The great love of God comes to us in the Gospel of grace. This inspiring passage (John 15) speaks of God's sovereignty in calling the believer to salvation. Although we may think we alone made the decision to receive Christ as Savior, God was working behind the scenes to bring us to Him. "You did not choose Him, He chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain." (John 16)
The cross of Jesus is the supreme evidence of the love of God. Let us rejoice in our appreciation for His birth, earthly walk, suffering and death. "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15: 13). During this time of the year, we all reflect back in our lives and remember loved ones who are no longer with us here on earth. My family and I pause and pray, and say thanks for the many blessing that have been bestowed upon us. I pray that we all pause and take the time to pray and enjoy family and friends. Although our country is facing financial difficulty, we still have life and an opportunity to make a difference in our community and our world.
On behalf of Mandarin Christian School, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I trust you will enjoy the time with family and fellow believers in Jesus Christ, always remembering the reason for the season. God Bless.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Promise
The Bible doesn't promise a life free of pain, difficulty, or loss. It does promise (to those of us who believe in Christ) that we will have a Companion along the journey to help, encourage, and strengthen us in whatever may come our way. The Promise:
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6).
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6).
He is the One who is our Sanctuary - In order to live a life that is an exclamation point in a world of question marks. If you know Christ, let Him build the hope of His presence into your life-experience.
If you have not given your life to Christ, you know this world can be a place of extreme difficulty and struggle. The good news is that we don't have to face it alone. Jesus Christ came into the world to restore our broken relationship with God and to give us lives of purpose and meaning, both now and forever. In the book of John (3:16) the apostle writes:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
By accepting God's love and forgiveness, we will enter into a new relationship with Christ. He is the only help and hope we need for life - and for eternity.
In his book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren asks the question: What on earth am I here for? We are not an accident. Even before the universe was created, God had us in mind, and He planned us for His purposes. We were made to last forever!
If you have not given your life to Christ, you know this world can be a place of extreme difficulty and struggle. The good news is that we don't have to face it alone. Jesus Christ came into the world to restore our broken relationship with God and to give us lives of purpose and meaning, both now and forever. In the book of John (3:16) the apostle writes:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
By accepting God's love and forgiveness, we will enter into a new relationship with Christ. He is the only help and hope we need for life - and for eternity.
In his book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren asks the question: What on earth am I here for? We are not an accident. Even before the universe was created, God had us in mind, and He planned us for His purposes. We were made to last forever!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Living a New Life
In Galatians 5: 16, 24 the apostle Paul advises all mankind to live in the Holy Spirit. Living in the Holy Spirit keeps you from doing what your sinful nature craves. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful natures to His cross and crucified them there.
When a man or woman gets married, he or she embarks on a new life. Later when they retire, they start another new life. Should one of them lose their spouse, he or she begins all over again. Life is all about changes, challenges and choices.
The more drastic changes in life, such as marriage, retirement, bereavement or relocation (The Stuart Family) call for far-reaching adjustments. But none is as far-reaching as the change that takes place when an individual commits his life to Christ.
Paul describes this as “new life in the Holy Spirit” and calls the believer to live accordingly (Gal. 5:16). The fundamental difference in such a new life is described as no longer “doing what your sinful nature craves,” but living now by the Holy Spirit (5: 16). This involves following “the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (5:25). Two options are clearly presented – following a “sinful nature {that} loves to do evil” (5:17), or living in such a way that “the Holy Spirit controls our lives” (5:22).
New believers are often surprised to discover, after the initial joy of committing their lives to Christ has worn down a little, how we all struggle to live a new life. The expectation is that everything would be fresh, new and wonderful and that we would somehow be transported into a new kind of stratospheric spirituality—free from pain, struggle, worry or defeat. This is when we must learn to trust God and develop faith in His magnificent Word. We need to learn that even though we are now in Christ, the two "forces”—the sinful nature and the Holy Spirit—“ are constantly at war fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict”(5:17).
Sometimes this may seem discouraging. Believers need to remember that we are not impotent in the midst of this struggle. We will always have the freedom and the power to choose whether we will be dominated by the sinful nature or be led by the Spirit of God. We are required to make this choice—or more accurately, continue to make choices... and make the right choice.
To choose to “follow the Holy Spirit’s leading” includes recognizing that we are saying YES to Christ; as believers we are saying no to the sins for which Christ died. Jesus has “nailed the passions and desires of [the] sinful nature” to the cross, and he continues to say no to them (5:24). At the same time, he says YES to the gracious working of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As he does this, he finds he’s living a new life—a rich full life, a life that honors GOD and blesses all people. We must all continue to live a new life for Christ.
When a man or woman gets married, he or she embarks on a new life. Later when they retire, they start another new life. Should one of them lose their spouse, he or she begins all over again. Life is all about changes, challenges and choices.
The more drastic changes in life, such as marriage, retirement, bereavement or relocation (The Stuart Family) call for far-reaching adjustments. But none is as far-reaching as the change that takes place when an individual commits his life to Christ.
Paul describes this as “new life in the Holy Spirit” and calls the believer to live accordingly (Gal. 5:16). The fundamental difference in such a new life is described as no longer “doing what your sinful nature craves,” but living now by the Holy Spirit (5: 16). This involves following “the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (5:25). Two options are clearly presented – following a “sinful nature {that} loves to do evil” (5:17), or living in such a way that “the Holy Spirit controls our lives” (5:22).
New believers are often surprised to discover, after the initial joy of committing their lives to Christ has worn down a little, how we all struggle to live a new life. The expectation is that everything would be fresh, new and wonderful and that we would somehow be transported into a new kind of stratospheric spirituality—free from pain, struggle, worry or defeat. This is when we must learn to trust God and develop faith in His magnificent Word. We need to learn that even though we are now in Christ, the two "forces”—the sinful nature and the Holy Spirit—“ are constantly at war fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict”(5:17).
Sometimes this may seem discouraging. Believers need to remember that we are not impotent in the midst of this struggle. We will always have the freedom and the power to choose whether we will be dominated by the sinful nature or be led by the Spirit of God. We are required to make this choice—or more accurately, continue to make choices... and make the right choice.
To choose to “follow the Holy Spirit’s leading” includes recognizing that we are saying YES to Christ; as believers we are saying no to the sins for which Christ died. Jesus has “nailed the passions and desires of [the] sinful nature” to the cross, and he continues to say no to them (5:24). At the same time, he says YES to the gracious working of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As he does this, he finds he’s living a new life—a rich full life, a life that honors GOD and blesses all people. We must all continue to live a new life for Christ.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Our Mission Continues...
Thank you for the support you have shown, and for choosing Mandarin Christian School.
We continue our commitment for the purpose of Kingdom Education. We believe that every child is a unique creation of God. Our goal is for each student to know God’s purpose for his life. The mission of Mandarin School will continue to seek God’s will from a Biblical Worldview in developing each child’s unique potential to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, a life long learner and a productive citizen.
Your decision concerning your child’s education is a major one, made by informed parents and guardians. For more information about where we are headed as a school, or if you'd like to schedule a visit, please do not hesitate to call (904) 268-8667.
We continue our commitment for the purpose of Kingdom Education. We believe that every child is a unique creation of God. Our goal is for each student to know God’s purpose for his life. The mission of Mandarin School will continue to seek God’s will from a Biblical Worldview in developing each child’s unique potential to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, a life long learner and a productive citizen.
Your decision concerning your child’s education is a major one, made by informed parents and guardians. For more information about where we are headed as a school, or if you'd like to schedule a visit, please do not hesitate to call (904) 268-8667.
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