IF Only There Were Mountains

If Only There Were Mountains

I stand, on this dreary seashore of my life, looking over this dreary backwash bay.  Nothing invigorating or inspiring. Nothing hard enough to inspire anyone.
"The whole of my life is like that these days--not hard, just dull. A challenge that would make me want to achieve at any cost. It's this useless feeling that's so devastating.
"I must confess, my spiritual vision has failed, what with waiting so long upon my God."
"So long? You need to grow in patience. For after you have done the will of God, you must learn to wait to receive the full extent of His promise.
"It is written: 'As for me, when I am poor and feeling heavy, your help, O God, will lift me up.  I wait patiently, trusting that you will lift me up.'
"So I ask: Have you tried to face your life--those dull, dreary days--with the lifting power of praise?"

Lift my sights, Lord. Let me see today, and each duty in this day, as You see it.

~Amy Carmichael

The Other Side

"...He said to them, 'Let us go across to the other side..." (Mark 4:35)

"...They came to the other side..." (Mark 5:1)

Just a reminder that when the Lord says something it will come to fruition no matter what obstacles come and seem to block the way.  We can take God at His word because He always follows through with what He says!

Wasted

Perhaps I am one of a few who worry about this, but there are times when I feel like I am wasting my life as the world would see it.  I have no full time job, no college degree, I still live at home, and it looks unlikely that my situation will change very soon.  I often struggle with this worldly mindset of "needing to do something" with my life so it "won't be wasted".  True, I am still young and have a lot of time, but as we all know, years start to pass away like months and months like weeks and before long it will be "too late" for me to do anything "worthwhile" with my life.  

As I was meditating on the lack of accomplishments in my life I read these verses in Mark 14: "And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”" (Mark 14:3-9)

This woman is absolutely incredible!  She took what was probably the most costly and important thing in her life and she gave it to the Lord! She gave it freely, it was not demanded of her, it was not asked of her, but she gave it of her own accord.  After she had given such a precious gift, she was chastised for not using it for a "better" purpose. 

Is this not the same reaction the world gives when they feel someone is "wasting" their lives. The world feels that a person who doesn't strive to become successful or use their resources to better themselves is a fool and disappointment.  If one's life is given to the Lord how can it be a waste? A life given for the glorification and service of God is the only kind of life worth living.  All other things will pass away.  Success does not last it is at the whim of the people. Education is only useful when one remembers what they have learned and often it will mean nothing when memory becomes less and less dependable. Money is only as good as the government and nations shall rise and fall.  The only thing that will last forever is the life that has been lived for the Lord. 

My conclusion:    Just as Jesus came to Mary's rescue when she was criticized for her imprudence, so shall He come to mine when the world's mindset starts to infiltrate my own thoughts.  I refuse to be ashamed of my lack of earthly accomplishments. I refuse to be bullied into thinking that I am worthless because I have not attained a certain standing in the world, or lack a certain degree, or am not striving for something more. These things can never satisfy my heart or give me a real and long-lasting sense of purpose.  My aim is so much higher than the here and now, my aim is eternal, it is for God, Himself, to love Him more with each passing moment, to know Him more than I have, to live more for Him.



P.S. Just so everyone knows, I am not against people getting an education, working in corporate affairs, or being successful.  I just think it can be easy to get into the mindset that this is what needs to be done rather than allowing for the Lord to lead and trusting Him when He leads us away from such things.

Ordinary Life

Lately, I have been struggling with being okay with ordinary.  My life hasn't really changed by way of circumstances in the last 3 years and that is very hard for me to be ok with.  The monotony of it starts to get to me and causes me to grown restless and crave some sort of adventure or anything different than what is right now and I am discontent with this mundane life of mine.
It seems, however, that the Lord has other plans for me; He has told me to wait at a time when I would rather move ahead full speed into the next "adventure".  Why has the Lord put my dreams and ambitions on hold? I have no idea, but I do know that He does have a plan for me, a plan for my good and one to glorify His name (Jer. 29:11-13).  I also know that no matter how mundane or exciting my life is, Christ wants it all, He doesn't care what kind of job I do or don't have, it doesn't matter what kind of influence I have, all that matters to God is am I right with Him and am I willing to follow His lead, if the answer is yes, then I have nothing to worry about, adventure or no, I'll be living a life that is worth living; a life sold out for Christ.

Here is a message by Mason Vann that helped me tremendously in this time of living my ordinary and mundane life.

