Where to start... my heart is overflowing with God's love and mercy, and, as a recent journalism graduate, I'm atypically at a loss for words. I made it my collegiate endeavor to learn more about the art of communication, and yet, somehow, words escape me. God sometimes has a way of getting our attention, though, and that's what makes me thankful.
I would be underselling the state of our society by saying we're in disconcerting times. Calamity, turmoil, and violence are hallmarks of a difficult half year thus far. In times of uncertainty and unrest, it's easy to lose sight of God and His plans in our lives. Let's be real, it's not every year that a pandemic disrupts our day-to-day life and societal turbulence strikes fear into our hearts.
My life was no different. I pressed to finish my degree from home, began working full-time, tried adjusting more and more to adult life. As much as I give a side-eye when people overuse cliches, I succumbed to being ill-prepared to handle "adulthood." When life takes you by surprise like it did me, it can be *hard* to see God's plan and *easy* to lose faith. Isn't it funny how that works?
That's the place I've been struggling in lately, and it's hard to be that vulnerable. However, I think it's important for young people to acknowledge that life can be like that at times. It's my hope and prayer that by sharing my experiences, each of you won't be overwhelmed when you're in a place like that. There's a song that has resonated with me, and it describes my faith as being "cold and tired." That's as accurate a description as I can find.
The "fire in my soul" has been mostly absent and I've not found the joy in serving God that I KNOW is there. But, why? Am I just not good enough, incapable as a pilgrim and stranger, loyally treading my way towards the Celestial City?
I'm convinced that isn't the case. I'll be honest -- I was fed up with not feeling a fire in my heart to serve God. I've felt it so real in the past, but I couldn't find it, and I was determined to. So as I was beginning to look more deeply into the Bible, I got, as God would have it, a punch in the gut.
I opened my Bible tonight, desperate for answers.
Job 6:11
"What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?"
Of course, while I was feeling sorry for myself for not being on fire for God, I would open to Job -- the quintessential example of a man seeking pity. But, a man that undoubtedly had more right than I likely ever will to have it... And yet, in his inquiry to God for answers to problems greater than my own, he asked, in a rather introspective way: "What is my strength?"
Instantly, my mind began thinking, what is *MY* strength? Why should *I* hope? The simple answer, one that I know intellectually, is Jesus. But does my heart fully understand what that means? I was reminded of verses I'd read in previous devotions, and of recent messages I'd heard.
In simple terms, I felt challenged by God. He was using the ancient words of a grief-stricken Job to cause me to reflect on my life, "What is my strength, that I should hope?" Friends, that was powerful -- and at first felt more like a dagger to the heart than comfort to uplift a searching soul. But, the more I've thought about it, the more I'm convinced that God has a purpose for the pain and a spiritual assignment for me. I have to find my strength and my hope.
Before I get too much into that, though, I think it's important to step back a little bit. As God's people, we are prone to slip into discouragement and complacency with spiritual tasks. What do we do? We plan revivals, hold meetings, and gather together for fellowship and encouragement. It's easy to think "if I can just hold out until Monark," or *insert favorite campmeeting here* then I'll be okay. But with COVID-19, those precious meetings keep getting cancelled or postponed. First, it was a revival, then it was Guthrie, and now West Virginia. I'll be the first to admit that has been difficult to watch. However, God reminded me tonight that it's not the meeting that makes the difference, it's the Lord we worship in those places.
The revival isn't in West Virginia -- or wherever we go to worship. The revival happens in our heart. And the good news is that revival can happen anywhere.
The message I heard on Sunday was perfectly timed. Times like these can bring us to our lowest of lows, to places we feel are unreachable. Yet, in times of instruction, that's exactly where God wants us to be. II Corinthians 12:9-10 says,
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
Our weakness is an opportunity for God to magnify His purpose and exhibit His strength through us. This is where I can find my strength, in the almighty Savior who conquered death and the grave on my behalf. His strength is made *perfect* in my weakness. When I am weak, then *He* is made strong in me. That promise is an overwhelming one to me. He's set me on a journey to unlock that strength, to find its place in my life, and why that gives me a reason to hope.
Of course, a journey typically takes more than one night of uncovering encouraging scripture. Isaiah 1:17 enlightens,
"Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."
Some of that instruction seems quite timely given the circumstances in our world, but all of it has a few things in common: we are to learn it, and it will cause us to do well. It takes time and progression, but it's clearly outlined as a path God wants to take us through. "To do well" is synonymous with the Hebrew word for righteousness. Whatever righteousness entails, that's part of our progressive education. If we want revival, this is a surefire path to finding it.
