Year's End

Year’s End

O LOVE BEYOND COMPARE,

Thou art good when thou givest,
When thou takest away,
When the sun shines upon me,
When night gathers over me.
Thou hast loved me before the foundation
Of the world,
And in love didst redeem my soul;
Thou dost love me still, in spite of my hard heart,
Ingratitude, distrust, another year,
Leading me through a twisting wilderness,
In retreat helping me to advance,
When beaten back making sure headway.
Thy goodness will be with me in the year ahead;
I hoist sail and draw up anchor,
With Thee as the blessed Pilot of my future
As of my past.
I bless Thee that Thou hast veiled my eyes
To the waters ahead.
If Thou hast appointed storms of tribulation,
Thou wilt be with me in them;
If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation,
I shall not drown;
If I am to die,
I shall see Thy face the sooner;
If a painful end is to be my lot,
Grant me grace that my faith fail not;
If I am to be cast aside from the service I love,
I can make no stipulation;
Only glorify Thyself in me whether in comfort or trial,
As a chosen vessel meet always
For Thy use.

Taken from “The Valley of Vision”
A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

“According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so through fire.”

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

As people are preparing for the launch of 2010, many New Year’s resolutions are being made. However, few people actually keep the promises or accomplish the tasks they set out to achieve.
Maybe you have examined areas of your life that you want to change with the start of a new year and decade. I know that I have, but I don’t want to make just any New Year’s resolution. I want, by God’s grace, most of all, to be changed more into His image; the image of His perfect Son, Jesus Christ. How often I fail, yet His grace still amazes me.
The more I learn, the more I come to realized that God requires so much from our lives. “He gives all; He asks all,” Elisabeth Elliot once said. He has the right to ask everything of our lives simply because He is God. He is our Creator. He made us for Him. That alone is more than enough of a reason for our complete surrendering to His will. But that is not all. “He gives all.” How can I understand this incomprehensible truth? I deserved death, but “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved.)” (Eph. 4, 5)
I want to send out a challenge to you, and to myself, for this New Year. Dare to live a life of total abandonment to Jesus Christ. Dare to be different from the world. Dare to give your all for the sake of His Kingdom. Dare to reach out to that loved one or friend or colleague or stranger with the power of the Gospel. Dare to pray with the knowledge that God is almighty, omniscient, and sovereign.

If we do, I don’t have to dare you to see the results.

We’ll never be the same again.

If you were to die tomorrow, would the life you had lived be found to be worthy of what Christ accomplished for you on the cross? Would your witness and testimony be of one who surrendered all and breathed his or her last breath for the cause of the Kingdom?
I want to share with you a powerful song written and performed by Keith Green. After 21 years of life, God saved Keith and branded upon his soul the desire to give all of his being for Jesus Christ. He once wrote, “I’m not called to be a prophet. I’m called to be a CHRISTIAN – a servant of the living God! That is the HIGHEST calling that anyone can realize. And the most beautiful thing has happened in my heart – the only thing that I want to achieve is to have the Lord tell me when I stand before Him, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant!’ Not, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful prophet, or pastor, or writer, or singer, or anything else.’ To be a Christian – to live up to that wonderful word – that is my ONLY goal.”
God gave Keith a wonderful ministry that has touched countless people for generations. At age 28, only 7 years after his conversion, Keith was killed in a plane accident. God gave him seven years, and Keith, though he never knew how short the time he had, never waited to begin living his life for God, a life that poured forth the brilliance of Jesus Christ, without reservation and without shame.

Please listen to the song below and take some time to ponder the lyrics. I confess that the first time I saw this video I was quick to judge the outward appearance. Maybe the clothing and hairstyle may seem out of date or the music style may not be your type, but please see this man for his passion. His love for Jesus and his boldness to speak the truth cuts quite deep. May God forgive us for our apathy and grant us the strength to serve Him with our all.

“He gives all; He asks all.”




Asleep In The Light by Keith Green

Do you see, do you see, all the people sinking down,
Don't you care, don't you care, are you gonna let them drown,
How can you be so numb, not to care if they come,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done.

Oh Bless me Lord, bless me Lord, you know it's all I ever hear,
No one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear,
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, and He cares for your needs,
And you just lay back and keep soaking it in, oh, can't you see it's such sin?
Cause He brings people to your door,
And you turn them away, as you smile and say,
God bless you, be at peace, and all Heaven just weeps,
Cause Jesus came to your door, you've left Him out on the streets.

Open up, open up, and give yourself away,
You've seen the need, you hear the cry, so how can you delay,
God's calling and you're the one, but like Jonah you run,
He's told you to speak, but you keep holding it in,
Oh, can't you see it's such sin?

The world is sleeping in the dark,
That the church can't fight, cause it's asleep in the light,
How can you be so dead, when you've been so well fed,
Jesus rose from the grave, and you, you can't even get out of bed,
Oh, Jesus rose from the dead, come on, get out of your bed.

How can you be so numb, not to care if they come,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done,
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done,
Don't close your eyes, don't pretend the job's done.

Come away, come away, come away with Me, My love,
Come away, from this mess, come away with Me, My love.

The Christmas season is a time of year where it is so easy to get caught up in all the excitement and rush of the big celebration. However, most of the world is completely missing the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus Christ! He is the greatest gift that was ever given and everyday we experience that gift through all the blessings we have in and through Him. I pray that this holiday would be a time of reflection and meditation for us. Through all the busyness, let's sit back and ponder the love of God. It was He who wrapped human flesh around Himself, coming to earth in the form of a tiny baby to save mankind. Let's give Him the glory this Christmas season!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Glory’s King to humble earth
Heaven’s sweetness, lowly birth
In a manger lay a King
In midnight skies the angels sing
Bethlehem’s King is born today
No golden cradle; a bed of hay
Shepherds gather round the Light
Whose brightness changed their watchful night
Heaven’s glory from God’s right hand
His infant Son, the perfect Lamb
Not princes, kings, nor Magi there
Did come to worship Heaven’s heir
But in a humble manger lay
God’s glory on a bed of hay

By Sarah Champ

"What kind of a God is it who asks everything of us? The same God who ‘did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all; and with this gift how can He fail to lavish upon us all He has to give?’ He gives all. He asks all.” -Elisabeth Elliot

Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God

I have recently finished reading this excellent book by John Piper called, "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ." It is a life changing book because Pastor Piper unashamedly presents to us Jesus Christ, in all His glory; in a way we never new Him before. I intend to share this book with you through my blog over the next couple of weeks. And what better time to learn about the person of Jesus than now, especially as we remember His glorious birth!

