Why those fears? Behold, 'Tis Jesus

Why those fears? Behold, 'tis Jesus

Holds the helm and guides the ship;

Spread the sails, and catch the breezes

Sent to waft us through the deep

To the regions where the mourners cease to weep.

Though the shore we hope to land on

Only by report is known,

Yet we freely all abandon,

Led by that report alone,

And with Jesus through the trackless deep move on.

Led by faith, we brave the ocean;

Led by faith, the storm defy;

Calm amidst tumultuous motion,

Knowing that the Lord is nigh:

Waves obey Him, and the storms before Him fly.

Rendered safe by His protection,

We shall pass the watery waste,

Trusting to His wise direction,

We shall gain the port at last;

And with wonder think on toils and dangers past.

Oh what pleasures there await us!

There the tempests cease to roar:

There it is that those who hate us

Can molest our peace no more:

Trouble ceases on that tranquil, happy shore.

by Thomas Kelly

(Thanks for reminding us, Rachel)

Put off the Old, Put on the New

Camp Hope 2012

As my summer activities are winding down, I've had time to ponder back on the wonderful aspects I've learned about our precious Lord this summer. Amidst the camping trips, summer BBQ's, warm beach days, nephew's birthday parties, weddings, family vacations, Bible conferences, hiking, and other activities, I found the highlight of my summer at Camp Hope. Our theme was based on Eph 4:22-24 - "Put off the Old, Put on the New." I was able to pull all my thoughts about this theme together during our testimonial campfire on the last night. I sat there SO in love and in awe with our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ that I could seriously hardly contain myself! So, since I did contain myself then...I'm here now to shout out how seriously wonderful it is to love and be loved by the Lord Jesus Christ!!!
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If there's one thing I love, it's hashing out a Biblical teaching until you see multiple glorious angles that'll create one complete and beautiful gem of Truth. This is what we did with the theme at Camp, which was really fun to do! We were able to clear up some misunderstandings and confusions some of the young people had about what it means to be a "New man." 

