Revival

Where to start... my heart is overflowing with God's love and mercy, and, as a recent journalism graduate, I'm atypically at a loss for words. I made it my collegiate endeavor to learn more about the art of communication, and yet, somehow, words escape me. God sometimes has a way of getting our attention, though, and that's what makes me thankful.

I would be underselling the state of our society by saying we're in disconcerting times. Calamity, turmoil, and violence are hallmarks of a difficult half year thus far. In times of uncertainty and unrest, it's easy to lose sight of God and His plans in our lives. Let's be real, it's not every year that a pandemic disrupts our day-to-day life and societal turbulence strikes fear into our hearts.

My life was no different. I pressed to finish my degree from home, began working full-time, tried adjusting more and more to adult life. As much as I give a side-eye when people overuse cliches, I succumbed to being ill-prepared to handle "adulthood." When life takes you by surprise like it did me, it can be *hard* to see God's plan and *easy* to lose faith. Isn't it funny how that works?

That's the place I've been struggling in lately, and it's hard to be that vulnerable. However, I think it's important for young people to acknowledge that life can be like that at times. It's my hope and prayer that by sharing my experiences, each of you won't be overwhelmed when you're in a place like that. There's a song that has resonated with me, and it describes my faith as being "cold and tired." That's as accurate a description as I can find.

The "fire in my soul" has been mostly absent and I've not found the joy in serving God that I KNOW is there. But, why? Am I just not good enough, incapable as a pilgrim and stranger, loyally treading my way towards the Celestial City?

I'm convinced that isn't the case. I'll be honest -- I was fed up with not feeling a fire in my heart to serve God. I've felt it so real in the past, but I couldn't find it, and I was determined to. So as I was beginning to look more deeply into the Bible, I got, as God would have it, a punch in the gut.

I opened my Bible tonight, desperate for answers.

Job 6:11
"What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?"

Of course, while I was feeling sorry for myself for not being on fire for God, I would open to Job -- the quintessential example of a man seeking pity. But, a man that undoubtedly had more right than I likely ever will to have it... And yet, in his inquiry to God for answers to problems greater than my own, he asked, in a rather introspective way: "What is my strength?"

Instantly, my mind began thinking, what is *MY* strength? Why should *I* hope? The simple answer, one that I know intellectually, is Jesus. But does my heart fully understand what that means? I was reminded of verses I'd read in previous devotions, and of recent messages I'd heard.

In simple terms, I felt challenged by God. He was using the ancient words of a grief-stricken Job to cause me to reflect on my life, "What is my strength, that I should hope?" Friends, that was powerful -- and at first felt more like a dagger to the heart than comfort to uplift a searching soul. But, the more I've thought about it, the more I'm convinced that God has a purpose for the pain and a spiritual assignment for me. I have to find my strength and my hope.

Before I get too much into that, though, I think it's important to step back a little bit. As God's people, we are prone to slip into discouragement and complacency with spiritual tasks. What do we do? We plan revivals, hold meetings, and gather together for fellowship and encouragement. It's easy to think "if I can just hold out until Monark," or *insert favorite campmeeting here* then I'll be okay. But with COVID-19, those precious meetings keep getting cancelled or postponed. First, it was a revival, then it was Guthrie, and now West Virginia. I'll be the first to admit that has been difficult to watch. However, God reminded me tonight that it's not the meeting that makes the difference, it's the Lord we worship in those places.

The revival isn't in West Virginia -- or wherever we go to worship. The revival happens in our heart. And the good news is that revival can happen anywhere.

The message I heard on Sunday was perfectly timed. Times like these can bring us to our lowest of lows, to places we feel are unreachable. Yet, in times of instruction, that's exactly where God wants us to be. II Corinthians 12:9-10 says,

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

Our weakness is an opportunity for God to magnify His purpose and exhibit His strength through us. This is where I can find my strength, in the almighty Savior who conquered death and the grave on my behalf. His strength is made *perfect* in my weakness. When I am weak, then *He* is made strong in me. That promise is an overwhelming one to me. He's set me on a journey to unlock that strength, to find its place in my life, and why that gives me a reason to hope.

Of course, a journey typically takes more than one night of uncovering encouraging scripture. Isaiah 1:17 enlightens,

"Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."

Some of that instruction seems quite timely given the circumstances in our world, but all of it has a few things in common: we are to learn it, and it will cause us to do well. It takes time and progression, but it's clearly outlined as a path God wants to take us through. "To do well" is synonymous with the Hebrew word for righteousness. Whatever righteousness entails, that's part of our progressive education. If we want revival, this is a surefire path to finding it.

I know this post is a little bit long, but I hope you've followed along to the end. More than anything, I want this to be an encouragement to all of you who read it. It's okay to have days when your faith is cold and tired. We are humans, and there are times when we feel dry and empty. Revival of the heart is available for all of us. And while He's reviving our old bones, He just might send us on a journey that will show us more clearly where our strength comes from and how that gives us cause to hope. I hope you'll pray that I follow the trail where it leads, through the hills and valleys, all the way to Jesus Himself.

Keep encouraged!

Where is the God of...?

From Damar Randle:

I want to briefly thank the Lord for His blessings to me! I just finished reading in 1 Kings and started the second book. While reading here I've seen the Power of God.

In 2 Kings the Second Chapter you see where Elijah, with the Power of God parted the waters of Jordan and they walked on dry land(v.8). Then a little further down, Elijah is taken up in a whirlwind and Elisha, his successor, is left. Elisha took the mantle of Elijah, and smite the waters saying "where is the God of Elijah?" I believe here God showed just as He was The God to Elijah, He is the same to Elisha.

Now, I want to briefly step away and look at my life. If you've lived in California for any length of time you've heard the name of Sis. Francis Blackwell, my great great great Aunt. Aunt Francis was saved and took her place in the Church of God Evening Light in the 1920s. Another name drop is Sis. Gladys Foster, my Great Grandmother. These two women were wonderful examples of the power of God. But, like Elijah, they both have claimed their rewards.

They've left a wonderful heritage for me. But, just as God was for them, He wants to be for me. I don't have to be satisfied in calling on the God of Francis or Gladys, but I can call on my God. The Lord showed himself faithful to Elisha and had many times proven faithful to me.

The Lord has been to me a comfort, a deliverer, a shield, a father, a friend and most of all a Savior. We must develop a personal knowledge and relationship with God. He wants that relationship with you!

- Damar Randle

Act Like It

From Laura Adams:

“You want to serve me? Then act like it” He told me. I was taken aback. But Lord, haven’t I been trying? What have I been doing all this time? Again He told me, “Act like it”.

The path leading to this place had been anything but pleasant and I’d probably cried more in one month than I thought was humanly possible. I felt so torn up inside; like a billion different thoughts were racing in my mind but nothing was happening. The anxiety built up inside me was so strong I couldn’t hardly go out for any outing without having to leave early because of the sheer volume of negative, interrupting thoughts in my head. Internal combustion seemed eminent. Prior to me begging the Lord for help, I had Googled this exact phrase: “Why am I crying so much?” To which the first suggestion was, what is a word for crying too much? The answer? A crybaby.  I laughed out loud.

Here I was, bawling my eyes out alone in my room and in my moment of despair what should call me out except some algorithm on Google?! How humiliating. The term crybaby got stuck in my brain. My goodness that is exactly what I am. I began praying to the Lord, “Lord, you see where I’m at and what I’m going through. Please don’t give up on me. I know you created me for a purpose, just don’t give up on me”. The Lord began revealing to me that all of the things that I was so hung up on were because I wasn’t looking to Him. I kept taking my eyes off of my Savior, the one who created me, the author and finisher of my faith, and expected to succeed. Lo and behold! I did not succeed.

I look back on so many times the Lord tried to show me this very thing and I would just brush it off. I’d say to myself, “Oh God just wants me to spend more time reading the Word” or “He’s just wanting me to trust Him, yeah yeah yeah same ole’ same ole’”. Well duh. All those things are part of looking to Him. They are all parts of learning to trust Him and His timing. I never cease to be amazed at how oblivious I can be to the Lord’s dealings in my life. I can’t thank Him enough for His patience with me and my blunders.

So, here we are, back to the phrase God placed in my heart: “You want to serve me? Then act like it”. Whew. Talk about getting the wind knocked out of your sails. When you look back and realize how much your were spinning your wheels, it can be quite sobering. I want to move forward and certainly not backward, but to just be jogging in place? Yikes. Not cool. The more I think about it the more I realize that that is just what the enemy wants. Maybe he can’t get us to backslide, but he can have us thinking that we’re not good enough to move forward. That thought process alone is enough for him to get his foot in the door to wreak havoc in your life.