"The heavens declare the glory of God." Psalm 19:1

"God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6

Chapter One ~ Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God

The Ultimate Aim of Jesus Christ

The created universe is all about glory. The deepest longing of the human heart and the deepest meaning of heaven and earth are summed up in this: the glory of God. The universe was made to show it, and we were made to see it and savor it. Nothing less will do. Which is why the world is as disordered and as dysfunctional as it is. We have exchanged the glory of God for other things (Romans 1:23).

'The heavens declare the glory of God' (Psalm 19:1). That is why all the universe exists. It's all about glory. The Hubble Space Telescope sends back infrared images of faint galaxies perhaps twelve billion light-years away (twelve billion time six trillion miles.) Even within our Milky Way there are stars so great as to defy description, like Eta Carinae, which is five million times brighter than our sun.

Sometimes people stumble over this vastness in relation to the apparent insignificance of man. it does seem to make us infinitesimally small. But the meaning of this magnitude is not mainly about us. It's about God. "The heavens declare the glory of God," says the Scripture. The reason for "wasting" so much space on a universe to house a speck of humanity is to make a point about our Maker, not us. "Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these [stars]? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing" (Isaiah 40:26).

The deepest longing of the human heart is to know and enjoy the glory of God. We were made for this. "Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth...whom I created for my glory,"says the Lord (Isaiah 43:6-7). To see it, to savor it, and to show it - that is why we exist. The untracked , unimaginable stretches of the created universe are a parable about the inexhaustible "riches of his glory" (Romans 9:23). The physical eye is meant to say to the spiritual eye, "Not this, but the Make of this, is the Desire of your soul." Saint Paul said, "We rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2). Or, even more precisely, he said that we were "prepared beforehand for glory" (Romans 9:23). This is why we were created - that he might "make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy" (Romans 9:23).

The ache in every human heart is an ache for this. But we suppress it and do not see fit to have God in our knowledge (Romans1:28). Therefore the entire creation has fallen into disorder. The most prominent example of this in the disordering of our sexual lives. Paul says that the exchange of the glory of God for other things is the root cause for the homosexual (and heterosexual) disordering of our relationships. "Their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature... the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another" (Romans 1:26-27). If we exchange God's glory for lesser things, he gives us up to lived- out parables of depravity - the other exchanges that mirror, in our misery, the ultimate sellout.

The point is this: We were made to know and treasure the glory of God above all things; and when we trade that treasure for images, everything is disordered. The sun of God's glory was made to shine at the center of the solar system of our soul. And when it does, all the planets of our life are held in their proper orbit. But when the sun is displaced, everything flies apart. The healing of the soul begins by restoring the glory of God to its flaming, all-attracting place at the center.

We are all starved for the glory of God, not self. No one goes to the Grand Canyon to increase self-esteem. Why do we go? Because there is greater healing for the soul in beholding splendor than there is in beholding self. Indeed, what could be more ludicrous in a vast and glorious universe like this than a human being, on the speck called earth, standing in front of a mirror trying to find significance in his own self-image? It is a great sadness that this is the gospel of the modern world.

But it is not the Christian Gospel. Into the darkness of petty self-[reoccupation has shone "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4). The Christians Gospel is about "the glory of Christ," not about me. And when it is - in some measure - about me, it is not about my being made much of by God, but about God mercifully enabling me to enjoy making much of him forever.

What was the most loving things Jesus could do for us? What was the endpoint, the highest good, of the Gospel? Redemption? Forgiveness? Justification Reconciliation? Sanctification? Adoption? Are not all of these great wonders simply means to something greater? Something final? Something that Jesus asked his Father to give us? "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me" (John 17:24).

The Christian Gospel is "the gospel of the glory of Christ" because its final aim is that we would see and savor and show the glory of Christ. For this is none other than the glory of God. "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" (Hebrews 1:3). "He is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). When the light of the Gospel shines in our hearts, it is "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). And when we "rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2), that hope is "our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). The glory of Christ is the glory of God.

In one sense, Christ laid the glory of God aside when he came: "And now, Father, glorify me together in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed" (John 17:5). Therefore, in the Gospel we see and savor "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). And this kind of "seeing" is the healing of our disordered lives. "We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

A Prayer ~

O Father of glory, this is the cry of our hearts - to be changed from one degree of glory to another, until, in the resurrection , at the last trumpet, we are completely conformed to the image of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Until then, we long to grow in grace and in the knowledge of his glory. We want to see it as clearly as we see the sun, and to savor it as deeply as our most desired pleasure. O merciful God, incline our hearts to your Word and the wonders of your glory. Wean us from our obsession with trivial things. Open the eyes of our hearts to see each day what the created universe is telling about your glory. Enlighten our minds to see the glory of your Son in the Gospel. We believe that you are the All-glorious One, and that there is none like you. Help our unbelief. Forgive the wandering of our affections and the undue attention we give to lesser things. Have mercy on us for Christ's sake, and fulfill in us your great design to display the glory of your grace.

In Jesus' name we pray, amen."

Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, Revised Edition

Author: John Piper

Copyright 2004 by Desiring God Foundation

Psalm 46

"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
"Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold."

We have an awesome, powerful God. Let us serve our awesome God!

He is our strength. He is a shield about us. What can we fear, for God is on our side!

