In Whatsoever State I Am: Content!

        As 2011 draws to a close, I have been reflecting on all the Lord has brought me through this year. Last year about this time, I was reading several blogs, and I kept coming across the idea of picking a word to live out in the year ahead. As I got to thinking about the idea, I decided that in 2011 I wanted to focus on having contentment. So my theme for the year became "Contentment v. Complacency."  At first, I thought that I would kind of learn about these two concepts through personal study. However, I quickly realized that God knew that I needed to learn about these concepts through circumstances and direct experience.

        The year quickly spiraled into unmanageable busyness as I tried to plan for college, my senior trip to New York City flew by, high school ended, graduation came and went, the summer brought an evangelism trip to the Philippines, the fall took me to my first semester at Bible college, and my mom took a new job and moved across the country last week. Now here we are, at the end of another year. Although 2011 was incredibly packed with changes, it was also a year of waiting. Waiting on college decisions, waiting on high school to end, waiting for scholarships to be awarded, waiting for job applications to be accepted, waiting to see souls (in whom I had deeply invested) saved, waiting to start college, waiting for prayers to be answered, waiting to see my family, waiting to know God's revealed will. 


        It seemed to go on forever. But God knew what I needed to learn. He knew that I needed to experientially find out the difference between contentment and complacency. In all of my seasons of waiting, I had to wait on God to provide  for my needs. And ya know, He always came through! He had a plan far before I did (Psalm 139:16), and He had a lesson in contentment waiting for me far before I even desired to learn it.

        A passage on contentment that I have been studying recently is Philippians 4. I have heard people quote verse 13 many, many  times. However, I never realized that when Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," he is speaking in regard to his finances! He is saying that, regardless of how dismal his bank account may appear at any given time, God is fully able to meet his financial needs for whatever God wants him to do. Paul is thanking the Philippians for giving him financial support as directed by God. He is relaying to his fellow Christians that God has taught him to be joyful with little and how to be responsible with a lot. But, Paul makes it clear that God has taught him to be content in any financial situation. Paul can do this because he is resting in the fact that his God has no limits on His financial ability! 

God's Chisel Remastered

Are you discouraged today? Maybe you're like thousands of others, feeling like God can't use you because of your failures. Like you cannot overcome your own self in order to become more like Jesus Christ. Maybe you're feeling like God isn't near, isn't personal, and doesn't even want to be involved in your life.

Maybe you're feeling like God doesn't care.

Well, He's got news for you. He does care.

Recently I watched this video and was reminded that God can use me, and He wants to use me. However, He can't use me until I am surrendered to Him.

And surrender demands 100%.

GE (College Freshman)

Approaching the King of Glory

Recently, I read Revelation 4 and 5. I encourage you to take the time to read it right now also, before reading my thoughts on it.

After reading those inspired words which were the result of John's revelation, given to him by the one and only Jesus Christ, I had no words. I mean, one one hand, the whole description and picture that comes into my head as a result of those words is awesome beyond description. JESUS is awesome beyond description.

Think about it. What would YOU do if you just had Jesus come to you and show you those things? I think that I would be at a loss for words in GENERAL, so taken aback by the glory and splendour that I just saw!
To think that John actually had to come up with HUMAN words to describe the all-powerful Creator and Sustainer of the universe... what an incredible task! To try to fit the radiance of the pure holiness and beauty of God, the only way John can put it into words is by comparing it to precious stones! How is that supposed to help us?

 Well, the point of this passage (and really the whole book of Revelation) is not to give a step-by-step "how-to-draw God and the angels" (and later on the demons, Satan, the lake of Fire, and the New Heaven and Earth), but rather, to give us the beautiful finished work of art that shows us what it will be LIKE!

But here's and interesting thought: Did it ever occur to you that when you pray, you are actually stepping into the very same throne room as is mentioned in this passage? You, the human being, are stepping into the full radiance of the Glory of God and are talking to Him. Sometimes thrusting His doors open, shaking are fist and yelling at Him.  I think that if we all REALLY understood that this Jesus mentioned in Revelation is the VERY SAME ONE that we love and serve today, we would totally reconsider our place compared to God!

