Christ Crucified

Since I last wrote what can I tell you about life in the Sikkema family.
We had Sarah, Maya and Cora visit us for a few days which was most enjoyable and busy.
We've seen a couple of movies in the theater, "The Judge" and "The Best of Me"
I broke the screen on my Kindle reader and thus had to order a new Kindle which I'm waiting to receive. (I suppose I didn't have to order one but surely would have missed having it.)
We bought a different SUV and now are driving a 2010 Buick Enclave which we have liked so far well except for the reduced gas mileage but we knew that going in. I said I wasn't going to let gas mileage determine my next automobile.
We had Harold and Corrine Niessink from Luverne stop for a lunch visit and appreciated our time with them.
I took a hard spill on my bicycle and am recovering from that but thankfully by God's providence no doubt did not break any bones. ( I keep Joyce in suspense when I take my bike out.)
We will see the top two teams in Division III women's volleyball play for the conference championship this afternoon, Hope versus Calvin is quite the rivalry. I assume there will be close to three thousand people at DeVos Fieldhouse for the match. A crowd like that is not my thing but I do want to see the match.
We've seen our granddaughters play volleyball on their respective school teams, both of which are done for the season.
Last Sunday I preached a morning sermon on Daniel 3, the account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the Fiery Furnace which illustrates how to live faithfully in a hostile world.
1. There will be tests and temptations in the life of faith. 2. We will give testimony to the ability of our God and our confidence in the plan of God for our life. 3. The triumph of faith is ultimately the promised presence of God with us in life and in death. 4. God will be glorified and praised through the faithful testimony of God's people. (You can read Daniel 3 and reflect on those points.)

Charles Spurgeon wrote: "Do not tell me that we ought mainly to preach Christ exalted. I will preach my Lord upon the throne and delight therein, but the great remedy for ruined mankind is not Christ in glory but Christ in shame and death...The second coming is a glorious hope for saints, but there is no cure in it for sinners; to them the coming of the Lord is darkness and not light..; but Christ smitten for our sins, there is the star which breaks the sinner's midnight. I know if I preached Christ on the throne many proud hearts would have him; but, oh, sirs ye must have Christ on the cross before ye can know him on the throne. Ye must bow before the Crucified, ye must trust a dying Savior, or else if ye pretend to honor him, ye know him not. To the cross, to the cross, to the cross! write that upon the sign posts of the road to the city of refuge! Fly there ye guilty ones, as to the only sanctuary for the sinful, for "with his stripes we are healed." There is joy in this."

Do what God says and say what God does. Joy and peace be yours through trusting in Jesus.