

Here’s the question:

I was wondering how you view the Bible’s take on modesty? I was raised very conservative and still dress alot differently than the world, but it seems like so many Christian women don’t think that’s important anymore. Alot of people I know say it’s just a difference of opinion or a personal standard, but that doesn’t make much sense to me really. And I also struggle with knowing that it makes it more difficult for my husband when women in the church are dressed indecently. It’s bad enough that there’s so much temptation out there anyway but it seems like the men should get a break from that when they’re around fellow Christians. And unfortunately it’s not just the younger ones either, but alot of the older women that dress badly…ones that could be setting a better example. I’ve enjoyed reading all the posts on different topics and would love to hear someone else’s thoughts on this subject, according to what you think is right by the Bible and what the Lord would be pleased with us doing. I want to be someone who not only sets an example by my actions in this area, but also someone whose able to give a reason for why it’s the right thing to do when questioned.

And here’s my take on it:

Modesty is one of those Jell-O concepts. You try to pick it up, and it squishes fiendishly out between your fingers. 1 Timothy 2:9 commands women to dress modestly, but what does that actually mean when we’re getting dressed in the morning? How many inches long do our skirts really have to be? Some people have a hunch that there’s a cultural element in there somewhere. After all, in the Victorian era it was scandalous to let your ankles show, which makes the average Amish woman scandalous by Victorian standards. And then there’s our “freedom in Christ.” Modesty rules so often smack of legalism that a lot of people would like to throw them out completely. But then there’s that pesky 1 Timothy 2:9 again, commanding us to dress modestly.

What to do? What to do?

I believe the answer is: Be loving.

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. –Galatians 5:13-14

Women’s bodies were designed to excite and delight men. It’s pretty simple biology: woman shows her body off, man notices it’s getting a little warm in here. But here’s the thing we all need to remember: God made women that way to bless our marriages, not to give men a constant buffet of lust-provoking eye candy.

Now for the love part. If the way I’m dressing is causing a man to take his eyes and mind off of his wife and put them on me, then I’m not being loving. Actually, I’m being selfish. I’m putting my own desire to be stylish, or to get attention, or to show off my cute figure above my brother’s purity or my sister’s marriage.

And it’s true that exactly where the line is will vary by culture, but since I’m a part of my culture, I really don’t have an excuse. I know what’s sexy in my sphere, and if I’m going to be loving, I had better save it for my husband alone and not flaunt it on the streets, or in the pew, or at my neighbor’s open house.

So when I’m getting dressed in the morning, I need to check my modesty level with my mirror, not my tape measure. It’s not really important how many inches my skirt is. What matters is whether my total package is “shamefacedness and sobriety” (1 Timothy 2:9) or “steamy little sex toy”. Guidelines may change, but our motivation should not. In our dress as well as in everything else, as Christian women, we should be ruled by love.

Practicl Love

“I am patient with you because I love you and want to forgive you.

I am kind to you because I love you and want to help you.

I do not envy your possessions or your gifts because I love you

and want you to have the best.

I do not boast about my attainments because I love you and want to hear about yours.

I am not proud because I love you and want to esteem you before myself.

I am not rude because I love you and care about your feelings.

I am not self-seeking because I love you and want to meet your needs.

I am not easily angered by you because I love you and want to overlook your offenses.

I do not keep a record of your wrongs because I love you,

and ‘love covers a multitude of sins.’ “

(Jerry Bridges)

Action Statements based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

The Discipline of Grace, p. 39

Brotherly Love

Over the last several weeks, our pastor has been teaching a series on "Brotherly Love". The sermons have been such a blessing to me, that I wanted to share the highlights. If you'd like to hear the sermons in there entirety, please click visit the church website at http://www.crossroadsfamily.org/Sermons.html.

Defining Brotherly Love

According to Peter, we have been purified (or transformed) to who we should be, by our obedience to the truth (gospel) for the purpose of brotherly love. Sincere Brotherly love is one of the goals of our Redemption in believing the gospel we have been set apart from the ways of the world and the sinful ways in which we previously thought and treated others.

What is brotherly love? The term "philadelphia" translated "brotherly love" does not simply mean love like someone would express to a brother, but love because someone is a brother.

D.A. Carson said, "Genuine brotherly love is a righteous relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ that is based on God's character expressed in His Word and our birth and adoption as children of God."

Love thinks and acts in accordance with our new nature and God's perfect will for us.

Where and when is brotherly love best expressed? Just as we a re joined to Christ, we are also joined to all people of God. We are joined as living stones, the body of Christ, to all other true believers.

Through brotherly love is expressed to all genuine believers whenever possible, it is expressed on a continual basis within the local body of believers of which every Christian, if obedient, will be a part.

How do we apply this to our lives? Do we have a clear Biblical understanding of love? Are we practicing genuine biblical love or worldly love while assuming the two are the same? Have I fully committed to love others believers in the body of Christ and especially within the local church?

Scripture references:

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

1 Peter 1:22-25

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:4-5

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

1 Cor. 12:12-13

...which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

1 Cor. 12:24-27

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Cor. 13:4-7

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isiah 40