I know this post is a little bit long, but I hope you've followed along to the end. More than anything, I want this to be an encouragement to all of you who read it. It's okay to have days when your faith is cold and tired. We are humans, and there are times when we feel dry and empty. Revival of the heart is available for all of us. And while He's reviving our old bones, He just might send us on a journey that will show us more clearly where our strength comes from and how that gives us cause to hope. I hope you'll pray that I follow the trail where it leads, through the hills and valleys, all the way to Jesus Himself.
Keep encouraged!
Monday, June 1, 2020
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Where is the God of...?
From Damar Randle:
I want to briefly thank the Lord for His blessings to me! I just finished reading in 1 Kings and started the second book. While reading here I've seen the Power of God.
In 2 Kings the Second Chapter you see where Elijah, with the Power of God parted the waters of Jordan and they walked on dry land(v.8). Then a little further down, Elijah is taken up in a whirlwind and Elisha, his successor, is left. Elisha took the mantle of Elijah, and smite the waters saying "where is the God of Elijah?" I believe here God showed just as He was The God to Elijah, He is the same to Elisha.
Now, I want to briefly step away and look at my life. If you've lived in California for any length of time you've heard the name of Sis. Francis Blackwell, my great great great Aunt. Aunt Francis was saved and took her place in the Church of God Evening Light in the 1920s. Another name drop is Sis. Gladys Foster, my Great Grandmother. These two women were wonderful examples of the power of God. But, like Elijah, they both have claimed their rewards.
They've left a wonderful heritage for me. But, just as God was for them, He wants to be for me. I don't have to be satisfied in calling on the God of Francis or Gladys, but I can call on my God. The Lord showed himself faithful to Elisha and had many times proven faithful to me.
The Lord has been to me a comfort, a deliverer, a shield, a father, a friend and most of all a Savior. We must develop a personal knowledge and relationship with God. He wants that relationship with you!
- Damar Randle
I want to briefly thank the Lord for His blessings to me! I just finished reading in 1 Kings and started the second book. While reading here I've seen the Power of God.
In 2 Kings the Second Chapter you see where Elijah, with the Power of God parted the waters of Jordan and they walked on dry land(v.8). Then a little further down, Elijah is taken up in a whirlwind and Elisha, his successor, is left. Elisha took the mantle of Elijah, and smite the waters saying "where is the God of Elijah?" I believe here God showed just as He was The God to Elijah, He is the same to Elisha.
Now, I want to briefly step away and look at my life. If you've lived in California for any length of time you've heard the name of Sis. Francis Blackwell, my great great great Aunt. Aunt Francis was saved and took her place in the Church of God Evening Light in the 1920s. Another name drop is Sis. Gladys Foster, my Great Grandmother. These two women were wonderful examples of the power of God. But, like Elijah, they both have claimed their rewards.
They've left a wonderful heritage for me. But, just as God was for them, He wants to be for me. I don't have to be satisfied in calling on the God of Francis or Gladys, but I can call on my God. The Lord showed himself faithful to Elisha and had many times proven faithful to me.
The Lord has been to me a comfort, a deliverer, a shield, a father, a friend and most of all a Savior. We must develop a personal knowledge and relationship with God. He wants that relationship with you!
- Damar Randle
Monday, April 6, 2020
Act Like It
From Laura Adams:
“You want to serve me? Then act like it” He told me. I was taken aback. But Lord, haven’t I been trying? What have I been doing all this time? Again He told me, “Act like it”.
The path leading to this place had been anything but pleasant and I’d probably cried more in one month than I thought was humanly possible. I felt so torn up inside; like a billion different thoughts were racing in my mind but nothing was happening. The anxiety built up inside me was so strong I couldn’t hardly go out for any outing without having to leave early because of the sheer volume of negative, interrupting thoughts in my head. Internal combustion seemed eminent. Prior to me begging the Lord for help, I had Googled this exact phrase: “Why am I crying so much?” To which the first suggestion was, what is a word for crying too much? The answer? A crybaby. I laughed out loud.
Here I was, bawling my eyes out alone in my room and in my moment of despair what should call me out except some algorithm on Google?! How humiliating. The term crybaby got stuck in my brain. My goodness that is exactly what I am. I began praying to the Lord, “Lord, you see where I’m at and what I’m going through. Please don’t give up on me. I know you created me for a purpose, just don’t give up on me”. The Lord began revealing to me that all of the things that I was so hung up on were because I wasn’t looking to Him. I kept taking my eyes off of my Savior, the one who created me, the author and finisher of my faith, and expected to succeed. Lo and behold! I did not succeed.