Behold the Lamb

I was having some quiet times this week listening to Keith and Kristyn Getty's new CD, "Awaken the Dawn." I love their song, "Behold the Lamb" (Communion Hymn) which speaks about the sacrifice of Jesus, bearing our sin away on the cross. The first verse goes like this:

Behold the Lamb who bears our sins away,
Slain for us - and we remember
The promise made that all who come in faith
Find forgiveness at the cross.

Jesus is the Lamb of God who "bears our sins away."
"Slain for us." That is a powerful statement. He was slain for us, that we might have life. And now we have a promise, that those who "come in faith find forgiveness at the cross." How wonderful to know that God has provided a remedy for our sin in giving His only Son that we, in faith, might receive forgiveness.

Chorus:
So we share in this bread of life,
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of peace
Around the table of the King.

The body of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
Torn for you - eat and remember
The wounds that heal, the death that brings us life
Paid the price to make us one.

His body was torn for us. Isaiah 53:5 says, "But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed." The paradox of Christ's death is that He was wounded and we were healed; His death made us alive.
Jesus bought us with His own blood; our freedom is written in red by the One who makes us whole.

The blood that cleanses every stain of sin,
Shed for you - drink and remember
He drained death's cup that all may enter in
To receive the life of God.

He took our dirty, sin-stained, hard-hearted hearts and immersed them in His blood, making us white as snow. He purified us. He drank the cup of death that we might "receive the life of God."

And so with thankfulness and faith we rise
To respond, - and to remember
Our call to follow in the steps of Christ
As His body here on earth.
As we share in His suffering
We proclaim Christ will come again!
And we’ll join in the feast of heaven
Around the table of the King

This last verse and chorus really spoke to me. If we know that Christ has died such a death and now He lives again, He calls us to rise "with thankfulness and faith to respond." I think that "respond" is a what stands out to me. He calls us to follow in His footsteps, to reach out to the lost, to rescue to orphan, comfort the widow, and preach the Word, knowing that to live is Christ and to die is gain. And as the song says, we share in His suffering and we proclaim that Christ will come again. Then the reward, to spend eternity with the King of kings. I know that I often fail to live in a way that is pleasing to Him. The more I learn of His sacrifice, the more I see my sinfulness, but also, stronger grows my desire to be changed into His image.

A few weeks ago I posted a something written by Dr. Bob Moorehead. It can be found on "The Way of the Master" website. I was struck by the last line most of all:

"In 1980 a young man from Rwanda was forced by his tribe to either renounce Christ or face certain death. He refused to renounce Christ, and he was killed on the spot. The night before he had written the following commitment which was found in his room:

“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made- I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, worldly talking, cheap giving & dwarfed goals. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me & when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear.”

O Jesus, You died for me. Help me to live for you. Give me the strength to fight for Your truth and proclaim it with boldness. When You come again, may You know me because my banner had been waving clear and strong. I will know You, as the hymn writer wrote, "by the print of the nails in Your hands." Amen

Matthew 20:20-28

“Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.
But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to Him, "We are able."
He said to them, "My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on Me left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.
And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.
"It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Again I was reminded this week of my Saviour’s humble attitude. The greatest act of love was when the Son of God lay down His life. He drank the cup of death that we may have eternal life. And now He asks us, “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” “Are You prepared to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me?” “Are you willing to go to the ends of the earth with My Gospel message that may cost you your life?” The Greatest became the Least. The King became the Servant. The One who deserved glory hung on a scornful cross.

The passage goes on to say,

“As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.
And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!"
The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
They said to Him, "Lord, we want our eyes to be opened."
Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.”

I am struck by this right now as I read it. We are all born blind. Spiritually blind. There is only one way to see the Light, and only the Light can make us see. He has placed His Light in our hearts and drawn us to its brilliance and splendour. He has caused our darkness to vanish, opening up our eyes to see His glory. He gives us the realization of our own sin and He gives us a remedy: “What do you want Me to do for you?” to which we cry, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” And He, the great I Am, “moved with compassion”, touches our hearts and opens our eyes.

Now what are we to do?

Follow Him.

When Trials Come

Last night our family and some friends went to a concert by Keith and Kristyn Getty. Most people haven't heard of them but are very familiar with their song, "In Christ Alone." What a wonderful time it was to worship the Lord in song and be able to praise Him in freedom, with a Celtic twist (they're Irish!)

While waiting for the concert to begin, I was talking with a friend about the blessings of suffering. I was sharing with her the passage from Philippians 1:29 which says, "For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake." It is sometimes difficult to see suffering as a gift, but it is. It is something God gives to us. When we pass through the fire, His purpose is, as the hymn writer wrote, "our dross to consume and our gold to refine." (How Firm a Foundation)

Keith and Kristyn Getty have written a beautiful song about trials and the comfort and assurance that we have in them through Jesus Christ.

When Trials Come

When trials come no longer fear

For in the pain our God draws near

To fire a faith worth more than gold

And there His faithfulness is told

And there His faithfulness is told

Within the night I know Your peace

The breath of God brings strength to me

And new each morning mercy flows

As treasures of the darkness grow

As treasures of the darkness grow

I turn to Wisdom not my own

For every battle You have known

My confidence will rest in You

Your love endures Your ways are good

Your love endures Your ways are good

When I am weary with the cost

I see the triumph of the cross

So in it's shadow I shall run

Till He completes the work begun

Till He completes the work begun

One day all things will be made new

I'll see the hope You called me to

And in your kingdom paved with gold

I'll praise your faithfulness of old

I'll praise your faithfulness of old

Keith & Kristyn Getty

Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

Check out their website for more wonderful songs!

http://www.gettymusic.com/

Happy Thanksgiving! Psalm 100

Psalm 100 ~ A Psalm of Thanksgiving!

"Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations."

Rwandan Man's Confession

Rwandan Man's Confession by Dr. Bob Moorehead (taken from the website of The Way of the Master)

In 1980 a young man from Rwanda was forced by his tribe to either renounce Christ or face certain death. He refused to renounce Christ, and he was killed on the spot. The night before he had written the following commitment which was found in his room:

“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made- I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, worldly talking, cheap giving & dwarfed goals.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me & when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear.”

