Love One Another

How do we love one another? It's easy to love the people who are kind to us, the ones we feel comfortable with, and the people we know will treat us well in return. But, God's commandment is more than that. John 13:34 says:

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

First of all, Jesus extends this charge as a new commandment, but there are similar commandments given earlier in the Bible. Under Mosaic law, people were already told to love their neighbors as themselves (Leviticus 19:18). But, since this was given as a NEW commandment, there has to be something different. Jesus adds "as I have loved you." That puts a lot more impact in what our love to others should be. Christ loved us enough to die for us, give up privileges on earth, and expend His time doing things for us. He gave us everything, without reservation, and did so with a positive attitude. He befriended the lowliest sinners and people who deserved (under the old law) to be put to death. Yet, He cared for them. We're supposed to do the same. The command to love others wasn't new, but the charge to do so as Christ loves us was unparalleled.

But, how do we love one another? Jesus gave an example in Matthew 25:35-36:

"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."

Jesus correctly predicted people would question about when these things had actually happened, so he explained in verse 40:

"...Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

So, if we combine how Jesus treated people (loving, caring, compassionate) and how He explained these basic courtesies to others, that's a pretty good idea of what it is to love one another. Treating people with respect and being kind (even if the effort isn't returned) goes a long way towards winning people to Christ, and showing them by our actions the love of Jesus. Not only that, but Jesus explained in the next verse (John 13:35) another reason it is important to love one another:

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

If we show Christian principles by loving each other, the world will recognize something greater than our kindness. When we exemplify Christ's love in our lives, it points those around us to God. Not only are we treating people with decency and compassion, we're also witnessing for the truth. Personally, I want to be more loving and compassionate to people. It's important for our own lives, but it's also something we can do for the bigger cause of furthering the gospel. Pray for me!

Keep encouraged!

The Fear of the Lord

We had a very good Bible study last night on the fear of the Lord. It's Halloween, so I thought a post about fear would be an apt one. :P Yet, the fear of the Lord is entirely different than the brand of fear generally attributed to Halloween. While monsters and goblins of today's holiday aim to instill a scary type of fear, the fear of the Lord is something quite different. The fear of the Lord really isn't a fear at all. It's a true reverence of His majesty. Recognizing how awesome God is and accepting His divine power as superior to our own is what the fear of the Lord is about. God is not our equal. Instead, He is our superior, and having a fear of the Lord is acknowledging that fact.

The Bible describes the fear of the Lord as wisdom and knowledge. Proverbs 1:7 says:

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Proverbs 9:10 says:

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding."

These two verses encompass both knowledge and wisdom. The Bible gives more than sufficient account of heroes who had the fear of the Lord and obedience to His will. Abraham had the fear of the Lord to the point he would have sacrificed his son. Noah, in spite of doubt from his neighbors, built an ark out of the fear of the Lord (not to mention having never seen rain). Job demonstrated the fear of the Lord when He trusted God despite severe persecution. In the end, his reverence to God allowed God's omnipotence to be shown. All of these men exhibited the fear of the Lord by their actions. There is no doubt the fear of the Lord and our faith in His ability rather than our own is helpful. Conversely, there are plenty of other examples which manifest the fate that comes to those who do not fear God. Jezebel is a fitting example of someone who did not give the Lord respect or reverence. Her end was surely undesirable. Saul eventually neglected to revere the Lord in his latter days and his consequence was equally severe.

Uncle Clifford also briefly mentioned an analogy about the fear of the Lord in relation to cars. Not having a proper fear of the Lord is like driving on the wrong side of the road. You're out of line with His command of the law, and place yourself and others in danger. You're still a car either way, but you're much more vulnerable if you aren't in the right lane. We are still humans whether we fear God or not, but we can be much more safe if we keep following God.

He also mentioned a verse that really stuck out to me. Isaiah 33:6 says:

"And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure."

