What a cheerful topic, isn't it? Not really, but it's real. Life on earth isn't always a walk in the park, though we sometimes wish it were in the heat of a moment. Yet, I firmly believe suffering has the ability to refine the believer and yield rich fruits of endurance, loyalty, and a dependence on our Creator. To flourish in life is always encouraging, but too much of a good thing can end up being unhealthy for us -- particularly when it threatens our sincerity to serve and rely on the Lord. The Bible is clear that God has a vested interest in us, an undying love for us, and is here FOR the purpose of keeping us safe (Psalm 46:1, 1 John 4:10, etc.). Why, then, would God allow us to undergo suffering if He loves us THAT much?
I think it would be better to clarify what suffering really is before we go any further. It can come in many different forms. It's not exclusive to physical pain, though it can be. It doesn't only refer to emotional hurt or damage, though it can be. It isn't always spiritual dryness or confusion, though it can be. All of these things would be considered suffering -- something difficult and/or painful to the earthly man. I believe the Bible has lessons to teach us about suffering, though. Is it hard? Yes. Worth it? Definitely.
So, why does God allow us to suffer? Suffering is a discipline. Just as a child needs correction, Christians need reminders of what improvements in their life need to be made. Proverbs 3:12 says, "For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth; even as the father the son in whom he delighteth." Suffering can highlight an area of our life where we are coming up short, and teach us about it. We are ultimately children of God, so we need similar discipline and training to mature into respectable believers. Lessons come from walking in sorrow. There is a significant danger in a life without suffering. We become selfish, devoid of mercy, and too independent for our own good. If we are doing fine alone, why would we turn to another source of comfort, strength, and help? God allows suffering to teach us and to give us ample reason to depend on HIS strength, not our own.
Of course, walking in sorrow isn't fun. Even Job, a man racked with sickness while everything was ripped from him, cried to God: "My soul is weary of my life..." (Job 10:1a). Yet, the full account of his life and suffering tells the real story of a merciful God and the rewards that come from enduring difficulties. Job 42:12 assures us that Job was blessed with more in the latter end of his life than the beginning. After all of the trials, tests, and intense suffering he was put through, God was faithful to reward a just servant. Isaiah 61:7 promises, "For your shame ye shall have double...everlasting joy shall be unto them." God has promised repeatedly that suffering is worth the reward at the end of it.
Plenty of other Biblical characters had to suffer. Think of the emotional pain it caused Abraham as he prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac. Consider the spiritual agony Jacob underwent wrestling with the angel. How did it feel for Paul as he sat in jail for preaching the gospel? Yet, each of these stories have a common theme: pillars of the faith, despite their failures in life, learned lessons from suffering. For the cause of Christ, in a time of suffering, Paul penned letters from which we still glean truth today. Christ, the very son of God, suffered tremendously leading up to and on the cross -- for you, for me, for the whole world.
But, while we're in the fire, it's hard to realize God has promised to deliver us and bless us for our steadfastness. It's taxing. It helps to recognize the tangible benefits, too. As humans, we crave instant gratification. Thankfully, God sees there are better ways to teach a soul sold out to Him. I have personally found that the hardest times in life yield the most bountiful fruit. 1 Peter 1 relates the trial of our faith to gold, saying it's even more valuable (I wrote more extensively on this in the previous post). The refining process is what is most important. It purges the impurities and lets the full glory of the Lord radiate.
Ultimately, suffering hinders one of the most common, fleshly struggles: individual empowerment. We tend to drift from God when we feel sufficient in facing life ourselves. But when suffering comes, we realize we aren't enough to fix it. We have to depend on something greater than ourselves, God. That is when we are most teachable, when we are lowly at His feet and pleading for help. The message of the gospel is of forgiveness and redemption, but also the hope of something in life that can sustain us and protect us. Suffering is an integral part of coming to the understanding that we NEED a savior, intercessor, and healer. It is because we serve a loving God that He allows us to suffer -- to learn the most important lessons about dependency on God, the necessity of patience in spite of undesirable circumstances, and the refinement of a complete, mature Christian. I pray that my life can be a testimony of one who favorably responds to adversity and learns the lessons God has for me in the midst of suffering. Pray for me that I continue to walk this heavenly road and do what is pleasing to the Father.
Keep encouraged!
Friday, December 1, 2017
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Trials
The life of a Christian is not always easy. There are times we are on top of the mountain and life is wonderful, happy, and easy. But getting to the top of a mountain takes a climb, and those climbs are sometimes very difficult trials of our faith, strength, and endurance.
On the physical side, climbing a mountain is typically taxing on our bodies. It takes effort we are not accustomed to exerting. On the spiritual side, the trial of climbing a mountain can touch a sensitive part of our lives where we have to submit something to God we thought we could handle ourselves. There might be something of ominous proportion standing in our way. Thank God we have His strength to help us conquer those mountains and reach the victory.
The Lord has been talking to me recently about these mountains and the trials that they are. Our goal that waits on the final peak is an everlasting inheritance. It is a reward that far exceedeth anything on earth. We are climbing "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven..." (I Peter 1:4). It is well worth the trouble here to gain the prize that awaits there. Yet, we don't go on our own strength. God doesn't expect us, in our humanity, to qualify for that prize. Instead, "We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (I Peter 1:5). God's saving, keeping grace is our remedy. Our sinful, natural man is conquered by a repentant heart and God's grace. We "who are kept" are defended. Believers are guarded by Christ and kept in His watchful care. This gives us an unfailing hope. As verse 6 says, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations." This shows us that we will indeed face trials; there will be times where our strength and endurance is tested. The climb will be steep. But, we have cause to rejoice, even in those difficult times! They are only for a season. Our pilgrimage here below is such a small time, a vapor, in comparison to heaven.
But we have cause for rejoicing even on earth, not just because of the hope of heaven. Verse 7 says, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." Just as gold has to be purged, we likewise have to face trials of our faith. However, gold eventually perisheth, we don't. Genuine faith is proved by adversities. We become stronger and more capable as we face new things. Not only do we prove to God our willingness to serve Him, we prove to ourselves the strength God has for us to press on amidst hardships. In my own life, I have found that my greatest victories come out of the deepest, darkest times of my life. I am very encouraged to know that God is there to help us fight our battles, and invigorated by the fact that through our weakness comes a strengthening only God can give, an ability to move onward and upward.
God recognizes our condition. He knows how much we are able to bear. He understands when life becomes pressing and we lose strength. In Jeremiah 31:25, He reminds us "For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul." Satiate means, essentially, to satisfy. He has satisfied my soul that is weary, and replenished my soul that is sorrowful. We we don't feel like we have enough from Him, He replenishes us. When we feel like we are weary from the climb, He satisfies and renews us with strength. It's also important to remember that in facing these trials and conquering the mountains they are, it's not always a quick process. We have to take it step by step. The most important part is to not quit and keep going. Even if it feels like we'll never get there, keep moving forward. God doesn't always reveal everything to us immediately. We have to keep consecrating things, submitting ourselves to His will.