The One who serves

Luke 22:24-26

“And there arose also a dispute among (the disciples) as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.
And Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”

Jesus came as a servant. He was God Almighty. The Prince of Heaven. The majestic and holy One who is without stain or blemish. The One worthy of all honor, glory, power, and praise. Yet, He came as a humble servant; born in a lowly manger. He came seeking and saving the lost. He washed the feet of His disciples on the night before His death. He tells us that the one who is the greatest is the one who is the least, the one who is the servant. And our pride melts at the sound of His voice which says, “I am among you as the one who serves.”

How is it that we so often loose sight of our Heavenly calling? O, there are so many things to distract us; so many places to go and things to do. So many meaningless activities and wasted days spent only for ourselves. When do we sit in silence and ask God to show us what His plans are for our lives? And when do we act upon the answer God gives us?
There is a life that we have been called to live and we must live it. It is a life separate from this world. It is a life of grand adventure and great sacrifice. It is a rich life.
Jesus came that we “may have life, and have it abundantly.” So let’s live the abundant life.

Richard Baxter, an English Puritan and theologian once said this,

"I preached as never sure to preach again and as a dying man to dying men."

Should we not live as dying men and woman, bringing the Gospel to those who are in fact already dead, that they may have a part in the abundant life? We must live now, for we only live once on earth before eternity.

O Lord, Help me to live every day as though it were my last. Make Your truth alive in my heart. Forgive me when I complain and have an ungrateful spirit. Teach me to be content in all things and for all things. Cause me to step back from the busyness of life and quietly stand in the beauty of Your presence. “Search me, O God, and know my heart,” as the Psalmist prayed, “Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the everlasting way.”
Use me as an instrument of proclaiming Your holy Name. Help me to deny myself, that in doing so, You may get glory out of my life.
You are my strength and the joy of my salvation. You are mighty to save!

Holiness: The Heart God Purifies

Holiness: The Heart God Purifies

By Nancy Leigh DeMoss


Recently, our family has been reading through a book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss titled “Holiness: The Heart God Purifies.” It has been a very convicting and encouraging book throughout, but the last chapter really spoke to me. So, I decided to share it with you!

“Here Comes the Bride!”

“Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride had made herself ready.” ~ The Apostle John

“Imagine for a moment…we’re seated together at a royal wedding. The invitations have been sent, all the preparations have been made, the guests have arrived, the music is playing, the flowers are spectacular- the sanctuary is decked for a king and queen. The bridegroom and his attendants take their places at the front.
The first strains of the wedding march begin to sound. We all rise.
It’s hard to see from where we’re standing off to the side. Finally, we’re able to catch a glimpse of the bride holding the arm of her father, as she begins to move down the aisle toward her bridegroom.
We crane our necks trying to take it all in. As she gets closer, we realize something is wrong! It can’t be – but yes…her veil is torn, and it’s askew on her head.
She gets closer, and we see that it’s not just her veil – her hair is matted and in disarray. She looks like she just got out of bed. And her face – it’s filthy; she has no makeup on.
As she walks by the row where we’re standing, we get a closer look at her dress. It’s unbelievable. Her gown is dishevelled and wrinkled from top to bottom. It looks like it’s been stuffed in a drawer for weeks. Not only that – the once-white dress is covered with an awful assortment of dark stains.
Have you ever seen such a sight? How can this be?
Then we see the saddest sight of all, as she approaches her bridegroom. It’s the look of profound sorrow in his eyes as he realizes that his bride – the one he loves with all his heart –didn’t care enough to get ready for the wedding.
My friend, there’s a Wedding coming.
It’s that Wedding toward which all earthly weddings are intended to point us. The bride broom is a holy Bridegroom, and He must have a holy bride.
And our Savior will have a holy bride. That’s why He loved the church and gave Himself up for her. That’s why He took all those stains and blots on Himself.

“…to make her holy…and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

~ Ephesians 5:26-27

My goal in life is not that I would be free from problems or pain; it’s not that I would be a best selling author or have a successful radio ministry or get invited to speak at large conferences; it’s not that I would have great relationships or be healthy and financially secure.
My deepest desire is that I would be a holy woman and that the church of Jesus Christ would be holy.
How I look forward to that day when you and I, along with all the other saints from all ages, walk together down that aisle toward our Beloved Bridegroom. I want to face Him with joy – radiant, unashamed, “dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.”
Are you ready for the Wedding? If not, what would you have to do to get ready? Is there a sin you need to confess and forsake? Is there a habit you need to give up –or cultivate? Is there a relationship you need to break off – or reconcile? Are there items in your possession you need to get rid of? Are there debts you need to pay? Are there people whose forgiveness you need to seek? Is there restitution you need to make?
Whatever it is, for Jesus’ sake, for the world’s sake, for His body’s sake, for you family’s sake, for your sake – do it. By His grace and the power of His Holy Spirit – do it.

Nothing, nothing, nothing could be more important. Nothing could bring Him greater glory in our world, and nothing could bring you greater joy –both now and throughout all eternity.”

~ Nancy Leigh DeMoss

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

~2 Corinthians 7:1

We are the bride of Christ and yet, how often we live in a way that is anything but holy. May God have mercy on us. And He does have mercy on us. Just as we who are single ought to keep ourselves pure and set-apart for our future spouses, so too, in an even greater sense, we, as the body and Bride of Christ, ought to keep our lives blameless and holy and be the Bride who has “made herself ready” for the marriage of the Lamb. We have no greater Husband and Shepherd than Jesus Christ; the One who gave His life on the cross that we, His bride, might live. I know that He deserves our worship. I know that He is worthy of our lives. I pray that we would present ourselves before Him spotless, blameless, and clothed in His righteousness, for we are the Bride of Christ.

"Christians, be troublesome to the world!"