Wisdom and knowledge, as the study already brought out, referred to the fear of the Lord. In other words, the fear of the Lord shall be the stability (or security, safety, etc.) of thy times. "Thy times" makes the verse timeless. There is strength, and stability, in the salvation of the Lord. Our personal treasure can be the fear or the Lord. Reverence to God is will undoubtedly be favorable to the Lord. It can be our treasure of immeasurable value if we keep Him first. We'll be able to weather the storms of life by the stability service to God provides.

Keep encouraged!

Your Ways Are Not My Ways

Had another submission:

Have you ever felt like your life was a vacation for a split second? It felt like nothing was going wrong and that everything seemed easy? Some of you may say, "Yes." You've felt that way before. Now, let me ask you: did it stay that way for very long? Did you just sit at the very bottom of the mountain in a recliner and say, "Well, I can get over that thing without a problem, no biggie!" I'd say not. If you're anything human, you are probably shaking your head violently right now. Of course you didn't stay in that place of vacation! You have to get over that mountain sometimes or another if you're going to get anywhere! Life happens, folks, and sometimes it's just not easy.

As a teenager and just being human, my life is full of activities and events. I am sure yours is as well. But these courses of events can bring stress and trials. But I also believe that a lot of our actions have to do with how much stress and struggles we have in our lives. Then, of course, there are the struggles that life honestly just brings and that's God's ways and he can use those ways for His glory.

- Can my trials really be used to glorify God? And if so, why?

Yes, God brings things in our life for a purpose -- to make us stronger. And who knows what will become of your trial? It can turn into a beautiful thing if you allow God to work. Sometimes we can't see the good things out of the circumstance until the end. Recently, I had been worrying about a situation and I asked the Lord why He had given me that trial. As I continued on throughout my week, I kept praying and kept asking the Lord "Why?" And It was on a simple day where I felt like the "mountain" was too big for me to climb that God gave me a clear answer. 

I felt very needy before the Lord and I was at school before class started. I searched around through our bookshelves and found a "Keys for Kids" devotional. I laughed and picked it up and and started to read one of the stories in the book. As I read, I found that the story was just for me. Though the story was written in a childlike patter, I found out what the Lord had been trying to tell me all along and it was so clear. The story was about a child asking his parents why God was letting his grandfather continually get sick and why He was letting the old man die. The child's parents told him that the situation was in God's hands and He would work out the best. I instantly realized it was the same for me. God had my situation in His hands and He told me that He had it under control.

The story also referenced a few verses from Isaiah 55, and here is one of them: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, saith the Lord." God's ways are not my ways, and He has different plans for my life and my circumstances. My thoughts of how my life SHOULD be and what WILL be aren't vital. But what is vital is that I allow God to work through my life and lead me through the trials and dark times. So remember throughout your day that God's ways are not your ways. If we plunge through life thinking we can do everything and never have any help, we will crash. When we depend on God, our lives turn out much better.

- Natalie Sorrell

Noah, Daniel, and Job

Have you ever had a distinct challenge from God? It's a wonderful testimony of His faithfulness to us. Recently I was reading in Ezekiel, and I ran across a passage that stood out. Ezekiel 14:13: "Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and best from it." If that's as far as you read, it's a pretty dismal verse. Doesn't give much hope for humanity. Basically God is saying that if the earth becomes too sinful, He'll destroy it. But the next verse was a real challenge to me. Ezekiel 14:14: "Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God."

Though the world was in peril many times, these three still were saved. First of all, just look at the names. Noah, Daniel, and Job; all names of men who were stedfast in the faith and endured perilous times. By faith, Noah built the ark and saved his family, despite being opposed by everyone else. Daniel was exiled to Bablyon in 605 B.C., but he kept close to God and garnered a reputation of a righteous man. Job was severely tested, but still held faithful to God. Each of them, in their own respective times, behaved righteously. They all lived in corrupt times, but prevailed because of their commitment to God. The caliber of these individuals is not to be taken lightly. And it causes me to think. If these three pillars of faith were saved, I have to be like them to save myself. That's a tall order, and it won't come easily.