Also, on a broader note: THIS IS THE GOD WE SERVE! For eternity, He WILL have milllions upon millions praising Him and worshipping Him in the purest way possible. God is so worthy! I can't wait for that day! But until that day, how will YOU live in light of this? Where is God on your priorities list? How does He influence your choices?

And finally, will your life be lived in such a way that when your life is over and you're standing in the presence of a Holy God, will you be content with the amount of your life that you gave to the only One who is worthy? In case you missed it, His name is Jesus. The King of Glory.

Jeremy T. (High School Sophomore)

What if...?

"What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?"

This is a common thought in regard to God's plan for our lives. For some reason, many Christians have a tainted view that God did not have our best in mind when He ordained all of our days in His book before one of them even came to be (Psalm 139:16). However, we must realize that He did, and does, have our best interest in mind. Now we merely "look through a glass dimly," contrasting the circumstances of this life to God's loving character. But one day "we will be face to face," and we will know Him fully. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

We so often fail to see that although our humbling wouldn't be our decision, it's there that God's glory shines brightest. When we want happiness, God instead pushes us toward holiness. While God commands us to be content, we still wish for circumstances that would easily lend way to complacency. We want the crown, but our Father gently reminds us that the cross precedes it. We must ask God to teach us to pray His will, not ours. We must ask Him to continually correct our perspectives, and give us a proper view of our own mortal desires in light of His eternal interest. We must be digging through His Word for solid ground to replace the sandy foundation of our souls' desires.

Just Love?

Ask anyone about a characteristic of God and probably the first that will come up is “love”. God is love. Most people cling onto this concept and assume that a loving God would never punish us. He loves us too much to send us to Hell; it will all be pushed under the rug. But let’s think about His holiness. He is so holy that the angels just cry out, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY”, over and over and over. Day and night the word “holy” flows out of their mouths and echoes in the throne room. Why? Because they are completely awestruck by His total purity. Lately, I haven’t been able to get away from this concept.

God calls us to be holy like He is holy.

“Be ye holy for I AM HOLY.” I am amazed by this command. His holiness inspires fear and awe. Does He do that to us? Or are we so caught up in making our Lord an easygoing, approachable friend that we bring Him down to our level? So often God is treated more like a buddy than our sovereign, all-powerful King. In Jeremiah it says “But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.” The earth quakes and the nations crumble under God’s wrath. That sounds pretty awe-inspiring! He holds all power, might, and control, and yet here we are: we talk to Him on our own terms, we want Him to give us what we want, and we decide how much of our life He can have some control over.
But then there’s that command, “Be ye holy for I AM HOLY.” What does that mean for us? To be holy means to be separate and pure. Are we like our Father in this way? Do we flee from sin and seek justice? Honestly, as I consider this for myself I believe that if I remember my God’s complete holiness it will inspire a right heart in me. It’s not a set of rules someone made up. It’s truly knowing the heart of our Holy Creator and desiring to please Him. It’s no longer the question “What can I get away with?” but instead, “how Holy is my God?”.

I Run to Christ When...

I Run to Christ
Chris Anderson

I run to Christ when chased by fear
And find a refuge sure.
“Believe in me,” His voice I hear;
His words and wounds secure.

I run to Christ when torn by grief
And find abundant peace.
“I too had tears,” He gently speaks;
Thus joy and sorrow meet.

_____

I run to Christ when worn by life
And find my soul refreshed.
“Come unto Me,” He calls through strife;
Fatigue gives way to rest.

I run to Christ when vexed by hell
And find a mighty arm.
“The Devil flees,” the Scriptures tell;
He roars, but cannot harm.

_____

I run to Christ when stalked by sin
And find a sure escape.
“Deliver me,” I cry to Him;
Temptation yields to grace.

I run to Christ when plagued by shame
And find my one defense.
“I bore God’s wrath,” He pleads my case—
My Advocate and Friend.

If you are interested in introducing this song to your own church, or just for use as private worship.This song can be found at Church Works Media

Thankfulness: A Choice

Last week, I returned home from a three week journey in the Philippines, where I saw God do great things as I boldly stepped out in faith to serve Him.
 