"Christians, be troublesome to the world! O Christans, be like a burdensome stone to the world! You are not sent here to be recognized as honorable citizens of this world, to be petted and well-treated.Even Christ himself, the peaceable One, said, "I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?"What I mean is this, we are not to be quiet about our religion. The world says to us, "Hold your tongue about religion, or at least talk about it at fit times; but do not introduce it at all seasons so as to become a pest and a nuisance."I say again, and you know in what sense I mean it, be a nuisance to the world; be such a man that worldlings will be compelled to feel that there is a Christian in their midst.An officer was walking out of the royal presence on one occasion, when he tripped over his sword. The king said to him, "Your sword is rather a nuisance." "Yes," was the officer's reply, "your majesty's enemies have often said so."May you be a nuisance to the world in that sense, troublesome to the enemies of the King of kings! While your conduct should be courteous, and everything that could be desired as between man and man, yet let your testimony for Christ be given without any flinching and without any mincing of the matter."

~Charles Spurgeon

Don't Allow Sin to Destroy Your Life. Turn Away and Flee!

I found this neat video on the Rebelution. Pastor Josh Harris of Covenant Life Church gives a hilarious, yet serious example of how we ought to turn away from sin.

Do Not Forget

This passage speaks for itself and is equally relevant to our day as it was in the days of the people of Israel. May we remember all the blessings which the Lord has given us and may we not forget His faithfulness.

Deuteronomy 8

"All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your forefathers. You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.
Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.
Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.
For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills;
a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. It shall come about if you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God.”

The Lamb that was Slain

“Two young Moravians heard of an island in the West Indies where an atheist British owner had 2000 to 3000 slaves. And the owner had said, "No preacher, no clergyman, will ever stay on this island. If he’s shipwrecked we’ll keep him in a separate house until he has to leave; but he’s never going to talk to any of us about God. I’m through with all that nonsense." Three thousand slaves from the jungles of Africa brought to an island in the Atlantic and there to live and die without hearing of Christ.Two young Moravians heard about it. They sold themselves to the British planter and used the money they received from their sale, for he paid no more than he would for any slave, to pay their passage out to his island for he wouldn’t even transport them. As the ship left its pier in the river at Hamburg and was going out into the North Sea, carried with the tide, the Moravians had come from Herrenhut to see these two lads off, in their early twenties. Never to return again, for this wasn’t a four year term; they sold themselves into life-time slavery. Simply that as slaves, they could be as Christians where these others were. The families were there weeping, for they knew they would never see them again. And they wondered why they were going and questioned the wisdom of it. As the gap widened and the housings had been cast off and were being curled up there on the pier, and the young boys saw the widening gap, one lad with his arm liked through the arm of his fellow, raised his hand and shouted across the gap the last words that were heard from them, they were these: "MAY THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN, RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING!" This became the call of Moravian missions. And this is the only reason for being, that the Lamb that was slain, may receive the reward of His suffering.”
~ Paris Reidhead

Walking by Faith

This week I have been reading from Genesis 22 and following the passages that speak of the founding of God’s chosen people, Israel. I find that hearing Bible stories throughout your whole life can cause some very dangerous familiarity with the Scripture. Just taking time to sit down with a “magnifying glass mindset,” and really looking at what the Word has to say, you find such deep treasures are hidden there that will change your life.

Let’s start with Genesis 22:

“Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."
So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

So if we remember the earlier passage from Genesis 11:30 we discover that “Sarai was barren; she had no child.” This was very distressing to Abraham, so he brought his plea before the Lord. God heard Abraham’s plea and answered Him, promising him a son and descendents as many as the stars of heaven. Abraham believed the Lord and God made a covenant with him. And even though there was doubting at times; even though Sarah laughed at the Word of the Lord, a covenant was made; a promise was given, and that promise was fulfilled. Through an empty womb, God brought forth a nation; His chosen people, Israel.
So here in history we find Abraham with his son, his only son, whom he loves. (I find it amazing that God emphasizes this love of Abraham for his son, as if it were to be a personal test of Abraham’s own love for, trust in, and obedience to God.) It is now that the Lord commands Abraham to take this only son whom he loves and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Sacrifice means to offer something precious; to give up something; to surrender something for the sake of something else. So what does Abraham do? The very next morning he rises, early in the morning! He prepares everything for the journey immediately, taking Isaac and two young men, and he goes to the place God told him to go. There is no hesitation. There is no anger or questioning. There is no procrastination. There is simply obedience. He rises early, gathers what he needs, and goes. Let’s look back at the Scripture:

On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you."

Again, I look carefully at this passage and I am amazed at what I read. Abraham says, “I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” He tells the two men who are with him that “we will return to you.” Abraham has full confidence that, somehow in His own way, will and time, God will allow them both to return. Abraham has such a depth to his faith in God, that he even believes He can raise people from the dead to fulfill His promises.

"Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."

This is so beautiful. Here is a father whose heart is agonizing over what is about to take place. His beloved son asks him where is the lamb for the sacrifice, and only a heart of complete trust in the faithfulness of God could reply, "God will provide."

So the two of them walked on together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided." ”

I was deeply moved by this passage. I was moved by the faith of Abraham. Even in the moment of despair and brokenness of heart, he was still willing to sacrifice his son, his only son, whom he loved, for the God he feared and praised. The picture of the ram caught in the thicket by its horns shows us how God provided for Himself a perfect and spotless sacrifice. Had the ram’s body been caught up, the thorns would have torn the flesh of the lamb and it would no longer be a perfect and whole sacrifice to offer unto the Lord.

This passage of Scripture is such a picture of what Jesus Christ did on the cross of Calvary. God, so loving the world, gave His only Son, whom He loved, as a perfect, holy, sacrifice. He was and is the spotless Lamb who alone takes away the sin of the world.

Isaiah 53

“He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth...His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief…My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities…He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.”

What can we learn from this time in Abraham’s life? How can we have this kind of faith? How can we walk by faith and not by sight? We are such a visual based society. Where are the people who get down on their knees, close their eyes, and come before the holy throne of God in prayer? We don’t.

We need to.

We must.