(I'm sorry a lot of this is jumbled and doesn't really flow...just listen to the message, you won't regret it :) )

Whom the Lord Loveth He Correcteth

Whom the Lord loveth He correcteth

  See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with Me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. --I know the thoughts I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.--My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.
  I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.--As a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee. --Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.--Humble yourselves therefore  under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.
  I know, O Lord, that Thy judgements are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

HT: Daily Light on the Daily Path

"Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest" Jn 4:35

There was great rejoicing among the Saints today as we celebrated the new birth of four friends. 

Each person has a unique story and each is very different from the other but one common thing is found to be true among them all, their refrain will no longer be "my glory and honor" but will forevermore be, "All glory and praise to the One whom my soul loves best, Jesus!"  

Today Thy mercy calls me,

To wash away my sin;

However great my trespass, 

Whatever I may have been,

However long from mercy 

I may have turned away

Thy blood, O Christ, can cleanse me, 

And make me white today.

Today Thy gate is open,

And all who enter in,

Shall find a Father's welcome, 

And pardon for their sin;

The past shall be forgotten,

A present joy be given,

A future grace be promised--

A glorious crown in heaven.

O all embracing mercy.

Thou ever open door,

What should I do without Thee,

When heart and eyes run o'er?

When all things seem against me,

To drive me to despair,

I know one gate is open,

One ear will hear my prayer.

                            ~Oswald Allen

The Name of Jesus

In the last 21 years, the Lord has been faithful to work in my life and to bring me unto Himself, yet there are times when the enemy comes in and causes my soul to be dismayed at how little I have actually grown and how much sin I still have.  It is in these times of heart-break and unrest that I find it hard to be soothed by the most encouraging verse, loving saint, or even prayer. I am bogged down by the fact that I have failed the One whom my heart loves the most and I begin to wonder if I ever loved Him at all.  I become overwhelmed by the most tedious of things, and I see every failing as if it were going to crush me to death.

My heart aches at the very thought of living out another moment in such a state, yet I see no other way than to drudge through the mire under a cloud waiting for the Sun to shine through and smoother roads to come ahead.  These times can last for days, weeks, months even.  I become parched and weary, no longer wanting to fight the good fight, no longer wanting to take one more step, only wanting to drift along in life by myself.

Then, through this dreary time, through the fogginess of my mind and heart comes the sweetest thing, a name, Jesus. His name alone has dispelled all darkness, brightened the once sorrowful heart, and granted life to dead bones.  His name has saved me from all of my sins, and though I fall, I will rise again, forgiven and standing clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

in a believer's ear;

It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,

and drives away his fear.

It makes the wounded spirit whole,

and calms the troubled breast;

Tis manna to the hungry soul

and to weary rest.

Dear name, the Rock on which I build,

my shield and hiding place,

my never-failing treasury, filled

with boundless stores of grace.

Jesus, my Shepherd, Savior, Friend,

My Prophet, Priest, my King,

My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,

Accept the praise I bring.

Weak is the effort of my heart, 

and cold my warmest thought;

but when I see Thee as Thou art

I'll praise Thee as I ought.

I would Thy boundless love proclaim

with every fleeting breath;

so shall the music of Thy name

refresh my soul in death.

~John Newton

Encouragement

These are just a few verses that I was encouraged by when put in an order to see how God fulfilled His word from Genesis 3:15.

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and your offspring and her offspring. He shall bruise you head and you shall bruise His heel (Genesis 3:15).   Jesus was crucified (John 19:20)...that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil (Hebrews 2:14). He has risen from the dead (Matthew 28:7). I will sing to the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously!(Exodus 15:1) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with His hand has fulfilled what He promised with His mouth...(2 Chronicles 6:4)

He Owns Me for His child

April 4

April 4, 2013 • By Charles H. Spurgeon; revised and edited by William C. Neff (c)2003-2005

"[God] made [Jesus], who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."-- 2 Corinthians 5:21

Dear mourning Christian! Why are you crying? Are you sorrowful over your own corruption? If so, then look to your perfect Lord, and remember that you are complete in Him. You are in God's sight as perfect as if you had never sinned— in fact, even better than that! The Lord our righteousness has put a divine garment upon you, so that you wear the very righteousness of God.
If you are mourning because of your continued sinfulness, remember that none of your sins can condemn you. You have learned to hate sin, but you have not learned that your sin is no longer yours-- it was laid upon Christ's head. Your acceptance in God’s presence is not based in yourself, but in your Lord; you are as much accepted by God today with all your sinfulness as you will be when you stand before His throne free from all corruption.
I beg you today to lay hold on this precious thought— that you are perfect and complete in Christ! With your Savior’s garment on you are as holy as the Holy one. Who can possibly condemn you? Christ died and was raised for you, and he is now at God’s right hand interceding for you.
So, Christian, rejoice! You are "accepted in the Christ who loves you." What do you have to fear? Smile! Live near your Master today, and know that when your time has come you will rise up where your Jesus sits now, and you will reign at His right hand.  All of this is true because the divine Lord "was made to be sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." ~Morningandevening.org

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
"Forgive him, O forgive," they cry,
"Forgive him, O forgive," they cry,
"Nor let that ransomed sinner die!"

