Friday, I was commenting on the myth that Satan uses of the New Year being the time for a new start and that the truth of this is refuted in the Bible by the Prophets and Jesus himself, saying that it is only God who gives new starts, through a new heart and new spirit of those who believe in Jesus, God’s Son whom He sent as the Savior of the world.

As I was reading John 3:1-21, I noticed two comments that I wish to explore further.  The first is the comment Nicodemus, the Pharisee (or teacher of the Law) who came to Jesus asking about the signs and wonders that Jesus is doing,  makes to Jesus when he approached him.   The second is made by Jesus to Nicodemus in the midst of their conversation.

Nicodemus, when he comes to Jesus, his comment to Jesus, in John 3:2,  is: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”  He doesn’t proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, the one prophesied about in the Old Testament, the Scriptures that the Pharisees devoted themselves to memorizing and studying and proudly proclaiming their vast knowledge to all who would listen.  He states that “we” (the other Pharisees) believe that Jesus is given power from God.  However, Jesus proclaims that he is God (John 8:58).  Jesus’ response in John 3:3 simply says that he missed the point, because he wasn’t born of God.  Jesus is critiquing Nicodemus’ view that God gave Jesus power simply as a man, but instead telling Nicodemus that God’s Kingdom is come, is standing right in front of him, yet Nicodemus can’t see it.

Jesus comments to Nicodemus in the midst of the conversation, in John 3:10, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?”  Being that the Pharisees devoted themselves to studying and memorizing the Scriptures (the Old Testament at that time), Jesus is telling Nicodemus that he missed it.  That in all his studies he didn’t see that which the Scriptures and the prophets proclaim… the Messiah is coming.  John the Baptist proclaimed that one was coming after him that was before him.  Paul, in Romans, tells us that even creation proclaim the glories of God.  Nicodemus, one of the most learned men in Israel, didn’t get it.

The reason that Nicodemus didn’t get it was because he was comfortable in the Darkness.

Yesterday, on New Years, was 21 days since Beth and I have been homeless.  We are currently staying with her parents, and are both so GREATFUL for their provision and allowing us to stay here while I am waiting on word about jobs in DC or PA.  However, we know that God is using this fully for our good, as he promises in Romans 8:28.

God has used this to refocus my life, my thoughts, and my desire for HIM!  In our time in TN, I had become consumed with money, idolizing money for what good it could do through us for ministry.  However, through that experience, I lost focus of what God can do through ME!!  That every day I have the ability to proclaim Christ, His ministry, death, burial, and RESURRECTION!!

So, I have a feeling that something big is on the horizon… all for God’s glory!!

Yesterday, Beth and I spent the morning and afternoon fasting and reading and in prayer regarding the new year, God’s direction for our life, and God’s plan.  It was an awesome day of renewal and prayer and study.  We read the book of Joshua, who took over the leadership of the Israelites after the death of Moses, and with Caleb, was confident of God’s ability to deliver them and the land to their hand through His power.  The book of Joshua is about God fulfilling His promise to His people and God’s gracious provision even to the people that questioned His ability to provide.  After their 40 years wandering, Caleb and Joshua, were the only two people alive of the Israelites when they spied out the land and the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron.

So, as Beth and I are in this season of waiting, we resolve to seek God, to follow His plan, and to believe and know that God will provide, just as God provided and kept His promise of giving the Israelites the land of Canaan.

One of the greatest lies that the Enemy (Satan, the Devil) has told to world culture is the lie of the new year being a time for a “new start.”  The Bible is emphatically clear on this point: the only person who can give a new start is Jesus!

God tells us of this great transaction first through the prophet Ezekiel two times in the book.

In Ezekiel 11:19 the Lord says

And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,…

Then, again in Ezekiel 36:26

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Jesus tells us, through the Gospel writer John, in John 3:3 that

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

This comment is in response to a Pharisee, Nicodemus, who came to speak to Jesus, at night to ask about the signs and wonders that Jesus was doing.  Jesus tells him, through John 3:1-21, that it is He who came to fulfill the prophecy of the Old Testament, including Ezekiel.  Jesus says that we are not going to be born again, of flesh, because we already are of flesh, but that those who believe in His name (John 3:16-18) will be saved and will be born of the Spirit (John 3:5-6).