Perhaps the most misunderstood concept we heard is that the "New man" is something you can put on at your own pleasure, or the "Old man" is something you can revert back to when you sin or make a mistake. How wonderful it was to be reminded that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor 5:17)! I was sharing with my girls that to be a New man is to be born again, to be in Christ, which absolutely cannot be undone no matter what mistakes they may make in their lives; for we know that once we are in Christ, no one will be able to snatch us out of His hands, nor the Father's hands who is "greater than all" Jn 10:28-30. How wonderful to know we are lovingly secure in the everlasting arms of the Almighty!
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So, then, once they understood that they were a New man in Christ, they wanted to know practical ways in which they could practice being that New man (a Christian) when they got home and got back to life. Even though we answered with some great examples and verses to think about, (Gal 5:22-23; Php 4:8; Rom 12:2, etc.), I found that question hard to honestly answer. There is no set of rules I could give them to follow, so how do you give them something that they want, but doesn't exist in Christ? There is no law in Christ. Not only that, every believer is so uniquely different that one restriction which might be helpful for one believer, could be detrimental to another believer. Only Christ could truly determine what His disciple needs.  If Christianity were a mere religion, the answer would be easy, but since being a Christian is not a religion, the answer is difficult, and, I believe, can only be found in God's Word through the leading of the Holy Spirit within that individual believer. Being a Christian is living a life - the very life of Christ - no man can tell you how Christ specifically wants you to uniquely serve Him, but Christ alone.
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Can we edify, encourage, comfort, exhort, and build each each other up to faithfully serve Him better? Of course! But...even if you received all the help you could possibly receive from other believers, the walk you walk with Christ is still your own. It is personal, is intimate, and is an individual one that no one else can understand but you and Christ (1 Cor 12:27). There is no set of rules anyone can give you to tell you what Christ personally desires of YOU. You need to find that out on your own, in the quietness of your room (Mt 6:6), in stillness before God (Ps 46:10), with ears and heart open to hear the leading of the Holy Spirit who dwells within you and desires to speak to you all the wonderful things of God (Jn 14:26; 1 John 2:27) .
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I don't believe the Holy Spirit speaks louder to "greater" Christians so they can then in turn go and speak to "weaker" Christians what Christ desires of them. Never! He dwells equally within every believer, no matter who they are or how long they have been in Christ; He speaks softly to the spirit of every man and woman who walks in Christ, because "He cares for you" 1 Pe 5:7. To hear Him personally speak to you is just the beginning of the journey you're on in living for Christ. If you're missing this, you're missing the fullness of this life we have been granted to live!
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So, how do I tell you what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you? I can't, because I have no idea! No matter how "Godly" a person is, they will never be able to tell you what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. Go to a quiet place and hear what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. Go find time in your busy life and purposely set aside time just to spend with your Savior! Don't let others tell you how to live your life in Christ, go to Christ directly and ask Him how to live your life for Him! This is your personal liberty of being in Him!! I believe this is where true spiritual strength and spiritual growth comes from for the disciple of Christ.
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This is what was running over within me at that campfire that night. That if I could say anything to the young people who asked for rules to  become a "better Christian," I'd say to throw that way of thinking out the window and go home and simply fall in love with Jesus! If that becomes the foundation of your personal relationship with Him, I believe, you'll find that the things you do as a Christian is done, not because you simply hold that title and feel an obligation to live by a set of outward rules, but because there is a yearning within you to want to do good, because you love Him and want to please Him alone. When I say "good" I mean good according to God's standards, thus the reason you will find yourself immersing yourself in the Bible just to find out what God desires of you. Living for Christ is a wondrous life to live! Don't live by a set of stifling "Christian" rules and regulations man has made up, instead, live a life that is driven by a love for your Savior that is surging through every ounce of your being! As cheesy as it may sound, go fall in love with Him! If you already love Him, go home and fall in even deeper love with Him! I don't think we could EVER get our fill of Christ while living on this earth.
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Nothing has changed - we are still Jesus' disciples, He still directly teaches us, and we still follow after Him, but we have the added advantage of having God, the Holy Spirit, personally dwell in us. Honestly though...sometimes I wonder if we really believe this anymore? Are we willing, or even able, to walk by faith and not by sight in this? I believe that instead of relying so heavily on outside help from other Christians, young people today should learn how to cultivate and strengthen their own personal one-on-one relationship with Christ more than any other relationship they have. Even though I don't have a set of "rules" to give these young people, I will walk together with them, with the Word of God in both of our hands, walking towards the upward call of God. No matter how young they are, they are my equal in this Priesthood we serve God together in (1 Pe 2:9). Together, as equals, let's rejoice, encourage, edify, and build each other up, but personally, nothing should be as prominent as building a strong one-on-one relationship with your precious Lord. If you need to bow your knees, fold your hands, and close your eyes to do that, do it :) Or if you need to simply read the red words in your Bible over and over again, do it.  

Let your personal love for Jesus absolutely rule the life you live as a Christian; let it be the strong bond of perfection between you and Him, and let Him be the absolute joy of your life of Whom you can hardly contain yourself of telling others about! If you are a New man, GO live it up in Him! 

John Piper on the Trinity

To God be the glory...

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 

“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 

“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

John 17

Walk as He walked

"He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." 1 John 2:6

This post is for my sisters in Christ. Unfortunately, we live in an age where many women in evangelical circles feel they need to take sides of theological theories to identify who they are. Let me state that I identify myself as neither a Complementarian nor an Egalitarian. I am a simple believer who is a daughter of God and disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, so it is in Him where my sole identity lies, and of Him that I yearn to show forth to this world. 

