Saturday, September 29, 2007

Excerpts from Ephesians

I've been reading and studying through the book of Ephesians this month in my daily Bible reading / study time. I have really enjoyed it and benefited from it... those 6 short chapters are chock full of very deep and rich Truth and meaning, not to mention the passages dealing with very practical everyday application of that Truth and meaning.

I want to post a passage from each of the 6 chapters... a passage that especially "jumped out" at me. (In light of my first paragraph, it was difficult for me to decide on just one passage from each of the chapters.) I hope that these passages which I've selected are as much of an encouragement to you and your walk with the LORD as they were to me.

As a related side note, you might find http://www.biblegateway.com/ helpful as an "online concordance / bible study help." They have a passage / topic / keyword seach engine, as well as the option to view those passages in several different translations / versions and even different languages. Check it out.

Chapter 1

"3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. "

Chapter 2

"1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Chapter 3

"14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,[c] 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Chapter 4

"1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

Chapter 5

"1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Walk in Light 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit[
b]is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret... 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ..."

Chapter 6

"10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

From Mama

"Julia (a.k.a. Mama) says a huge 'thank you' to Caleb & Phoebe, who cleaned my windows. The view is crystal clear. Now I can enjoy even more the many varieties of butterflies & see the dragonflies & english ivy [editors note: we have two huge Spanish Ash trees in our front yard, on them gracefully climbing is beautiful English Ivy]. After the leaves fall from our trees in front, I'll be able to view unobstructed - all the neighboring oaks in their fall attire. Thank you, Phoebe & Caleb, my dears."
Love, Mama

Happy Birthday Grandma~

The David Kautt family is very grateful today, because it is our dear Grandma's birthday! If it wasn't for Grandma Faye, our dearest Daddy wouldn't be here. She is also a great example to all of us of kind hospitality to friends, family & complete strangers. She has taught us to love service, and cooking (she is a first rate cook), and entertaining. Thank you Grandma for all that you do, what a blessing you are to our lives.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Happy Birthday to you dear Grandma! Happy Birthday to you!!!! God bless you always!

We love you and pray that your day was filled with all kinds of joy and blessings from the hand of the Lord.


See you Friday, at the reception!

Gratefully,
David, Julia, Joel, Abby, Caleb, Phoebe, Jo & Ja

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

"Sleeping beauty"



Here are a couple pictures of the "sleeping beauty" (a.k.a Jaden). Abby was reading to us kids & Dad while we were cleaning up the kitchen (at 11:00 pm) the other night and Jaden decided he wanted to listen while taking a little nap. There were two buckets scooted together by Abby's chair, so he just laid down there, (how uncomfortable!) and fell fast asleep. We got a few pictures of him (we have different pictures of us other kids when we were his age, when we did something like fall asleep at the table or spend the night in the bathtub or a plastic bin!).
Enough for now,
Phoebe

Monday, September 24, 2007

Adventure Part II

[editor's note:] Read the first part (September 15 post) of our account of an adventure we had recently.

I [Abby] was very refreshed and challenged by Dr. Sharp’s talk. I took lots of notes, and maybe I'll share them in an up coming post. We purchased two books by David Barton, Original Intent (About the US Constitution) and The Bulletproof George Washington. They look very interesting, and I can't wait to read them.

One thing about this talk is that Dr. Sharp has lots of replicas of dinosaur fossils, and he had a large display this time! Here are a few more photos, including one of the train that we saw go through Tioga while we were eating lunch.

Abby











Sunday, September 23, 2007

Hidden Treasures

At our house we receive a wide array of magazines, newsletters, etc. One that I have learned to enjoy recently is Banner of Truth. They are a book company, and they are having a large Hidden Treasures sale.

Check them out at:http://banneroftruth.org/

Some of the books that are currently 45% off include:

Discussions of Dabney
William Grimshaw of Haworth (Faith Cook)
John Elias: Life, Letters, Essays
Calvin & Calvinists
Selina: Countess of Huntingdon

And many more, plus some new books hot of the press! Offer good through 10/15/07

*Please note that I am not receiving any kind of "kick back" from Banner of Truth. This is simply information that I thought you the readers of this blog, could benefit from.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Birthdays!