I joined a ministry called Student Movement for Christ International (SMCI) as they ran a 6-week evangelistic campaign. During this campaign (which is still in its last 2 weeks--please be praying!), a team of people from around the world joins SMCI as they go to high schools and universities, preaching the gospel in each classroom.

I learned many huge lessons as I grew closer to God during those three weeks, and some of them will be shared here on this blog in the near future. In the mean time, here are a few thoughts to ponder.


Upon returning home, I realized and learned many things as I looked out at my home life and the life of my friends with my fresh, drastically different perspective . One of the first things I noticed was that I had not heard anyone complain for the past three weeks.  
Our team involved people from 6 countries, who got together in an impoverished land to serve God from dawn to dark in less-than-luxurious conditions, with cultural barriers, communication barriers, sickness, exhaustion, and unmet expectations along the way. In this circumstance, it simply cannot be expected, humanly speaking, that no one would complain.

But they didn't. They kept their eyes stayed upon the Lord, asked for and expected Him to work in a marvelous way, and kept serving Him with patience.

Rodeo Clown - Immovable Object vs Unstoppable Force

Note: I looked online for pictures related to immovable object and unstoppable force. The first notable picture was of Lebron James. But if you saw the NBA finals, you know he is neither. Other pictures included: a rubber band ball (what?), Mickey Mouse (why?), The Joker and Batman (I sort of get that one), Donald Trump (must be the hair), and (my favorite one) Chuck Norris.

Maybe the following will make it all clear . . . clear as mud . . . mud that's not mud.

When I was about 12 years old our family attended the Arcadia Rodeo. There was something about a rodeo that was so exciting. It was man vs beast. It was loud, fast, funny, and fun. The sights, sounds, and smells, yes, even the smells, were so different than what us city kids were used to experiencing.

There were two things that made this particular trip memorable. First, Tommy Butts (a good friend and co-worker of my father’s) was entered in the calf-roping event. Yes, I said Butts. You just can’t make up this stuff. My father and I had gone on a couple of hunting trips (hog and raccoon) with Tommy. So, I was very excited to see him in the event. Secondly, I entered the kids calf-catching contest. It would be comparable to the halftime show at a ballgame. Though I don’t remember Tommy's part of the evening, my part was most unforgettable to me, to my family, and to anyone else who paid attention that evening. I only wish I had a picture.

Now when I say, I entered the calf-catching contest, that doesn’t mean that I was privy to that knowledge before I arrived at the rodeo. Let’s just say that it was a responsibility that was thrust upon me. Just before the event Tommy took me out of the stands to inform me of my upcoming entry and to show me how to use his rope (lariat, riata, or reata). I could have refused the prodding from my family, but how could I refuse the invitation from a real cowboy - and such a cool one at that? Well, I couldn’t.

I remember how wonderful the rope felt in my hands. It was nothing like I thought it would be. It was stiff and rough to the touch. Tommy stood still and had me try to rope him. He taught me how to roll my wrist and let the rope fly. I hit him in the chest and the face before I successfully snagged him. That was the end of training. I was off to the big show.

Soon I was standing in a line with dozens of other kids at one end of the arena. I wasn’t dressed with a cowboy hat or boots like many of the other kids, but I had a cool rope, so I was good. The announcer told us that the calves would be released at the other end of the arena and that the first person to get past the judges with a calf would win the contest.

More recent photo of a similar event

I kept looking and looking for those judges down by the gate where the calves would be released, but I didn’t see them. All I could think was that I must have to take the calf back the way it came. It didn’t make any sense that I could rope a calf and just keep running the same way it was already going. That would be too easy. I was sooooo wrong. The judges were standing at either end of our line, not at the other end of the arena (see crude, child-like drawing below).

“On your mark. Get set. Go!” I immediately had my eye on a calf in the distance. I was running, swinging, and scheming. I hadn't run very far when a calf that was moving toward me ran right beside me. I instantly drop the rope over the calf’s head. I was by far the first one to rope a calf. If I had just turned and run with the calf, I would have won within a minute or two of the start the contest.

But alas, I thought the calf had to go the opposite direction, so I had to turn that calf around. It was man vs beast, but the beast knew more than the man. I became the immovable object. The calf, of course, was the unstoppable force.