Life can definitely be hard. But living for God is the greatest life possible. It gives us hope when life gets us down. I am learning how trials come, but have the ability to make or break us in our spiritual walk. I want them to make me a better person and a more devoted follower of Christ. In faith, in deed, and in any way possible, I want to become stronger by the hard things God puts in our lives. I'm thankful for His faithful care for us and giving us His Word to teach us, people to help us, and His Spirit to guide us in all things. Pray for me that I will continue to conquer mountains in my own life and learn the lessons God has for me in the trials I face.
Keep encouraged!
On the physical side, climbing a mountain is typically taxing on our bodies. It takes effort we are not accustomed to exerting. On the spiritual side, the trial of climbing a mountain can touch a sensitive part of our lives where we have to submit something to God we thought we could handle ourselves. There might be something of ominous proportion standing in our way. Thank God we have His strength to help us conquer those mountains and reach the victory.
The Lord has been talking to me recently about these mountains and the trials that they are. Our goal that waits on the final peak is an everlasting inheritance. It is a reward that far exceedeth anything on earth. We are climbing "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven..." (I Peter 1:4). It is well worth the trouble here to gain the prize that awaits there. Yet, we don't go on our own strength. God doesn't expect us, in our humanity, to qualify for that prize. Instead, "We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (I Peter 1:5). God's saving, keeping grace is our remedy. Our sinful, natural man is conquered by a repentant heart and God's grace. We "who are kept" are defended. Believers are guarded by Christ and kept in His watchful care. This gives us an unfailing hope. As verse 6 says, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations." This shows us that we will indeed face trials; there will be times where our strength and endurance is tested. The climb will be steep. But, we have cause to rejoice, even in those difficult times! They are only for a season. Our pilgrimage here below is such a small time, a vapor, in comparison to heaven.
But we have cause for rejoicing even on earth, not just because of the hope of heaven. Verse 7 says, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." Just as gold has to be purged, we likewise have to face trials of our faith. However, gold eventually perisheth, we don't. Genuine faith is proved by adversities. We become stronger and more capable as we face new things. Not only do we prove to God our willingness to serve Him, we prove to ourselves the strength God has for us to press on amidst hardships. In my own life, I have found that my greatest victories come out of the deepest, darkest times of my life. I am very encouraged to know that God is there to help us fight our battles, and invigorated by the fact that through our weakness comes a strengthening only God can give, an ability to move onward and upward.
God recognizes our condition. He knows how much we are able to bear. He understands when life becomes pressing and we lose strength. In Jeremiah 31:25, He reminds us "For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul." Satiate means, essentially, to satisfy. He has satisfied my soul that is weary, and replenished my soul that is sorrowful. We we don't feel like we have enough from Him, He replenishes us. When we feel like we are weary from the climb, He satisfies and renews us with strength. It's also important to remember that in facing these trials and conquering the mountains they are, it's not always a quick process. We have to take it step by step. The most important part is to not quit and keep going. Even if it feels like we'll never get there, keep moving forward. God doesn't always reveal everything to us immediately. We have to keep consecrating things, submitting ourselves to His will.
Life can definitely be hard. But living for God is the greatest life possible. It gives us hope when life gets us down. I am learning how trials come, but have the ability to make or break us in our spiritual walk. I want them to make me a better person and a more devoted follower of Christ. In faith, in deed, and in any way possible, I want to become stronger by the hard things God puts in our lives. I'm thankful for His faithful care for us and giving us His Word to teach us, people to help us, and His Spirit to guide us in all things. Pray for me that I will continue to conquer mountains in my own life and learn the lessons God has for me in the trials I face.
Keep encouraged!
Monday, October 16, 2017
MORE
The Lord has blessed some thoughts to my mind from a message I heard Sunday, and I thought it might be good to share them -- along with some other thoughts God has given me recently.
Life is a complicated thing. Sometimes the road is easier than others, but sometimes it feels like nothing goes our way and everyone is against us. As saints, we have a promise that God is with us even in the most difficult times. Deuteronomy 31:8 says "And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." We can't allow the enemy to steal that promise.
Yet, despite knowing that, there are times in our life that FEEL as if we are alone. There are places where we feel insufficient in ourselves to deal with problems that come our way. God intends for us to grow in Him and be better prepared for those times. He's promised that He is with us, and won't leave us, but we have a part to do as well. We can't limit ourselves from the strength and power God has for us as weapons to ward off those attacks of the enemy, so we have to learn how to obtain and maintain them.
II Kings 13:14-19 contains the story of Joash, who approached Elisha as he was coming to the end of his life. This was a wise choice by the king... Elisha was a faithful man of God who had a part in many incredible things of the Lord. Elisha began to instruct Joash of some things. Verse 18 reads: "And he (Elisha) said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed." Joash relied on his own thinking here to smite the ground as many times as he thought was necessary. Certainly, he decided that was sufficient, and enough of what God and Elisha required of him. But verse 19 is evidence that was not the case. "And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice." I don't claim to have all the answers for God's anger here. But, I know this much: Joash limited himself. He already knew that these things with the bow and arrow were dealing with conquering the Syrian's and the Lord's deliverance. Elisha's command to strike the ground with the arrow was emblematic of implementing the promise of deliverance. Striking it only thrice and then staying is perhaps indicative of Joash's lack of zeal for those things. He didn't get more.
How easy is it to shortchange ourselves from what God is willing to give us? Joash severely limited himself (and the kingdom). Circumstances come in which we could get more growth, more strength, and more maturity. God doesn't want us to be a stagnant people. He doesn't want us stuck in a rut of complacency. Being relaxed without moving forward is a dangerous game. Life isn't intended to stay the same; positive growth is an imperative part of Christian living. More from God is only gained by giving more to Him of our life. Joash lacked zeal, and we have to prove to God that we are commited and giving all we have to get the blessings God intends for us when we are given opportunity. In everything we do, we ought to seek for more of God.
Ephesians 3:20 reads: "Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." God is able to give us more. If we are diligent in asking and pleading for it, He is definitely there to give, and capable of giving us, more. It can be a greater measure of victory. A greater measure of patience. A greater measure of humility. A greater measure of anything. In fact, His power is WITHOUT measure. It is limitless. The only limits placed on God's power and grace are positioned there by us. By our unwillingness to simply obey and work for more. God will do just as much for us as we will let Him do in us. Keep beating the ground. That moves God on His throne and allows us to get more from Him. More is available. Seek after it.