Submission. As an unmarried woman, this was something I gave little to no thought to before. As a teenager, I joyfully committed my life completely to the Lord, and told Him I would serve Him however He wanted me to. Should that be a life of singleness, I'd happily follow Him, or should He say I could serve Him better in marriage, I'd happily follow Him. It wasn't until I was studying the role of the Church last year that I finally took a closer look at Eph 5:22-24.

We live in a time where my generation (the Millennials) are marrying later, and I know it is for many reasons, but there is one that I've heard many single Christian women say that lessens their desire for marriage, "Life in Biblical marriage is a life of subjection and submission." Let me just say that even though I am not married, I will say that I believe this mindset is such a misconception of God's Word and a lie from Satan to destroy the Church, marriage, and the light of Christ we were re-created to show forth to this dying world (2 Cor 5:17). It wasn't until this past year, as a 26 year old, that my view on submission drastically changed from the once twisted (and degraded) understanding of what I thought it was. Believe it or not, it was through studying the Trinity that I saw it in a whole new light.

When I heard "fear the Lord your God" I always thought of our almighty, powerful, holy, thundering, awesome, almost-scary, Creator God. I thought of Him as God the Father, who sits in majesty high above Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and even though I knew that God is three in one, I still thought of the Father as unreachable. Jesus I could connect to. The Holy Spirit I could appreciate. So delving into a study on the Trinity threw me for a loop, because I went into it with this twisted mindset of who God is. What shook me up the most, what broke me, what utterly humbled me and brought me to my knees, was coming to the realization that Jesus IS God; being begotten of the Father, thus is of the same essence as the Father, thus is very God of very God. I was utterly speechless and utterly in awe of who God is. I'm still wondrously speechless, because we have such a wondrous God!

Here are some amazing things the Lord taught me about Himself: God the Son is the Creator, "In the beginning was the Word...the Word was God...all things were made through Him, and nothing was made that was made." Jn 1:1-3, He is in the Father, "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." Jn 1:18, and He is from eternity, "...whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting" Mic 5:2. After learning these things, I heard one preacher say it best, "to understand how low Jesus came, you first need to understand from how high He came." This is what turned my heart to want to understand submission. If anyone had a right to claim His rights, it was Jesus. His equal was God the Father, yet Jesus, as mighty and powerful as He was, willingly submitted to the Father...how could that be???

When I was coming to the realization of the grandeur of what Jesus actually did, I came across Philippians 2:5-11. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was as if I read these verses for the first time ever, even though I've read them a million times before. I wept over them with a broken heart of shock and thankfulness for what the Son had actually done. If there is anything in this post that I think is important, it is these verses:

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Our God willingly went out of His way to make Himself of no reputation. Our God willingly humiliated Himself to take the form of a bondservant. Our God, the Creator of the Universe and Creator of the humans nailing Him to a cross, willingly humbled Himself below their level to allow them to bring Him to the point of death...all the while with this in His mind: "Father...not My will, but Yours, be done." The Son of God was compelled by a love so deep that He willingly submitted Himself to the Father, because there was a greater need at stake other than Himself. The Son's submission to the Father is not degradation at all, but is love in the form of willing obedience. I see submission as love compelling you to completely humble yourself by utterly sacrificing self for the sake of another. 

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, because He is asking you to walk as He walked.

I was sorely mistaken when I thought submission is a strange practice reserved only for women in marriage. Instead, this is the beauty I found in it: It is the glorious and privileged role of the Church (Eph 5:23), therefore, it is supposed to also be the privileged role of the wife (Eph 5:25-29; 5:22-24); It is at the very center of the surrendered life of every woman or man who is a disciple of Christ (Php 2:3, Eph 5:21; Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 2:13); it is the feet of peace that carries us to serve one another (Mr 9:35), the arm that lifts up a brother or sister (1 Pet 5:5), and the heartbeat that keeps us loving one another (Rom 12:10). It's not a strange practice at all, but is meant to be a blessing to others. What really touched my heart is that the Lord Jesus has uniquely asked, not forced, women to take on the responsibility to especially imitate Him in this way. I believe the Lord desires all of His daughters, whether married or unmarried, to always keep Christ as our standard of imitation by always emulating Him in His beautiful submission, with a gentle and quiet spirit to the glory of God. Sisters, let's not entangle ourselves in the war on "women's rights" going on in the church today (2 Tim 2:4) - know who you are in Christ, and once you understand that, stand fast in the liberty and privilege of equality He has granted to all who are in Him! (John 17:21, Ga 5:1) ...because, there is a greater need at stake other than yourself: "that the world may believe."