I could see the slack quickly going out of the rope, so I dug in and leaned back. When the calf hit the end, the rope said, “Twanggggggg,” But the calf didn’t stop, and I didn’t lose my spot. It simply turned right and kept running – kept running in circles around me. It wasn’t exactly my plan, but I still wasn’t losing, and it still wasn’t winning. That quickly changed when three other calves crossed the rope and knocked us both down. A problem? Yes, the calf got up first.

That calf dragged me all over the mud that wasn’t mud. But I wouldn’t let go of the rope. I was stepped on, bloodied, dirtied, smelled up, laughed at, embarrassed, and exhausted; but I didn’t let go of the rope. I was thrown against a fence. I grabbed it, stood up, and steadied myself, but I didn’t let go of the rope. Finally, when it was all over, one of the officials came over and released the calf. He looked at me with a pitiful look and pointed to the exit. Maybe he thought I couldn’t find my way out either. But I was still holding that rope.

I think we left for home soon after I got back into the stands. I didn’t look or smell very good. We drove the two hours back to Tampa with the windows down, and I don’t think my mom said a word to my dad all the way home.

Later I was told that while I clutched the fence and rope, Tommy, my Dad, and others were outside the double fence yelling at me to let go, but I didn’t hear them. So, I held on. Perhaps some thought I was stupid or stubborn. Maybe others thought of me as determined to win. Some really thought I was a rodeo clown. But none was true. As I left the arena someone asked why I didn’t let it go. I simply said, “It wasn’t mine.”

Just as the rope wasn't mine, neither is my life my own; It was bought with a price (the blood of Christ). When the Christian life gets difficult, and I get discouraged and worn out. When I’m tired, broken, bloodied, and beaten (and have any thought of quitting), I remember that rope and hang on. I hang on to my trust in God

God's plan is never thwarted. He is never taken by surprise. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. I don't hang on for me or in my strength. I hang on with His strength because He is sovereign (in control). So, I hang on. You do the same. MM

Submit yourselves therefore to God. 

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. 

James 4:7-8a

Finishing Strong: Going the Distance for Your Family
The Calvary Road By Roy Hession
Changed Into His Image 

"The anvil wears the hammer out, you know."

This week, I began my work in an online class called Old Testament Survey, and I have already been challenged to think through a lot of the fundamental beliefs of Biblical Christianity. Last night, I was pushed to think through the depth of the foundation that Genesis builds for the rest of the Bible, and today I read an article by Lehman Strauss, entitled "We Can Trust the Bible," which defends the inspiration and inerrancy of the Word of God. At the end of the article, under the section entitled, "The Wiles of Satan," Strauss writes that despite the methods of Satan and man to destroy God's Word. . . .

". . .The Bible stands, this impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture. Men fling themselves against it in all their fury, but instead of them breaking the Book, the Book crushes them. Bibles have been burned and torn to pieces, but God's Holy Word remains triumphant. In our world of darkness and despair the Bible shines forth as the scintillating light to lead men aright. The Bible is the only light for man's pathway (Psalm 119:105); the one Light shining in a dark place (II Peter 1:19). The Bible is the greatest luminary on the earth to bring men to God. It is the one beacon of hope in the night of men's sin. However dark the shadows of sin and sorrow might become, the Light will al­ways be there for those who will follow. . . .

"Last eve I paused beside the blacksmith's door
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chimes;
Then looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers worn with beating years of time.
'How many anvils have you had,' said I,
'To wear and batter all these hammers so?'

Just What I Need: When I need it!

Have you ever had a circumstance in your life when you thought, "How is this thing good for me? How is this process profitable? Why is this person in my life? Why am I not getting that right now? Why am I getting this right now? How will I get through this?"?

I think if we are honest with ourselves, we would probably all say that we have thought nearly all of those questions, during various circumstances in our lives.

However, as a Christian, I have a just, gracious, merciful God who gives me just what (and when, where, who, and how) I need! Because of who my God is, I can trust that He has my best interest in mind, and will cause things to happen according to His sovereign will (Philippians 1:6)

In His justice, He gives me what I deserve.
In His mercy, He doesn't give me what I deserve.
In His grace, He gives me what I don't deserve.