We go to church on Sunday, hear a good sermon, and then want to apply it to our lives, but as soon as we leave the church doors, something is there to pull us away, to distract us. How can we grasp the truths we have been taught and live them out in our everyday existence? I think the answer comes from the words of Jesus in Luke 9:23 -26, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

It is daily self-denial and it is daily taking up our cross and following Him that will teach us how to live. Christ’s call upon our lives is the complete opposite of what the world so tries to ingrain in us. The world says that in order to live and succeed in happiness, one must have great wealth, great possessions, great self-esteem, great appearance. The true Gospel calls people to die in order to live. Jesus Christ’s call upon our lives is death.

Colossians 3:1-4 says,

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

“Christ, who is our life.” He is our life. We need to really live as though He is our life. We must live in a way that people will see Jesus living in us. We must daily come humbly to the Word of God, because we need to be taught. “For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life.” (Deuteronomy 32:47)

So if we have Christ, who is our life and the Word,

which is our life, we truly have an abundant life.

"Fill Thou my life, O Lord, my God, in every part with praise,
That my whole being may proclaim Thy being and Thy ways.
Not for the lips of praise alone, nor even the praising heart
I ask, but for a life made up of praise in every part."

~Horatius Bonar

Follow in His steps

“How beautiful are the arms, which have embraced Christ – the eyes which have gazed upon Christ, the lips which have spoken with Christ, the feet which have followed Christ. How beautiful are the hands which have worked the works of Christ, the feet which are treading in His footsteps have gone about doing good, the lips which have spread abroad His Name, the lives which have been counted for Him.”
-Christina Rosetti, 1880
So often we get caught up in the circumstances that surround us that we forget to be thankful, grateful, giving people. We are so focused on what we’re going to do tomorrow and next week and next year that we forget to see the face of a little child wanting to show us their newest discovery or the empty soul that passes us on the way to the supermarket. We worry about our future, forgetting that many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the Lord directs his steps. We worry about our families, when we are promised that He has given His angels charge over us to guard us in all our ways. We lose sleep thinking about things that might not happen, and we sleep when we should be restless over things that are happening. Could it be that we have become so self-focused that we are missing opportunities to be the hands and feet of Christ? I pray we’re not.
Recently, I picked up a book entitled “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper. Though I have not yet read very far, I find that the title has got me thinking, “Am I wasting my life? Am I really giving everything that I have for the work of the Kingdom?” I know that I have had times that I have allowed my thinking to go off track. I have felt discouraged or defeated because I have taken the focus of my identity away from being a child of God and tried to find my identity in being “someone important” or in having a significant career or even in one day being a wife and a mother. These things, though not inherently wrong, can cause the focus of my life to be taken off of Christ and shifted onto myself. But what would it be like for young people today to long to be the arms, eyes, lips, feet, and hands of Christ? What would happen to the world if young men would be men? What if they would stand up and be the valiant, chivalrous defenders of the purity of the Gospel and of mankind? What if they would defend woman and children with honor, and live lives of conviction and strength? What if women would break free from the net of feminism and self-worth and return to the beauty of femininity and grace and elegance? What if they would submit to the leadership of their parents or husbands? What if they would find joy once again in being a wife and a mother? How would our world be a different place?
Is there joy in worship anymore? Is there satisfaction at the foot of the cross? What has happened to North America? We have everything, yet so many have nothing, really. I see those who have every material possession they could dream of. I see those who have wealth and beauty and prominence, but it only takes one look into their eyes to see that the emptiness there is so deep. We have everything if we are in Christ. Pastor John Piper says that North America is the hardest place to be a Christian. He is so right. It is here that we have to fight so hard to find our joy and strength in Christ.
I once read a missionary’s testimony of the time her and her husband were held captive in the Philippine jungles. She said that everyday when she needed something, she prayed and asked God for it. If she needed water, it was “Lord, I’m thirsty.” If she needed food, it was “Lord, I’m hungry. Please provide for us.” Every material and physical and emotional need was a petition for God to provide. The reason we live is found in 1 Corinthians 8:6, “…there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” This is what every North American Christian must understand. It is for Him and through Him alone we live.

Live. Fight. Pray. Strive. Ask. Seek. Knock. Enter. Believe

Be Still My Soul

I was listening to this beautiful hymn today. It is such a reminder

of how we must rest in the Lord and of our

anticipation to one day

be made like Him as we behold His glory.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change, He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake to guide

the future, as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,

And all is darkened in the vale of tears,

Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,

Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.

Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay

From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on

when we shall be forever with the Lord.

When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,

sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past

all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Trust in the Lord

"Roll the whole burden of life upon the Lord. Leave with Jehovah not thy present fretfulness merely, but all thy cares; in fact, submit the whole tenor of thy way to him. Cast away anxiety, resign thy will, submit thy judgment, leave all with the God of all....The ploughman sows and harrows, and then leaves the harvest to God. What can he do else? He cannot cover the heavens with clouds, or command the rain, or bring forth the sun or create the dew. He does well to leave the whole matter with God; and so to all of us it is truest wisdom, having obediently trusted in God, to leave results in his hands and expect a blessed issue."

Charles H. Spurgeon

"Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday...The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will be forever...The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand...For the LORD loves justice and does not forsake His godly ones; They are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever...But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him."

Selections from Psalm 37

Enter through the narrow gate and build your house upon the rock

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell- and great was its fall."

Denying Self

"Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all utterly to Thee to be Thine forever.
Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt, work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever."

Betty Scott Stam

Missionary to China

Given for the Gospel

Martyred for the sake of Christ

Is He not worthy of your life? Does He not deserve your all?

We have been created for His glory. We are His "doulos," His slave, and He is our Master.

What does the Lord require of us:

Micah 6:8 "...to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God..."

Luke 9:23 "...if any man wishes to come after Me he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me..."

Matthew 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 5:16 "...let your light shine before men..."

Matthew 5:44 "...love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you..."

Matthew 6:33 "...seek first His kingdom and His righteousness..."

Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

Matthew 7:13 "...Enter through the narrow gate..."

John 13:34 "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

Romans 13:14 "...put on the Lord Jesus Christ..."

Hebrews 12:2 "...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross..."

