Morning Thought

What a challenge to examine our hearts. On what or who am I depending for my stability, my sanctification, and my happiness?

"Is your knowledge of God a transforming knowledge? Have you so become acquainted with God as to receive the impress (as it were) of what God is?—for a true knowledge of God is a transforming knowledge. As I look upon the glory of God I am changed into that glory; and as my acquaintance with God deepens, I become more like God. There is a transfer of God's moral image to my soul. Is your knowledge then transforming? Does your acquaintance with God make you more like God—more holy, more divine, more heavenly, more spiritual? Does it prompt you to pant after conformity to God's mind, desiring in all things to walk so as to please God, and to have, as it were, a transfer of the nature of God to your soul? Examine, therefore, your professed acquaintance with God, and see whether it is that acquaintance which will bring you to heaven, and will go on increasing through the countless ages of eternity. 

And I would say to God's saints—trace the cause of much of our uneven walking, of our little holiness, and, consequently, of our little happiness, to our imperfect acquaintance with what God is. Did I know more of what God is to me in Christ—how He loves me, what a deep interest He takes in all my concerns—did I know that He never withdraws His eye from me for one moment, that His heart of love never grows cold—oh! did I but know this, would I not walk more as one acquainted with God? Would I not desire to consult Him in all that interests me, to acknowledge Him in all my ways, to look up to Him in all things, and to deal with Him in all matters? Would I not desire to be more like Him, more holy, more divine, more Christ-like? Yes, beloved; it is because we know Him so little, that we walk so much in uneven ways. We consult man rather than God; we flee to the asylum of a creature-bosom, rather than to the bosom of the Father; we go to the sympathy of man, rather than to the sympathy of God in Christ, because we are so imperfectly acquainted with God. 

But did I know more clearly what God is to me in the Son of His love, I should say—I have not a trial but I may take that trial to my Father; I am not in a perplexity but I may go to God for counsel; I am in no difficulty, I have no want, but it is my privilege to spread it before my Father—to unveil my heart of sin, my heart of wretchedness, my heart of poverty, to Him who has unveiled His heart of love, His heart of grace, His heart of tenderness to me in Christ. As I become more acquainted with God, my character and my Christian walk will be more even, more circumspect, more holy, and consequently more happy."

[taken from Octavius Winslow's Morning Thought]

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)

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.

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!

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.

Time to Pull Over

Today I got together with some friends of mine for coffee, and we just shared a couple hours together talking about what God has been doing in our lives, counting our blessings, encouraging each other over our failures, and challenging each other with our convictions. Afterwards, as I got in the car and turned on the radio, I heard this message by James MacDonald. 

Here's what God taught me today.

When we think things need to happen all at once, we get sleepy, worn out, exhausted, irritable, and over-done. Sometimes, we just need to pull over in order to regroup, refocus, and simply be refreshed by God's holiness. If we don't learn to do that, how will we have the strength to keep doing the things God has planned for us to do?

"Tired? Worn down? Do you know that even though God is limitless, He completely understands our limits? And He knows exactly what we need when we reach them. He clearly demonstrates this in Revelation chapter 10, giving John a break from his prophetic visions, providing what he needed, and encouraging and equipping him to carry on."

We must see the Majesty of God.

In Scripture, the people (Noah, Moses, Elijah, Mary, John, Paul, etc) used by God in the greatest ways had their focus on God's glory consistently. They established their purpose before their plan, and they made sure they didn't get distracted by the little stuff. How were they able to maintain focus? They maintained an open relationship with the God who made them, catching glimpses of His greatness. Everything else was then able to fall into place.

In light of eternity, nothing that weighs us down can seem significant. 

Lessons from a Jiffy Lube

I was getting my oil changed some months ago and noticed an article on the wall from USA Today. It was about how to get better gas mileage. I’d heard most of the suggestions before: proper tire inflation, tune-ups, filter changes, good fuel, etc. However, there were two that I had not considered.

The first – When traveling on hot days (especially in newer cars), drive with the windows closed and the a/c on. I thought the advice would have been the exact opposite – turn off the a/c and roll the windows down. What I failed to consider was the incredible importance of aerodynamics. Cars are built aerodynamically to reduce wind drag which increases the fuel mileage. The drag that is created by the windows being open makes the car less fuel efficient than when the a/c is on and the windows are closed. Hmmmmmm. I guess we should stick with the design and plan.

The second – Check the car for extra weight (especially the trunk). Extra weight accounts for reduced fuel mileage, increased wear and tear on the tires, and increased load on the transmission and motor. That would seem to be a no-brainer. But how often do we throw stuff in the trunk only to forget about it? I checked my trunk . . . amazing.

Underwater and Helpless

 

In the summer of 2008 we ran a teen camp for our church teens at the Circle K Ranch in southwestern Colorado. It’s located in a beautiful spot in the mountains. The temperatures are wonderfully “cool to cold.” It’s a nice break from the Arizona daytime heat of 105-115˚.

We focus on spiritual things and have lots of fun, too. One of the highlights of the week is a 3-4 hour rafting trip down the Animas River. It’s a fairly easy run with a lot of wet fun. The only challenging part for beginners is toward the middle of the run (where pictures of each raft are taken): a section of rapids that is perhaps 100 yards in length. 

Before the whitewater adventure begins we are given instructions on what to do if someone falls out of a raft. The person in the water is told what to do to be recovered, and those in raft are told how to recover the raft-less one. They were simple instructions which stressed teamwork and safety.

At the beginning of the rapids our boat got hung-up on a rock, so we all moved to the low side (as instructed) and bounced up and down in an effort to free ourselves. It worked perfectly. The boat slid down the rock and we scrambled to our seats and our footholds. Did I say perfectly? Well, perfectly except for one small detail, I became separated from the raft. For all you slow people - I fell in. The thought that I might have fallen all by myself is untenable, so I imagine that the lady sitting next to me must have pushed me. I’ll stick to that story.