ARE YOU READY?

I just have a quick question for you today.

ARE YOU READY?  Ready for what, you might ask in return.  Are you ready to meet Jesus?

There's a song that speaks about the "signs of the times" that they are everywhere.  That's a scary thought to some but to those who are ready, it's hope for a new and better life in the hereafter.

Truly though, some people feel as if they can live in sin just one more day, one more year because after all there are still a few unfulfilled prophesies that must take place before Christ comes for his bride.  There are many who believe they have plenty of time to get "right" with God.  There's no need to worry about that today.  There's no pressure and no urgency to do that now.  But I ask, are you looking at the signs of the times in speculation that you have more time to play with your salvation, or are you looking at the here and now, wondering if you will live to see tomorrow?  You see the thing is, none of us know the day nor the hour that the son of man will return.  None of us have been promised another day on this earth.  None of us have been promised a long life and none of us get to choose when our life is over.  Jesus never said He would wait until the end of the world to come for any of us.  In reality He might just choose to come for you today.  Are you ready?

Behold, now is the accepted time;

behold, NOW is the day of salvation.

                              2 Corin. 6:2b

Mason Jar Challenge

Mason jars aren't just for canning anymore!  They are truly versatile and the possibilities of their use are endless so why not host a mason jar challenge at your next ladies meeting.  

If you are in the mood for a ladies meeting that is fun and full of laughter and even full of creative inspiration, try this...

Set the date and time for your get together.  

Sometime before the meeting give each lady a mason jar (or you can have them supply their own), you choose, and ask each lady to try and come up with the most unique or creative use for their jar.  Here are just a few ideas I found on Pinterest and other places.

Snow globe in a jar

DIY lantern garland

DIY Terrarium

Table place setting in a jar

a cute and clever idea for picnics and get togethers

Hot cocoa mix in a jar

great gift idea

Salad in a jar

There are a number of foods you can serve in a jar.

It's a great and convenient way to serve foods in individual serving sizes

And who doesn't want desert?  

Bet you didn't know that you could actually bake in these sweet little jars.

Yes, they are oven safe up to 425 degrees.

Could you imagine these warm individually sized cobblers topped with vanilla ice cream?  To die for!

Now you might want to keep all of these ideas as a secret for yourself, but do tell the other ladies to get their creative juices flowing because this is a contest to see who can come up with the most clever use for their jar!  

Set up a judges panel and give prizes to first, second and third place winners.   This is a super fun idea and get ready to have a time of laughter and perhaps even be inspired by some truly clever ideas.

Suggestion:  Do a mason jar gift exchange.  Have the ladies get into a circle holding the jar they brought to the challenge.  Play some music or tell a cute mason jar story while the ladies are passing the jars to the left or right.  When the song or story is done the ladies get to keep the jar they are holding.

Suggestion:  Bring a mason jar dessert or snack for each lady.  You can also serve the drinks in mason jars.  

Suggestion:  Decorate the tables using mason jars as vases or candle holders (or both as mason jars come in a variety of sizes).

This is sure to be a fun time for all.  Enjoy!

BEWARE OF THE PHARISAICAL ATTITUDE

Have you ever bit into an apple that was simply beautiful on the outside only to find out that the closer you got to the core the more rotten it became?  You were craving a juicy, sweet fruit but what you got was nothing but a bite of raw bitterness that left a bad taste in your mouth.

Similarly, have you ever met someone who appeared to be the epitome of Christianity only to find out that their inner attitude betrayed their appearance?  Leaves that same bad taste in your mouth, doesn't it?

There was a group of folks in Jesus' day, the Pharisees, who were very much like the person I just described.  Apparently their hypocrisy left a bitter taste in Jesus' mouth and he called them on it...

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness.
                                    Matthew 23:27

Whoa, talk about a rebuke!  If Jesus were speaking today he might say something like this (replacing the name Pharisee for Christian)...You Christians think you're all that.  You look like Christians on the outside.  You dress just so but your attitude stinks.  You have some issues of the heart that you need to take care of.  Hypocrites!!

Though the term Pharisee is no longer used in today's society, there is no shortage of pharisees in Christianity today.  By that I mean that there are still those who are committed to looking like the perfect Christian specimen but their Christianity is only skin deep.  Their hearts are full of vanity, pride, hatred, judgmentalism, disdain and self-righteousness.  Furthermore, Jesus still hates it!  

Why?  Because this attitude is so very damaging to the innocent bystander, to the person who is truly seeking to be holy.

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men:

for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

                                      Matthew 23:13

There is an old adage that says..."One bad apple spoils the whole bunch".  Oh how true that is!  Likewise, one person (or one group of people) with this Pharisaical attitude can damage many souls.  I know this from personal experience.  I was once affiliated with a group of modern day Pharisees.  Apparently they had not been taught that true holiness resonates from the inside and that making the outside shine doesn't get rid of the dirt that lurks around inside their stinky little hearts.  It merely hides it away from unsuspecting souls.  Their Pharisaical attitude at times rubbed off on myself, my husband and my children but for the most part it ate away at our spirit and damaged, even crippled our walk with God.  I am assured that this is the very reason that Jesus was (and still is) so against it.  Truthfully God is repulsed by it and I am too.

We have since disaffiliated with that group and our walk with God is improving, but the whole experience left a bitter taste in our mouths.

As true Christians we owe it to ourselves and to those around us to examine ourselves daily and make sure that our attitudes stay fresh and pure and that the core of our heart stays sweet.  We mustn't take any chances of allowing any root of bitterness to spring up within us that would trouble ourselves or defile any one else.

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God;

lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you],

and thereby many be defiled.

                                      Hebrews 12:15

We must make sure that the inside of our hearts are as nice and holy as we appear to be outwardly.

We must mindfully

BEWARE OF THE PHARISAICAL ATTITUDE!