This is a personal desire of mine. I know there are plenty of areas where I am lacking. I know that asking for more means change, but the change is positive. I want to be changed a little each day. Every test and trial can have a positive or negative impact on our spiritual walk, but that also means each one is a chance to learn and grow more. I am determined to try my best to get the victory and learn the proper lesson in every trial. If God can move a mountain with faith like a grain of mustard seed, I wonder what He could do with me. I know he can move me to higher ground and to a steadier, safer walk with Him. That is what I long for.
I know God is able to help me in this. Colossians 1:12 reads "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness." I can be strengthened with ALL might, according to God's power. That is a wonderful and precious promise. I can have the power unto all patience, longsuffering with joyfulness -- essentially all the areas I need to move up in. The MORE that I need is supplied by God. I'm very thankful for God's special attention to me and His faithfulness to teach and perfect my heart.
Keep encouraged!
Life is a complicated thing. Sometimes the road is easier than others, but sometimes it feels like nothing goes our way and everyone is against us. As saints, we have a promise that God is with us even in the most difficult times. Deuteronomy 31:8 says "And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." We can't allow the enemy to steal that promise.
Yet, despite knowing that, there are times in our life that FEEL as if we are alone. There are places where we feel insufficient in ourselves to deal with problems that come our way. God intends for us to grow in Him and be better prepared for those times. He's promised that He is with us, and won't leave us, but we have a part to do as well. We can't limit ourselves from the strength and power God has for us as weapons to ward off those attacks of the enemy, so we have to learn how to obtain and maintain them.
II Kings 13:14-19 contains the story of Joash, who approached Elisha as he was coming to the end of his life. This was a wise choice by the king... Elisha was a faithful man of God who had a part in many incredible things of the Lord. Elisha began to instruct Joash of some things. Verse 18 reads: "And he (Elisha) said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed." Joash relied on his own thinking here to smite the ground as many times as he thought was necessary. Certainly, he decided that was sufficient, and enough of what God and Elisha required of him. But verse 19 is evidence that was not the case. "And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice." I don't claim to have all the answers for God's anger here. But, I know this much: Joash limited himself. He already knew that these things with the bow and arrow were dealing with conquering the Syrian's and the Lord's deliverance. Elisha's command to strike the ground with the arrow was emblematic of implementing the promise of deliverance. Striking it only thrice and then staying is perhaps indicative of Joash's lack of zeal for those things. He didn't get more.
How easy is it to shortchange ourselves from what God is willing to give us? Joash severely limited himself (and the kingdom). Circumstances come in which we could get more growth, more strength, and more maturity. God doesn't want us to be a stagnant people. He doesn't want us stuck in a rut of complacency. Being relaxed without moving forward is a dangerous game. Life isn't intended to stay the same; positive growth is an imperative part of Christian living. More from God is only gained by giving more to Him of our life. Joash lacked zeal, and we have to prove to God that we are commited and giving all we have to get the blessings God intends for us when we are given opportunity. In everything we do, we ought to seek for more of God.
Ephesians 3:20 reads: "Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." God is able to give us more. If we are diligent in asking and pleading for it, He is definitely there to give, and capable of giving us, more. It can be a greater measure of victory. A greater measure of patience. A greater measure of humility. A greater measure of anything. In fact, His power is WITHOUT measure. It is limitless. The only limits placed on God's power and grace are positioned there by us. By our unwillingness to simply obey and work for more. God will do just as much for us as we will let Him do in us. Keep beating the ground. That moves God on His throne and allows us to get more from Him. More is available. Seek after it.
This is a personal desire of mine. I know there are plenty of areas where I am lacking. I know that asking for more means change, but the change is positive. I want to be changed a little each day. Every test and trial can have a positive or negative impact on our spiritual walk, but that also means each one is a chance to learn and grow more. I am determined to try my best to get the victory and learn the proper lesson in every trial. If God can move a mountain with faith like a grain of mustard seed, I wonder what He could do with me. I know he can move me to higher ground and to a steadier, safer walk with Him. That is what I long for.
I know God is able to help me in this. Colossians 1:12 reads "Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness." I can be strengthened with ALL might, according to God's power. That is a wonderful and precious promise. I can have the power unto all patience, longsuffering with joyfulness -- essentially all the areas I need to move up in. The MORE that I need is supplied by God. I'm very thankful for God's special attention to me and His faithfulness to teach and perfect my heart.
Keep encouraged!
Thursday, October 5, 2017
A Habitable Place
I was inspired with this thought over the summer, but never made the time to sit down and write about it. I hope this will be an encouragement and challenge for all of us, and that it hits home to you as it did for me.
For the past few summers, I've been mowing lawns to earn some money. I mow for some of my neighbors, and even since we have moved to our new house, I still mow for some neighbors in our old neighborhood. One day, I was mowing in that neighborhood and one of my old neighbors approached me, asking if I'd be willing to mow their lawn. Their parents had been in Mexico and wouldn't be back for awhile, and no one had mowed the backyard. I agreed to do it and went over the next day. When I got there, I realized why they asked me to come mow. It looked as if it hadn't been touched in a couple of weeks (and around here, that's plenty of time for an unattended yard to turn wild).
It was a mess. Terribly overgrown, the grass was waist high in some places and knotted together in a tangled conglomeration of green. "How did it get like this?" I wondered to myself. It was neglected. The people who normally would have taken care of it were absent, and the yard was left to its own. Without the proper care, it turned into an almost irreversible mess. Recognizing the task ahead of me, I begrudgingly began working on the lawn, knowing it would take far longer than I had expected.
But, as I trimmed away and made several slow laps with a lawn mower struggling to churn through the masses of green weeds, I realized there was a spiritual lesson to be learned from this physical predicament. This place wasn't habitable for a family. Parents wouldn't want their children running around in such an overgrown place with bugs waiting to bite, and it certainly wouldn't be comfortable for a BBQ. It was simply a mess. Neither is a soul filled with the nastiness of sin and the webs of jealousy, anger, or other unclean things a habitable place for the Holy One to dwell.
It reminded me of the parable of the sower. Seeds fell among thorns and were choked out by the thorns and unable to grow (Luke 8:7). Imagine trying to find a flower in the midst of an overgrown, weed-filled yard. They would be choked out by the thorns. This is a literal example, but consider the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), which happen to be very necessary for a Christian life. A life cannot simultaneously foster the growth of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc. while giving place for the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). The fruits of the spirit will be choked out, just as the beauty of the lawn was hidden by the mess of overgrown weeds. The Bible likens the choked seeds to someone who goes along life's way and gets caught up with cares, riches, and pleasures of this life, and becomes unfruitful (Matthew 13:22, Luke 8:14). Instead of focusing the time and cultivation necessary in facilitating growth in the good things, time is wasted elsewhere. The fruits of the spirit, much like the literal fruits of the earth, is neglected and not brought to perfection.