I look back on so many times the Lord tried to show me this very thing and I would just brush it off. I’d say to myself, “Oh God just wants me to spend more time reading the Word” or “He’s just wanting me to trust Him, yeah yeah yeah same ole’ same ole’”. Well duh. All those things are part of looking to Him. They are all parts of learning to trust Him and His timing. I never cease to be amazed at how oblivious I can be to the Lord’s dealings in my life. I can’t thank Him enough for His patience with me and my blunders.
So, here we are, back to the phrase God placed in my heart: “You want to serve me? Then act like it”. Whew. Talk about getting the wind knocked out of your sails. When you look back and realize how much your were spinning your wheels, it can be quite sobering. I want to move forward and certainly not backward, but to just be jogging in place? Yikes. Not cool. The more I think about it the more I realize that that is just what the enemy wants. Maybe he can’t get us to backslide, but he can have us thinking that we’re not good enough to move forward. That thought process alone is enough for him to get his foot in the door to wreak havoc in your life.
Well, let me tell you, I am thanking the Lord that He has revealed this to me and I think of that song “My Soul Be On Thy Guard”. I want to be alert of the enemies tactics and seek the Lord every second of every day because I know that is where my mind needs to stay.
Isaiah 26:3
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
- Laura Adams
“You want to serve me? Then act like it” He told me. I was taken aback. But Lord, haven’t I been trying? What have I been doing all this time? Again He told me, “Act like it”.
The path leading to this place had been anything but pleasant and I’d probably cried more in one month than I thought was humanly possible. I felt so torn up inside; like a billion different thoughts were racing in my mind but nothing was happening. The anxiety built up inside me was so strong I couldn’t hardly go out for any outing without having to leave early because of the sheer volume of negative, interrupting thoughts in my head. Internal combustion seemed eminent. Prior to me begging the Lord for help, I had Googled this exact phrase: “Why am I crying so much?” To which the first suggestion was, what is a word for crying too much? The answer? A crybaby. I laughed out loud.
Here I was, bawling my eyes out alone in my room and in my moment of despair what should call me out except some algorithm on Google?! How humiliating. The term crybaby got stuck in my brain. My goodness that is exactly what I am. I began praying to the Lord, “Lord, you see where I’m at and what I’m going through. Please don’t give up on me. I know you created me for a purpose, just don’t give up on me”. The Lord began revealing to me that all of the things that I was so hung up on were because I wasn’t looking to Him. I kept taking my eyes off of my Savior, the one who created me, the author and finisher of my faith, and expected to succeed. Lo and behold! I did not succeed.
I look back on so many times the Lord tried to show me this very thing and I would just brush it off. I’d say to myself, “Oh God just wants me to spend more time reading the Word” or “He’s just wanting me to trust Him, yeah yeah yeah same ole’ same ole’”. Well duh. All those things are part of looking to Him. They are all parts of learning to trust Him and His timing. I never cease to be amazed at how oblivious I can be to the Lord’s dealings in my life. I can’t thank Him enough for His patience with me and my blunders.
So, here we are, back to the phrase God placed in my heart: “You want to serve me? Then act like it”. Whew. Talk about getting the wind knocked out of your sails. When you look back and realize how much your were spinning your wheels, it can be quite sobering. I want to move forward and certainly not backward, but to just be jogging in place? Yikes. Not cool. The more I think about it the more I realize that that is just what the enemy wants. Maybe he can’t get us to backslide, but he can have us thinking that we’re not good enough to move forward. That thought process alone is enough for him to get his foot in the door to wreak havoc in your life.
Well, let me tell you, I am thanking the Lord that He has revealed this to me and I think of that song “My Soul Be On Thy Guard”. I want to be alert of the enemies tactics and seek the Lord every second of every day because I know that is where my mind needs to stay.
Isaiah 26:3
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
- Laura Adams
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Trusting in the Meantime
From Serena Johnson:
While I love to travel, I’ve never really been one to enjoy the process. I always look for the most direct flight/bus/train possible, with the fewest stops, layovers, and distractions because after all, the real fun only starts once you arrive at your destination, right? Why take a scenic 2 day train ride when you can fly there in a couple of hours? Isn’t the point just to get there as quickly and with as little fuss as possible?
The Lord has been showing me that is not the case in our Christian journey. We aren’t born just to immediately die and go to heaven. God is the ultimate travel agent. He has an elaborately planned itinerary for each one of us, designed to bring Himself the most glory while blessing our lives. He commands us to live life dependent on Him day by day, and admonishes us to “take no thought for the morrow” reminds us that “sufficient to the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34) and instead pray for “daily bread“ (Matthew 6:11) , that is just enough provision to get through today—tomorrow will take care of itself.