Well, let me tell you, I am thanking the Lord that He has revealed this to me and I think of that song “My Soul Be On Thy Guard”. I want to be alert of the enemies tactics and seek the Lord every second of every day because I know that is where my mind needs to stay.

Isaiah 26:3
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

- Laura Adams

Trusting in the Meantime

From Serena Johnson:

While I love to travel, I’ve never really been one to enjoy the process. I always look for the most direct flight/bus/train possible, with the fewest stops, layovers, and distractions because after all, the real fun only starts once you arrive at your destination, right? Why take a scenic 2 day train ride when you can fly there in a couple of hours? Isn’t the point just to get there as quickly and with as little fuss as possible?

The Lord has been showing me that is not the case in our Christian journey. We aren’t born just to immediately die and go to heaven. God is the ultimate travel agent. He has an elaborately planned itinerary for each one of us, designed to bring Himself the most glory while blessing our lives. He commands us to live life dependent on Him day by day, and admonishes us to “take no thought for the morrow” reminds us that “sufficient to the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34) and instead pray for “daily bread“ (Matthew 6:11) , that is just enough provision to get through today—tomorrow will take care of itself.

This is incredibly difficult for us as humans to do. We want to know our destination, what’s happening next, and any slight disruption in our own conception of what the future will look like seems to cause incredible distress. The children of Israel are a prime example.

“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.” Exodus 32:1

The Lord had just done so many miracles in sending the ten plagues to bring them out of Egypt. God parted the Red Sea, drowned pharaoh and his army, and brought forth water from a rock in a desert place. He was literally providing them with daily manna from heaven. They were experiencing freedom, peace, and safety. All they had to do was wait and continue to live as they had been, following the precepts of God that He had revealed to them thus far.  They weren’t in any particular distress. There were no enemies to be concerned with. No imminent attack that threatened their lives.

Yet, they became impatient. They simply got tired of waiting, and then did something rash: they created an idol. How many times do we fall into the same trap? We’re waiting to hear from God, and things are going well. There’s nothing particularly pressing going on that needs immediate attention. God is providing daily for our needs. We simply don’t understand what He’s doing, and think He’s taking too long. In our impatience, we do something rash, and take matters into our own hands. The consequences can be severe, worse than we ever imagined.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Hebrews 11:8.

What a challenge to me! Abraham didn’t know exactly where God was leading Him. He didn’t have a final destination in mind. He had no idea what it would be like, yet he trusted God. How many of us would be able to trust God enough to take a journey and not know the final destination?

But isn’t that what our daily Christian walk is? We don’t know what the day will bring, but we trust that God will lead and guide us along the way.

Are you in a season of waiting? Do you wish God would just hurry up and tell you an answer one way or the other so you could get on with your life? I ask you to consider that God wants you to submit the “meantime” to Him as well.

If we have a definite answer, a “yes” or a “no” a “go” or a “stay” we understand how to proceed. If God says “yes” then we have a plan and procedure. If He says “no” we’re disappointed, but still feel pretty confident that we know how to proceed. But what about those times when we’re waiting to hear from Him? Those 40 days and 40 nights when Moses was in the mount? Those times when it seems that God is silent and we can’t hear Him and can’t see Him? Do we trust that He’s working on our situation?

Are we willing to wait, to allow Him to guide us day by day, step by step, being content with not knowing what’s ahead or trying to navigate the way ourselves?  God wants our total and complete dependence to be on HIM. Every day. Every hour. Each day, we need to ask the Lord what to do and how to proceed. We are not our own. Much like Abraham, God sometimes tells us to do things and we don’t know how it’s going to end up. But we can have faith and confidence that “the Lord shall guide thee continually” (Isaiah 58:11). Although the future is unknown to us, we can have confidence in the One who is omniscient and is walking the path beside us. We don’t need to fear the future.

“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9)

- Serena Johnson

Linked to God

From Racheal Cooper:

What is a link?

When I looked up the definition of link, this is what I found- “A relationship between two things or situations, especially where one thing affects the other.”

With that being said, I want to focus on the spiritual definition of a link. The actual word link itself isn’t used in the bible, yet such a small word holds so much value. Like used in the above definition, a link is a relationship between two things. Our walk with the Lord is a relationship and with all relationships, communication is key. In order to keep our relationship with the Lord strong, we must seek him and draw closer to him daily. When you have a true desire to seek the Lord, you will find him. Deuteronomy 4:29 states: “But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” We have to be entirely devoted to him. When you are devoted to something, you are dedicated and willing. That’s how we should feel about being connected to God. Is your connection strong? Or is it starting to grow weak?

Are There Gaps In your Relationship With The Lord?
The stronger the link, the better! 

If we are looking at things through our own eyes, and doing things without seeking God first, we will find ourselves in a lot of trouble because self isn’t wise. We need the Lords guidance in everything we do and if we aren’t doing so, you’ll find yourself slowly slipping away from that strong relationship you once had with the Lord. “depart from evil” when we think about evil, we might not think about the little things but the little foxes will keep you out of heaven if you don’t get rid of them now. Don’t let them in and don’t let them take charge. Do you have things that are gaping into your relationship with the Lord? What will happen if you allow things to seep into your lives that could disconnect that link? some examples may include... A loss of faith, loosing trust in the Lord, feeling discouraged, but worst of all, you can become completely disconnected and stray off the pathway God has made for you and lose your soul… When living for the Lord, it is very important to have an unbreakable bond with him. But how do we keep that bond strong? Let’s start with the value of faith. Heb 11:6  states; “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” That one scripture points out just how important faith is. It clearly says “but without faith it is impossible to please him…” the key word is IMPOSSIBLE. There’s no way around it, you can try, but you won’t succeed. We MUST have that feeling of  “I know I have nothing to worry about, because I have faith that God is taking care of things.” Or a feeling of peace. What exactly is faith? In simple terms, faith is assurance, belief, and trust. Another very important aspect of having a strong bond with the Lord is learning to seek him. When seeking the Lord, we have to search out for him and have a hunger and desire to be fed by him. Mat 5:6  states; “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” In order to be filled, we must be hungry. Another very vital part of having a strong link is prayer. Prayer is a way for us to communicate with the Lord and give everything to him. We are so much stronger when we pray. I can think of numerous times when I would be feeling down or something was bothering me and I would just pray about it. When I was finished praying, I felt relief and assurance. Why? Because I knew God was taking care of things, I knew he was working but in his time. I came across this quote the other day and it was very reassuring. The quote is “If you are praying about it, God is working on it.” Such a simple quote, but oh how powerful those words are. We can rest assure that God hears our prayers, he hears our needs,  and wants and he is working on each and every one of them, but in his timing. Something you’ll notice is how important it is to wait on Gods timing. He has a reason for everything in your life so don’t rush his work and be patient during the waiting period. If we find ourselves growing weak in prayer or lacking faith, your link is losing strength. That connection you have with God might be loosening up. When we find ourselves in this situation, we must resist the devil and fight back. If the devil makes you feel as if you can’t have that connection because of such and such fight back, Seek help, and ask the Lord to give you the strength to take a stand. But if you can safely say “I feel so close to God.” Without any hesitation, you’re onward bound. When we are living our lives to please God and feel that close connection to him, there is no better feeling. All in all I can strongly say that there is so much value in having a strong connection to the Lord. Once you have that unbreakable bond, you’ll notice just how smoothly things go. God is so very faithful to us and knows just how to comfort us. When we have that connection, you’ll be filled with joy and reassurance! Oh how wonderful! -- Racheal Cooper

Post-Monark

I feel like I'm not the only one who gets the post-Monark blues. For me, at least, Monark is essentially the greatest time of the year. It's a refreshing time to come to the Lord and seek to have His will in my life. Certainly, God was faithful again to meet me at every point where I needed help. Monark encourages, instructs, leads, and boosts us -- but it's only 10 days long. Make no mistake, it makes me tired, but those 10 days go by pretty quickly for me.

Every year I struggle with the battle of finding help and encouragement at Monark and then proceeding to allow the cares of life to get in the way and limit the blessings I receive once Monark is over. Every year, it seems, I purpose to ward off those hindrances, but sometimes fall short.