Galatians 6:8 reads: "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption,; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." The concept seems fairly simple, and in basic terms means that doing wrong will be rewarded with bad, and doing right will be rewarded with good. This can be applied to the neglect I mentioned earlier. Sowing neglect will FROM the neglect produce disappointment. But, being careful to keep up with particular things ensures that the result will be positive. Making time to learn the things in our life that God is teaching us, instead of putting them on the backburner, makes our efforts pleasing to God. The neighbors in this scenario were not sowing carefulness, but instead were sowing neglect. Fortunately (for them), I was there to reap the brunt of the disappointment (and tall grass) for them. ;)
However, being proactive in the things of God has its benefits, for sure. Ecclesiastes 3:13 reads: "And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God." Taking care of things in our lives and making sure they are presentable for God allows us to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Much like a well-maintained yard where you can enjoy a good cookout, a maintained life is going to be much more pleasant than one with unattended problems popping up at every turn. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges, at least personally, in the Christian experience. God is faithful to teach us things and give us the tools to work past difficulties in our lives, but we have to maintain. Mowing the yard once each spring doesn't keep it looking nice and habitable for an evening cookout. It takes regular maintenance and hard work to keep up. Once God has given us a lesson or brought us through a trial, we still have to maintain what we have learned and make sure we don't let any sprouts of bitterness, anger, or any other evil fruit pop up in our life. Cut them off. Cast them away. Maintain. You'll be the beneficiary of a clean heart, just as the family who lives there is the primary beneficiary of a well-kept yard.
God also gives us each one different gifts. To some, it is singing. To some, exhortation. To some, helps. They are widely varying, but all essential components of who God intends for us to be. I Timothy 4:14 warns us to not neglect the gift in us. Don't let things of the world choke it out. Don't let the beauty be marred by neglecting to practice the gift or use it. Exercise it, and be an example of the believers in your life. Some neighborhoods have strict lawn codes, requiring that grass be a certain height and no taller. We don't want our life to look so drastically different from Christ's (who is our ultimate example) that people can't tell who we are representing. We especially don't want to cause God, figuratively, to admonish us that the grass in our yard is too long.
Romans 1:16 says "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth..." We don't want to be ashamed of such a wonderful gift. We don't want our yard to look so bad that we are too embarrassed to invite people over to see it. But, much more importantly, we don't want to be ashamed unto God for the condition of our souls. A common scripture, 1 Corinthians 3:16, says "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" God dwells in us. We want our lives to be acceptable to Him. We don't want to be embarrassed about how our life looks, and we certainly don't want to give place to works of the flesh and evil fruit in our life. If Jesus were coming to visit, we'd be sure every tall weed was trimmed, the grass was properly maintained, and that there was plenty of food for a cookout.
We want our souls, and our lives, to be a habitable place for the Holy One to dwell. Clean, trimmed, maintained, and pleasant. God is our ultimate judge, and we want to be worthy of the blessings He's waiting to give. Don't let your zeal for the Lord become overgrown. Cultivate and grow the desire to serve Him. We inhabit what we make for ourselves in our lives. It needs to be good enough for us and also pleasing for company. God is going to be there. Make it pleasing to Him.
Keep encouraged!
For the past few summers, I've been mowing lawns to earn some money. I mow for some of my neighbors, and even since we have moved to our new house, I still mow for some neighbors in our old neighborhood. One day, I was mowing in that neighborhood and one of my old neighbors approached me, asking if I'd be willing to mow their lawn. Their parents had been in Mexico and wouldn't be back for awhile, and no one had mowed the backyard. I agreed to do it and went over the next day. When I got there, I realized why they asked me to come mow. It looked as if it hadn't been touched in a couple of weeks (and around here, that's plenty of time for an unattended yard to turn wild).
It was a mess. Terribly overgrown, the grass was waist high in some places and knotted together in a tangled conglomeration of green. "How did it get like this?" I wondered to myself. It was neglected. The people who normally would have taken care of it were absent, and the yard was left to its own. Without the proper care, it turned into an almost irreversible mess. Recognizing the task ahead of me, I begrudgingly began working on the lawn, knowing it would take far longer than I had expected.
But, as I trimmed away and made several slow laps with a lawn mower struggling to churn through the masses of green weeds, I realized there was a spiritual lesson to be learned from this physical predicament. This place wasn't habitable for a family. Parents wouldn't want their children running around in such an overgrown place with bugs waiting to bite, and it certainly wouldn't be comfortable for a BBQ. It was simply a mess. Neither is a soul filled with the nastiness of sin and the webs of jealousy, anger, or other unclean things a habitable place for the Holy One to dwell.
It reminded me of the parable of the sower. Seeds fell among thorns and were choked out by the thorns and unable to grow (Luke 8:7). Imagine trying to find a flower in the midst of an overgrown, weed-filled yard. They would be choked out by the thorns. This is a literal example, but consider the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), which happen to be very necessary for a Christian life. A life cannot simultaneously foster the growth of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc. while giving place for the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). The fruits of the spirit will be choked out, just as the beauty of the lawn was hidden by the mess of overgrown weeds. The Bible likens the choked seeds to someone who goes along life's way and gets caught up with cares, riches, and pleasures of this life, and becomes unfruitful (Matthew 13:22, Luke 8:14). Instead of focusing the time and cultivation necessary in facilitating growth in the good things, time is wasted elsewhere. The fruits of the spirit, much like the literal fruits of the earth, is neglected and not brought to perfection.
Galatians 6:8 reads: "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption,; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." The concept seems fairly simple, and in basic terms means that doing wrong will be rewarded with bad, and doing right will be rewarded with good. This can be applied to the neglect I mentioned earlier. Sowing neglect will FROM the neglect produce disappointment. But, being careful to keep up with particular things ensures that the result will be positive. Making time to learn the things in our life that God is teaching us, instead of putting them on the backburner, makes our efforts pleasing to God. The neighbors in this scenario were not sowing carefulness, but instead were sowing neglect. Fortunately (for them), I was there to reap the brunt of the disappointment (and tall grass) for them. ;)
However, being proactive in the things of God has its benefits, for sure. Ecclesiastes 3:13 reads: "And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God." Taking care of things in our lives and making sure they are presentable for God allows us to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Much like a well-maintained yard where you can enjoy a good cookout, a maintained life is going to be much more pleasant than one with unattended problems popping up at every turn. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges, at least personally, in the Christian experience. God is faithful to teach us things and give us the tools to work past difficulties in our lives, but we have to maintain. Mowing the yard once each spring doesn't keep it looking nice and habitable for an evening cookout. It takes regular maintenance and hard work to keep up. Once God has given us a lesson or brought us through a trial, we still have to maintain what we have learned and make sure we don't let any sprouts of bitterness, anger, or any other evil fruit pop up in our life. Cut them off. Cast them away. Maintain. You'll be the beneficiary of a clean heart, just as the family who lives there is the primary beneficiary of a well-kept yard.