This is incredibly difficult for us as humans to do. We want to know our destination, what’s happening next, and any slight disruption in our own conception of what the future will look like seems to cause incredible distress. The children of Israel are a prime example.
“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.” Exodus 32:1
The Lord had just done so many miracles in sending the ten plagues to bring them out of Egypt. God parted the Red Sea, drowned pharaoh and his army, and brought forth water from a rock in a desert place. He was literally providing them with daily manna from heaven. They were experiencing freedom, peace, and safety. All they had to do was wait and continue to live as they had been, following the precepts of God that He had revealed to them thus far. They weren’t in any particular distress. There were no enemies to be concerned with. No imminent attack that threatened their lives.
Yet, they became impatient. They simply got tired of waiting, and then did something rash: they created an idol. How many times do we fall into the same trap? We’re waiting to hear from God, and things are going well. There’s nothing particularly pressing going on that needs immediate attention. God is providing daily for our needs. We simply don’t understand what He’s doing, and think He’s taking too long. In our impatience, we do something rash, and take matters into our own hands. The consequences can be severe, worse than we ever imagined.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Hebrews 11:8.
What a challenge to me! Abraham didn’t know exactly where God was leading Him. He didn’t have a final destination in mind. He had no idea what it would be like, yet he trusted God. How many of us would be able to trust God enough to take a journey and not know the final destination?
But isn’t that what our daily Christian walk is? We don’t know what the day will bring, but we trust that God will lead and guide us along the way.
Are you in a season of waiting? Do you wish God would just hurry up and tell you an answer one way or the other so you could get on with your life? I ask you to consider that God wants you to submit the “meantime” to Him as well.
If we have a definite answer, a “yes” or a “no” a “go” or a “stay” we understand how to proceed. If God says “yes” then we have a plan and procedure. If He says “no” we’re disappointed, but still feel pretty confident that we know how to proceed. But what about those times when we’re waiting to hear from Him? Those 40 days and 40 nights when Moses was in the mount? Those times when it seems that God is silent and we can’t hear Him and can’t see Him? Do we trust that He’s working on our situation?
Are we willing to wait, to allow Him to guide us day by day, step by step, being content with not knowing what’s ahead or trying to navigate the way ourselves? God wants our total and complete dependence to be on HIM. Every day. Every hour. Each day, we need to ask the Lord what to do and how to proceed. We are not our own. Much like Abraham, God sometimes tells us to do things and we don’t know how it’s going to end up. But we can have faith and confidence that “the Lord shall guide thee continually” (Isaiah 58:11). Although the future is unknown to us, we can have confidence in the One who is omniscient and is walking the path beside us. We don’t need to fear the future.
“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9)
- Serena Johnson
While I love to travel, I’ve never really been one to enjoy the process. I always look for the most direct flight/bus/train possible, with the fewest stops, layovers, and distractions because after all, the real fun only starts once you arrive at your destination, right? Why take a scenic 2 day train ride when you can fly there in a couple of hours? Isn’t the point just to get there as quickly and with as little fuss as possible?
The Lord has been showing me that is not the case in our Christian journey. We aren’t born just to immediately die and go to heaven. God is the ultimate travel agent. He has an elaborately planned itinerary for each one of us, designed to bring Himself the most glory while blessing our lives. He commands us to live life dependent on Him day by day, and admonishes us to “take no thought for the morrow” reminds us that “sufficient to the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34) and instead pray for “daily bread“ (Matthew 6:11) , that is just enough provision to get through today—tomorrow will take care of itself.
This is incredibly difficult for us as humans to do. We want to know our destination, what’s happening next, and any slight disruption in our own conception of what the future will look like seems to cause incredible distress. The children of Israel are a prime example.
“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.” Exodus 32:1
The Lord had just done so many miracles in sending the ten plagues to bring them out of Egypt. God parted the Red Sea, drowned pharaoh and his army, and brought forth water from a rock in a desert place. He was literally providing them with daily manna from heaven. They were experiencing freedom, peace, and safety. All they had to do was wait and continue to live as they had been, following the precepts of God that He had revealed to them thus far. They weren’t in any particular distress. There were no enemies to be concerned with. No imminent attack that threatened their lives.
Yet, they became impatient. They simply got tired of waiting, and then did something rash: they created an idol. How many times do we fall into the same trap? We’re waiting to hear from God, and things are going well. There’s nothing particularly pressing going on that needs immediate attention. God is providing daily for our needs. We simply don’t understand what He’s doing, and think He’s taking too long. In our impatience, we do something rash, and take matters into our own hands. The consequences can be severe, worse than we ever imagined.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Hebrews 11:8.