God has done very special things for me this Monark. He's met me in places where I was too afraid to go before. He illuminated my needs in a way that made them appear as though they can be conquered. I believe that's not just an appearance, but a reality. God does have victory for me. He showed it in the meeting. It's up to me, now, to have faith that He really DID meet my needs and to continue to live in that faith. I was reading in Colossians as I reflected on some of the notes I took during the messages, and I stumbled across Colossians 2:6-7, which says:

"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: [7] Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."

The first part is interesting. It talks about receiving Christ. As I pondered the verse, God opened my eyes that there are more ways to receive Christ than simply to accept His offered gift of salvation. We can accept His will in many other ways. We can accept a walk of humility. We can accept a walk of longsuffering. We can accept a walk of patience. Likewise, we can accept Christ in His various dealings in a meeting. There was a lot of altar work at Monark, and many young people sought help there just like I did. We can accept the help we get there. That's how we can receive Christ. Being receptive to His dealings is vital to our success as a believer. Receiving Christ isn't limited to a one-time work of salvation. We must receive from God all throughout our lives.

But, the verse doesn't stop there. We've received Christ, so we must walk in Him. That can be tricky. What does it truly mean to walk IN Christ. In my feeble understanding, it signifies embodying the traits and characteristics of Christ -- and making a practice of the things He has revealed to us that we have received. If God deals with us about being more patient, walking in Him is to live that out, as Christ did. Walking IN Christ means conforming to His dealings -- not just receiving them intellectually -- but to live them out. That's something I struggle with. Most messages I hear I understand from an intellectual standpoint. I recognize the instruction God wants to give through them, but I struggle with part two -- conforming my lifestyle to accommodate Jesus' principles in my everyday walk. This part of the verse challenges me to that end.

The next verse begins by instructing us to be "rooted and built up in Him," which is a remarkable metaphor. A tree has roots, and the deeper the roots go, the stronger the foundation and the more sturdy the tree becomes. In the same way, the more we are rooted into God, the better our defense against the storms of life become. If a tree didn't have roots, it would blow down at the slightest breeze. So we can be carried away at every "wind of doctrine" if we aren't rooted down (Ephesians 4:14).

We must be established in the faith. An established business is one whose presence is well-accounted for. We want our lives to be accounted as Christians and something not easily moved. It also mentions that we're established as we have been taught. For the most part, we have all had a wonderful education in the things of God. That is especially evident at times like Monark. We have been taught truth and we have been taught life. That teaching is essential to our establishment as children of God. We can't neglect that blessing.

The last part of the verse is something I really feel like I need to work on. It says to be abounding in thanksgiving. I thought of the word abounding. It means active and plentiful. Our praise and thanksgiving needs to be characteristic of that passion. God has blessed us with SO much. He continues to bless us more than I can imagine. The simple fact that He cares enough to teach us lessons like these is truly incredible. As Bro. Darrell explained, God wants more for us than a religious rules and regulations. He desires to give us revelations and a living gospel. I am so thankful God revealed these verses to me in a special, personal way, and I pray it can be a blessing to you all as well.

Listen, I know these next few weeks are going to be tough. I've already battled with things God dealt with me about at Monark. It's not going to be easy to move on from Monark, and we can be sure the devil will be right on our trail. But let's take the same energy we put into Monark out of it. It's not the beginning of the thing that matters, it's the end. Let's be encouraged to receive Christ in whatever capacity He chooses to reveal Himself and then walk in Him. He has a special blessing for all of us.

I pray to see all of you next year at Monark (and hopefully sooner!) with a testimony of God's faithfulness and keeping power. I need those same prayers that I can have the same testimony. We're God's church, let's be faithful to Him with our lives.

Keep encouraged!

Reaching Out

From Aubrey Sorrell:

Hi everybody! I thought I might share something that the Lord has been talking to me about for a while. Since the Guthrie campmeeting in May, the Lord has talked to me a lot on reaching out more. By reaching out I mean being a friend to those who are visiting the church, to those who don't really have a lot of friends. I'm not sure if I can quite put this into words the way God showed it to me, but I'll do my best.

During the Guthrie meeting, Bro. James Bell preached a message about being a first responder. He said something that really stood out to me: "Preach the gospel, and use words if necessary." Powerful, right? Our ultimate goal as Christians is to lead others to Christ, and one of the best ways for us to accomplish that goal is to be an example to others in what we say and do. But we have to take the first step (reaching out and being a friend) in order to be that example. If we will sacrifice our preferences, our excuses, our comfort zones, and reach out, we can then be an example and shine our light so that they can see Christ through us.

Philippians 2:4-8 is one of the passages that has really challenged me. Verse 4 says,

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

Reaching out and being a friend to someone you don't know can be really hard. I've found myself making the excuse that "I'm not very good at talking to people that I don't know very well" or "I'm really bad at making conversation" or "I'll just make it awkward, and someone else is better at welcoming others anyways." It can be really hard sometimes to ignore the excuses and to step out of our comfort zone.

But, to be completely honest, being a Christian isn't about staying in our comfort zone. We have to step out of our comfort zone in order to make others feel comfortable sometimes. When the Lord asks us to do something, that's the time to act, not later when we feel it will be more convenient. Maybe you don't feel comfortable reaching out to those you don't know, but if you'll do your part, God can then do His part and help you to know what to say.

Put yourself in their shoes. They could really need a friend, and maybe God wants YOU to be that friend. Don't let your own feelings get in the way of reaching out to them. Look for those who need a friend and ask the Lord to help you to be willing to reach out to them.

I'm not sure if I got this out exactly how the Lord showed it to me, but I hope that this was a challenge to someone else like it was to me. I definitely don't have this completely mastered, but I pray that the Lord will continue to help me grow in this area.

Isaiah 6:8
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me."

~ Aubrey Sorrell

Above All

Sometimes a thought the Lord gives can be very simple but still very encouraging. That's the way this one is. There's a song that eloquently describes how God is "above all" things on earth, all wisdom, all power, etc. It proceeds to explain despite all of that, Jesus chose the cross and thought of ME above all else.

It was a great encouragement to me. Jesus is infinitely more powerful than even the most intelligent minds could comprehend, and yet, Jesus thought of my salvation above all else in the world. While it is an encouragement, it's also a challenge. Jesus put everything on the line for me, and I don't want his death to be wasted on me. I know that He would have died for anyone even if there was only one person to save, but I don't want to waste the opportunity He gave me. I want to serve Him and love Him with all that I have.

There's a passage in Ephesians where it details how we in times past were full of lust, "fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind," and in general were displeasing to God. All of these sins separated us from the Father. The story doesn't end there. Ephesians 2:4-5 says:

"[4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, [5] Even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;)."

He thought of me above all. He knew our fallen state but loved us enough to come to our rescue. We owe our whole life to Him.

I know this thought is simple and may not resonate with some as it did with me. But, it's a blessed thing to realize that God is above all of the earth. He's above all of our problems and hurts. Despite His majesty and ability, He chose to come down to earth in a lowly manger and die a horrific death to save us from sin, from troubles, from hurts, and ultimately from ourselves. I don't want His sacrifice to be in vain.

Another verse he has recently inspired to me is Joshua 23:14. This verse is Joshua speaking near the end of his life. He had been through all of the miracles God had performed during his life and had experienced incredible things God had done during that time. It reads:

"And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof."

Even after all of the things that assailed him in life -- the Israelites doubting, the Jericho walls, and the battles, Joshua's testimony was that the Lord had not failed of ALL the good things He promised His children. He also reminded the Israelites that they knew in their hearts and souls that this was true. It's easy to get caught up in the times of disappointment or doubt. The Israelites doubted Joshua and Caleb's report that the land was theirs for the taking. I'm sure they were weary of marching around the walls of Jericho. They might not have had faith that they could come through to the other side of the battle victorious every time.

Yet, as Joshua pointed out, they KNEW that God had always been above all of those things and had been faithful to keep His children. I'm thankful that I, too, can cling to that promise. Maybe I get tired at work and feel like nothing is going right. I know that God is above all. And when I'm old enough to actually look back on life and reflect, I will also be able to testify of the Lord's faithfulness to me if I stay saved.

I never want to forget that God's power and wisdom means He is above all in this world. This story is a needful reminder of that.

Here are the words to the song:

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began
Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what you're worth

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose, trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

Above all troubles
Above all hurts
Above all problems we have here on this earth
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Crucified
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose, trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsgdU-9I_YI

Keep encouraged!