God also gives us each one different gifts. To some, it is singing. To some, exhortation. To some, helps. They are widely varying, but all essential components of who God intends for us to be. I Timothy 4:14 warns us to not neglect the gift in us. Don't let things of the world choke it out. Don't let the beauty be marred by neglecting to practice the gift or use it. Exercise it, and be an example of the believers in your life. Some neighborhoods have strict lawn codes, requiring that grass be a certain height and no taller. We don't want our life to look so drastically different from Christ's (who is our ultimate example) that people can't tell who we are representing. We especially don't want to cause God, figuratively, to admonish us that the grass in our yard is too long.
Romans 1:16 says "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth..." We don't want to be ashamed of such a wonderful gift. We don't want our yard to look so bad that we are too embarrassed to invite people over to see it. But, much more importantly, we don't want to be ashamed unto God for the condition of our souls. A common scripture, 1 Corinthians 3:16, says "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" God dwells in us. We want our lives to be acceptable to Him. We don't want to be embarrassed about how our life looks, and we certainly don't want to give place to works of the flesh and evil fruit in our life. If Jesus were coming to visit, we'd be sure every tall weed was trimmed, the grass was properly maintained, and that there was plenty of food for a cookout.
We want our souls, and our lives, to be a habitable place for the Holy One to dwell. Clean, trimmed, maintained, and pleasant. God is our ultimate judge, and we want to be worthy of the blessings He's waiting to give. Don't let your zeal for the Lord become overgrown. Cultivate and grow the desire to serve Him. We inhabit what we make for ourselves in our lives. It needs to be good enough for us and also pleasing for company. God is going to be there. Make it pleasing to Him.
Keep encouraged!
Monday, August 28, 2017
Peace
Jesus is good to me. I've had this thought for quite awhile, and it has been one of great encouragement and strength to me. For those who are more aware of my personal life, they know I've faced some very difficult things this year. A lot of things have threatened to disturb my peace and cause me great heartache. Yet, those circumstances don't have a one-way effect. They can also be great stepping stones of faith and help me grow in the Lord. I'm very grateful to say that God has been right beside me the whole time and has worked these things for good in my life in some way.
God is faithful to the wanderer. There have certainly been times in my experience where I haven't felt as close to God as I know I should have been. Times like that are discouraging because you're never at total peace. Especially when situations come that rock the waters, your boat seems to be on the verge of sinking. I want to testify that God didn't let me stay in those places. As the lyrics of a song says: "He is with you in the valley of despair, and He won't leave you there." He rescued me, kept me safe, and encouraged my heart. It wasn't easy and it required surrendering, but He is faithful to help us in time of need when we humble ourselves.
I mentioned some in an earlier post about Bro. Michael Smith's message (Back to Bethel), so I won't talk about that, I'll just continue from there. It was a great encouragement to me, but we're never done learning. God showed me some areas in my life that were lacking, and with His help, I'm trying to work on those. He also spoke to me in a message Bro. Kenny Elwell preached at Monark this year. I highly recommend it to anyone who wasn't there to hear it (or just needs encouragement again!). It was such a great message and gave me some much-needed instruction. The world around us rages with problems, issues, and controversies. We don't live in a world of total peace. Yet, God has the power to deliver us from those things and carry us through them. He mentioned an example from the Bible that really stuck out to me. The glory belongs to God for the victory in our lives. At Jericho, the children of Israel came up against something they could not defeat themselves. God instructed them to march around the walls. They were obedient, and God brought down the walls. It's the same way in our own lives. God gives the instructions and tells us what He wants to us. It will never be outrageous or something we aren't capable of; it wasn't an incredibly difficult task for the children of Israel to march around the walls. The hardest part will be accomplished by God if we are faithful and obedient. It was such an encouragement to know He is with me and is an unfailing help when I can't do it on my own.
Another verse He has blessed me with is 2 Chronicles 20:15b:
"Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's."
God fights for us and doesn't leave us alone. The righteous have never been left forsaken (Psalm 37:25). In 2 Chronicles 20:17, God again gives instruction and promises to accomplish the feat.
"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you."
God gave simple instructions, things totally doable, and promised to take care of His children. All they had to do was obey. It's a wonderful peace to know that God will keep you secure if you trust Him with everything in your life. It's never easy to let go of the things we feel the need to control, fix, or handle ourselves... but God always blesses a willing, surrendering heart -- even if it's not immediately apparent.
God taught me in these things that I can't handle everything on my own. The greatest things I can do on my own will never be able to match some of the battles I will have to face. On my own, I'm fallible and incapable. Recognizing my shortcomings and acknowledging His omnipotence brings a great peace. It takes work on my part to keep things committed and my life submitted to Him, but it's really worth it. God is able to keep His children without spot and blameless. He will keep His holy remnant and turn away their captivity (Zephaniah 2:7) and restore the things in our life that have been taken by the enemy. When we are fully surrendered to God, He brings a calming peace to our soul. I'm very thankful for how far God has brought me this year, and I am expecting that He will continue to lead and teach me.
I would appreciate your prayers that I would stay faithful to Him and do what He wants me to do and that He would draw me closer to Him where I can better hear his voice. I'll be praying for all of you, too. It is important that we all pray for each other. These years in our lives are not easy ones, but we can make it!
Keep encouraged!
God is faithful to the wanderer. There have certainly been times in my experience where I haven't felt as close to God as I know I should have been. Times like that are discouraging because you're never at total peace. Especially when situations come that rock the waters, your boat seems to be on the verge of sinking. I want to testify that God didn't let me stay in those places. As the lyrics of a song says: "He is with you in the valley of despair, and He won't leave you there." He rescued me, kept me safe, and encouraged my heart. It wasn't easy and it required surrendering, but He is faithful to help us in time of need when we humble ourselves.