We need to say belated Happy birthday to Cousin Reece & Uncle Jay! They both celebrated birthdays this week. May God bless you, now and always, as you strive to serve and glorify Him with your lives!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY Reece & Jay!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

Love,
David, Julie, Joel, Abby, Caleb, Phoebe, Jo & Ja

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Adventure Part I


A few days ago, Joel took all the children (including yours truly), to hear Dr. Thomas Sharp (http://www.creationtruth.com/) give a lecture on Creation, and Dinosaurs. The talk was held at 2:30pm, in Mountain Springs, about 1 hour Northwest of here.

We stopped near the small town of Tioga to eat a bite of lunch (no pictures, sorry), and get some train photos (Joel & Caleb are avid "Railfans"). We stopped next to a large ranch with several horses pastured in close to the road. I took some photos of the one horse that came over to see me, and also of the beautful skies! It was a glorious day!




















More to follow.

Abby

Friday, September 14, 2007

Wait on the Lord

Isaiah 40:31 Tells us:



31 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. ESV



http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/ Check out the complete English Standard Version bible here.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Be Strong

:: Be Strong ::
Maltbie Davonport Babcock (1858-1901)
Be strong!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift;
Shun not the struggle – face it; ‘tis God’s gift.
Be strong!
Say not, "The days are evil. Who’s to blame?"
And fold the hands and acquiesce – oh shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in God’s name.
Be strong!
It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long;
Faint not – fight on! To-morrow comes the song.
Taken from One Hundred and One Famous Poems
Copyright 1929 The Cable Co.

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Happy Grandparents Day!

Happy Grandparents Day "Poppy" (Ron) and "Grams" (Anna) Russell!
Happy Grandparents Day, "Grandpa" (Johny) and "Grandma" (Faye) Kautt!


Tomorrow, Sunday September 9th, is Grandparents' Day.
Much along the same lines as Father's Day or Mother's Day, this day is set aside to honor our Grandparents in much the same way as we would our Father or Mother.
That being the case, we the Kautt Kids, would like to show our honor and appreciation for both sets of our grandparents.
We love you all, and pray that God will draw you into deeper and deeper fellowship with Him as you strive to be His servants! May God bless us with many more years of having you as our Grandparents!

Joel, Abby, Caleb, Phoebe, Johanna, Jaden

From the Scots

"Here is the spring where waters flow,
To quench our heat of sin:
Here is the tree where truth doth grow,
To lead our lives therein:
Here is the judge that stints the strife,
When men’s devices fail:
Here is the bread that feeds the life
That death cannot assail.
The tidings of salvation dear,
Comes to our ears hence:
The fortress of our faith is here,
And shield of defense.
Then be not like the swing that hath
A pearl at his desire,
And takes more pleasure from the trough
And wallowing in the mire.
Read not this book in any case.
But with a single eye:
Read not but first God’s grace,
To understand thereby.
Pray still in faith with this respect,
To bear good fruit therein,
That knowledge may bring this effect,
To mortify you sin.
Then happy you shall be in all you life,
What so to you befalls:
Yes, double happy you shall be,
When God by death you calls."


(From the first Bible printed in Scotland – 1676)
Taken from the MacArthur Study Bible c .1997 – John MacArthur

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Farewell to Dr. D. James Kennedy

We were saddened, (and yet as Christians rejoice) to hear about the passing of Dr. James Kennedy this morning (2:15 A.M. EST). Our family loved to listen to him on Sunday morning's and also lately, (due to the fact that Mom's been ill). We have enjoyed watching his Truth's that Transform on TBN Sunday mornings. I ran over to Answers in Genesis' web-site to see if they had written a piece on this event, and was not disappointed. I suggest that you take a look at this tribute, and the pictures. He was a great warrior in the culture war, and will be greatly missed! We thank the Lord for his legacy, and the ministries he leaves behind.

Please keep Dr. Kennedy's wife (Anne) and daughter Jennifer in your prayers.

Here's the link over to AiG's tribute to Dr. Kennedy.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2007/09/05/kennedy-tribute

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

About today

This morning Abby & I got up at 6:00am after going to bed at 11:00pm. It was very fun (and tiring) and we got to make breakfast, instead of dad doing it! When we got up it was still as dark as night outside, and so I had to get dressed in the darkness of our room. Thankfully I didn't put any clothing on backwards! For breakfast we made: rice, bread, & apple/orange smoothie! Yummy! That is our usual breakfast meal, and it is very good (and healthy:))!

Today it is kind of cloudy and looks very much like it's going to start pouring down rain. The high for the next few days is supposed to be only in the mid-80's. It's going to be a nice week!