Fixed & Willing

School is out for the summer, and the campmeeting season is upon us -- I couldn't be more happy. College makes life busier than I hoped, and I have found it a difficult task to find time to write. But, the Guthrie meeting is over now, and I'm so thankful I was able to go. The meeting was special to me, and I hope the blessings I received will be long-lasting. I went to Guthrie knowing I had needs in my life. I wanted more of God and admittedly had been struggling to find God and find my way to Him. As He always is (and I'll revisit that later on), He was faithful to give me what I needed.

Bro. Marty preached a message on the first Sunday night that really spoke to me. He talked about having a heart that is fixed on God. We all entertain the idea of being sold out to God, and all of that is well and good. But some of the real-world examples he gave in the message caused me to think about how grounded I really am. He asked if a runner didn't care whether he won the race of not, how successful would he be? If a mechanic was working on a car and didn't care if it ran or not, how successful would he be? If someone owned a business and didn't care if anyone bought their products, how successful would they be?

The resounding answer to all of those is very little to none. To be successful, you have to care. That extends to any area of life, but it especially applies to your spiritual walk. I don't want to be accused of lacking motivation for God. The reality is, we can't put 100% of our effort into many things. We can only give our all in a few things. I want the first of those to be my spiritual life.

He also mentioned how the devil is constantly trying to loosen our relationship with God. He has a crowbar and is prying what holds us together, hoping to break it apart. We need to be invested in what God has for us and be willing to make it impossible for the devil to separate us from God.

Psalm 57:1 says
"Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast."

We want to be fixed in a place that is safe. In the shadow of the Savior's wings is the safest place we could ever find.

He also pointed out how God's will and our will inevitably conflict at times. At that juncture, one of the two has to diminish to give place to the other. It's a challenge to me that I always sacrifice my will to allow God's cause to advance -- in whatever way that situation dictates. I don't want to be a hindrance to God's cause for me and my life, so I have to be willing to humble down and diminish what I want. In reality, that's HOW we fix our heart. We have to give up our way and realize God's way is what is best for our life. Just like a mechanic has to care about fixing a car that won't run, we have to care about the process that will take us to a successful life. That process involves allowing God to work on us.

This message was such a challenge to me and it helped me realize there were areas in my life where I hadn't allowed God's cause to advance. I wasn't in fixed place as much as I should have been, and it was manifesting itself in how I allowed God's cause to diminish and mine to increase.

As John the Baptist said in John 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease." That's the key to fixing my heart for God, being firm in the commandments the Bible teaches and being willing to do what God wants from my life.

But, that leads me to the second message that really stood out to me during this meeting. It was the last Sunday morning when Bro. Ed preached about Psalm 110. I definitely encourage you to listen to this one, it was such a blessing. The entire message is very good, but the primary part I got from it is Psalm 110:3:

"Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth."

"Thy people" is in reference to Jesus' people, or in other words, Christians or saints. The day of thy power is the time of the salvation. The gospel is powerful and compelling, and this prophesy describes how the saints will be willing vessels in the gospel time, dating back from Jesus' resurrection until the judgment.

We are saints. We can be part of the willing vessels for God's service right now. It describes them as dressed in the "beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning." I feel incapable of describing it the way God showed it to me, but this paints a beautiful picture of what God's people are intended to be. The encouraging part is that we all can be part of this wonderful illustration if our heart is fixed on doing God's will.

The womb of the morning refers to renewal and refreshment. We are born again and alive in Christ, and that freshness can be true of our spiritual life. We have the dew of youth, a fountain of energy and vigorous for the cause of the heavenly kingdom. The holiness which our lives can reflect is beautiful. It is such an encouragement to hear both the prophesy in the Psalm as well as the challenge it is to us. The Bible tells us such Christians will exist in the time of the gospel. It is up to us to be the fulfillment of those words and to fully embody the life of a fixed and willing Christian.

I don't know how to adequately express the beauty of God's plan as it is described in these verses. Yet, I know that God calls us to a place where our heart is fixed and our spirit is willing to use us, even in our youth, as a critical member in His body.

As I mentioned earlier, God is ALWAYS faithful. I know He has been my support so many times and has sent exactly what I needed. It's wonderful to know the Savior is on my side, seated at the right hand of God, petitioning my case before the Father. That's how I know He'll continue to be faithful to teach me and instruct me as long as I am fixed on His cause and willing to go where He takes me.

Keep encouraged!

Now Know I

**Preface: This might be a little long, so I'm sorry if it tires or bores you... but I hope that maybe it will be a blessing to someone. :)

Christianity is a beautiful thing. We hear the gospel and we know Christ died for our salvation, but there are always mysteries to the story, unexplored lessons to learn along the way, and new revelations as we grow in our faith. Sometimes it doesn't always seems like life is a constant, upward trajectory. We go through spurts of substantial growth while other times leave us feeling sluggish. It's in the sluggish times where I find it difficult to learn or understand exactly what God wants of me and how to reach that place. I doubt I'm the only one who has struggled with that.

I look at it this way: God is infinitely wise, so we can never fully comprehend the entirety of His plan with our finite minds. Yet, He calls us to spiritual growth. If we are flexible with Him, life will present us with plenty of teachable moments. God is always in these plans to help us learn and make progress with Him. All of that is to say this: There are a lot of things I don't know -- about God, about His plan, and about life in general. That can be shaky ground, and it can cause fear and uncertainty to rise up. But, God is faithful... and I'm so thankful for that. He helped to comfort me and show me something from a broader perspective. I hope and pray that it will help me, and you, to better understand and deal with our unique, specific problems we face.

God showed me a verse a few weeks ago, and it was meaningful, but I didn't understand exactly how it applied to my life. It definitely was an inspiring verse, but there wasn't a specific situation at the moment that really clicked in my mind. When I read it today, it totally stood out to me, even more than when I had first read it. Psalm 20:6 says:

"Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand."

I don't know how meaningful that is to you, but it struck a chord with my heart. In this psalm, David affirms that he KNOWS the Lord saves those who live for Him. The anointed remnant will be heard by God, in heaven, and be saved by God's strength. Who is stronger than God? No one. No one comes even close. It's remarkable to me that a God so great and powerful is willing to hear the petitions of His children. That gives me confidence. David had shortcomings in his life. Some of them seem far more egregious than things I've ever struggled with. Yet, despite these issues he had a confidence in what God would do for those endeavoring to serve Him. It's encouraging to read the assurance of someone who experienced God's endless mercy. The next verse is also very special to me.

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God."

This is what I know now. Trust in other things will not sustain us. Chariots and horses are symbolic of earthly, human help. Those won't be our salvation. We can't let our trust fall in anything aside from God. Our call for help must be to our God -- He is the only deliverer. Too often I let that slip my mind. The person who has called us His own won't neglect our petitions. That's why Jesus' blood was shed for us. He fully intends for us to lay our problems, struggles, and fears at His feet so He can help us deal with our life that isn't as easy as we hope it will be.

It's not like God will shame us for having difficulties. Psalm 46 explains that God is a "present help in time of need." That indicates we WILL have struggles in our walk. What God longs for us to understand is that in those times we can turn to God for help. My flesh naturally wants to run from a vengeful God when I mess up or feel like I'm not doing what God wants of me. But, it's so important to remember that the same God who will be our judge at the end of our life is the SAME God who longs for us to let Him help us. He wants to be there for us when we're struggling. He wants to be a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. He wants to illuminate the way for us. He wants to give us the strength we need to press on through the things in life that are really hard.

Now know I that the Lord saveth.

I know that. I believe that. And I trust that. The word saveth isn't exclusive to our initial salvation. It refers to that, but it also means He will save us from fear, from insecurities, from doubts, from the lies of the enemy, and from every imposition of the devil. Whatever you're struggling with, the Lord saveth from that. Everything I struggle with, the Lord saveth from that. The key is in the second verse, verse 7. Our trust has to be fixed in Him. We have to remember Him when those things come against us.

It's not easy to do. I know, at least for me, it's always hard to get around the fact that I've done something imperfectly. God is ultimately going to be my judge, and it's easy to be afraid that after a mistake, He'll want nothing to do with me. But that isn't the case. As long as we're willing to fix the areas in which we struggle, He's willing to help us do that. It's only by His power and His Son that we're saved in the first place. He wants to keep us free from the bondage that sin requires.

But, even when we know that God is the only fail-proof source of help, it can be hard to accept it. As humans, we want to rely on ourselves and other people to help us. After all, God sends messengers to deliver His word, right? Sis. LaDawna Adams preached a great message tonight titled "What is Man?" One of the stories she read in Act 3 stood out to me. She read the story of the lame man who laid every day at the gate of the temple and asked Peter and John for alms. Verse 6 says:

"Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."