I mentioned some in an earlier post about Bro. Michael Smith's message (Back to Bethel), so I won't talk about that, I'll just continue from there. It was a great encouragement to me, but we're never done learning. God showed me some areas in my life that were lacking, and with His help, I'm trying to work on those. He also spoke to me in a message Bro. Kenny Elwell preached at Monark this year. I highly recommend it to anyone who wasn't there to hear it (or just needs encouragement again!). It was such a great message and gave me some much-needed instruction. The world around us rages with problems, issues, and controversies. We don't live in a world of total peace. Yet, God has the power to deliver us from those things and carry us through them. He mentioned an example from the Bible that really stuck out to me. The glory belongs to God for the victory in our lives. At Jericho, the children of Israel came up against something they could not defeat themselves. God instructed them to march around the walls. They were obedient, and God brought down the walls. It's the same way in our own lives. God gives the instructions and tells us what He wants to us. It will never be outrageous or something we aren't capable of; it wasn't an incredibly difficult task for the children of Israel to march around the walls. The hardest part will be accomplished by God if we are faithful and obedient. It was such an encouragement to know He is with me and is an unfailing help when I can't do it on my own.
Another verse He has blessed me with is 2 Chronicles 20:15b:
"Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's."
God fights for us and doesn't leave us alone. The righteous have never been left forsaken (Psalm 37:25). In 2 Chronicles 20:17, God again gives instruction and promises to accomplish the feat.
"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you."
God gave simple instructions, things totally doable, and promised to take care of His children. All they had to do was obey. It's a wonderful peace to know that God will keep you secure if you trust Him with everything in your life. It's never easy to let go of the things we feel the need to control, fix, or handle ourselves... but God always blesses a willing, surrendering heart -- even if it's not immediately apparent.
God taught me in these things that I can't handle everything on my own. The greatest things I can do on my own will never be able to match some of the battles I will have to face. On my own, I'm fallible and incapable. Recognizing my shortcomings and acknowledging His omnipotence brings a great peace. It takes work on my part to keep things committed and my life submitted to Him, but it's really worth it. God is able to keep His children without spot and blameless. He will keep His holy remnant and turn away their captivity (Zephaniah 2:7) and restore the things in our life that have been taken by the enemy. When we are fully surrendered to God, He brings a calming peace to our soul. I'm very thankful for how far God has brought me this year, and I am expecting that He will continue to lead and teach me.
I would appreciate your prayers that I would stay faithful to Him and do what He wants me to do and that He would draw me closer to Him where I can better hear his voice. I'll be praying for all of you, too. It is important that we all pray for each other. These years in our lives are not easy ones, but we can make it!
Keep encouraged!
Friday, August 4, 2017
Mark 3
The gospels keep historical record of the events which took place while Jesus was on earth, but they also hold important spiritual truths and lessons. One such example is in the third chapter of Mark. The opening verse explains the obvious afflicted condition of a man seeking help.
Mark 3:1-6
1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
Verse two is interesting because it reveals two things: the Pharisees were actively observing Christ and they did not doubt his supernatural power of healing. They knew his abilities and only questioned whether he would exercise them on the sabbath or not. Their careful attention to Christ was not to heed instruction or experience the wonders of Jesus' time on earth. They sought only to find fault with the Savior. Yet, they knew the truth of His ability.
3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
Jesus openly and directly asked the Pharisees about the sabbath. He charged them with a question that would challenge their tolerance of Christ as King. They knew to save life was good and that to kill was bad, but thy weren't willing to accept that Jesus was not bound by the old law and could perform healing miracles at any time. In our human understanding, as did the Pharisees, we are tempted to stick too closely to earthly things and how we expect things to be done. The Pharisees knew their answer would not be acceptable to the Lord, so they kept quiet. Jesus speaks in the voice of truth. His speech cannot be argued.
5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
Mark is the only gospel that mentions Jesus' anger. The Pharisees' hearts were hardened to the point where they willfully rejected God's truth. Jesus was grieved by their outright rejection. Yet, despite people opposing the work, Jesus performed a miracle. The man's hand was made whole. God's power does not depend on the opinion of man. It is not bound by the old law. It is not limited by man's rejection of the truth. He is still able to work in divine ways for the restoration of the soul and body of those who are willing to accept His truth.
6 And the Pharisees went forth, and striaghtway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
Without noting the miraculous work which had just been performed, the Pharisees instead moved right away to how they might get Jesus in trouble. The world won't always recognize the works of God for what they are, and will instead seek for ways to cause trouble. The enemy doesn't care how God works on the behalf of His children, they only desire to turn people away. Insterestingly, the Pharisees and Herodians had very different veiws on some things, but the gospel was a message which threatened them both. Even the most diverse political and religious factions were united in the cause of bringing to naught God's plan. Even when God's power is clearly manifested, it can be lost to those whose hearts are set against Him. That makes it all the more important for use to be instant in season and out of season (II Timothy 4:2) and live an example at all times.
We have to be careful ourselves not to neglect the dealings and workings of God. He has shown Himself powerful time and time again. To deny that power as the Pharisees did is grievous to God. Even if it doesn't make sense in the eyes of man, God's ways are best. The Pharisees rejectred the truth of God. We need to be careful not to reject the truth He presents to us still today.
Keep encouraged!
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Life
I was reading in Ecclesiastes 2, where it talks about the writer's (Solomon's) quest for meaning in life. I think everyone has a similar search in life. We each want to find a place in life and be recognized for it. The chapter outlines many things Solomon did in his search for meaning: vineyards, gardens, pools, servants, singers, musical instruments, entertainments, power, almost anything we could imagine. Yet, verse 11 says "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of the spirit, and there was no profit under the sun." This verse can be taken a number of ways. You can take it as meaning there is no point in living, working, and trying to make your life enjoyable, but I believe that's the wrong interpretation. Instead, the chapter highlights the emptiness of earthly accomplishments and treasures.
The human soul longs for more than the things of earth. Solomon realized that none of his feats or "things" gave him the true pleasure and satisfaction he desired. I also don't believe this chapter condemns planting vineyards, listening to music, or working towards a successful life. Yet, it underscores the need for God, and placing Him before all of those earthly goals. I know for me, personally, there are many things I enjoy doing. But, I've found they don't bring the true joy that comes from serving the Lord. Historically speaking, Solomon was right. Virtually nothing remains of his architectural achievements at the time. When we place too much value on the things of the world, we lose sight of what really matters, and what really brings satisfaction. It's a constant struggle with all of the entertainments of the world vying for our attention and time. It's hard to do, but we need to put that time and attention towards things for God, that carry the weight of an eternal award, not one that will last only our time on earth. Later in the chapter, verse 16, it says "And how dieth the wise man? as the fool." We all face the judgment, regardless of what we were like on earth. If we placed too much value on earthly things, we'll find ourselves lacking in the eternal things. And there is a promise from God that if we appropriately allocate our time and do the things He wants us to do, we will receive His blessings. Verse 26 says "For God giveth to a man that is good in His sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy." I know I've struggled with doing things I think are important, but are not so important to God, and I'm sure others have, too. I want God to be able to use me in the way HE wants, not in the ways that seem to fulfill my flesh.