He puts things and people in my life in just the right way, in just the right place, and at just the right time. Although I cannot always see what is best for myself, I have a Savior who knows my inmost thoughts and needs (Psalm 139).

Who
God knows the people I must have relationships with in order to become more like His Son-- whether they be sweet and kind, or consistently testing my patience. 


What
He knows the things I need (and don't need!) in order to become more like His Son-- whether a thing will bless and provide for me, or will simply become a snare and a stumbling block to my feet. 


When
He knows the exact moment I need to encounter things in life in order to become more like His Son-- whether my persistence for "Today, Lord!"  is good, or a time of stillness and waiting would teach me.


Where
He knows the perfect location I need to be in order to become more like His Son-- whether it be the thrust of a raging storm on the sea, or the soothing of a gentle breeze in the desert. 


How
He knows the process I must go through in order to become more like His Son--whether it be a trying and difficult one, or a pleasantly simple one.

I recently had an overwhelming need, and I had figured out the "perfect" way to fulfill it. However, God had a totally different plan of how He would provide for me! I had prayerfully stepped out in faith, acknowledging that I would do my best according to His revealed will, but that I was ultimately trusting Him to provide the way. And surely, He worked! Provision came in way I never expected, from the people I had least anticipated, and at a much later time that I had hoped!

Prayer Request - Pass It On

God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars ; He gives names to all of them. Great is our Lord and abundant in strength ; His understanding is infinite .
Psalm 147:3-5

Prayer Request

I have not posted for quite some time now but feel compelled to do so at this time. Most folks would not post a prayer request, but I think this is one worth posting. Please pray for Victor Rodriguez. He is a former student of mine who graduated from Victory Christian School (Carmichael, CA) in 2006. My middle son and Victor were classmates until we moved in 2004. They remain friends today.

Victor was one of the good guys in school. He had a good, easy-going personality. He wanted to do right, and I remember his great love for baseball. I write in the past tense only because that’s what I knew him to be back then. My understanding is that he hasn’t changed much over the years. Good for you, Victor.

Victor married Crystal Andrews recently and headed to the Bahamas for their honeymoon. On June 16th (the 12th day of their marriage and the last day of the trip), the couple went parasailing. Tragically, the harness broke and the couple fell 40-50’. Victor awoke in ICU to the news that his bride had not survived the fall.

I know that God is good all the time; all the time God is good, but the human tragedy still breaks my heart. Victor has rough days ahead. Pray for the families and for Victor’s continued physical, emotional, and spiritual recovery. Please send this post to your family and friends.

Thanks for reading and praying.
MM

http://www.tribune242.com/06172011_EP-GB-parasailing_news_pg1

 Grace Walk: What You've Always Wanted in the Christian Life
Finishing Strong: Going the Distance for Your Family

Born without a father?

On June 19, 2011, a young girl will experience her first Father’s Day without her dad. On June 7, eleven days before, this girl came into the world just hours after her father left it.

I remember my first Father’s Day without my dad. It was as hard as I imagined it would be, about 3 ½ months after he died. I was away from home on vacation, and in the teen group at the church I visited, the leader asked for all of us who “have a godly dad at your home” to raise our hands (why he did this, I do not know, but I could tell he regretted it after three of eight kids didn't respond). With two other visitors, I sat there wondering if I qualified because technically, my godly dad wasn't in my home.

This young girl in NY probably won’t have to worry about explaining things to people for a while. She won’t have to deal with the shock of death when she's a child, or the realization that life is really hard before she’s old enough to understand how to deal with it.

In some ways, I envy her ignorance and inexperience in life. It’s easy for us to wish things had never happened, to wish we had never had to experience something and feel the pain so many people around us haven’t known. It’s easy to believe that life would be so much better if we didn't have the burden of grief to carry with us. If only, like her, we were blissfully ignorant to how deeply painful loss is. Sometimes I wonder, maybe it wouldn't be so hard not to have a father if I hadn't had one and lost him.

But I know that this girl in NY will grow up and feel just the opposite. With absolutely no memories of her dad, she will spend a lot of time wishing he were there, wondering what life could have been. She will believe that, if her dad had to die, she would be willing to endure any kind of grief later in life if only she had a few more years with him.

