A Beautiful Design Video Series

Matt Chandler has a YouTube series on Biblical manhood and womanhood called A Beautiful Design. There are ten videos in this series and you will find all ten posted here.

Take your time. Each sermon is a typical sermon 45+ minutes. Listen to one each day for the next ten days when you have your devotional time with the Lord. Be praying that, as a wife, you will fully cooperate with God's beautiful design for you as a woman of God.

A Beautiful Design (Part One): In the Beginning

A Beautiful Design (Part Two): In His Image

A Beautiful Design (Part Three): Man's Purpose

A Beautiful Design (Part Four): Man's Hurdles

A Beautiful Design (Part Five): Man's Redemption

A Beautiful Design (Part Six): Incomplete

A Beautiful Design (Part Seven): Woman's Purpose

A Beautiful Design (Part Eight): Woman's Hurdle

A Beautiful Design (Part Nine): Woman's Redemption

A Beautiful Design (Part Ten): Together for the Gospel

Posted by Sharon Kaufman

A Beautiful Design Video Series

on August 31, 2019 0 comments

The Good Work God has Started in You, He Will Complete - He Promised

Lately, I've been studying through the book of Philippians. Well, let's just say, I've started that wonderful journey.

Today, I looked at Philippians 1:9-11. These three verses are so full of the wonder of what God will do in us, His children. I have been stunned once more by His goodness and faithfulness. May I share with you what He's shown me?

Of course, we have to start with Scripture: "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God" (Philippians 1:9-11).

Here we see Paul praying for the Philippian believers. But if we look back at verse six of chapter one - just three verses before our text - we get a little more information regarding this prayer: "For I (Paul), am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (italics my addition).

Paul makes a statement that God is going to complete the good work that He began in these Christians. But in verses 9-11, Paul, nevertheless, goes on to ask God to accomplish that good work. Interesting, huh? Why would Paul think that he needs to pray for something that he knows God will already do?

The first thing God reminded me of...

...is that in the work He accomplishes, whatever that may be, He does it in concert with His people's prayers. He has ordained that He would use prayer, a human means, to accomplish His glorious purposes. Of course, He still gets the glory for the things that His people pray for (that He will actually accomplish).

He gets the glory because He does the good work in us. But He even gets the glory for His people's prayers. His Spirit prompts us to pray by burdening us for His purposes. And then we pray.

So the praying begins with Him and the work ends with Him accomplishing what has been prayed for. All we do is ask for what He's burdened us with. He does the work as Paul's prayer states: "...He who began a good work", will also perfect (complete) that good work.  So, Paul, knowing this promise prays for what he's confident God will do for the Philippians.

The next thing God reminded me of was how we see this process in everyday life... 

The way the Lord works may seem odd? But it really shouldn't. It is, in fact, so simple. We see it in everyday life, especially in the relationship children have with their parents. 

When my children were small, they couldn't even get a cup of water for themselves. But all they had to do was ask me for it and it was theirs. So who actually gave them the water? I did, of course. Would they have had that cup of water had they not asked me? Probably, but not immediately, at that very moment that they were thirsty. As a parent though, I would have made sure they were consistently hydrated since I guard their wellbeing.

And here's the key. Like thirst prompts my child to ask, the Spirit prompts the saint to ask. We see the need, then we feel the need via the Spirit, whatever that may be. For Paul, that need was for the saints in Philippi to abound in love still more and more, by being informed from Scripture. This would result in them being able to discern wisely, choosing things that were excellent - eternal things rather than merely temporal things*.

One commentary says, "Paul prays that in view of the return of Christ, the Philippians would abound in the fruit of the gospel (love) in the present...Through prayer, Paul participates in this work so that it will be completed on the final day. Paul wants the Philippians, even now to aspire to be sincere and blameless rather than settle for halfhearted faith."

And finally, as the Lord reminded me of the real lesson here. So, who may I ask, are you praying this same prayer for that Paul prays for the Philippians? Who am I praying for? 

And even beyond that, who are we ministering to (via discipleship)? Being thus involved, we would naturally be prompted, as was Paul, to pray for the good work we long to see accomplished in those who we are involved with.  

*Regarding the statement about choosing what is excellent - "eternal things rather than temporal things": choosing the eternal over the temporal does not mean that we never do anything temporal. We couldn't live if we never did what is temporal. Rather it means that we do what's temporal with an eternal mindset. If my baby's diaper needs changing, I can either complain and be disgruntled or I can be thankful to God that He has entrusted this little soul into my care. Diaper changing takes on a whole new dimension - an eternal dimension - when my mindset glorifies the Lord in the midst of it. It becomes an eternal work that the mother accomplishes. God can use that! And the baby will be influenced by it!

Posted by Sharon Kaufman

The Good Work God has Started in You, He Will Complete - He Promised

on August 28, 2019 0 comments

She Does Him Good

“She does him good…all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:12

This article was written nine years ago. I don't know why it took so long to post it, but it's still great information for doing your husband good!