What a challenge to me! Abraham didn’t know exactly where God was leading Him. He didn’t have a final destination in mind. He had no idea what it would be like, yet he trusted God. How many of us would be able to trust God enough to take a journey and not know the final destination?
But isn’t that what our daily Christian walk is? We don’t know what the day will bring, but we trust that God will lead and guide us along the way.
Are you in a season of waiting? Do you wish God would just hurry up and tell you an answer one way or the other so you could get on with your life? I ask you to consider that God wants you to submit the “meantime” to Him as well.
If we have a definite answer, a “yes” or a “no” a “go” or a “stay” we understand how to proceed. If God says “yes” then we have a plan and procedure. If He says “no” we’re disappointed, but still feel pretty confident that we know how to proceed. But what about those times when we’re waiting to hear from Him? Those 40 days and 40 nights when Moses was in the mount? Those times when it seems that God is silent and we can’t hear Him and can’t see Him? Do we trust that He’s working on our situation?
Are we willing to wait, to allow Him to guide us day by day, step by step, being content with not knowing what’s ahead or trying to navigate the way ourselves? God wants our total and complete dependence to be on HIM. Every day. Every hour. Each day, we need to ask the Lord what to do and how to proceed. We are not our own. Much like Abraham, God sometimes tells us to do things and we don’t know how it’s going to end up. But we can have faith and confidence that “the Lord shall guide thee continually” (Isaiah 58:11). Although the future is unknown to us, we can have confidence in the One who is omniscient and is walking the path beside us. We don’t need to fear the future.
“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9)
- Serena Johnson
Monday, January 6, 2020
Linked to God
From Racheal Cooper:
What is a link?
Are There Gaps In your Relationship With The Lord?
The stronger the link, the better!
What is a link?
When I looked up the definition of
link, this is what I found- “A relationship between two things or situations,
especially where one thing affects the other.”
With
that being said, I want to focus on the spiritual definition of a link. The
actual word link itself isn’t used in the bible, yet such a small word holds so
much value. Like used in the above definition, a link is a relationship between
two things. Our walk with the Lord is a relationship and with all
relationships, communication is key. In order to keep our relationship with the
Lord strong, we must seek him and draw closer to him daily. When you have a
true desire to seek the Lord, you will find him. Deuteronomy 4:29 states: “But
if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou
seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” We have to be entirely
devoted to him. When you are devoted to something, you are dedicated and
willing. That’s how we should feel about being connected to God. Is your
connection strong? Or is it starting to grow weak?Are There Gaps In your Relationship With The Lord?
The stronger the link, the better!
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If we are looking at things through our own eyes, and doing things
without seeking God first, we will find ourselves in a lot of trouble because
self isn’t wise. We need the Lords guidance in everything we do and if we
aren’t doing so, you’ll find yourself slowly slipping away from that strong
relationship you once had with the Lord. “depart from evil” when we think
about evil, we might not think about the little things but the little foxes
will keep you out of heaven if you don’t get rid of them now. Don’t let them
in and don’t let them take charge. Do you have things that are gaping into
your relationship with the Lord?
What will happen if you allow
things to seep into your lives that could disconnect that link? some
examples may include...
A loss of faith, loosing trust in the Lord, feeling discouraged, but worst of
all, you can become completely disconnected and stray off the pathway God has
made for you and lose your soul…
When living for the Lord, it is very important to have an unbreakable
bond with him. But how do we keep that bond strong? Let’s start with the value
of faith. Heb 11:6 states; “But without faith it is
impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” That one
scripture points out just how important faith is. It clearly says “but without
faith it is impossible to please him…” the key word is IMPOSSIBLE. There’s no
way around it, you can try, but you won’t succeed. We MUST have that
feeling of “I know I have nothing to
worry about, because I have faith that God is taking care of things.” Or a
feeling of peace. What exactly is faith? In simple terms, faith is
assurance, belief, and trust. Another very important aspect of having a strong
bond with the Lord is learning to seek him. When seeking the Lord, we have to
search out for him and have a hunger and desire to be fed by him. Mat
5:6 states; “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst
after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” In order to be filled, we must
be hungry. Another very vital part of having a strong link is prayer. Prayer is
a way for us to communicate with the Lord and give everything to him. We are so
much stronger when we pray. I can think of numerous times when I would be
feeling down or something was bothering me and I would just pray about it. When
I was finished praying, I felt relief and assurance. Why? Because I knew God
was taking care of things, I knew he was working but in his time. I came
across this quote the other day and it was very reassuring. The quote is “If
you are praying about it, God is working on it.” Such a simple quote, but oh
how powerful those words are. We can rest assure that God hears our prayers, he
hears our needs,
and wants and he is working on each and every one of them, but in his
timing. Something you’ll notice is how important it is to wait on Gods
timing. He has a reason for everything in your life so don’t rush his work and
be patient during the waiting period.