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And "Father, Abba, Father," cry.

~Charles Wesley

2013 Fellowship Conference

Here are the links to the messages from the 2013 Fellowship Conference.  I would encourage anyone who was not there to listen to the messages, they were truly life changing.
What a blessing it was to be there and to learn more about the lovingkindness of God!

Session 1 - Thu Mar 28, 2013 7:00pm CDT

Session 2 - Fri Mar 29, 2013 9:30am CDT

Session 3 - Fri Mar 29, 2013 7:00pm CDT

Session 4 - Sat Mar 30, 2013 9:30am CDT

Session 5 - Sat Mar 30, 2013 7:00pm CDT

Session 6 - Sun Mar 31, 2013 9:30am CDT

Did you think to Pray?

Did you think to Pray? 

Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?
In the name of Christ our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favor,
As a shield today?

Refrain

O how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day;
So when life seems dark and dreary,
Don’t forget to pray.

When you met with great temptation,
Did you think to pray?
By His dying love and merit,
Did you claim the Holy Spirit
As your guide and stay?

When your heart was filled with anger,
Did you think to pray?
Did you plead for grace, my brother,
That you might forgive another
Who had crossed your way?

When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was bowed in sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow
At the gates of day?

-M. A. Kidder

I was thinking of this Hymn the past couple of days as I have been convicted on the busyness of my life and how it affects my prayer life.  

Care of Our Feet

Faith's Check Book, Daily Entry

C. H. Spurgeon

---

January 24

Care of Our Feet

He will keep the feet of his saints. (1 Samuel 2:9)

The way is slippery and our feet are feeble, but the Lord will keep our feet. If we give ourselves up by obedient faith to be His holy ones, He will Himself be our guardian. Not only will He charge His angels to keep us, but He Himself will preserve our goings.

He will keep our feet from falling so that we do not defile our garments, wound our souls, and cause the enemy to blaspheme.

He will keep our feet from wandering so that we do not go into paths of error, or ways of folly, or courses of the world's custom.

He will keep our feet from swelling through weariness, or blistering because of the roughness and length of the way.

He will keep our feet from wounding: our shoes shall be iron and brass so that even though we tread on the edge of the sword, or on deadly serpents, we shall not bleed or be poisoned.

He will also pluck our feet out of the net. We shall not be entangled by the deceit of our malicious and crafty foes.

With such a promise as this, let us run without weariness and walk without fear. He who keeps our feet will do it effectually.

Encouragement of Desire

"We read the Word, we listen to the Word as an act of worship. It is not really Biblical to say that we are going to do worship and then after worship we are going to have the reading of the Word and preaching because everything is supposed to be worship...When you and I listen, even if we are not comprehending and even if there's a battle raging in our minds in the sense that we are being distracted but every time we are distracted we pull ourselves back to the text and we try to listen that much harder do you realize what you are doing? You are loving God with your mind. You are declaring that yes there is still an aspect of me that is very fallen, yes I struggle through this Christian life but yes because the Holy Spirit has regenerated me I understand these are the Words of life and by faith I am going to fight to keep my mind centered upon on this text that is being read... And when we stand and we read the Word of God we don't allow our minds just to stray unhindered. We pull it back and we say no, I will bring you into subjection, I will bring every thought in subjection to Christ."

~ Paul Washer

The Impossibility of the Christian Life

There are many times when I am in a Church meeting and I am more discouraged by the fact that I am being distracted than I am encouraged by the fact that I get to listen to God's word and that I have a desire to listen to God's word.  It is sometimes hard not to get discouraged by my sin, but the joy and wonder of it is that my sin bothers me! I am a new creation! I DO want to listen to God's word, to read it, to meditate on it.  Yes, my flesh often sneaks in and hinders my mind from really gleaning things from the word, but praise the LORD that I even want to be in the word. Praise Him that I want to pray, that I want to know Him more.  

I shouldn't be discouraged that there's a battle, I should be encouraged that there's a fight against sin!