The man was asking humans for earthly assistance. Peter wisely understood that wouldn't provide any meaningful help for the man. Instead, Peter called on a higher authority. Man will often be insufficient to meet our needs, and we need to learn to expect that. But we can point people to Jesus. Peter gave what he could for the man, and that was Jesus. Help from friends, family, or mentors is valuable, but ultimately it can only help insofar as God is involved. The lame man was greatly blessed by Peter being in touch with God. Surrounding ourselves with people who will support us in our walk with God is priceless. The Bible says not to forsake our assembly together (Hebrews 10:25). It's important. But recognizing that it is ultimately God who does the saving is key.

As much as Peter had the heart to help the lame man, he couldn't do it in himself. We have to come to the realization that we can't expect other people to fix our problems for us. They're humans with problems just like us, and we can't put to their responsibility something that is for us to work out with God. I've found that relying on people can take our focus off of the true help: God. That's dangerous. When we don't let God be the focus, we lose touch with Him and place undue burden on others.

I'm so encouraged with this thought. Now I know, I'm confident, that God will save His anointed. When we're living a life in pursuit of Him, serving Him to the best of our ability, He will be faithful to save us. It doesn't matter what we're going through. There are problems other people can't touch. I want to learn better how to trust God fully for the struggles I have in life. I want Him to save me and heal me. I also want to be a faithful servant, and that includes helping others along the way. Our confidence can't be in man, but God wants us to help and encourage each other along the way. God will send people to help us, maybe even to help us understand where our issues are coming from. But the actually healing for those problems and the strength to overcome them come from the Lord himself.

I pray that this can be an encouragement to someone else, too. There are problems that are simply bigger than what we or someone else can handle. We have to go directly to the source of our salvation. We can go with the same confidence David had and say:

"Now know I that the Lord saveth His anointed; he will hear him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand."

Keep encouraged!

Priorities

What do you prioritize in your life? What do you make time for? That's something that has been on my mind a lot lately, and I thank God that He has caused me to consider where my time is spent and how important it is to redeem the time that He's given us.

If you've kept watch, a lot of TIME has passed since I last posted a blog. I'm not really proud of that, because it hasn't been that the Lord hasn't blessed me. It's been because I haven't prioritized sharing what He's done or even giving adequate time to the Lord. It's not easy to make time for everything that life brings at you. I've been very busy lately, and some things in my life have caused me to reflect on my time, and how I can use it better.

I was able to go to the revival Bro. Darrell Johnson held in Sapulpa this past weekend. I really got a lot of good from the meeting, and the last message was the one that stood out to me the most. He talked about time, and how important it is to make time for the Lord. There are a lot of things we can spend our time in, and a lot of distractions that can inhibit our time with the Lord. But, we have to prioritize time with God or our lives will slip away. He talked a lot about how we don't know how much time we have left, so we need to redeem what time we are blessed with. Ephesians 5:15-16 says:

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

This verse is used a lot, but it really hit me. We only have a certain amount of time in a day. But each day is a fresh day, and that time can be used however we choose to spend it. We have to be careful of what things occupy our time and ensure that we give enough time for God to deal with us how He wants. The days are evil. Things can drag us down and get us distracted and sometimes in trouble. We are instructed to be watchful over that.

When I started college, I knew that I would be busy, but I didn't realize how much time it would take me to keep up with school and work. As a teenager, it's hard for me to immediately come to grips with managing work, school, and a relationship, so it takes a lot of God to keep me afloat. But what happens if I don't spend enough time with God? I'll sink. That's what God was trying to point out to me. If I allow my life to be so caught up and busy -- even if it's in lawful and profitable things -- but neglect my soul, I'll end up way worse than if I relaxed on some things and let God have control.

Bro. Darrell made the point that we will always have time for what we put first. I don't want a 50% relationship with God, so I have to put Him first ALWAYS. It's something that I have been thinking a lot about, and God sent a message at a perfect time for me to receive it. Isn't He good? I want to encourage anyone who is struggling with managing a busy schedule or just life in general... put God first. He is faithful to bless us when we are willing to make Him our first priority. The other things in life become easier to deal with.

God also showed me a verse, and I'm very thankful that he brought it out to me. It's in Colossians 1:19, and it says:

"For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell."

All fullness and fulfillment should be found in Christ. That is where our happiness and enthusiasm rests. Life is full only if lived in Christ. I pray that God will help me refocus my joy to live a life for Him above all else. I firmly believe that when we have our spiritual life taken care of, other parts of life will go more smoothly. We'll enjoy the good parts better and be able to handle the difficulties more easily. That's because our soul can be satisfied by an experience nothing on earth can replicate. We can have peace and assurance in knowing that our heart is fixed on God and that He is faithful to be with us.

I have a good life. God has blessed me tremendously. I don't want to neglect my spiritual experience or neglect to thank God for how He has been faithful to me. I pray that He'll help me to better prioritize the important things of life and realize that He'll help me deal with the rest if I put Him first.

And I hope I can continue to share the things God shows me along the way. It's an encouragement to me to express my feelings, and I hope it will bless and encourage you, too. So as always...

Keep encouraged!

Peace in the Midst of Confusion

From Summer Beverage:

I’m thankful to the Lord for giving me a testimony of His peace in my life over the past few months, and really over the past year.

Having an eternal peace is something that never really meant something to me more than the occasional good message that was preached on it. It wasn’t until I found myself in utter chaos that I realized it was only the Lord's peace that could get me out of this state. This spring I heard a couple of different messages preached by Bro. Joseph Gellenbeck that really showed me the “rest and peace” the Lord wanted to show me.

I really don’t know if I can describe it in the way that I want to, but its almost as if a switch was flipped. Like the Lord said, “Ok you’ve got to start having more faith that I can give you peace.”

I began to pray more earnestly. Asking for guidance on not only the big things, but the little things. This entire time not even realizing that this was all to guide me into this summer.

As a certain situation occurred, my natural response was to just “figure it out." Confusion swept over me like I’ve never felt before. I got frustrated that this was happening and that I didn’t know the answer right away. This confusion started taking over my thoughts in most aspects in my life. That's when I just stopped and realized that I couldn’t do it anymore.

Then I started asking the Lord to just take the situation into His hands. And to please give me the answers. God had other plans. I really feel that God gave me just enough answers for me to realize “He’s got this”.

At this point, I really felt that the Lord was just going to give me the answers, because I asked Him to. That's not what happened. I began to get discouraged that I wasn’t doing anything and that I should be doing something. This train of thought led me to put God in boxes. Because I was so desperate to have an answer, I would say “But the Lord told me…”.

I wish I could say a certain day when I felt this “powerful wind” give me an answer. Or that I had this strong feeling of peace come over me all at once. But no, God really does work in mysterious ways.

After praying over and over again for peace and deliverance from this, I slowly started feeling the eternal peace that I wanted so badly. Again, I don’t know if I can explain this in the way that I want, but looking back I wish I could only share the peace that God has given me. It was only after I was forced to humble myself and surrender to the Lord that I felt His peace. And the funny part is, Once I surrendered to the Lord, needing to know the answers suddenly became less important to me.

I’ll be honest, I feel more than a little hypocritical saying this, Because I’m definitely the same person that gets worried over decisions (big or small). But I now can say that through prayer, a surrendering of myself, and a realization of just how much is out of my control, God showed me His love more than ever before.

Just recently I’ve been finding scriptures that have really given me an assurance. One being Isaiah 42:16 --  “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them and not forsake them."

I’m just so thankful to the Lord for showing me if I’ll just surrender my self, and have faith and trust in Him, He will give me a peace that earthly problems cannot consume. Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Having this peace doesn’t mean that He’ll give me the answers right away, but that it is in Gods hands. So there’s no reason to worry about it. ;)

I hope this testimony can show someone that it really is worth it to lay yourself down and receive the eternal peace that God wants to give!

- Summer Beverage

Take Up Your Cross

From Damon Sallee:

Take Up Your Cross

I want to thank God for the challenges that He has been giving me in my spiritual walk with Him. He's been dealing with me a lot recently on giving him 100%.
Through the past few months, I've been doing a lot of spiritual warfare. I'm thankful for that. It lets me know which side I'm on.

I’m finding that spiritually, you get out what you put in. An awesome Christian experience isn’t a default. It’s something you must work at. I’m finding God’s blessings become greater as I surrender more of myself to Him.