1 Timothy 4:12 "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe."

1 Timothy 6:12 "Fight the good fight of faith..."

Matthew 28: 19&20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

This is Jesus Christ, our king.

"For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;

If we endure, we will also reign with Him;

If we deny Him, He also will deny us;

If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."

2 Timothy 2:11-13

Revelation 22:20 ..."'Yes, I am coming quickly.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

Crucified With Christ

Psalm 27 ~ Wait for the Lord

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defence of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident. One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O Lord, I shall seek." Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up. Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes. Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.”

99 Balloons

I heard about this young couple and their incredible story several months ago. There are many people who lose a loved one, but there are few who can say with Job "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."




Read more about Eliot's life at www.ninetynineballoons.com .

The Gospel

The Apostle Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” There are four essential aspects of the Gospel that a person must understand in order to be saved. Those are 1. God is Holy, 2. Man is Guilty, 3. Christ is the Saviour, and 4. Sinners must Repent. I hope to address and expand upon each of these aspects, so let’s begin with number 1. God is Holy.
Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The first Words of God shout to all mankind that God is the Creator! He is the Owner and Sustainer of all things.1 Corinthians 10:26 says “for the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” Everything belongs to Him for He is its Maker.
God is a perfect being. There is no spot or blemish in Him. He is pure in all His ways and no sin has ever defiled Him. His holiness is perfect. This we find in 1 Peter 1:16, “Be holy, for I am holy,” and Matthew 5:48, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. God requires perfect obedience to His law. He created us for His glory alone. We are here on earth to serve Him in a life so abundant; a life we are not worthy to receive or live.

I share with you below an incredible picture of the glory of God and His call upon our lives.




The second aspect of the Gospel is 2. Man is Guilty. Romans 3:23 speaks very plainly, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are born enemies of God. We rejected Him and hated Him. Romans 3 says earlier in the passage, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have been useless; There is none who does good, there is not even one.” Each one of us has broken God’s law, and when a law is broken, truth and purity cries for justice. Again, the beloved, heart-wrenching and soul-searching book of Romans speaks, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The justice we deserve is death and eternal separation from our holy and righteous maker. Many people, at the sound of this, desperately but unsuccessfully try to gain their own salvation. Countless men and women have strived to win eternal life through good deeds, yet they have strived in vain. Isaiah 65: 6 says, “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.” Absolutely nothing man does will save Him. Titus 3:5 says, “(God) saved us not on the basis of deed which we have done in righteousness but according to His mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Thankfully, this hopeless state has been provided a remedy through the third aspect, Christ is the Savior and Lord.

John 10:30 says, “I and the Father are one.” Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind. He was fully God and fully man. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus was fully man. He breathed the air of earth, walked the roads and hills of Israel, hungered and thirst, and felt pain like we do, and yet He was fully God. He wrapped human flesh around His glory, came to earth, was born to humble parents in a lowly manger, lived a perfect life, was betrayed, mocked, spat upon, falsely tried, beaten till He no longer bore the form or appearance of a man, forced to carry His cross, and finally crucified. Why? “…that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) He substituted His life for His chosen. “…He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:4) He rose from the grave and is alive today!

With this truth, we come to the last aspect of the Gospel, sinners must repent. The Scripture overflows with this truth.

Isaiah 55:7 says, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”

Luke 9:23 “…If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

Romans 10:9-10 “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Acts 17:30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent.”

Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” We as Christians are to be narrow minded! God calls us to enter through the narrow gate. He calls us to enter. We have to go completely through. We cannot stand on the other side and admire the gate. We cannot recommend the gate or tell others about it and not enter ourselves. We cannot stand with one foot through and the other remaining behind. We must pass through. The gate is narrow. It is difficult to enter. It is humiliating. It crushes our pride. It causes us to submit, obey, and surrender. It forces you to enter alone. No one can enter with you and no one can force you to enter or pull you through from the other side. You must leave all baggage behind. All you were before you entered is stripped from you. It is a transforming gate. This gate is Jesus Christ. He alone is the way, the truth, and the life. You don’t need to repent well enough or be spiritual enough. Listen to God. He commands you to enter. His command is His grace upon our lives. It is not easy believism. It cost Jesus His life!
There is another way. The broad way is easy and open. You can enter with everyone all at once. Friends and family can join you through its wide gate. You leave nothing behind. It is very comfortable. You can do whatever you want. You can have it all. There is a tolerance of sin. There is no commitment to Christ. It is the way of “grace covers it all.” Nothing is radical. It is a deceiving way. It looks better, and yet it leads to destruction. It is the way that seems right unto a man, but its end is death.
The small gate leads to a narrow way, yet an abundant existence. It might cost you friends, family, possession, maybe even your life, but only your earthly life, for eternity rests in the hands of God. Ezekiel 18:32 says, “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord God. "Therefore, repent and live."

Charles H. Spurgeon said, “You and your sin must separate or you and your God will never come together.”

I pray that this Gospel message will grow in our hearts. May its truth ring from our voices. May we live and breath Jesus Christ and Him crucified, for the work of the Kingdom and for the glory of God.

King of Kings, Majesty

This is a beautiful song that speaks of the beauty and awesomeness of the King of Kings!

A Beautiful Hymn

"Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He Whose Name is Counselor and Power;
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
Ever to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land."

Death is not Dying

A beautiful person, a faithful wife and mother, and a devoted daughter of the King of Kings has gone to be with her Savior. Rachel Barkey, from Vancouver, B.C. passed away this week after suffering from terminal cancer for many years. In her amazing testimony, "Death is not Dying", Rachel shares her unshakable faith in the One who is ever faithful. If you can, please take some time to follow the link on my page (down on the right) to Rachel's website to hear her testimony. Remember also to pray for Rachel's husband and two children that they would have comfort in this difficult time.

I wrote this poem back in 2007 to remind myself and others of all that Christ has done for us, what He means to us, how He is always with us, and how much He loves us.