And that is where she will envy a person like me, who had fourteen more years of Father’s Days' with a father than she will ever have. While I’m jealous that she won’t have to know the pain of having and losing a father, she will wish she had a father to lose in the first place.

Isn't this how we spend our emotional energy sometimes? Whether it's about a job, a friend, a relationship, or something as great as death, how much time do we waste wondering what could have happened, thinking our lives could be better, wondering if God got something wrong.

Coauthoring with God

I wouldn’t say I’m a control freak; but I do like to know where I’m going and how I am getting there. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either. It’s great to have a goal and game plan! As the saying goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” You probably do the same thing, right?

You may love carrying around your day planner or checking items off that seemingly endless checklist. But do you have a life planner? It’s probably an unwritten story of how your life is supposed to go. You may have it rather detailed down to the house number and street you plan on living at when you retire, or the when and how you will meet that special someone that you have pictured perfectly ever since you realized that boys and girls do NOT have cooties.

We all have these desires (hopefully less detailed!) in us. We think we have the greatest happily-ever-after story lined up for our lives. But how quickly things diverge from our plan. We try to orchestrate it back in to place, but it just doesn’t seem to fit into place. We realize, we are out of control.

"But God": the most powerful words ever used. But God is in control. In fact, He is better than just “in control”. God is a loving, good God that has remarkably beautiful plans for His children who let Him lead. But that’s where the problem lies, isn’t it? We don’t let Him. We are so busy whispering in his ear or maybe even shouting in His face how our life is meant to be. We take the pen from His caring hand and begin to “make a few adjustments” to the story line. We live in fear that our Father either does not have TOTAL control or that He is not good. We buy into Satan’s lies.

My Hope is in You

Psalm 39:1-8

ESV

I said, "I will guard my ways,
   that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,
   so long as the wicked are in my presence."
I was mute and silent;
   I held my peace to no avail,and my distress grew worse.
 My heart became hot within me.

As I mused, the fire burned;
   then I spoke with my tongue:

 "O LORD, make me know my end

   and what is the measure of my days;

   let me know how fleeting I am!

Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,

   and my lifetime is as nothing before you.

Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!

                         Selah

 Surely a man goes about as a shadow! 

Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;    

man heaps up wealth without knowing whose it will be in the end!

 "And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?

    My hope is in you.

Deliver me from all my transgressions.

    Do not make me the scorn of the fool!"

Trust and Obey

Sometimes, it can be difficult to trust someone with something that I wish I had control over.  Even if it's someone who is worthy of my trust, it is still hard to accept that I will be without power in the situation. Unfortunately, although God is worthy of my trust (as a mere human) in every aspect and every situation, I often don't give it to Him.  I doubt Him, whether deliberately or not. Ultimately, I am challenging His authority (Isaiah 55:9) and questioning His faithfulness (Deuteronomy 32:4). 


Also, it can be difficult to submit to someone else's control over me.  Obedience can be a hard thing to do, because I don't like to admit that I am subordinate to someone else, therefore acknowledging that they are in a higher position than I.  Again, this is often our attitude toward God, although He is completely worthy of our obeying and honoring Him in His omniscience and omnipotence. 


However, if I stop to think about it, trusting and obeying actually do go hand-in-hand.  Obedience with trust-- It's action in waiting.


I can't truly do one without the other.  God has called us to action (Philippians 2:12-13), to obedience, not to just sit around pray that His work would be done. We  are the ones He uses to accomplish His work!
On the other hand, we can't just go out and do whatever we think needs to be done, either.  We are to prayerfully seek out the Lord's will first, and then to do what He has called us (2 Timothy 1:9) to do, trusting that He will go before us (Deuteronomy 1:30) and give us His power (2 Corinthians 12:9) to accomplish His plan.


If we are consistently and sincerely seeking God's will and obeying what He has revealed to us, how is it that we cannot trust Him with what is yet to be revealed?  If we can trust Him with the unknown, how can we do anything but obey what we know He wants us to do?

Hide Away

Do you ever feel like giving up as a Christian? 

You fail over and over with the same things. Discouragement continues to knock at your heart. Your flesh seems to win more often than not. 