We all fight the same kind of battles: spiritual lethargy, failures, and struggles unique to our personality. Sometimes while fighting those battles, we miss what God is really trying to tell us. David prayed that God would search him and know his heart, that He would try him and know his thoughts and that He would see if there was any wicked way in him.

I pray the same prayer for myself, but I’ve found in times past that when I would pray that prayer, one thing would come back to my mind over and over, so much so that I began to push it out of my mind and say, “Lord, I know about that, and I’ll try to do better in it and fix it when I get some time.”

I’d make some resolutions, and maybe some promises, and that would appease my conscience a little, but it never took care of the problem. I’d find myself asking, “Okay, but is there anything else?” And then I’d focus on something different but would fail to address what He had dealt with me about in the first place.

God started dealing with me about that. You can’t choose to disregard His instructions and expect to maintain a joyful spiritual experience. Disobedience costs a lot. My experience suffered greatly because I kept pushing Him off and making excuses. Telling God, “I’ll do it later,” seemed to be better than saying, “No. I won’t do it.” But it wasn’t. God dealt with me with the intention that I would follow Him immediately.

I think of 2 Corinthians 6:2. “… I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

When God deals with you, then is the time to take care of the problem, unless He instructs otherwise. If you don’t know how to go about it, that doesn’t give you a valid excuse to push it off. Seek for wisdom earnestly until He gives it to you.

I am finding that this is part of “putting in” for your salvation. It’s not an easy thing. Seeking His will and direction takes dedication and much determination. Doing it requires humility, submission, and trust that He knows what is best for you.

When I realized His will and what action He wanted me to take, but chose to push it off, my spiritual growth came to a standstill. Can God bless me in my disobedience? I can attest to the fact that He can’t. My life became very miserable. The peace and joy that had been in my soul was replaced with inner turmoil. God through His abundant mercy kept dealing with me, and slowly I began to see that peace comes through obedience and surrender to His will, regardless of what it costs.

Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me.”
He also said, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

I thank God from the bottom of my heart that He has shown me the importance of unconditional surrender and submission of my will to His will. That’s all that He asks of me, to be “a living sacrifice.”
Now His Holy Spirit is content to dwell within me, and spiritual peace is restored. I still have trials and hard times. I still get confused about things, but there’s one thing that is of great comfort to me. It’s Joy. What is Joy?

J-esus O-wning Y-ou

I have willingly put myself into His hands, to do His will no matter what it may be, no matter what it costs, because Jesus owns me, and “He will only permit what is best.” His thoughts are “of peace, and not of evil, to give me an expected end.”

And this brings me to my current testimony.

ELS #87 “I Know My Name Is There”

My name is in the Book of Life,
Oh, bless the name of Jesus!
I rise above all doubt and strife,
And read my title clear.

Yet, inward trouble often cast
A shadow o'er my title,
But now with full salvation blest,
Praise God! It's ever clear.

While others climb thro' wordly strife
To carve a name of honor,
High up in Heaven's Book of Life,
My name is written there.


I know my name is there. I know that God will “perfect that which concerneth me” and that I can trust Him to guide me in the future decisions of life. I can trust my life in His hands. And now I choose daily to put it into action. And I ask for His strength to do so.

I encourage anyone who reads this to take up your cross and follow Him with renewed dedication, realizing that your strength is not of yourself but is given by Him as you ask for it and meet the requirements that He has shown to you.

- Damon Sallee

Guidance

I've been thinking a lot about the Lord's guidance, and the way He works in our lives. Isn't it super cool that we can go to the Lord for counsel and direction? He's really shown Himself strong to me lately, and I want to praise Him for that, hoping it will be an encouragement to you all as well.

This summer has been a very eventful one for me. I graduated high school (YAY) and have moved on to a new, different stage in life: work. Super fun, isn't it? I'm actually really enjoying what I do, but I'll get into that a little later. I'll preface this story by saying this: I've never been accused of being a workaholic. ;P A lot of it has to do with my personality. I enjoy having fun, being with people, and make people laugh. There's nothing wrong with that -- unless it makes me lazy. And, I'll admit, I've had my fair share of moments (and still do sometimes...). But, God has shown me several things in this year, helped me to mature a little more, and given me opportunities to prove myself.

Originally, I had intended to get a job while I was still in high school. But there were several things that hindered me. I really didn't want to work at a fast food restaurant because coming home every night smelling like a French fry didn't sound appetizing (ha), and to get many hours, I would have to work late, which wouldn't help with my homework schedule. Most other jobs I found required that I be available at any time of day, or hours that conflicted with my public school schedule. I was becoming discouraged with job searching, and as my graduation came and went, nothing changed. I didn't have a job.

The Lord had shown me a verse in devotions several months ago that had given me faith about looking for a job. The verse is in Isaiah 49:2-3. It says:

"...in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; [3] and said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified."

This may not seem like a verse that is an encouragement for a job, but the Lord revealed it to me in a special, personal way. The shadow isn't normally seen as a positive, cheerful thing. It can be mysterious and sometimes scary, as opposed to the bright, sparkling sun. He let me see that my personality was sunny -- fun-loving, happy-go-lucky, and cheery. But if you're in the sun too long, you'll get burned. God has to bring us into the shadows. They might seem a little scary or unpleasant at first. They're not as exciting as having fun in the sun, but it's a necessary place for protection. God showed me that I had to get out of the sun. Out of the excitement and into a place where He desired I would be. For me, that was a job.

The rest of the verse made the impact so much more real. First of all, God's going to be with me. He's not sending me off alone to the influences of the world. He's going to be with me, protecting me while I'm there. It's going to make me polished, more mature, and useful for the Lord. A shaft or arrow is acutely refined. It's straight, smooth, and without knots. God can use circumstances in our lives to help us "grow up" and become a perfected vessel for His use. He'll put us in His quiver, ready for use when He so chooses. The last part of the third verse clinched it. "Thou art my servant." Ultimately, the Lord is in control of my life. If I want to serve Him, I have to give Him the keys AND let Him drive. He'll be glorified when we obey His leadings. So, stay with me. I pursued getting a job.

Yet, it seemed as though nothing was working out. I had felt encouraged and inspired... I believed God had given me a sign with that verse. A sign of confirmation that I need to look for a job, and a sign of His blessing on my efforts to do so. I asked Him why things weren't falling into place. I didn't feel anything change. It all felt like God was just letting life happen, and not intervening on my behalf. So I soldiered on, putting in applications, looking for scenarios that might work.

Then, I went to Guthrie for the May meeting, and on almost the last day, I got a call from Twin Oaks Custom Cabinets, the company where my dad works.. They wanted an interview. Needless to say, I was excited. I set up an interview, and a few days after going home, I interviewed. Here's the caveat, though (there's always something, isn't there?) My family had planned a vacation right after the West Virginia meeting that was about to start. I would be away from home for about 3 weeks. I let them know of that situation during the interview, knowing it could hurt my chances of being hired.

Listen close, ya'll. This is the Lord. During the interview, the lady interviewing me asked when I was getting back from vacation, and I told her July 2nd. The interview continued a little longer, and then, as we were wrapping it up, she said "Well, we'll plan to see you on July 2nd, 8:00 am."

*jaw drop*

I didn't know what to think. In my first interview, I was hired on the spot. The Lord worked it out for me. He gave me a job when I wasn't seeing anything work out. He allowed the timing to work out where I could still go to the West Virginia meeting and go on vacation with my family -- two things that were very important to me. It still amazes me how he worked it out for me. I have enjoyed my job a lot, and even though I had to give up a lot of time during Monark to work, the Lord was faithful to me when I was there. I can still count my blessings that I was able to attend during the evenings and weekends and receive good from the services I was in.

Isn't it amazing how the Lord guides us. He works in mysterious ways. We don't always see why or how He does things, but as Romans 8:28 says, He's working them for our good if we're diligent to follow Him. The Lord showed me a verse after Monark was over, and I was reflecting on all that God has done for me this summer. It's in John 3:8, and it says:

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

The Spirit of the Lord works a lot like the wind. We see the effects of His workings. We see the things He does for us, and recognize His presence with us. Yet, it's unexpected and unpredictable. We often don't understand the why. We can't see beyond our human vision to understand the mind of God. It's a trial of our faith sometimes. I didn't understand why God wasn't allowing things to work out for so long, or when I wanted. But now, I can see that it was a lesson in faith, dependence, and simply trusting in God to do what is best for me. I fully believe the situation He's placed me in is the right one, and better than the ideas I had myself. It's amazing how God can work a perfect plan. He has His way in the whirlwind, and though we can't discern the way He chooses to work, we'll feel the gentle breeze, His spirit directing the path of His children.