A Very Important Education for Women
Studies have found that married men live longer than bachelors. There are many reasons, but diet is a very significant factor. “According to a study presented at a meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society, married men eat a healthier diet than bachelors. Analyzing the eating habits of 29,728 male health professionals between the ages of 40 and 75, researchers found that married men eat more vegetables and less fried food…”

Another study showed that: ''Women traditionally take more responsibility for the home than men do, and, as a consequence, women's education might be more important for the family lifestyle - for example, in terms of food habits…(this) could have a substantial influence on the health and mortality of the partner.”

Time to Wise-up!
That “education” for me commenced about 6 years ago, after my husband and I began to experience health problems. No doctor could tell me what my problem was so I began to look into nutrition.

After discovering The Weston A. Price Foundation, which is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism, I realized that I knew very little about nutrition.

These “nutrient-dense” foods have been demonized by today’s diet gurus and also by the medical field – butter, eggs, whole raw milk, cream, saturated fats, red meat, organ meats, etc. These are foods that God created and has sanctioned in Scripture for the human diet, as 1 Timothy 4:3-5 says, “…foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good…”. If God says it’s good, who is to say otherwise? It all made sense.

As these foods were restored to our diet, and all the processed so-called “health foods” (low-fat-this, cholesterol-free-that, etc.) were eliminated, our health began to improve dramatically. Within a few months, we were discarding many prescription drugs because the health issues associated with them no longer existed (high blood pressure for instance).

Helping My Husband
As my husband’s helper, I remain committed to putting densely nourishing foods on the table. It is a very real way I can assist my husband in regard to his physical well-being so that he can continue to advance the kingdom of God, serving as God has called him.

Robert has taught the Bible for many years – in the pulpit (though he is not a pastor), at mid-week Bible study, to seminary students abroad, etc. In June he is traveling with 2 other men from our church to conduct several Pastor’s conferences in Southern Sudan. His health is crucial to these ministries. I want to do what I can to help him continue to minister God’s word for the good of His people for His glory.

As wives, we have the opportunity to help our husbands enjoy good health. Food should do what God intended – build and support a strong immune system, build and repair our bodies, satisfy our taste buds and satiate our hunger. Only real food can do that. Fake foods do just the opposite – damage and tear down our bodies and weaken our immune system. And even though those foods may taste good, they are toxic (containing chemical flavors, preservatives, pesticide residues and more) that cause bodily damage.

Real Food Really Makes a Positive Difference
A few months back Robert saw his doctor for a routine visit. His blood pressure was 123/72. The doctor said, “You are a rarity – the only man your age (63) that I’ve seen recently with such great readings without medication.” Wow! I was there and heard this. I thought to myself, “If I told the doctor that it’s all the wonderful saturated fat and cholesterol (along with all the good veggies and fruit), he’d never believe me!”

However, I must also remember that though real food definitely makes a difference for health, God is still sovereign. He can and does use illness at times for our spiritual growth and benefit. But I am still committed to doing what I can to help my husband’s health (and mine). But if God decides to use cancer for our good and His glory, I know that it would be His sovereign and gracious design for our lives and not because I was serving chemical-laden faux-foods.

Getting Back To The Past
We live in a world where we can have anything in an instant, including food. We no longer have to plan meals. Just a quick trip to the grocery store provides us with a fast-fix for dinner (breakfast or lunch). We think that getting out of the kitchen in a flash improves our lives.

But women in the past knew better. They had a wisdom about food that has long since been lost to the younger generation. Wives were always on board to support their men with hearty, healthful meals from early morning to suppertime.

The Proverbs 31 woman “…rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens.” Notice here that feeding her loved ones was such a priority for this excellent wife that she did not delegate the job to her servants. She did the cooking herself and even served her maids breakfast!

My father was more educated than most modern brides. When Mom continued to make eggs for breakfast, after cold, boxed cereal had made its way onto the grocery shelves, Dad told us (his three discontented kids) that the health of our future children depended on our eating nutritious foods in the present, especially for breakfast which he proclaimed was the most important meal of the day. Now, as I read books like Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck, I marvel at his homespun wisdom. That “wisdom of the ancients” is far superior and accurate to what we are told today by the food industry.

But What if My Husband Objects?
It is not unusual for the man of the house to offer a few objections. The best way for me to deal with this issue has been submission, prayer and a respectful appeal (in order to come to an agreeable solution if need be). Here are some typical and reasonable objections your husband might offer:

“I really don’t care to eat that stuff.”
Personally, I would love to serve seafood once a week, but Robert simply does not care for it. In fact, he loathes it. But I know that the Omega 3’s that fish provide are vital to health. What to do? After putting it before the Lord, the answer came – COD LIVER OIL. Can you believe that? My husband would rather go hungry than let one morsel of mackerel (or salmon, etc.) pass through his lips, yet he will gladly slurp down a spoonful of cod liver oil every morning. That’s because it’s flavored with real lemon and has absolutely no fish taste.