As for the role of the wife, I (obviously) don't have much to say, only that I have come to believe that God specifically chose the wife to uniquely reflect the most prominent and beautiful character Christ showed in the relationship between the Father and the Son...willing submission. The Father did not submit to the Son; only the Son submitted to the Father, and between them was mutual honor and mutual love as One, being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So also, I realized for the first time, this is the true beauty in the husband and the wife being one (Gen 2:24)! I believe the wife has been given the responsibility to reflect the Son in His submission, with the added  privilege to relate to Him in a unique way the husband never will. I can't speak from experience, but from what I've witnessed (especially in my lovely mother), I think the role of a wife shows forth a beautiful and sweet love that the Son has with the Father, thus another reason why I believe her spirit is so very precious to Him (1 Pet 3:4). As the Son glorified the Father by submitting to Him, so too, I believe, the wife glorifies the Son by submitting to her husband, and the Son glorifies the Father through her...and of her the Father "will honor" Jn 12:26.

To my unmarried younger sisters: if you desire to be married, please don't be discouraged (Jn 15:11); if you desire to be single, keep giving your absolute all to serving Christ! I believe the Lord uses singleness in a unique way to bring others to Christ. Let Him use the uniqueness of what you have now to further His kingdom! Sisters, hear His voice daily and choose Him. Follow Him daily, serve Him daily, love Him daily, know you are loved by Him daily, and love others through Him daily. Rejoice if you've lived a life daily committed to our precious Lord Jesus Christ! Rejoice, too, if you've been called by God to live an honorable life, (sanctified to Him in your body and in your spirit, 1 Cor 7:34), committed to our beloved Lord Jesus and committed to furthering His kingdom (Mt 9:37)!

As for me, in a world where your identity as an independent woman is everything, I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. The worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord is so far surpassing than keeping my identity, that I now count it as rubbish, dung, and garbage, because I have only gained more of Christ by losing it.

Sisters, we have nothing to prove. We are ambassadors for Christ. We represent Christ. Our aim should be to please Him!

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us

2 Cor 5:20

The Prayer of Love

"GRACIOUS LORD,
Thy name is love,
  in love receive my prayer.
My sins are more than the wide sea's sand,
  but where sin abounds, there is grace more abundant.
Look to the cross of thy beloved Son,
  and view the preciousness of his atoning blood;
Listen to his never-failing intercession,
  and whisper to my heart, 'Thy sins are forgiven,
  be of good cheer, lie down in peace.'
Grace cataracts from heaven and flows for ever,
  and mercy never wearies in bestowing benefits.
Grant me more and more to prize the privilege of prayer,
                                       to come to thee as a sin-soiled sinner,
                                       to find pardon in thee,
                                       to converse with thee;
                                       to know thee in prayer as
                                            the path in which my feet tread,
                                            the latch upon the door of my lips,
                                            the light that shines through my eyes,
                                            the music of my ears,
                                            the marrow of my understanding,
                                            the strength of my will,
                                            the power of my affection,
                                            the sweetness of my memory.
May the matter of my prayer be always wise, humble, submissive, 
                                                            obedient, scriptural, Christ-like.
Give me unwavering faith that supplications are never in vain,
                                       that if I seem not to obtain my petitions
                                             I shall have larger, richer answers,
                                                  surpassing all that I ask or think.
Unsought, thou hast given me the greatest gift,
     the person of thy Son,
     and in him thou wilt give me all I need."