Enough for now,
Phoebe

Monday, September 3, 2007

Our weekend

Well,
Since Daddy is a pastor here, our weekends can be very hectic! This weekend Caleb (15) & Phoebe (12) stayed at home with Mom; so that left Joel (21), Abigail (17), Johanna (9) & Jaden (4) to go with Dad. Thankfully we live within 5-15 minutes of our church building (depends on traffic, how many red lights, etc.) so the drive is easy. Dad has been preaching on Sin, and this past Sunday started a new series of sermons on Loving God with all our heart, (the greatest commandment). After service, we cleaned up and then headed home to eat lunch with the rest of the family. Phoebe had it already started out on the grill (i.e. out door kitchen), and so that was a blessing. We enjoyed a very nice, quiet afternoon, Dad even read! Wow! He doesn't have much time for "recreation", so it was great to see him just sitting, relaxing. We watched the first part of a Moody Science dvd, about the Planet Earth. Very interesting, and great filming. The rest of the afternoon was spent in either taking naps, reading, playing kick-ball, or relaxing. It was so nice to have a afternoon with pretty much nothing happening! :) On Friday & Saturday the ladies (minus Mom), cleaned the house, we polished light switches, wiped down cabinents, dusted the many rooms of the house, cleaned the bathrooms, cleaned Mom & Dad's room, vacuumed, and cleaned the blinds. On Saturday I trimmed Dad's hair, and did some other clean-up, laundry and Sunday preparations. I got up at 6:15 on Sat. morning and didn't turn out the light until 11:30 that night! I was so tired, but thankfully I had accomplished so much! Phoebe & myself (Abby) have started making breakfast as well as the other meals, and so we have (for the last 2 wks.) been getting up anywhere from 6:25-7:00. Joel is also going to be starting a new job mid-week this week, and has to be at the job site by 7:30, so we'll have to get up at 5:00! I love getting up early, since I am aiming to be a Proverbs 31 women, this is exciting to me (the late bird). "She rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household..." So you can see a little of what we do each weekend.

-Abby

Saturday, September 1, 2007

"Washington crossing the Delaware drawing"

" Washington crossing the Delaware River"


Here is a drawing that my brother Caleb drew yesterday. It is of Washington crossing the Delaware River. It is very good, considering it is with ink.

~Phoebe

P.S. I told you we were going to post a lot of drawings! :)

"Thomas Jefferson Drawing"

"Thomas Jefferson" (Non-edited/Original)

"Thomas Jefferson" (Edited)


Here is a picture of Thomas Jefferson that I drew in art class this morning. I must say, Jefferson's head is kind of smushed!! :) Well, I'll have to work on it, and (Lord willing) I will get better! Just to warn you, we will probably be posting a lot of our drawings on here, so get ready!

Yesterday and this morning I taught the art class to Abby & Johanna. (Caleb is in another book, and is basically teaching himself) This was our first unit, so the teacher was also learning while teaching the students! I love art, so it was very fun & exciting. Enjoy!

~Phoebe

P.S. I had to edit the picture to make where you could actually see it, so it is not the original. I am posting both the edited and the non-edited.

Peace & Thanksgiving

These past few months have been difficult because of Mom's illness, and at times I have been downright un-peaceful because of the seriousness of the illness. Some verses that I have been memorizing and applying to my life prior to and now during Mom's illness and recovery are: Psalm 46:1-2


"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah"


This is just the beginning of a powerful Psalm, about God being near to His people in their times of trouble; which we have all faced times of distress due to the fact that we are living in a fallen, sin-cursed world that is reeling from the effects of Adam's Fall. It is amazing how fast we forget that God is our refuge and our strength, how often we let worry or doubt creep in and take hold of our hearts for whatever reason. That is when we need the reminder that the Apostle Paul gives in the book of Philippians.


"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."


The connection between worry and unthankfulness, and thankfulness and peace are an amazing theme throughout the bible. When we are ungrateful, we will be un-peaceful, and worrisome. We must remember that God is the giver of everything in our lives, and daily prayer and thanksgiving is important to our spiritual health and well being. As a sinful creature, I struggle with ingratitude, and grumbling can become the "way of life" if I'm not careful; what's the remedy you might ask?

Well... very simply giving thanks to our Creator and the daily provider of life,our "daily bread", and the many "earthly" possessions we enjoy! Being thankful! So take a few minutes and just count your blessings. It doesn't need to just be done on Thanksgiving Day. It needs to take place every day! Make today a day of thanksgiving in your life!

-Abby