The human soul longs for more than the things of earth. Solomon realized that none of his feats or "things" gave him the true pleasure and satisfaction he desired. I also don't believe this chapter condemns planting vineyards, listening to music, or working towards a successful life. Yet, it underscores the need for God, and placing Him before all of those earthly goals. I know for me, personally, there are many things I enjoy doing. But, I've found they don't bring the true joy that comes from serving the Lord. Historically speaking, Solomon was right. Virtually nothing remains of his architectural achievements at the time. When we place too much value on the things of the world, we lose sight of what really matters, and what really brings satisfaction. It's a constant struggle with all of the entertainments of the world vying for our attention and time. It's hard to do, but we need to put that time and attention towards things for God, that carry the weight of an eternal award, not one that will last only our time on earth. Later in the chapter, verse 16, it says "And how dieth the wise man? as the fool." We all face the judgment, regardless of what we were like on earth. If we placed too much value on earthly things, we'll find ourselves lacking in the eternal things. And there is a promise from God that if we appropriately allocate our time and do the things He wants us to do, we will receive His blessings. Verse 26 says "For God giveth to a man that is good in His sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy." I know I've struggled with doing things I think are important, but are not so important to God, and I'm sure others have, too. I want God to be able to use me in the way HE wants, not in the ways that seem to fulfill my flesh.
Yet, just because this passage reveals the emptiness of earthly pursuits, that doesn’t mean our life here is entirely meaningless. God wants us to enjoy our time here and make the most of it. We just have to make sure our priority is in doing His will first. In fact, in chapter 11 verse 9 it says “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” God gave us the gift of life to enjoy. Yet, we will be brought to judgment for those things we do. That’s why the things we do on earth must be wholesome and pleasing to God. There is definitely a balance. God wants us to serve Him above everything else, but He also wants us to have an enjoyable life.
Keep encouraged!
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Greatly Blessed, Highly Favored
I was privileged to be able to be in Guthrie, OK for the entirety of the campmeeting. It was so encouraging and helpful to me, and I'm so glad I was able to be there. I have been through a lot of tough things lately, and I greatly needed some time for spiritual growth. There were many challenging messages, but I don't have time to talk about them all. I'll write about a couple of the ones that were most impactful to me.
We also had some very good young peoples meetings. Several of the older saints shared their testimonies of how they found God despite bad circumstances in their home lives or how they had chosen the wrong path. It was such a challenge to me to realize how blessed I am to have the raising I've had in the church. Not everyone has the teaching and instruction I have been blessed with for my entire life. It's not something to take lightly. We were given a pearl of great price, and we can't give that up for the heartbreak that is in the world around us.
My favorite message was one Bro. Michael Smith preached about going back to Bethel. God met Jacob in Bethel, and later on, when times were hard again, Jacob had to go back to the place God had met him and helped him. For me, especially because of growing up in the church, I have felt God's presence and His dealings with me. But the cares of life get in the way and often times I find myself drifting away from the source of life. I need renewal, restoration, and revival. We have to make sure we are living right and sinch it down. That message was such a stirring and challenging message to me. I knew there were areas of my life that really needed work, and I thank God for His mercy and help.
The next morning, God gave me a scripture, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 -
"But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil."
Not only is God faithful to us in helping us become established and ready, He has grace and power to keep us from wrong. God will always be right there after we seek His guidance and help. Faithful means dependent, loyal, stedfast, and constant. Each time we have problems, He is consistent to be there to help us and establish us -- to help us grow in areas we thought we couldn't. He'll anchor our feet on the rock and give us firmness in our battles. Over all of that, he has the keeping power to make us without spot and blameless before His judgment. We don't have to give in to sin and evil. God has grace and power over that. I am so very grateful for His revelation to me through that message and verse.
Another great message was also one of Bro. Michael's messages about the things we need to do. We all have a spiritual checklist with plenty of things on there that we need to do. Yet, many of them are neglected, which is one of the most dangerous problems in spiritual matters. At the end of our lives, our intentions will have no impact on what we did during our lives. Convenience for spiritual things is incredibly dangerous. A more convenient time for Felix and his salvation is never recorded in the Bible. If we pass the opportunities God grants us because the time isn't right for us, it may never be that way. Not only is salvation important, though, but specific issues in our individual lives are things we need to address. We have limited time on earth, and therefore limited time to get those things done. We have to deal with them because growth doesn't come from recognizing the need, it comes from the recognition coupled with prayer and seeking God. Saints have a lot of work to do after salvation. We have to perfect our vessel to be worthy unto Christ. It was very challenging for me. I know there are many shortcomings in my life and plenty of things I need to work on. I want to be active in fixing those things instead of letting them gather dust on a to-do list.
There were many more great messages, and I encourage you to listen to some if you weren't able to attend the meeting. It was such a great encouragement and help to me to realize God is for us, willing and able to help us, and with us every step of the way. Through these hardest months of my life, God has shown himself the strongest. Keep me in your prayers. :)
This song has been a real encouragement to me as well. We have a privilege to take all of our needs and desires to the One who controls everything:
https://www.facebook.com/sherie.benson/posts/1330501030391270
Keep encouraged!
We also had some very good young peoples meetings. Several of the older saints shared their testimonies of how they found God despite bad circumstances in their home lives or how they had chosen the wrong path. It was such a challenge to me to realize how blessed I am to have the raising I've had in the church. Not everyone has the teaching and instruction I have been blessed with for my entire life. It's not something to take lightly. We were given a pearl of great price, and we can't give that up for the heartbreak that is in the world around us.
My favorite message was one Bro. Michael Smith preached about going back to Bethel. God met Jacob in Bethel, and later on, when times were hard again, Jacob had to go back to the place God had met him and helped him. For me, especially because of growing up in the church, I have felt God's presence and His dealings with me. But the cares of life get in the way and often times I find myself drifting away from the source of life. I need renewal, restoration, and revival. We have to make sure we are living right and sinch it down. That message was such a stirring and challenging message to me. I knew there were areas of my life that really needed work, and I thank God for His mercy and help.
The next morning, God gave me a scripture, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 -
"But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil."
Not only is God faithful to us in helping us become established and ready, He has grace and power to keep us from wrong. God will always be right there after we seek His guidance and help. Faithful means dependent, loyal, stedfast, and constant. Each time we have problems, He is consistent to be there to help us and establish us -- to help us grow in areas we thought we couldn't. He'll anchor our feet on the rock and give us firmness in our battles. Over all of that, he has the keeping power to make us without spot and blameless before His judgment. We don't have to give in to sin and evil. God has grace and power over that. I am so very grateful for His revelation to me through that message and verse.