So, the myth that each New Year brings us a new worldly start is false.  The only new start we receive is from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!

On Saturday, Beth completed being 14 weeks and yesterday, on Sunday, entered into the 15 week.  She has even started to show (a little).  (How cool!!  Getting to see the baby!)  That means that there are (statistically) only 25 weeks left!!  That is just ridiculous!!  But as the day draws closer that Beth and I are going to be parents, there are times that we are scared and terrified and excited and ecstatic and worried about being parents and excited about being parents… the list goes on and on and the ups and down come, it seems, almost daily.

But as I was reading in the “Christmas story” of Luke 2 last week, there are two contrasting examples of Godly news being delivered to Godly followers.  First, we are told of the story of Jeremiah and Elizabeth who give birth to John, the cousin of Jesus, who prepares the way for the Lord.  Jeremiah is a Godly and upright man we are told.  Yet, when Jeremiah is told the news by Gabriel that and Elizabeth will be parents, Jeremiah’s fallen humanity shows up and he doubts the angel’s news and is punished until John is born.

Second, we are told the story of Gabriel visiting Mary and telling her that she is going to give birth to Jesus even though she is a virgin!  Mary responding in doubt or disbelief would be understandable and, from a human perspective, is almost expected.  Yet, she responds that she is God’s servant and He will use her.  What faith!!

I know that Beth and I’s most terrifying moments about becoming parents are myself not having a job yet, not having a house, not having health insurance, not having anything to provide for our baby… but neither did Joseph and Mary… Jesus, the King of Kings was born in a food trough, and so, Beth and I need to respond more and more, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute with “Lord I am your servant.  Let it be according to your plan.”

A week or so ago, Beth and I finished reading Revelation and the book of Daniel.  So, I want to share a couple of thoughts…

1. Beth and I are SO thankful for God’s provision of our salvation!!  We DO have lots to be thankful for even though we don’t have anything currently and God is working through us.  Exactly what that is… I don’t know!!  But I know that we are SAVED!  Oh how thankful I am for that… more thankful when I think about it, and I should be praising God, thanking God, rejoicing to God that He has saved me and my lovely wife.

2. Since I am saved, I am glad that I get to rejoice and share in the blessings of Heaven instead of the horrors of Hell.

3. From reading Revelation, I’m sure that the Bible is literal, since John is relating to us, through his writing, what he was shown by Jesus!  AND at several points, an angel tells John to not write what he saw!  Imagine if he did!!

4. God used Daniel to show us His sovereignty and omniscience through describing events that would take place through history that God ordained and to show to Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, Belteshazzar, and US that He truly does know all!

Beth's ultrasound photo

So, yes, the photo above does show a lovely ultrasound picture of a very healthy and active heartbeat of our little own Baby Robinson.  In the photo above the Baby Robinson measures at 10 weeks, 3 days, which puts his/her due date at June 19, 2010.   Beth and I are joyful parents-to-be what an amazing and awesome opportunity and responsibility.

The story starts about the end of July, beginning of August when Beth and I were looking for a puppy dog to add to our collection of animals.  The townhome that we are living in has a huge backyard, and Beth and I both were looking forward to taking a dog for our evening, after dinner walks.  We looked on the rescue websites and for some weeks were trying to see this cute puppy dog terrier/lab mix.  However, the picture was taken when the dog was still a puppy so when we met in-real-life, Fiona was more lab than terrier and larger than we wanted.  So, back to the online shelter we went looking for a suitable, sizable dog.  That evening we saw a dog from a litter of puppies just delivered and knew we had to go see her.  We arrived at the shelter on Saturday and fell in love with the cute terrier/dachshund mix, named her Hope, and had the wonderful beginnings house training a puppy.