The next part of the verse says "they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness." Their responsibility was individual, they couldn't save those around them. But, just as we can't save those around us, they can't save us either. Our walk is individual. We can't get by with being around holy people, we have to walk the walk ourselves. It also says they did it by their righteousness. It's not the righteousness of others. Establishing ourselves in Christ and proving ourselves righteous in His sight. The final part of the verse gives us an assurance; "saith the Lord God" indicates that He will personally honor our service to Him. That's a promise we can hold on to. This verse was such a challenge to me, but also an encouragement. We live in a perverse, divisive, and wicket generation. There's a lot of people not living for God, and it can be worrying sometimes. But, we have to keep ourselves righteous like Noah, Daniel, and Job. It's no easy task, but we can do it and save ourselves from God's judgment. Stay encouraged!

Stay Encouraged!

Campmeeting season, for most of us, is coming to a close. I know for my part, I've been to quite a few campmeetings and have really been blessed. Sometimes, though, after a meeting, life becomes a lot harder, and the enemy seems to be even more oppressive. Psalm 38:19 says "But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied." Not only will the enemy fight harder, but we might receive even more flack from the world for living righteously. People will see our lives, and test our reliance on God. But, we don't fight alone. Psalm 46:1 says "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." If we stay consecrated to God, He'll be there to fight for us and give us strength to face the world. I hope this is an encouragement to everyone. I know a lot of people will be going back to school (or already have). Stay encouraged, and keep fighting! :)

Greater Nations

Deuteronomy 11:22 - For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him;
Deuteronomy 11:23 - Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.

God's commandments are sacred and important for us to follow. It isn't that we should simply keep them, though. God is looking for people willing to diligently follow him and keep them. We can't pick and choose which commandents we follow, we have to follow all of them. The Bible describes how we are to follow the commandments. Deuteronomy 11:22 specifies we are: to do them, not just remember; to love the Lord, not just respect Him; to walk in His ways, not just recognize or admire them; to cleave unto Him, not just desire His presence. We can't have a surface relationship where all we have is a knowledge of God and His precepts. We have to apply that knowledge of the Lord to our lives. God is pleased when we do that and follow His commandments with an honest, seeking heart.

When we do these things for God, they aren't done without merit or benefit. God will reward us. The next verse, Deuteronomy 11:23, mentions that God will "drive out nations" from before us. Historically, in the Old Testament, those "nations" were literal enemies of God's children. Now they refer to the trials we face. If we do as God instructs, He will guide and help us through them. We can, with God's assistance, take on big trails (with victory) we wouldn't ordinarily have the ability to conquer ourselves. When we are in line with what God wants us to do, He will help us out. He will drive out the problems we face. Then, we will "possess greater nations" and become mightier than we were before. Our success forged in following God's commandments helps us move on to bigger and better things in God's kingdom.

God has specific instructions for us that go beyond a simple knowledge and understanding of God and His ways. We have to live actively in God's service to reap the rewards of what He has for us. The "nations" or issues in our own lives may seem like giants much bigger than we are capable of facing. However, if we trust God and are diligent to seek and follow His commandments, we will possess greater nations than the ones we once had trouble overcoming.

Impossible Made Possible

The impossible made possible with God! 

I thank the Lord for his dealings with me and his faithfulness towards me. I'm not bring anything new. It's plain and simple truth that we know, but is a good reminder to us all. I know we know and acknowledge that all things are possible with God as brought out in Matt 19:26 and Luke 18:27, but God's ability to go above and beyond what we could imagine dates back way before Matthew and Luke came along. 

I am currently reading in the book of Exodus and in it are many wonderful treasures of truth. While I was reading in the 14th chapter it brought out many things that would seem impossible to us, yet so simple and possible with God. The first thing was when he told Moses to part the Red Sea and the children of Isreal will cross on "Dry ground through the midst of the sea" (V.16). Here the Lord spoke to me and showed me the impossible turned to possible.