Then you may realize, unlike other earthly things, there isn't an endpoint while we are here on this earth.  Here in this temporary place, you will soon get over a cold and finish that marathon, but Satan won’t give up his attempts of tearing you down.  His strategy may change during your life, but he has the same goal. So, how are we supposed to run this race?

The thing is, we aren’t meant to live the Christian life in our own strength.  God doesn’t want us to go and try to turn the world upside down by ourselves, because we can’t.  We can do nothing apart from Christ.  Once we are saved, He should be our motivation for living and our strength for continuing.  I seem to forget this a lot-- and I’m probably not alone, am I? Jesus tells us this in Matthew 11: 28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Blessings in Disguise

The other night, after I had read my Bible, I was talking to the Lord and sharing that I would like to have more patience.  I told Him that I knew He would probably "give" it to me by giving me some situations in which I would have to practice patience, and that the situations would probably not be my ideal way to learn to have more patience. 

Two days later, I was at work dealing with a few difficult people and difficult circumstances.  I hadn't thought much about my prayer for patience since I had talked to the Lord about it, but the day after He was putting me in a place where I had  to practice patience, I heard this little song. 

Blessings

Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things


Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights 
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

Mere Mortals?

"All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other [eternal] destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities. . .that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no 'ordinary' people.  You have never talked to a mere mortal.  Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations -- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals  whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit -- immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously -- no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner -- no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment."

--C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

(emphasis mine)

At my church, we have a chance on Sunday nights to go different 10-week classes which focus on one subject.  The class I’ve been going to is called The Truth Project.  It is a series of videos that explain the foundation of the Bible.  It’s been amazing, and I’ve learned so much!

Last night, the lesson discussed the Biblical sphere of community.  I wasn’t expecting much, but wow, was I caught off guard!  One of our jobs as Christians is to help the needy and the poor.  If you’re anything like me, initially you say to yourself, “Yep, got this one done,” and then just turn off your brain.  Thankfully, this time the speaker, Del Tackett, caught me before I turned off my brain.  He began to explain that the poor and needy are not only  people who are low on cash or unhealthy… they are also the left-out, the unpopular, the ignored, the shunned, and the outcasts.

As the speaker went on explaining who is included in the "outcast" group, I was hit hard.  I immediately thought of three girls in my school that I know I could have befriended, but I chose not to because--in my mind-- they were not worth it.

Growing Pains

Over the last couple weeks a lot of things have happened that I was either not expecting, things I was not  expecting to come that soon, or things I just never realized before. For me it seemed like it all hit me at once. It was hard for me to come to grips with the fact that a lot of my close friends are graduating.  Also within the last week my youth pastor (PM) announced his retirement, which I was expecting, but I didn’t expect to come this fast. It would be nice to find a job and start saving for college, so I’m filling out applications almost every day. Then, to top it all off, I just realized that I’m starting college classes the week after school for a whole month, which means that my last true summer was last year and didn’t even know it!

So by the time this had all hit me I was feeling quite overwhelmed I didn’t know what to think or how to react. So I decided to read my Bible and the Lord gave me the perfect verse. It was in Psalm 61 verse 2. It said, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

I had a long talk with God in my closet, I argued with him about "why now?!", and wondered if I could really make that much of a difference now that I’m going to be a senior in high school (the pressure's on). But in the end God reassured me that everything was going to be okay, and that all I had to do was trust him and he would get me through everything.

That verse was perfect for that moment. I know the things that were very heavy on my heart are actually not at all big in the grand scheme of life, but they were to me. A lot of my issues are just part of growing up. It amazes me that the God of the universe is sovereign but yet so personal all at the same time. He cares about everything that I’m dealing with no matter how small. The facts that our God is both sovereign and personal leaves me in awe and helps me understand a little better, that there really is nothing better than serving God.

written by Amanda T (High School Junior)

Here am I, Lord -- Use Me.

All I Ever Want to Be

All I ever want to be is what you want of me, 

Lord; I give my life to you.

And all my hopes and dream and plans I place within Your hands, Lord,

And give my life to You.

Here am I , Lord, use me; take my life and mold me.