Another great message was also one of Bro. Michael's messages about the things we need to do. We all have a spiritual checklist with plenty of things on there that we need to do. Yet, many of them are neglected, which is one of the most dangerous problems in spiritual matters. At the end of our lives, our intentions will have no impact on what we did during our lives. Convenience for spiritual things is incredibly dangerous. A more convenient time for Felix and his salvation is never recorded in the Bible. If we pass the opportunities God grants us because the time isn't right for us, it may never be that way. Not only is salvation important, though, but specific issues in our individual lives are things we need to address. We have limited time on earth, and therefore limited time to get those things done. We have to deal with them because growth doesn't come from recognizing the need, it comes from the recognition coupled with prayer and seeking God. Saints have a lot of work to do after salvation. We have to perfect our vessel to be worthy unto Christ. It was very challenging for me. I know there are many shortcomings in my life and plenty of things I need to work on. I want to be active in fixing those things instead of letting them gather dust on a to-do list.
There were many more great messages, and I encourage you to listen to some if you weren't able to attend the meeting. It was such a great encouragement and help to me to realize God is for us, willing and able to help us, and with us every step of the way. Through these hardest months of my life, God has shown himself the strongest. Keep me in your prayers. :)
This song has been a real encouragement to me as well. We have a privilege to take all of our needs and desires to the One who controls everything:
https://www.facebook.com/sherie.benson/posts/1330501030391270
Keep encouraged!
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
God Sees
As some of you may already know, my grandpa has been very sick recently. We're not exactly sure what the problem is, but we're trusting that God will work a miracle in him. However, seeing someone so close to you in a poor state. At first, I didn't think too much about it, and figured it'd be over soon and there'd be no lasting effects. But, after awhile, the problems persisted, and I began to worry. I was really stressed with school and my grandpa's condition didn't help anything.needless to say, I was pretty worried, and didn't see how everything would work out. But I found a song, and listening to it gave me a peace. It's called "He Sees What We Don't" by the Carr Family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V6jyyJpz1w
The words really spoke to me. Sometimes we only see the worst of our situation, but with time, God has promised he'll bring us out to a wealthy place. Very thankful for the way God helps us! My grandpa is still in need of prayer, but we're thankful for some things the Lord has already worked out.
Keep encouraged!
Monday, January 16, 2017
The Sweet Savour of the Saviour
I was very blessed by a comment recently made by one of my uncle's during a Wednesday night prayer meeting. He commented on a verse in 2 Corinthians 2:14. He was explaining how if God is on our side, He is always sure to bless us. It says:
"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place."
That's a wonderful promise. God is deserving of such great thanks. He causeth us to triumph ALWAYS. Everything He does for us works for our ultimate good. But our victory is in Christ, not in ourselves. It is imperative to note -- our victory comes at the expense of giving ourselves to Christ. Our service and dedication to Him is what allows us to have the victory by His grace. Our triumph is also evidence of the Gospel's empowering work and transformation of our lives not only to ourselves but to others. Triumph in Christ manifests (or makes openly known) the power of God and His majesty.
This particular scripture uses the word "savour" to describe how victory through Christ is manifested. Savour refers to a smell, taste, or odor. That is something real we can experience and so can others. Historically, successful generals utilized the burning sweet incense to accentuate their victories on their return from battle which gave citizens evidence of the victory. Here, the scripture denotes our victory in Christ as evidence of the emboldening power we can obtain. This isn't the only instance in which smell, taste, or odor is used to signify how great God is. In fact, in Psalm 34:8, the Psalmist David offers:
"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."
As humans, we have the privilege of determining for ourselves how magnificent God's plan is for us. The word "taste" here indicates "judge." We have the blessed opportunity to prove in our own lives that God is good and cares for us. It is not something that is strictly faith based. Our lives and His blessings are evidence of His work. The wonder of experiencing this salvation for ourselves is unparalleled.
In the natural, physical world, when we taste something delicious, we have an innate desire for that taste afterwards. Personally, I love steak. I've tasted it on plenty of occasions (including yesterday), and it's something I really enjoy and want more of. It is the same way with God. This verse is indicative of that. We taste and experience the goodness of God and only want more. The following verse in 2 Corinthians 2 gives us another promise:
"For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved."
If we are saved, we are a sweet savour of Christ to the Lord. Our life in Christ doesn't go unnoticed. It is pleasing to God for us to live in a way that demonstrates His son's death was not in vain. We have a blessed, unmatched opportunity to experience individually the greatness of God. When we do, the results are noticed by those around us. Christ's knowledge and power is manifested "by us in every place." Our lives lived pure and holy in the sight of the Lord is pleasing to Him and makes manifest the sweet savour of our Saviour.
Keep encouraged!
"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place."
That's a wonderful promise. God is deserving of such great thanks. He causeth us to triumph ALWAYS. Everything He does for us works for our ultimate good. But our victory is in Christ, not in ourselves. It is imperative to note -- our victory comes at the expense of giving ourselves to Christ. Our service and dedication to Him is what allows us to have the victory by His grace. Our triumph is also evidence of the Gospel's empowering work and transformation of our lives not only to ourselves but to others. Triumph in Christ manifests (or makes openly known) the power of God and His majesty.
This particular scripture uses the word "savour" to describe how victory through Christ is manifested. Savour refers to a smell, taste, or odor. That is something real we can experience and so can others. Historically, successful generals utilized the burning sweet incense to accentuate their victories on their return from battle which gave citizens evidence of the victory. Here, the scripture denotes our victory in Christ as evidence of the emboldening power we can obtain. This isn't the only instance in which smell, taste, or odor is used to signify how great God is. In fact, in Psalm 34:8, the Psalmist David offers:
"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."
As humans, we have the privilege of determining for ourselves how magnificent God's plan is for us. The word "taste" here indicates "judge." We have the blessed opportunity to prove in our own lives that God is good and cares for us. It is not something that is strictly faith based. Our lives and His blessings are evidence of His work. The wonder of experiencing this salvation for ourselves is unparalleled.
In the natural, physical world, when we taste something delicious, we have an innate desire for that taste afterwards. Personally, I love steak. I've tasted it on plenty of occasions (including yesterday), and it's something I really enjoy and want more of. It is the same way with God. This verse is indicative of that. We taste and experience the goodness of God and only want more. The following verse in 2 Corinthians 2 gives us another promise:
"For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved."
If we are saved, we are a sweet savour of Christ to the Lord. Our life in Christ doesn't go unnoticed. It is pleasing to God for us to live in a way that demonstrates His son's death was not in vain. We have a blessed, unmatched opportunity to experience individually the greatness of God. When we do, the results are noticed by those around us. Christ's knowledge and power is manifested "by us in every place." Our lives lived pure and holy in the sight of the Lord is pleasing to Him and makes manifest the sweet savour of our Saviour.
Keep encouraged!
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