All the while we are house training a puppy, I am thinking “Wow!  This puppy stuff is really amazing training for being parents.”  And “Well, truly we’re not ready yet, but the last time I had thoughts like this I was planning a wedding…”

But yes, we’re pregnant!  The pregnancy test was positive, really positive the “wait two minutes” didn’t matter!  So far it has been an amazing experience, growing our relationship and deepening our love for one another.  We’re truly excited about being parents!!  It is such a blessing that God has blessed us with!!  The countdown to June 19 begins!

If its a boy…. Johnathan Kaleb

If its a girl…. Hannah Elizabeth

I don’t remember the last time that I posted on here, but I do know that I was in the middle of posting the wonderful letters that my lovely and charming and amazing wife wrote for me through the course of our relationship, before we met, through our dating and engagement, and as we advanced into marriage.  I will get back to them when they are unpacked, because that brings me to my reason for posting…

1. Beth and I are going to be parents!!

2. Beth and I are moving back to the Washington, DC area.

3. Beth and I are still in awe of all the lessons we’ve learned!!

4. The Book of Revelation is AWESOME!!   I am soooo thankful that God has granted Beth and I salvation.  More so than words can express.

So, I’m going to tackle the exciting news first… the joy/excitement/terrifying/blessing of being parents-to-be.

This is the third letter that Beth wrote me.  Sometime when we were dating.  It’s long.

Kevin,

To begin this third letter to my husband on our wedding day, I am just amazed by the Lord and how He is building this relationship.  In the last 8 days our relationship has grown exponentially deeper and closer!  I am certain now that he has such a great plan for us.  I am more certain that when his timing is right that you will be my husband and I will be your wife!!  Wow!!  That’s still a little scary but at the same time peaceful!  God is tearing down so many of the footholds that the Enemy had on me, ones that I didn’t even understand or know were there.  I am loving growing together in Christ and building this relationship in His name for His purpose, trusting Him fully to take care of the details!  He has truly shown you how to love me like Christ loves the church, and that is the only true love and is the greatest of all love.  He is teaching you how to lead me and teaching me how to be submissive!

I am praying for Him to guide me and how me how to be like the woman described in Proverbs 31:10-31.  Haha!  I just got a vision of us reading these together on our wedding night and you reaching for your Bible to read the passage and I’m laughing because that is perfect!  But if anyone had told me that I would be reading Scripture with my husband on our wedding night 4 years ago I would have laughed in their face.  God is just so amazing in the work he does in our hearts!

As we talked last night and from the conversation with your dad, we do still have a long way to go, but I trust God, he will show us how to argue, how to go through trouble, how to be parents, as long as we keep trusting and obeying!

The second letter that Beth wrote to me was while we were dating…

To My Husband (Dating)

Kevin,

On our wedding day.  First, I want to thank God in HIs glory, grace, love, and mercy that he has chosen to make me your wife.  As I prayed for a husband, I never imagined anyone like you.  You are so much more than I could have wished for or imagined.  Our God is so big, so great.  His plan is so amazing for our lives.  I pray daily that in our marriage we would put full trust in the Lord in every decision no matter how big or small.  I pray that he will build this relationship in his flory and continue to grow us into a Godly marriage, to give you the leadership to lead and the love to love me as the he loved the church.  I pray that he would teach me how to be a submissive wife, because I want what he wants because that is so much sweeter than I can imagine!  As I sit here on the beach I thank him for giving you the strength, grace, love, forgiveness to Love me despite my life before he gave me a new life, because that heart is no more, he has given me a new one, one that Loves him and one that desires to do good, one that Loves Jesus, trusts him, hopes in him.  I know that there will be times of Trouble, and I pray that we will always look to him in those times and trust in him because we deserve nothing and every breath we take is a gift from God and in his Sovereignty he may give and take according to his will and he still deserves all that Glory because he will use all things for good!

Love,

Beth “Robinson”

One very cool, awesome, amazing thing jumps out about the provision of God: my favorite verse (currently) in the Bible is Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Beth and I hadn’t had that coversation yet.  I hadn’t used that verse.  God in his Sovereignty knew and provided and awesome “God rocks!” moment for us to look back on when we read these letters a few weeks ago.  AWESOME!!