If we find ourselves growing weak
in prayer or lacking faith, your link is losing strength. That connection you
have with God might be loosening up. When we find ourselves in this situation,
we must resist the devil and fight back. If the devil makes you feel as if you
can’t have that connection because of such and such fight back, Seek help, and
ask the Lord to give you the strength to take a stand. But if you can safely
say “I feel so close to God.” Without any hesitation, you’re onward bound. When
we are living our lives to please God and feel that close connection to him,
there is no better feeling.
All in all I can strongly say that
there is so much value in having a strong connection to the Lord. Once you have
that unbreakable bond, you’ll notice just how smoothly things go. God is so
very faithful to us and knows just how to comfort us. When we have that
connection, you’ll be filled with joy and reassurance! Oh how wonderful!
-- Racheal Cooper
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Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Post-Monark
I feel like I'm not the only one who gets the post-Monark blues. For me, at least, Monark is essentially the greatest time of the year. It's a refreshing time to come to the Lord and seek to have His will in my life. Certainly, God was faithful again to meet me at every point where I needed help. Monark encourages, instructs, leads, and boosts us -- but it's only 10 days long. Make no mistake, it makes me tired, but those 10 days go by pretty quickly for me.
Every year I struggle with the battle of finding help and encouragement at Monark and then proceeding to allow the cares of life to get in the way and limit the blessings I receive once Monark is over. Every year, it seems, I purpose to ward off those hindrances, but sometimes fall short.
God has done very special things for me this Monark. He's met me in places where I was too afraid to go before. He illuminated my needs in a way that made them appear as though they can be conquered. I believe that's not just an appearance, but a reality. God does have victory for me. He showed it in the meeting. It's up to me, now, to have faith that He really DID meet my needs and to continue to live in that faith. I was reading in Colossians as I reflected on some of the notes I took during the messages, and I stumbled across Colossians 2:6-7, which says:
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: [7] Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."
The first part is interesting. It talks about receiving Christ. As I pondered the verse, God opened my eyes that there are more ways to receive Christ than simply to accept His offered gift of salvation. We can accept His will in many other ways. We can accept a walk of humility. We can accept a walk of longsuffering. We can accept a walk of patience. Likewise, we can accept Christ in His various dealings in a meeting. There was a lot of altar work at Monark, and many young people sought help there just like I did. We can accept the help we get there. That's how we can receive Christ. Being receptive to His dealings is vital to our success as a believer. Receiving Christ isn't limited to a one-time work of salvation. We must receive from God all throughout our lives.
But, the verse doesn't stop there. We've received Christ, so we must walk in Him. That can be tricky. What does it truly mean to walk IN Christ. In my feeble understanding, it signifies embodying the traits and characteristics of Christ -- and making a practice of the things He has revealed to us that we have received. If God deals with us about being more patient, walking in Him is to live that out, as Christ did. Walking IN Christ means conforming to His dealings -- not just receiving them intellectually -- but to live them out. That's something I struggle with. Most messages I hear I understand from an intellectual standpoint. I recognize the instruction God wants to give through them, but I struggle with part two -- conforming my lifestyle to accommodate Jesus' principles in my everyday walk. This part of the verse challenges me to that end.
The next verse begins by instructing us to be "rooted and built up in Him," which is a remarkable metaphor. A tree has roots, and the deeper the roots go, the stronger the foundation and the more sturdy the tree becomes. In the same way, the more we are rooted into God, the better our defense against the storms of life become. If a tree didn't have roots, it would blow down at the slightest breeze. So we can be carried away at every "wind of doctrine" if we aren't rooted down (Ephesians 4:14).
We must be established in the faith. An established business is one whose presence is well-accounted for. We want our lives to be accounted as Christians and something not easily moved. It also mentions that we're established as we have been taught. For the most part, we have all had a wonderful education in the things of God. That is especially evident at times like Monark. We have been taught truth and we have been taught life. That teaching is essential to our establishment as children of God. We can't neglect that blessing.