The Prayer of Love

The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

Live in the present

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:34

Live in the present. This thought is one that has been on my mind for quite a while now. It is only recently that the Lord has been teaching me just how important this is. I admit that I am not fully conformed to this way of living, but I have found that life is so much fuller in Him when I live it this way! Perhaps through my journey of finding out how to live my fullest for Christ each day, I may be able to shed some light on a subject I believe is far too ignored and far more important than our future on earth we are constantly building our lives up to receive.

     Time is a fascinating thing to ponder about. If it weren't for a knowledge that God exists outside of time, I am sure, my mind would be sore from trying to figure out what seems to be unreachable and unrecognizable in our feeble point of view. Whenever I imagine this universe God has created, I mentally visualize it as a bubble that encapsulates all of space, matter, and time - where God, as great as He is, exists outside of this bubble in an eternity we will one day be a part of. Eternity past, eternity present, and eternity future is where God exists; time present is where we exist. He is the Creator of time - all past, present, and future of it. I've always imagined that we are moving forward in time. That time flows from our past, to our present, and then we flow along with it towards the future. If you take the time to stop and think about it though, I think you'll find that the exact opposite of that is the truth. That the future is actually the source of which time flows from, not the past - it flows from the future, to our present, and then to the past. We never move. We are constant. We always remain in the present. Time passes through moment by moment, without us stopping to appreciate its quiet presence. Nathan R. Wood's book, "The Secert of the Universe" so clearly explains this phenomenon of time:

     "The future is the source. The future is unseen, unknown except as it continually embodies itself and makes itself visible in the present. The present is what we see, and hear, and know. It is ceaselessly embodying the future, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment. It is perpetually revealing the future, hitherto invisible..."

     "The future acts, and reveals itself, through the present. It is through the present that time...enters into union with human life. Time and humanity meet and unite in the present..."

     "The past in turn comes from the present. We cannot say that it embodies the present...The past does not embody the present. Rather it proceeds silently, endlessly, invisibly from it."
     "But the present is not the source of the past which proceeds from it. The future is the source of both the present and the past. The past issues in endless, invisible procession from the present, but, back of that, from the future out of which the present comes."

     "The past issues, it proceeds, from the future, through the present." "The past acts invisibly. It continually influences us with regard to the present. It casts light upon the present. That is its great function. It helps us to live in the present which we know, and with reference to the future which we expect to see."

     I first read this excerpt as an illustration of the triune nature of God as Father ("Future" - eternally the source), Son ("Present" - eternally proceeding from the source, the Father), and Holy Spirit ("Past" - eternally proceeding from the Son through the Father, who is the source of both the Son and the Spirit). What I saw in it, though, was a phenomenon shown forth through time of a Biblical truth that the Lord Jesus Christ told us, but I have neglected to recognize. So often we try to live in the future or are obsessed with living in the past, but fail to embrace living in the present. Why? Isn't it comforting to know that in reality it is impossible to live in the future or in the past, but we are always living in the present? Just take this in for a moment - we literally remain constantly in the present time, but the Lord Jesus Christ, who is eternal and exists outside of time, dwells in us through faith in the present time and HE is the One who remains constant within us, HE is our Rock and Foundation who keeps us stable, HE is the one who holds us together in this chaotic sinful world we live in, and as we are constantly changing HE forever remains the same - always grounding, stabilizing and rooting us in HIS love - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8. Absolutely blows my mind in a wondrous way!!

     Aren't you glad God is a God of order? If you stop to consider just how amazing one day is, I think you'll be blown away at just how orderly God is. Consider the renewal of a sunrise starting off a new day; the flow of time that passes through the day where people work, play and survive; sunrise that brings a silent and relaxing closing to a well used day; then if you're anything like me, you'll enjoy the night sky He created where the stars are God's most beautiful artwork to wonder at. And then our 24 hour cycle of time encapsulated into a "day" continues on again. That's it. Only 24 hours to focus on at a time.