I'm very thankful to the Lord for His guidance to me. If you've made it this far, you're a trooper. I tend to get long-winded sometimes, but I really felt inspired to share my experience, in hopes that it might encourage you all that God knows what He's doing... and He's doing it all for us. :) I've really learned a lot in this spiritual journey the Lord has taken me on. I appreciate His faithfulness to me and for giving me so much help during this summer. It's been a time of necessary growth for me, and I anticipate that a change in me is still coming. I love you all, and pray that God will keep us all nearer and nearer to Him. Pray for me.

Keep encouraged!

Persevere

From Damar Randle:

I thank the Lord for his blessings unto me! I was able to get away from work and attend the Fresno Campmeeting and I can say, I am full. There was a lot of Spiritual Food laid out and I did partake. The Lord was faithful to meet me several times at the altar and I'm grateful for that.

One message I heard preached that really stuck to me was preached by Bro. Paul titled "Perseverance". He spoke on what it means for us to persevere. One of the things mentioned was that we must put forth an effort to reach our goal. To press on in spite of what is around us.

Putting forth effort is not an easy task. I remember all the work I put in as a runner in high school, long, hot, dreadful hours, yet I did it daily. The Lord has convicted me before as I've studied for school. He has pointed out that I don't put forth the effort in reading his word as I do school. The degree I'll get will only be good for 40 or 50 years and then I'm unable to put it to good use, whereas the things we learn through studying his word will last an eternity.

I have been dealt with time and time again along this line and can say firmly, I don't want to be found in this place again. Studying his word is important. The Apostle Paul charged Timothy to 
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim 2:15. I can spend a good amount of time with friends, online, studying, sleeping, working or whatever yet none of it will matter. Time spent without eternal value, is time wasted.

It is my desire to persevere and put forth an "I mean to go right on" effort until my crown is won.

WV 2018 - Part 1

There was so much good that I got out of the WV meeting this year, it's going to have to be a couple of parts. For one thing, some of the thoughts are separate from each other, and for another, I'm on a trip, so I don't have time to write out long posts.

One of the first things that I was blessed with came from a message Bro. Danny Adams preached titled "Spiders." He talked about how spiders catch their prey, then bite them, and suck the life out of them. He related it spiritually to how the devil can catch us in a vulnerable position, bite us, and suck out all the spiritual life that we have. We are weak when we have left the safety of dwelling with God. Spiders won't normally dwell in a well-kept, clean area, but they will dwell under a brush pile. Likewise, the devil doesn't usually lurk in the house of God, but he'll definitely be in places that aren't wholesome for our spiritual benefit.

These things make me cautious. I need to be careful where I allow myself to go and to what things I allow my affections go out. I don't want to give the devil more opportunity to wreak havoc in my life. I have to be watchful. There's a song in the ELS (#302) that says "My soul be on thy guard, 10,000 foes arise." There will be many foes that rise up against us, and many spiders that we'll see in life. We have to squish them before they have chance to become a problem.

That puts a challenge on me, though. If spiders lurk in places that are messy and unclean, what areas of my life are more susceptible to allowing spiders to live? I have to maintain my life and keep it clear and clean before God. I don't want to give room for spiders to make habitation, they're a danger to my soul. I want my spiritual life revitalized, not sucked out. There are several areas where I know I could use some "cleaning up." It's important to both recognize those areas but also to take action to prevent spiders from becoming a problem.

There are several different ways I can go about keeping my spiritual life intact and cleaned up, but one of the most important ways is reading and praying. There was a lot talked about reading and praying at the meeting this year, especially in young people's meeting. The Lord showed me a verse during the meeting that was a real encouragement to me. It's Joshua 1:8, and it says:

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

This verse gives much instruction. The book of law is the Bible. It should never be far from our conversation, and it should be the topic of our meditation all the time. If we are faithful to heed this instruction, and sow its seed, we'll reap the benefits and be blessed with GOOD success. Prosperity (of the soul) is appetizing. It doesn't sound like a prosperous soul would be infested with spiders and a zone dangerous to our spiritual walk. It sounds like a safe, comfortable place with an environment conducive to drawing closer to God and walking daily with Him.

I was talking to a friend at the meeting, and we both found that we were lacking in some areas of our spiritual walk. It's an encouragement to realize we are not the only ones who have struggled with a certain thing. We're not alone in needing to draw closer to God and being more faithful to consistently spend time with the Lord. We're all young people in a difficult world striving for Heaven. Sharing things with each other can be a way that we feel encouraged that we're not the only ones who have struggles, but we can also share ways that God has helped us with things. This is just a little bit of what God showed me during the meeting, and I hope to share more. Don't give up! This life is worth living.

Keep encouraged!

Daily Spiritual Food

From Lauren Edwards:

Hey there! I just wanted to share something that the Lord has put on my heart in the last week. It is so amazing to see how God works, because I have seen this same message being shared recently among the young people and in the services I have been in. I have been reading and studying in the book of Psalms lately and the first chapter really stood out to me. As I read the word the Lord showed me the importance of this passage through a series of visuals. The passage of scriptures illustrates a blessed or righteous person and one that is not. The very first verse says “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful”. A blessed person is one that does not allow themselves to be accustomed to sin and succumb to the way of sinners. With the words walketh, standeth, and sitteth it is demonstrated of the progression of how sin can become comfortable. At first, one just walks by and looks at sin but doesn’t fully step into it. Then, one actually stands in areas where sin is clearly evident. Then, soon, if you are not careful one could be sitting completely immersed in the way of sin and being comfortable with it. The way of sin is a dark and miserable trap that we can fall into if we are not careful.

In the next verse it says “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night”. The blessed one finds their delight in the word of God and he meditates on it both day and night. It says meditating day and night. This was the challenging part for me. This is a major part of our life that the devil will try to destroy by distracting us and making us put off reading and mediating the word of God like we should. When it says meditating day and night it doesn’t mean picking up your Bible and reading one scripture just because you feel like it is a duty that you have to cross off of your daily to-do list. But, it means to really dig deep into the word and to be continually thinking about it. To read it, think about it, connect it to other situations in the Bible and apply it to your life and your walk with God. We should be meditating all hours of the day on the things of the Lord because we want to. As a result, we are able to draw closer to God.

In verse 3, it says “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”. By meditating on the law of the Lord continually we are like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water. When I think about a tree that is planted by water, I always envision one that is large, vibrant, covered in leaves, and has a strong structure. That is how we can be in our spiritual life when we continue to draw closer to the Lord through daily prayer and study in the word. When we create a solid foundation on the ways of Christ and aiming to become more like Him, we become rooted in Him and nothing can move us. Also, when we are planted by the rivers of water, our spiritual cup is always being filled and there is no room for spiritual dryness. This verse also mentions that it “bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither”. Whether we are in a good or dark season in life, through Him we can still grow and produce spiritual fruit. The blessed one prospers in all that he does! Even though sometimes we may not think that we’ve prospered in our actions, but both our successes and failures are prosperous to the Lord, for “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

In verse 4, it shows the opposite of a righteous person. The verse says “The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away”.  Chaff is the outer casing or covering of grains that falls to the ground when the real grain begins to grow. When I was thinking about this verse, the Lord brought a thought to mind. When we are walking through life, there is a point where we will have to make a choice. This choice is whether we will serve and live for God or live a life in sin. This makes me think of the grain and how we choose whether to be the grain or the chaff. The chaff, like stated in the verse, falls to the ground and the wind driveth it away. If we fall in our spiritual faithfulness, we are placed in a position of weakness because God is our only source of strength. When we have fallen, we are vulnerable and can easily be taken advantage of by the enemy. To prevent this from happening, we have to be firmly rooted in the Lord and stay consistent in our walk with God at all times.

This passage of scriptures really challenged me to dig deeper into the word of God and to earnestly pray to the one who created me in every part of life. I hope that this is an encouragement to you.

- Lauren Edwards

I Am a Christian

The title is pretty much self-explanatory, and it's a thought that has really resonated in my mind the past few days. I just returned on Monday evening from the Guthrie campmeeting, and I received a lot of good from the meeting, hopefully some of which I will share later on. But this particular thought came to me following the meeting and has been a great challenge to me, so I've decided to share it with all of you, too.