The last part of the verse is something I really feel like I need to work on. It says to be abounding in thanksgiving. I thought of the word abounding. It means active and plentiful. Our praise and thanksgiving needs to be characteristic of that passion. God has blessed us with SO much. He continues to bless us more than I can imagine. The simple fact that He cares enough to teach us lessons like these is truly incredible. As Bro. Darrell explained, God wants more for us than a religious rules and regulations. He desires to give us revelations and a living gospel. I am so thankful God revealed these verses to me in a special, personal way, and I pray it can be a blessing to you all as well.
Listen, I know these next few weeks are going to be tough. I've already battled with things God dealt with me about at Monark. It's not going to be easy to move on from Monark, and we can be sure the devil will be right on our trail. But let's take the same energy we put into Monark out of it. It's not the beginning of the thing that matters, it's the end. Let's be encouraged to receive Christ in whatever capacity He chooses to reveal Himself and then walk in Him. He has a special blessing for all of us.
I pray to see all of you next year at Monark (and hopefully sooner!) with a testimony of God's faithfulness and keeping power. I need those same prayers that I can have the same testimony. We're God's church, let's be faithful to Him with our lives.
Keep encouraged!
Every year I struggle with the battle of finding help and encouragement at Monark and then proceeding to allow the cares of life to get in the way and limit the blessings I receive once Monark is over. Every year, it seems, I purpose to ward off those hindrances, but sometimes fall short.
God has done very special things for me this Monark. He's met me in places where I was too afraid to go before. He illuminated my needs in a way that made them appear as though they can be conquered. I believe that's not just an appearance, but a reality. God does have victory for me. He showed it in the meeting. It's up to me, now, to have faith that He really DID meet my needs and to continue to live in that faith. I was reading in Colossians as I reflected on some of the notes I took during the messages, and I stumbled across Colossians 2:6-7, which says:
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: [7] Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."
The first part is interesting. It talks about receiving Christ. As I pondered the verse, God opened my eyes that there are more ways to receive Christ than simply to accept His offered gift of salvation. We can accept His will in many other ways. We can accept a walk of humility. We can accept a walk of longsuffering. We can accept a walk of patience. Likewise, we can accept Christ in His various dealings in a meeting. There was a lot of altar work at Monark, and many young people sought help there just like I did. We can accept the help we get there. That's how we can receive Christ. Being receptive to His dealings is vital to our success as a believer. Receiving Christ isn't limited to a one-time work of salvation. We must receive from God all throughout our lives.
But, the verse doesn't stop there. We've received Christ, so we must walk in Him. That can be tricky. What does it truly mean to walk IN Christ. In my feeble understanding, it signifies embodying the traits and characteristics of Christ -- and making a practice of the things He has revealed to us that we have received. If God deals with us about being more patient, walking in Him is to live that out, as Christ did. Walking IN Christ means conforming to His dealings -- not just receiving them intellectually -- but to live them out. That's something I struggle with. Most messages I hear I understand from an intellectual standpoint. I recognize the instruction God wants to give through them, but I struggle with part two -- conforming my lifestyle to accommodate Jesus' principles in my everyday walk. This part of the verse challenges me to that end.
The next verse begins by instructing us to be "rooted and built up in Him," which is a remarkable metaphor. A tree has roots, and the deeper the roots go, the stronger the foundation and the more sturdy the tree becomes. In the same way, the more we are rooted into God, the better our defense against the storms of life become. If a tree didn't have roots, it would blow down at the slightest breeze. So we can be carried away at every "wind of doctrine" if we aren't rooted down (Ephesians 4:14).
We must be established in the faith. An established business is one whose presence is well-accounted for. We want our lives to be accounted as Christians and something not easily moved. It also mentions that we're established as we have been taught. For the most part, we have all had a wonderful education in the things of God. That is especially evident at times like Monark. We have been taught truth and we have been taught life. That teaching is essential to our establishment as children of God. We can't neglect that blessing.
The last part of the verse is something I really feel like I need to work on. It says to be abounding in thanksgiving. I thought of the word abounding. It means active and plentiful. Our praise and thanksgiving needs to be characteristic of that passion. God has blessed us with SO much. He continues to bless us more than I can imagine. The simple fact that He cares enough to teach us lessons like these is truly incredible. As Bro. Darrell explained, God wants more for us than a religious rules and regulations. He desires to give us revelations and a living gospel. I am so thankful God revealed these verses to me in a special, personal way, and I pray it can be a blessing to you all as well.
Listen, I know these next few weeks are going to be tough. I've already battled with things God dealt with me about at Monark. It's not going to be easy to move on from Monark, and we can be sure the devil will be right on our trail. But let's take the same energy we put into Monark out of it. It's not the beginning of the thing that matters, it's the end. Let's be encouraged to receive Christ in whatever capacity He chooses to reveal Himself and then walk in Him. He has a special blessing for all of us.