     Is there something you have always said you will do one day? What would you do if you found out that day will actually never come? I'm not talking about skydiving, climbing Mt. Everest, surfing off the coast of Australia, or some other fun aspirations we may have - I'm talking about serving Christ. Do we keep putting off the day we'll finally serve Christ to our fullest? Would if that day never comes? Would if you are granted the gift of a long life, then you get to the end of that life, and come to the bitter realization that you never lived your fullest for Christ? How bitterly painful. Painful to know that time passed you by into the past where you can never retrieve it. There is always a future and a hope, though! (Jer 29:11) From that point on you would still have at least one more day to live your fullest for Christ. Just one more day to seek first the kingdom of God. One more day to open your mouth and tell of the salvation you have received! And I know it is overwhelming to think of living EVERY day of the rest of your life to the fullest for Christ (especially if you are young!), but if you look at just today, I'm sure you'd think, "yeah, I can live to the fullest for Christ this day." Then, as time flows on, you'll find you've lived your entire life for Christ. Oh, what a wondrous thought! May we all keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and stay constantly in Him this day.

Only God knows what each day will hold -

"Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them." Psalm 139:16

Cross references:

1. Psalm 139:16 : Job 10:8-10; Eccl 11:5
2. Psalm 139:16 : Ps 56:8
3. Psalm 139:16 : Job 14:5

Many times we live in fear of the unknown future that we are moving towards, but the ironic thing is that we aren't moving toward an unknown future at all; the future is absolutely and completely known by the Father, (because He is the source of it), and it is actually moving toward us. We are still. So rest in faith, "Be still and know that I am God" Ps 46:10. We have no reason to fear tomorrow - it is in His hands. "Do not be afraid, only believe" Mr 5:36. We have no reason to worry about tomorrow, because even if the worst thing you can imagine happens, we have a beautiful promise to rest in: "we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" Ro 8:28. Daily rest in His purpose for your life, whatever it may be. Take life as it comes at you, day by day, and take it all as from Him. Don't worry about tomorrow, learn from yesterday, and live today. Walk by faith and not by sight, moment by moment. This day, don't lay up for yourselves treasures on this temporary earth, but lay them up in heaven, which is eternal. Look to Him who knows what is ahead. Every day, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and make the decision to choose Christ over your own desires. At the end of the day, have no regrets, because you know you chose Christ. If you serve Christ, follow Him wherever He is and, get this...."him My Father will honor" Jn 12:26. Live in the present with your heart ever gazing upon eternity. What a bountiful, happy, wondrous life to live in Him - no matter what happens, good or bad, what an absolutely wondrous life to live...one glorious day at a time until we will finally be with Him in His eternity!

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Matthew 6:33

Inconvenient?

Today I was cleaning out my closet and came across one of my old journals. I found an entry from January 1, 2007, and it touched my heart deeply when I read it. For His glory! (My journal entry simply says "Most influential writing to me in 2006"...)

Taken from It is not Death to Die, a new biography of Hudson Taylor by Jim Cromarty, pg 147-148. This happened on Hudson Taylor's way to Ningbo, China, in 1856:

     "...before leaving they met Peter, a Chinese national who had travelled overseas, even visiting England. He had met the Parkers on his travels and was on his way to Ningbo to assist as a nurse. Hudson intended travelling by boat to Songjiang where he was going to preach, and as Peter indicated that he wanted to learn of Christ, they settled down to what they hoped would be an uneventful journey.

     The first morning, when the boat was not far from the shore Peter accidentally fell overboard, head first. By the time Hudson reached the deck he had disappeared.

     Hudson immediately lowered the sail and began a search by jumping into the muddy water. Seeing men trawling for fish with a net and hooks, he pleaded with them to come and assist in the search.