One lady I know tried numerous times in numerous ways to get her husband to eat unrefined coconut oil, but he could detect it no matter how she disguised it in his food. Finally, she relented and put her gallon of coconut oil to rest.

Subsequently, one evening after retiring for bed, her husband leaned over to kiss her goodnight and gagged as he said, “Do you mean to tell me that I cannot even give my wife a kiss goodnight without tasting that stuff?!” Since she no longer had any culinary use for the coconut oil she had begun using it as a skin moisturizer.

But that’s not the end of the story. My Bible study group met at this lady’s house weekly. One evening I provided popcorn – popped in coconut oil and slathered with good butter – as the snack. I stayed a little afterward, just long enough for her husband to waltz in and ask for something to nosh on. Not remembering the coconut oil debacle, I handed him a bag of popcorn. He gobbled it down with relish, commenting about how scrumptious it was. When I realized what he was eating, it was all I could do to keep from laughing.

“We cannot afford organic.”
This is where it really pays to know your stuff. If you have educated yourself, you can respectfully appeal to your husband. Pray first, then approach him with ideas to make whole food work within your budget. Here is a sampling of what you might present:

• Many foods are safe to eat that have been grown conventionally. Thick-skinned produce such as citrus fruits, melons, avocados, bananas and many, many more.
• Growing food organically helps to stretch the food dollar also.
• Serving economy meals is helpful – soups, legumes, etc. that are inexpensive to make. Of course, this requires planning.
• Money will be saved by not buying expensive convenience faux foods or eating out nearly as often. (My husband and I have lived on a very small income since eating this way and we have never had to compromise at the grocery store.)
• Making cleaning and beauty products from common household ingredients will save money that can then be directed toward the food budget.

“What about dessert?”
Your husband may feel like his sweet tooth will be starved out (actually, that’s not a bad thing). Assure him that you will be making his sweets from scratch (perhaps this is yet another way to budget for whole foods). Use healthy alternative sweeteners – palm sugar, raw honey, organic maple syrup, Rapadura, stevia. (Follow this link to understand why agave is one of the most unhealthy sweeteners.)

Personally, I have never been a baker. Instead, our sweet treats include puddings, baked apples, peaches or strawberries and cream with honey, parfaits, homemade ice cream, etc. Most of these sweets offer fewer carbs than baked goods and also some nutrition in the form of eggs, cream and milk. Still, these types of foods should be served occasionally rather than daily since they are not the most nutritious of foods. Also, try serving salty snacks as an alternative treat, such as popcorn, popped as mentioned above, peanut or almond butter on celery or salty nuts prepared for optimum nutrition.

“I don’t at all want to change the way we’re eating.”
If this is your situation and your husband will not be persuaded otherwise, if it concerns your husband’s tastes rather than the budget, there are many things that you can do to make his meals more nutritious. Here are some ideas:
• Switch from toxic fats and oils to those that are nourishing.
• Switch from processed sugar to healthy alternatives.
• Make your own salad dressings (the ones your hubby really likes) and mayonnaise.
• Buy bacon and wieners, etc. that do not contain nitrites and nitrates.
• Make hamburgers from grass-fed beef instead of conventional beef.
• Buy snacks (potato chips for instance) that are made with cold-pressed monounsaturated oils instead of polyunsaturated heat-extracted oils.

God is Honored
When it is your desire to help your husband in this fashion God is glorified and He will provide in ways that you never dreamed of. Hasn’t He commanded us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” If it is your desire to help your husband eat well, but you believe that your budget will not be adequate to buy whole foods, don’t give up before you ask your Heavenly Father to make it possible.

Some Practical Ways to Nourish Your Husband
• Make breakfast. After fasting for 10 hours or more and with the full day still ahead, breakfast is vital for energy and general health.
• “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.”
• Pack a lunch if your husband eats away from home while working
• Serve the salad as a first course. If your husband leaves most of his salad because he fills up on the main course, give him his salad (alone) first with his favorite (healthy homemade) dressing.
• Provide plenty of good fat with each meal. Good fat satiates hunger better than carbs or protein. Your husband will go longer without needing snacks. Slather cooked veggies in butter (it also assists in the delivery and metabolizing of nutrients to your body).

Now go and do your husband good just like the Proverbs wife did!

Posted by Sharon Kaufman

She Does Him Good

on August 20, 2019 0 comments

Eight Reasons for Memorizing Scripture

In this short video clip, John Piper presents eight reasons why the Christian should memorize Scripture. Take a few minutes to let the Spirit of God challenge you in this regard.

If you need help memorizing Scripture, I highly recommend an app that is available for both Android and Apple devices called "Remember Me". It is free and though I have tried other apps for Bible memory, Remember Me is head and shoulders above them all (in my opinion.)

Photo by NilsStahl on Upsplash

You can find Remember Me at Google's "Play Store" or Apple's "App Store". Just type in the name of the app in the search bar, download and enjoy! Meantime, here's a brief video showing some of the features of the Remember Me app:

Posted by Sharon Kaufman

Eight Reasons for Memorizing Scripture

on August 05, 2019 2 comments