I pray to see all of you next year at Monark (and hopefully sooner!) with a testimony of God's faithfulness and keeping power. I need those same prayers that I can have the same testimony. We're God's church, let's be faithful to Him with our lives.
Keep encouraged!
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Reaching Out
From Aubrey Sorrell:
Hi everybody! I thought I might share something that the Lord has been talking to me about for a while. Since the Guthrie campmeeting in May, the Lord has talked to me a lot on reaching out more. By reaching out I mean being a friend to those who are visiting the church, to those who don't really have a lot of friends. I'm not sure if I can quite put this into words the way God showed it to me, but I'll do my best.
During the Guthrie meeting, Bro. James Bell preached a message about being a first responder. He said something that really stood out to me: "Preach the gospel, and use words if necessary." Powerful, right? Our ultimate goal as Christians is to lead others to Christ, and one of the best ways for us to accomplish that goal is to be an example to others in what we say and do. But we have to take the first step (reaching out and being a friend) in order to be that example. If we will sacrifice our preferences, our excuses, our comfort zones, and reach out, we can then be an example and shine our light so that they can see Christ through us.
Philippians 2:4-8 is one of the passages that has really challenged me. Verse 4 says,
"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."
Reaching out and being a friend to someone you don't know can be really hard. I've found myself making the excuse that "I'm not very good at talking to people that I don't know very well" or "I'm really bad at making conversation" or "I'll just make it awkward, and someone else is better at welcoming others anyways." It can be really hard sometimes to ignore the excuses and to step out of our comfort zone.
But, to be completely honest, being a Christian isn't about staying in our comfort zone. We have to step out of our comfort zone in order to make others feel comfortable sometimes. When the Lord asks us to do something, that's the time to act, not later when we feel it will be more convenient. Maybe you don't feel comfortable reaching out to those you don't know, but if you'll do your part, God can then do His part and help you to know what to say.
Put yourself in their shoes. They could really need a friend, and maybe God wants YOU to be that friend. Don't let your own feelings get in the way of reaching out to them. Look for those who need a friend and ask the Lord to help you to be willing to reach out to them.
I'm not sure if I got this out exactly how the Lord showed it to me, but I hope that this was a challenge to someone else like it was to me. I definitely don't have this completely mastered, but I pray that the Lord will continue to help me grow in this area.
Isaiah 6:8
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me."
~ Aubrey Sorrell
Hi everybody! I thought I might share something that the Lord has been talking to me about for a while. Since the Guthrie campmeeting in May, the Lord has talked to me a lot on reaching out more. By reaching out I mean being a friend to those who are visiting the church, to those who don't really have a lot of friends. I'm not sure if I can quite put this into words the way God showed it to me, but I'll do my best.
During the Guthrie meeting, Bro. James Bell preached a message about being a first responder. He said something that really stood out to me: "Preach the gospel, and use words if necessary." Powerful, right? Our ultimate goal as Christians is to lead others to Christ, and one of the best ways for us to accomplish that goal is to be an example to others in what we say and do. But we have to take the first step (reaching out and being a friend) in order to be that example. If we will sacrifice our preferences, our excuses, our comfort zones, and reach out, we can then be an example and shine our light so that they can see Christ through us.
Philippians 2:4-8 is one of the passages that has really challenged me. Verse 4 says,
"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."
Reaching out and being a friend to someone you don't know can be really hard. I've found myself making the excuse that "I'm not very good at talking to people that I don't know very well" or "I'm really bad at making conversation" or "I'll just make it awkward, and someone else is better at welcoming others anyways." It can be really hard sometimes to ignore the excuses and to step out of our comfort zone.
But, to be completely honest, being a Christian isn't about staying in our comfort zone. We have to step out of our comfort zone in order to make others feel comfortable sometimes. When the Lord asks us to do something, that's the time to act, not later when we feel it will be more convenient. Maybe you don't feel comfortable reaching out to those you don't know, but if you'll do your part, God can then do His part and help you to know what to say.
Put yourself in their shoes. They could really need a friend, and maybe God wants YOU to be that friend. Don't let your own feelings get in the way of reaching out to them. Look for those who need a friend and ask the Lord to help you to be willing to reach out to them.
I'm not sure if I got this out exactly how the Lord showed it to me, but I hope that this was a challenge to someone else like it was to me. I definitely don't have this completely mastered, but I pray that the Lord will continue to help me grow in this area.
Isaiah 6:8
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me."
~ Aubrey Sorrell
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