     The reply was simply, 'Veh bin!' (It is not convenient!) No, they wouldn't come to save a life as it meant a break from fishing. Hudson offered them money if they would help and after much time spent bargaining, for the sum of fourteen dollars they slowly made their way to the general area where Peter had disappeared.

     A minute after dragging the area his body was found. Despite the fact that Peter had been submerged for a long time Hudson performed resuscitation, but without success.

     He later told this story many times, using it to illustrate the attitude of the ungodly to human life. He wrote: 'To myself this incident was profoundly sad and full of significance, suggesting a far more mournful reality. Were not those fishermen actually guilty of this poor Chinaman's death, in that they had the means of saving him at hand, if they would have but used them? Assuredly they were guilty. And yet, let us pause ere we pronounce judgment against them, lest a greater than Nathan answer, "You are the man." Is it so hardhearted, so wicked a thing to neglect to save the body? Of how much sorer punishment, then, is he worthy who leaves the soul to perish, and Cain-like says, "Am I my brother's keeper?" The Lord Jesus commands, commands me, commands you, [go] into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Shall we say to Him, "No, it is not convenient"? Shall we tell Him that we are busy fishing and cannot go?... Before long, "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body." Let us remember, let us pray for, let us labour for the unevangelized Chinese.'

     Hudson returned to Shanghai, and after much trouble left Peter's body with his mother and sister - and the money to meet the cost of his funeral."

Let us remember, let us pray for, let us labor for the unevangelized around the world.

Pray for the people of Niger

About Niger:

Niger is more than three times the size of California and is a landlocked country consisting of 80% desert. It is one of the hottest, poorest, least developed, and least reached countries in the world

86% of Nigeriens live under the international poverty line

The population is approx 16,000,000 people

49% of which are 14 years and younger - that's 7,840,000 children

Furthermore, two-thirds (66.7%) of the Nigerien population is under the age of 25

98% of the population in Niger is Muslim

There are 38 people groups in Niger. 29 of them are unreached. It is estimated that 98% of the entire population in Niger have not heard the Gospel

Still, the church in Niger is believed to be 30,000 believers strong (and growing!)

Over half of the population of Niger belongs to the Hausa tribe, who live in the arable southern tier of the country. The remainder of Nigeriens are nomadic or semi-nomadic livestock-raising peoples

There is an estimated 12,000 villages in Niger

Niger's economy centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits; agriculture contributes about 40% of GDP and provides livelihood for about 80% of the population

Rainfall varies, and when insufficient, Niger has difficulty feeding its population and must rely on grain purchases and food aid to meet food requirements

The child mortality rate in Niger is 274 deaths per 1,000 children. Meaning, over 20% of children die before their 5th birthday due to malnutrition/malaria, unfortunately, that is in the best of times

Niger has the highest fertility rate in the world with 7.8 births per woman

More than 36% of girls, ages 15-19, have already been pregnant and/or have children

There is 1 doctor per 33,000 people and 1 nurse per 10,000 people in Niger

28% of adults, ages 15-49, are literate. Literacy rate: 20.9% for Men, and 7.5% for Women

About 60% of children who finish primary schools are boys, as the majority of girls rarely attend school for more than a few years. Children are often forced to work rather than attend school

Slavery is rooted in the traditional customs and culture of Niger. The precise number of slaves in Niger is uncertain, (besides traditional slavery, slavery also exists in the form of human trafficking, forced labor, forced marriage, and forced prostitution), but there is a low estimate of 43,000 slaves and a high estimate of 870,000 slaves in Niger today. Slaves are told that, under Islam, their paradise is bound to their master and that if they do what the master tells them, they will go to heaven.

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; beseech the Lord to send out laborers into His harvest!

