We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

Through no fault or choice of my own, I am unable to express my sexuality in the beauty and intimacy of Christian marriage, as God intended when He created me a sexual being in His own image. To seek to do this outside of marriage is, by the clear teaching of Scripture, to sin against God and against my own nature. As a committed Christian, then, I have no alternative but to live a life of voluntary celibacy. I must be chaste not only in body, but in mind and spirit as well. Since I am now in my 60’s I think that my experience of what this means is valid. I want to go on record as having proved that for those who are committed to do God’s will, His commands are his enablings... My whole being cries out continually for something I may not have. My whole life must be lived in the context of this never-ceasing tension. My professional life, my social life, my personal life, my Christian life - all are subject to its constant and powerful pull. As a Christian I have no choice but to obey God, cost what it may. I must trust Him to make it possible for me to honor Him in my singleness. That this is possible, a mighty cloud of witnesses will join me to attest. Multitudes of single Christians in every age and circumstance have proved God’s sufficiency in this matter. He has promised to meet our needs and He honors His word. If we seek fulfillment in Him, we shall find it. It may not be easy, but whoever said that Christian life was easy? The badge of Christ’s discipleship was a cross. Why must I live my life alone? I do not know. But Jesus Christ is Lord of my life. I believe in the sovereignty of God, and I accept my singleness from his hand. He could have ordered my life otherwise, but He has not chosen to do so. As his child, I must trust His love and wisdom.

Margaret Clarkson

I was a sinner, less perfect than God. By conviction of the Holy Spirit I learned that my condition would incur the eternal condemnation of God if I did not submit to His grace. I acknowledged myself a sinner and threw myself on His mercy and grace, recognizing that He had brought salvation to earth through His Son Jesus Christ. After God the Father put God the Son to death on the cross, He could proclaim grace and pardon to all who would submit to Him. I came to the cross, believed His promise about His Son, and God declared me righteous even while I was ungodly and gave me authority to become His child. I ceased to be a child of wrath and became a child of God, justified from all things. Simultaneously, I was declared to be an heir of God, joint-heir with Jesus Christ. I received eternal life, and shall never perish. I was accepted in the Beloved; my body became the temple of the Holy Spirit; I was born of the Spirit into the family of God, baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ, and sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption. I have an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fades not away, reserved in Heaven for me. Although I know myself to be a sinner, I am not concerned about the penalty for sin, since the Lord Jesus Christ bore the penalty and declared me righteous. The love of Christ becomes the constraining factor in my life, and I seek to glorify Him as Lord. I know Him as my Creator and so have peace of mind. I know Him as Savior and so have peace of conscience. In the measure that I enter into the second rest, I know Him as Lord and find the peace that passes all understanding.

Donald Grey Barnhouse

We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

Chocolate Filigree Hearts

January 22, 2023

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
		Chocolate, Desserts, Candies	12	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1	oz	Semi-Sweet Chocolate*
1	ts	Shortening

INSTRUCTIONS

*Ingredient List should read: 1 oz. (1 square) semi-sweet chocolate. Draw 1
pattern of a heart design on white paper. Cut twelve 3 x 3" squares of
waxed paper. Set aside. In small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate
with shortening, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Pour chocolate mixture
into small squeeze bottle or pastry bag with small writing tip. Place
pattern piece on cookie sheet. Lay waxed paper square over pattern. Pipe
chocolate over outline. (Chocolate lines should be about 1/2" wide.)
Carefully slip out pattern piece. Repeat, making 12 filigree hearts.
Refrigerate 30 minutes or until ready to use. Carefully peel off waxed
paper; place on dessert. Nutritional Info: 1 Heart: 15 calories,
Carbohydrates, 2 g; Fat, 1 g; Potassium, 8 mg. Note: I wish I could draw in
this program, but can't, so let me try to verbally describe the hearts--the
hooked part of the heart should look like a scroll. Do not fill in the
hearts. They should be just a 1/2" wide outline.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

A Message from our Provider:

“You’re never too young for God”