If you've gone to the beach and have stood on the shore with the waves hitting and retreating you'd notice that the sand is wet, you could sink a little, and sometimes it could be difficult to walk in. Now, take into consideration, when they cross the sea imagine how many years it was  prior to their incident that the water had been there. I don't know exactly, but im sure quite a few years. Yet, they crossed on "Dry land" not wet land or moist land; it was dry! Praise God for his ability to make the impossible possible.

The second thing I noticed was in V. 20 where he was a pillar of fire to them and it said "...it was a cloud and darkness to them (Egyptians), but it gave light by night to these (Israel)." How marvelous it is to be in the same situation and have such a total different experience and outcome with those that are close by. That isn't something I could do nor you could do. Praise God for his ability to make the impossible possible.

The Children of Israel had some wonderful experiences and examples of God's faithfulness to them. How was awesome it must've been to see God's miracles i  that fashion. But, as we know, although they witness the power of God it seemed in the chapters to come they forgot about God's ability to change the order of things and started to murmur. Let us ever remember the Power of God. Let us not turn to murmuring, but stand fast knowing and acknowledging the power of the Almighty God.

I hope my thought and burden was brought out in a clear fashion that wasn't confusing to any and I pray you received a blessing from this. God bless!

Yours in Christ,

Damar D. Randle

Chosen One

Someone sent this poem:

"Chosen One"

'Tis thee, My Child, I have chosen
Yea, in the furnace of thine affliction.
I did seek to redeem and refine thee,
Though not with silver of majesties,
Nor gold, nor extravagant frivolity,
Nor for any act of generous chivalry.
Nay, but t'was for Mine own sake that I did.
For how shall My name be polluted?
With thy life, if thou wilt only let it be so,
I would that mercy and blessings o'erflow!
Trust, My child, trust My hand,
It framed the heavens, sea, and land!
It mounted the planets, sun, and moon,
It lit each twinkling star, just for you.
It seeks to form thee into an instrument of glory
That'll shout praises to My name throughout eternity.
Ne'er in all thy days wilt thou regret this choice,
If thou wouldst but heed My spirit's gentle voice.
And if thou wilt My commandments hearken,
There shan't e'er a doubt thine spirit darken.
For thou cans't always know to look on high,
To thine Heavenly Father, Who e'er is nigh.
Thy peace, like an endless flowing river, shall be,
Thy righteousness, as countless waves of the sea.
With an everlasting love have I sought to draw thee,
Willn't thou deliver Me thy chains? I will set you free.
Fall at My feet, when thine strength is gone and thou art feeble,
For 'tis there that I shall give thee wings to soar with the eagle.
Surrender the broken pieces thou'rt weary of trying to carry,
Daddy'll put them back together, just give them to Me.
I long to be thine only source of strength, to be thine all in all.
To hold thine hand in Mine, and catch thee, shouldst thou fall.
Oh, Beloved, 'tis thee I have chosen!
Willn't thou also choose Me?

Spiritual Lethargy

Spiritual lethargy is something I have struggled with quite a bit. Too many times, I use my time doing other things at the expense of my spiritual life suffering. The Bible has many scriptures that teach against being a lethargic Christian. One verse that has been an encouragement to me at times when I've found myself lacking is Isaiah 43:26. The first part of the verse says "Put me in remembrance." It's a very simple phrase, but it's very powerful. We have to continually put God in remembrence. The cares of life often distract us, so we need a reminder to have the everpresent memory of God. Some pillars in the church have explained it this way: you don't always have time to read and pray for a long time, but if you get at least one scripture and think about it all day, it will be a great help to us and help us to put God in remembrance. It's been a real encouragement to me.