Famine

The Sahel region of West Africa is bracing for one of their worst famines in nearly 40 years, with Niger being the epicenter of the crisis. Nearly 6,000,000 lives face severe food shortages in Niger alone during this upcoming year due to low rainfall, locusts, and compounded by a 2010 famine where many Nigeriens sold off their livestock and seed crops to survive. Sadly, the main victims are the children who often have no immunity to fight such malnutrition. It hasn't rained in Niger for four months now, and the rains usually won't start again until June-July. Both their crops and seed crops have already been consumed. As of January 2012, some villages have already completely run out of food. In some areas food prices have already tripled, (a few months ago a bag of millet cost $20, it is now $60). With no available jobs, Nigeriens are scavenging the land for whatever they can find and resell. Usually they find something to resell (sticks, wood, straw, etc) to stave off starvation, but the vulnerability to infections and malaria then hit them, which is what takes their lives.

Pray

Effective, fervent prayers of a righteous man or righteous woman is what is so badly needed in this world today. Not an army of people committing to a glorious cause...just the quiet prayers of faith. I've come to see the importance in understanding that the Holy Spirit lays it on the hearts of specific believers to fervently pray for specific things. Also, that the fervent prayer that avails much is ONLY possible through the Holy Spirit, anyways. "...it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go 

Believers in Niger receiving food to distribute to those in need  Feb, 2012

away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" Jn 16:7-8. The absolute power of the Holy Spirit is far greater than anything we can do to move the hearts of mankind, especially in light of eternity. I may not fully understand the extent of this truth, but I do know I've witnessed His power recently. Although I have no connections to the people of Niger, the Spirit has put such a desire and need in my heart to fervently pray for them. I am writing this post to present a need. The need is great, to say the least, for the people of Niger facing a famine. Greater than that, most of these people do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior or have ever heard of Him. If the Lord has impressed your heart, would you pray for them? Trusting the Spirit will burden the hearts of those whom the Father desires to have praying fervently for the people of Niger? Knowing He answers the prayers of faith? The Lord Jesus Christ so deeply loves the people of Niger and gave up so much for them, may we learn how to follow in His footsteps and love them like He does.

"rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep" Romans 12:15

Take time to sit at the feet of Jesus

     Learning today how vital it is for me to sit at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:38-42). My mind and heart has been consumed with certain people I have been praying for lately. Some of these people I personally know, but most are complete strangers. Some are brothers and sisters in Christ, but most have never even heard of Christ. Some are believers but have left the faith, and most don't know how to believe because no one has ever told them of the faith. Some who have twisted the inspired Word of God, and most who have never heard any words of God. Some who claim to serve the living God but don't care to do it His way, and most who don't care about the living God because no one has told them His way. Some who have faith for their salvation but not that the Lord will provide for them, and most who have neither salvation nor knowledge that there is a God who will provide for them. Some who don't believe God can work miracles, and most who need God's miracles. Some who are being deceived by Satan because he is trying to warp the work of God, and most who are being deceived by Satan because he is trying to prevent the work of God.

     

     Looking at these people in need and praying for these people brought me to a point this week where I was full of grief. When you so badly yearn for the salvation of lost souls and for faith to be restored in believers, but know there is nothing you can do about it that is of value to God, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, throws you into the most earnest prayer. I have been so busy in praying for these people that I have forgotten that the most important place I need to be is sitting at the feet of Jesus learning from Him. What have I learned from Him today? That His burden is light. That He has given us every liberty to come to Him and cast our burdens on Him. That Jesus points to the Father's exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us by allowing us to sit with Jesus in the heavenly places! What a gift and honor. Feeling overwhelmed with rest right now. Hear His gentle voice telling me to take it a day at a time and not worry about tomorrow (Mt. 6:34).

     How important it is for me to daily meet Jesus in the heavenly places and simply sit at His feet. I'll gladly take advantage of our liberty! I want to learn at the feet of Him who is gentle and lowly in heart. I want to daily partake of Him as the Bread of life. He is my sustenance to get me through each day. How thankful I am that He gives us rest so we can go and continue the work He has given us to do.

Brothers and sisters, pray without ceasing.

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30