All I ever want to be is what You want of me, Lord; 

I give my life to You.

And all my hopes and dreams and plans I place within Your hands, Lord,

And give my life to You.

(We're Singing -- The Wilds)

GE (High School Senior)

Start Here -- Right Now

Countless times I have heard people ask, "How do I know God's will for my life? How do I know I am doing God's will?"  The answer, which I have also heard many times, is to do what God wants you to do right now.   Yes, organizing and planning out your week or year is wise time management and important.  But as another week comes to an end, I am reminded that we must truly take each day as it comes, focusing on doing the next  right thing.  It is when we begin to focus on doing what God wants us to do moment by moment that we learn to appreciate the journey, and not just the destination.  

Doing the next right thing also requires that we are equipped with the proper tools.  

We must be saturated with God's Word, ready to apply a biblical truth to any question that is shot our direction and able to combat any temptation with the Sword of Truth.

When God Calls...

The book of Jonah is full of irony. Sometimes we are so caught up with the story of the great fish that we miss a great God who is teaching great lessons on obedience. 
In this book, Jonah was called to minister to Ninevites, but he decided to do the exact opposite. He thought he could resign from God's commission by simply walking away; but God used nature, animals, and even heathen people to stop Jonah and teach him a lesson.  
The irony in this book is that everyone in the story listens to God, except for Jonah. Here are some other ironical elements...

• Jonah was called to Nineveh (God's plan) - Jonah was running away from Nineveh (His agenda)
• Jonah does not obey God - The creation (sea, wind, etc.) obeys God
• The sailors were praying earnestly (to their gods) - Jonah was sleeping comfortably
• Jonah admitted that he was fleeing from Yahweh - The sailors rebuked him saying, how could you do this? (even the sailors had better understanding of Yahweh when Jonah described Yahweh to them!)

Doubt Not His Grace

Over the past few months, I have been waiting on some very important news that would affect the direction of my life.  As I waited, every day I hoped that the news would come. It was extremely difficult at times to tell the Lord that I knew His timing was perfect and that I was content waiting for it.  During times of discomfort or suffering, it is often easy to overlook the fact that God is grace. He knows exactly what we need and He also knows exactly the right time to give it to us.  For some reason, even though we have all heard this a million times, trusting God when it's not comfortable is definitely easier said than done.


Long story short, the news came this week!  It came when I was least expecting it, honestly, and the outcome was also what I had least expected after waiting for so long.  I had had a rough day, and receiving an answer from the Lord to all of my many prayers over this topic was exactly what I needed in that exact moment.  No sooner, no later--that was clear.

Rain and Sunshine

On my way to church last night, I saw a full-length rainbow.  It had rained just a few hours earlier, and a beautiful spectrum of colors remained against the dark grey sky.  God gave us the rainbow as a sign of His promise to Noah that He would never again destroy the entire earth by a flood.  Usually when I look at rainbows, that's as far as my observation goes.  This time, however, my contemplations went beyond Noah.

I love reading good, challenging Christian books.  Right now, I am spending a lot oftime on Elisabeth Elliot's Passion and Purity. It's Jim and Elisabeth's love story, which has an abundance of insight into God's Word, serving Him, and (naturally) love.

In one chapter of the book,  Jim professed his love to Elisabeth but did not feel God wanted him to marry at the time.  He left for Ecuador, and she stayed at school in Oklahoma, continuing to serve God and wait on Him. Elisabeth describes one evening she spent alone with God at the top of a stadium in Oklahoma.  As she was sitting there alone, pouring her heart out to God, she noticed "just the scrap of a rainbow" in the sky.  It was a great encouragement to her on that lonely evening.

Just like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is never found, sometimes we can never even get a glimpse of the end of our trials. But, we can trust God that there is an end, and that He won't push us past what we can handle.  There is also a purpose to our suffering: to make us more like Christ and to demonstrate His beauty to others.  All rainbows are made of rain and sunshine.  Through the rain, allow yourself to radiate God's love, joy, and peace, bringing beauty into the lives of others.

Maybe now when you see a rainbow, you'll not only remember God's promise, but also how He created the rainbow--with rain and sunshine.

LC (High School Senior)

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