When I think of love, I see the cross
When I think of pain, I see His loss
When I think of life, I see His face
When I think of death, I see His grace
When I think of war, I see His will
When I think of peace, I see Him still

When I feel afraid, He hears my cry
When I feel alone, He’s still nearby
When I feel confused, He is my guide
When I feel despair, He’s at my side

When I see the dark, He shows me light
When I fear, His comfort fills my night
When I cry, He dries my every tear
When I love, He casts out all my fear

When I tire, He carries me
When I stray, He Shepherds me
When I am weak, He lifts me up
When I am dry, He fills my cup

When I fear the Lord, He instructs me still
When I honor Him, I do His will
When I worship Him, He blesses me
When I give my self, He sets me free!

By Sarah Champ

Run For Your Life!

Far too often the church becomes a place where people can go and have a good time. The focus is set on entertainment and pleasure rather than on being changed into the image of God. On this Sunday, I share with you a strong warning and a pleading exhortation to remain faithful to the true body of Jesus Christ.

He is Worthy

Two weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to address my graduating class. I want to share with you the things which I shared with them that have impacted my life .

"The Scripture says that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Growing up in a Christian home, I memorized this verse from a very young age, yet I did not come to fully understand its meaning until later in my life. Before God saved me, I could never completely comprehend the depth and beauty of His love. When He did open my eyes, He placed me on an incredible journey of coming to deeply know and understand that love.
When God justifies a person, declaring them righteous at the time of salvation, they are set-apart from the world and called to live for the glory of their Maker. During the rest of our lives here on earth, we live the process of sanctification: becoming like Jesus Christ. For me, this has been and I know will continue to be a time of great learning, growing, stretching, and pruning. As God shapes me into the person He wants me to be, I must daily learn to deny myself. As He gently convicts me of the areas of sin in my life, I know that I need to submit to His loving reproof. But it is when He shows me how much He loves me, it is then that something deep inside stirs me far greater than before. My Heavenly Father so loved the world that He gave His only Son. We human beings give gifts to one another out of love for each other, but God gave His only Son, the perfect gift, out of love for us that we might live for Him and have eternal life. Our Heavenly Father, the Creator of the universe, had an incredible plan for the salvation of mankind: the sacrifice of His only Son. Just as the scripture says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” We are all born sinful. Each of us has turned to our way, but because He loved us and saved us, we will see the glory of Christ.
There is something so overwhelming about the love of God. There is something so deep and beautiful and inspiring about His grace. There is no other way to serve Him except to give up our lives for Him. He deserves everything simply because He is worthy. He has called us, will we go and serve Him?
I have personally felt the discouragement and uncertainty that comes with being unsure of where my life is going, especially when countless people are asking me. I have often felt that people look down upon me because I want to live for Christ, not that it is wrong to live for Him, but that there must be something more in this life that deserves our attention and pursuit apart from His service. People tell me that I need to be prepared for life in the “real world.” And yet, what is the “real world?” Is it not the life to come instead of this passing substitute? Through my discouragement, I have sought comfort and assurance from my Savior and this I have learned: God knows exactly where He wants me to be. He will guide me there. He will be with me through each storm and each sunrise. He has plans for my life that go far beyond more than I could ever ask for or imagine. His grace will carry me for He is faithful.
Dear, friends. If there is one thing that I pray you would take from this, may it be that our loving God gave His only Son. For that reason, He is worthy to receive the reward of His suffering! What more can we do but give up our lives for the sake of Him and the gospel?
Our world will tell you that true success lies in becoming someone of great influence; someone who possesses great wealth and fame; people with status and beauty and happiness. But let the Word of God speak in Joshua 1:8 on true success, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Our success comes from walking a path pleasing to God; living a life dedicated to the cross and its message. He must have glory from our lives. Seeking His Kingdom must be our first priority. If we seek glory from our lives on earth, we will surely receive it, but only from mere men. I tell you truthfully, that if you seek the glory of Christ and the praise of Heaven in this life, you will not receive fame on earth. Mankind will not applaud you. You will have no distinction or earthly success. Yet the God of Heaven and earth who is on His throne will be glorified. If we can accomplish this and receive no glory in this life, may Christ be praised, for He is worthy.
There are people all around the world who have never heard of the love of Jesus. There are people right here in North America who have everything, yet they have nothing, and there are people here who have nothing yet they have everything. I want to be one of those who would appear to the world as having nothing, but may they know that truly I have everything in Christ and more than all I could ever ask for. I know that the deepest blessings will come from serving Him. I know that security and joy and worth are found in building His Kingdom because He is glorified. We receive no glory because He deserves it all, and that should bring us great joy. For when we look at the depth of our sin compared to the glory and perfection of Christ, we understand why He is so worthy.
We end a journey today, just as we begin another one. May we witness to mankind a bold dedication to living for Christ. May they see Christ living His life through us. May we be preparing ourselves for the biggest day of our lives. Not our graduation day, not our wedding day, not the day we have our first child, but the day that we stand before Jesus Christ! May we be prepared to receive the crown of life because we have been found faithful in the sight of Almighty God.
The world tells us to love ourselves. Jesus says, “Deny yourself.” The world is telling us that we deserve a good life. Christ commands us to “take up our cross and follow Him.” Humanism says great is the happiness of man. Scripture says “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
From the depth of my heart, I plea that we all would recognize the worthiness and beauty of Jesus Christ. As He sovereignly orchestrates the details of our lives, I pray that we would live devoted to Him. Let us place Him on the highest place for He is our King. What a joy it is to serve Him! What an honor it is to sit at His feet! What rewards will we see in the Kingdom of God and within our own lives as we strive to live out the words of Scripture!
May the beauty of the Lord captivate us this day. May His sacrifice stir in us the desire to obey Him and give up all the comforts of this life in order to serve Him. May His sweetness cause us to draw near to His throne of grace and find comfort in His everlasting arms. I pray that the Lamb that was slain would receive the reward of His suffering as we pour ourselves at the foot of the cross because He is the King, and He is worthy of our all. "

Psalm 19:1 "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."

The Valley of Vision

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold
Thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.