II Timothy 2:15 is another common verse, and it adds to the reason why we need to combat spiritual lethargy in our own lives. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, righly dividing the word of truth." We can be immensely more successful in putting God in remembrance if we make a habit of consistently reading the word and praying. I've struggled with rigorously maintaining a schedule of reading and praying, and it has worked to my detriment. It wasn't always that I didn't have time, I just convinced myself I didn't or kept putting it off and prioritizing other things. Thomas Jefferson once said "I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." I'm not a great believer in luck, but the quote is true in a spiritual sense. The harder we work for God, studying, following His leadings, and things like that, the greater blessings we'll receive.

An enthusiastic Christian doesn't always keep to themselves, either. That's why Hebrews 10:25 says "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching." If we want to avoid being lethargic, we need to hold ourselves responsible for others to see the fruits of our labor. Not only are we charged to personally glorify God; we're supposed to do it with others and encourage them, too! Testimonies, exhortations, or even just the unity of the assembly can be very helpful and uplifting. If we have victory in an area that someone else might be struggling in, meeting together and sharing what God has given us can have a far-reaching impact.

Pslam 96:10 says "Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth." We need to go out to those who haven't seen the light and show them the way. Matthew 5:14 says "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." We're charged to be the light that others can see. God wants to use us to glorify Him and spread the gospel to others. If we're lethargic, lazy, and unenthusiastic, God won't be able to use us in the way He wants. We have all of these obligations in God's Word that indicate we can't be lethargic, so let's work against that to be a willing, capable vessel for the Lord.

Stay encouraged!

Eyes and Ears

I shared some of this on Facebook, but some don't have Facebook and I wanted to add some more to it.

I had a great time at the Guthrie meeting. There were a lot of challenging messages, and I hope with God's help I'll be able to use them for my good. After I got home (Sunday night), I was reading and the Lord gave me some thoughts.

I was reading in Isaiah 43, and came across verse 8: "Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears." We all have eyes, we all have ears, but do we really see and listen to what God tells us? Do the messages we're given fall on deaf ears? Most of us have grown up in the truth. We've heard countless messages preached and seen plenty of examples of Christ. Yet, recognizing that isn't near enough. No one wants to be deaf or blind, so we need to use our eyes and ears to learn what God is trying to teach us individually. The verse is more than just a challenge to us personally, it's also a call to enlighten those who are in a similar trap of the enemy. "Bring forth" means to bring them to a place where they can receive understanding and perceive God's guidance.

Symbolically, this verse (and some others in chapter 42) uses physical disabilities to represent our spiritual incapacities. Just because many of us are blessed with a good church to attend and the Bible to read doesn't mean that's all we need. Do more than just hear the preaching and skimming through the scriptures. Sincerely try to get understanding and apply the principles being taught to our lives while spreading it to those who are less fortunate than ourselves. It is a real blessing that we have the songs we do in our hymnal. It's a blessing that we have the Holy Spirit lead in our services. It's a blessing that we have the Bible to teach us and guide us in all truth. It's to our own detriment that we would neglect these things. Isaiah 42:20 says "Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not." That's not the person I want to be, and with God's help, I can hear, see, and follow where He wants me to go.

Starting Off

We live in an age where most of us have access to the internet and most of us use it on a regular basis. A lot of our time is spent online, so we might as well use some of that time to edify our spirit. There’s a number of ways the web offers that: special singing, messages, and Church of God literature have all been uploaded on various websites. Those things are very good, but can’t provide a connection and outlet for young people to share their thoughts. That is the purpose of this blog: to allow young people to share thoughts God has inspired. This idea isn’t a new one, there’s an older blog of the same purpose. However, the pioneers of that work no longer post most of whom have either gotten married or just moved on. Being a young person in the church is only a phase, and it’s our duty to pick up where others have left off. So, if you have anything encouraging to share, feel free to either send me what you want to post (if you might want it anonymous) or request to be an author so that you can post yourself. I hope this is an encouragement to everyone and feeds them something more helpful than what most of the rest of the internet has to offer! Feel free to add comments to anything that others share as well. :)