What is a Christian? Of course, the simple definition of a Christian is someone justified of their sins by Christ's shed blood. But, I'd like to make the comparison to a sports fan. A sports fan is someone who enjoys sports and has an invested interest in a particular team or player. They have an enthusiasm for that. They pay close attention to what the team or athlete does. They often buy apparel that is representative of "their" team or player. As a Christian, we should share some of the same characteristics of a sports fan. We should have enthusiasm for our life of serving God. We should pay close attention to the things Jesus did on earth and the things he taught us. Likewise, we should be adorned with his characteristics, and should put on the whole armor of God.

Some fans have such an attachment to their team or player that that is the focal point of their life. Christ should be the primary focus of our lives as well, and it's important that we make Him our priority. There's a verse in 2 Corinthians 3:3 that says:

"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart."

There is so much in this verse, but the part I would like to bring out is the way it indicates Christians should be identified. We are "manifestly declared" to be Christians or servants of God, but why? What causes that connection in the minds of those around us? Sure, going to church, saying "I'm a Christian," and putting a fish bumper sticker on your car are indicators. But this verse makes clear that is not what determines our faith. It isn't with ink that we are justified, but by the Spirit of the living God working in our lives. We have it written on the tables of our hearts. We are adorned by the characteristics of Christ. That is ultimately what makes us who we are. It's about the application of what we've learned making its way to the depths of our heart and finding a home there. Actively writing the truths and instruction we've received in our heart is how we can be manifestly declared epistles of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 3:1, it asks "Do we begin again to commend ourselves?" We don't celebrate ourselves, our life is a testimony in itself if our heart is filled with the things of God. It portrays Christ.

This was a great challenge to me. I've returned from a meeting fully saturated with truth, wisdom, and instruction. I want to make the best use of that to write truth on the tables of my heart. So many times I have heard messages preached, taken notes, and thought "Wow, that was good." But ultimately, it means nothing for my spiritual exercise if I don't apply the principles to my life and in my heart. That's what it really means to be a Christian. Salvation is only the first step. God has real purpose for our lives, and to humble down to His perfect will and allow Him to work in our life is the plan He has for all of us, transforming our heart from a stony, legalistic, and life governed by law to a soft, fleshy, Spirit-filled life led by faith. It's a process I want to continue in, because I know that of my own strength, I can't keep myself saved and pleasing to the Lord. I'm comforted by this verse in 1 Corinthians 15:58 that says:

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

We're instructed to be stable and unchanged by outside influences. We can only do that by letting the Spirit work in us. Our labor for Godly things and for His will are not without profit, reward, or importance. It's worth it. Christ has much in store for us, and if we remain "stedfast, unmovable" and "always abounding," we'll continue to write good things on the tables of our hearts. We'll continue to be a pleasing and acceptable servant to God, and He'll bless us for that. We are not in vain. I want campmeeting experiences to be a boost to my spiritual life, not just a crutch for my salvation. I want them to be a profit to my soul, and I know that sometimes takes adjusting my priorities. I desire your prayers to allow God to help me apply things I've learned to my heart so that I can be worthy of the label "Christian."

Keep encouraged!

Post-Graduation Thoughts

As many of you already know, graduation has come and gone for me. It's one of the first big milestones I have crossed in my life, and it has given me opportunity to reflect on my life so far and consider my future. None of that enters my mind without feeling an overwhelming thankfulness to God accompanied with an overwhelming need for Him and His direction. This last month has been very busy with several things going on in preparation for my graduation, so I haven't been able to write very much recently. But, I have a few thoughts I felt I should share now that the busyness from that has slowed down a little.

Last month, I was reading a devotional talking about a verse in 2 Kings, when Elisha was with his servant, and they became surrounded by the horses and chariots of the enemy.

2 Kings 6:16-17
"And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. [17] And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see..."

The servant was looking with his physical eyes. Observing the situation from what he could see in a natural sense -- and when he did that, the circumstance looked grim. They were surrounded by the enemy. There WERE forces who would try to oppose them. Yet, He didn't have the spiritual vision to comprehend that there was more than what first meets the eye. God's plan is not always apparent to our limited, short-sighted vision. We can't immediately see that God has a plan, an escape, or solution for us. We need to pray, as Elisha did, that he will open our eyes to His perfect way. Yes, situations can be dire, and we are certainly in need of God's provision sometimes. But our job is to trust the bigger picture, and have the faith to know that God is in control and will take care of us.

What struck me, though, was how Elisha, a man of God, was praying for his servant. Elisha could see that God was there, and had confidence the provision was enough. Are we not, as Christian's, men of God who can influence those who don't yet have a clear vision? We each have our own unique sphere of influences, whether that be at school, on the job, or just in our community. As citizens of the Kingdom, God has charged us to be a beacon of light to those who haven't come to know our Savior. Elisha prayed, and God opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw the miraculous help of God. I went to public school. I have been blessed with more knowledge and understanding of truth than many there will ever have in their lifetime. I need to have the burden to pray that they find clear vision of truth and of God -- the only truth.

It's remarkable how much we can learn when our time in a certain phase of life is nearly expired. In many ways, I regret not being a better vessel for God's use in an environment heavily lacking in morality and the things of God. But, I have to trust that, especially in my final year of school, I walked worthy of God's calling and that my life was an example in the way it was lived. I am a firm believer that God won't punish us for things we haven't learned yet, but that He expects us to continue to improve every time He teaches us something new. And in reflecting on these past few years, I recognize how much I've learned and how much more God desires to use me. I want to be faithful to that. I've seen firsthand the depravity of the world and how needy people are of God and truth. I've seen broken people whose circumstances have extended beyond their control. At the same time, I've witnessed lives dedicated to God, Spirit-filled campmeetings, and the incredible way God can transform a soul -- no matter their circumstance. It's been a valuable lesson to me, and I strongly desire to continue to be who God would have me to be and not let anything come between my devotion to the life I'm endeavoring to live for eternity.

In Neosho, the town I graduated from, each year the seniors paint the road that goes right beside the high school as part of their senior activities. It's on a fairly steep incline, and it's been coined as "painting the hill." We each have a little spot where we can paint something to commemorate our time at the high school. The morning when we were supposed to turn in our drawing to be checked, I still hadn't fully decided what I wanted to paint. I knew I wanted to do something to reflect my love for the Lord and the life I lived, but I wasn't sure exactly how to do that. The verse of the day that morning was 1 Timothy 4:12:

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

When I read that, it was immediately clear what I should paint. Nothing better encapsulated the goal I had in mind in leaving a mark during my high school career than that verse. Of course, I feel like I lacked in some areas, but that was my goal -- and particularly in my senior year of high school, I feel like I lived up to what God required of me in that manner. A lot of times, kids in school are considered just that -- kids. We're not yet old and wise (if we ever reach that), and we're often not taken as seriously as people more learned and experienced. But this verse gives every indication that we can still be difference-makers for the Kingdom of Heaven. Don't let anyone despise our youth... we still have a job even though we are young. Our job is to be an EXAMPLE of the qualities a believer embodies, in every aspect of life -- in what we stand for, in what we say, in how we show love, in the spirit we portray, in the faith we have, and in the pure life we live. The legacy I left could have been better, but I am confident people could still notice the King I was living for in my life.

This time of reflection has made this verse even more prominent in my mind. Even though I'm a high school graduate(!!!), I'm not old yet. I still have time for this verse to be prominent in my life, and that is a great challenge. I still have the charge as a young man to be an example every day of a Christian, and to display the qualities of Christ in my life. I'm so thankful for how God has been with me through school, and especially in my last year of school. I would be foolish to claim any of the credit for the successes I've had or the life I have had. I'm very grateful to be a part of God's church and His people. It means so much.

Lord willing, there is a lot of life ahead of me. I need direction in my life to know how to do things the way God would have me to do them. This stage in my life has been one very difficult to discern God's will, but I am doing the best I can to do that. Bro. Curtis Williams held a revival here at the end of last month, and one of the messages he brought dealt with our desperate need of God. I feel that is so relevant to me and the time of life I'm in right now. I'm thankful that God is willing to provide challenges like that at the times we need them the most. It spoke to me and helped me realize that further dedication was necessary for me. It's my choice what to do with my life, and I want to live it for Jesus every step of the way. God has a plan for all of us young people! I want to maximize the potential God has for my life, because I know He gave it all when He died for me. I'm striving every day to live a life that is pleasing and acceptable to Him, and I desire your prayers for me. I love and pray for all of you.

Keep encouraged!