Wear Does Our Value Come From?

Hey everyone!

My sweet sister in law has something on her heart that she wants to share with you all. What she shares is a huge issue among us women today. I asked her to put her heart into words and to let me post it here on my blog. Would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

The following write up by Kristi:

As a young woman I suffered many abuses, including sexual abuse and rape, by the one man meant to protect me, my father. This left me with deep wounds I know many of you have as well. As a result I was constantly searching for the answers to the questions every woman and girl want and need answered; "Am I worthwhile? Am I enough? Am I VALUABLE?" Of course, I was looking in all the wrong places for all the right answers. I dressed as if my value came from the way men saw me physically, because for a long time I didn’t know any other way to get my questions answered. Thankfully we are blessed with a Loving, Patient, and Forgiving God, who knows our true hearts. He has been working on mine for many years and continues to, daily. I’d like to share a few of the things I’ve learned through the Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Fathers word. I pray that it might be of help to you, as well.


Wear Does Our Value Come From?

As Christian women, where are we getting validated? Is it in our daily quiet time with our Savior or is it in the looks and comments we get from men, because of the way we are dressed? There are so many frustrating issues in our world today that need to be bathed in prayer, but few are so completely within our control.

We are called to be salt and light in a dark world. Matt.5:14-16 says "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven." These verses are calling us to look differently than the world, yet how many of us read fashion magazines and try to imitate what we see or feel bad about ourselves because we will never be able to imitate what are on the pages? We have become so tolerant of worldly ways that I fear we don’t shine very brightly, if at all. When I allowed these images to get into my mind, through magazines, inappropriate TV shows, movies and videos, I gave the devil a foothold in my mind and heart. Eph.5:3 warns" But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s Holy people." Spiritual warfare is real and I had to get into the battle, for the sake of my marriage, my family and my own walk with Christ.

So, I had to ask myself; did I dress in hopes of catching a second glance or, did I see how valuable I was/am to God and want to honor Him because of His love for me?
This was a very hard question to address, and has taken a lot of humble tears to answer. How could Christ love me when I didn’t love myself?

Proverbs 31:10-12 states "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her, and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good not harm all the days of her life." Yet how could my husband trust me as his wife if I was advertising what was rightfully for his eyes only?
If we are dressing to impress others who are not our husbands or to compete with other women we are doing evil to ourselves, which in turn is doing evil to our husbands and our marriages because we become one body with our mates when we marry them. (Genesis 2:24) If you are not married yet, how will you know if your future husband loves you for who you are inside, if he’s distracted by how much he is seeing on the outside? I struggled with this fact for many years, wondering if my husband really loved me for who I was inside.

For a long time I was scared to have more children, because of what it might do to my figure, until I read these verses; Luke 23:27-29 states A large number of people followed him including women, who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bear and the breasts that never nursed!" These verses weigh so heavily on my heart. Even on the way to His death for OUR sins, Christ is warning us. This issue runs so deep in our society. How many babies have not been born, how many warriors for Christ are not in the battle because we have become too vain to birth, and raise them?
What about the women who do choose to have more than a few children? How many of us have thought to ourselves" At least I don’t look as bad as her!"? How many of us can say we have never compared ourselves to another woman and thought ourselves better because we have perkier breasts, a flatter tummy, or a thinner figure?
The mothers of many should be honored, for they sustain the next generation of warriors of our faith.

Proverbs 31:30 says” Favor is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." I believe this too is a warning, that as Christian women we are not heeding. The reality of life is that we all are going to get old. I know no one wants to hear this, but it is true. We are missing the point and the beauty of this fact. We are not meant to be here forever! We are meant for a better place, forever praising our Heavenly Father.

I had to ask myself" When I get older will I be happy with the person I have become? Will I be able to hear my master say 'Well done good and faithful servant'?" I wasn’t so sure, actually I knew I wouldn’t. I needed to make some serious changes, and through the help of my TRUE Father, my Heavenly Father I have begun to turn a new page.

Proverbs 31:22 says "She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple." We are obviously called in this verse to look nice and make an effort, but not in an Earthly way. When we have Christ’s light in our hearts, it fills us and HE shines through us. That is a beauty everyone will notice and can’t be faked or duplicated.

If you struggle with this same problem I have a few questions you can ask your self that might help; -Am I trying to say look a me in this?
-Will this outfit bring honor or shame to my husband and our marriage covenant with God?
-Am I dressing to compete with another woman, am I trying to look as good as or better than another woman?
-Would I wear this outfit if Christ was physically standing next to me?
(Because He is!)

The devil feeds us all lies, and wants to distract us from God’s plan for our lives, but we do not have to succumb to his efforts. We have the power of our Creator on our side. We may be low, but we are lifted up because of Christ.

You are valuable. You are loved. You are worthy. God created you for an intimate relationship with Him, and He sent His only son to die for you. He chose you.
He chose me. Let’s honor His love and sacrifice with our hearts, minds, bodies, and our lives. May we be shining examples of His love, for our children and each other, now and always.

Desiring God- Money Part 4

Desiring God- by John Piper

Our Calling: A Wartime Lifestyle

The mention of “war" is not merely rhetorical. What is specifically called for today is a "wartime lifestyle." I have used the phrase "simple necessities of life" earlier in this chapter because Paul said in 1Timothy 6:8, "If we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content." But this idea of simplicity can be very misleading. I mean it to refer to a style of life that is unencumbered with nonessentials-and the criterion for "essential" should not be primitive "simplicity," but wartime effectiveness.

Ralph Winter illustrates this idea of a wartime lifestyle:

The Queen Mary, lying in repose in the harbor at Long Beach, California, is a fascinating museum of the past. Used both as a luxury liner in peacetime and a troop transport during the Second World War, its present status as a museum the length of three football fields affords a stunning contrast between the lifestyles appropriate in peace and war. On one side of a partition you see the dining room reconstructed to depict the peacetime table setting that was appropriate to the wealthy patrons of high culture for whom a dazzling array of knives and forks and spoons held no mysteries. On the other side of the partition the evidences of wartime austerities are in sharp contrast. One metal tray with indentations replaces fifteen plates and saucers. Bunks, not just double but eight tiers high, explain why the peacetime complement of 3000 gave way to 15,000 people on board in wartime. How repugnant to the peacetime masters this transformation must have been! To do it took a national emergency, of course. The survival of a nation depended upon it. The essence of the Great Commission today is that the survival of many millions of people depends on its fulfillment.

There is a war going on. All talk of a Christian's right to live luxuriantly "as a child of the King" in this atmosphere sounds hollow-especially since the King himself is stripped for battle. It is more helpful to think of a "wartime" lifestyle than a merely "simple" lifestyle. Simplicity can be very inward directed, and may benefit no one else. A wartime lifestyle implies that there is a great and worthy cause for which to spend and be spent (2 Corinthians 12:15).

Winter continues:

America today is a save-yourself society if there ever was one. But does it really work? The underdeveloped societies suffer from one set of diseases: tuberculosis, malnutrition, pneumonia, parasites, typhoid, cholera, typhus, etc. Affluent America has virtually invented a whole new set of diseases: obesity, arteriosclerosis, heart disease, strokes, lung cancer, venereal disease, cirrhosis of the liver, drug addiction, alcoholism, divorce, battered children, suicide, murder. Take your choice. Laborsaving machines have turned out to be body-killing devices. Our affluence has allowed both mobility and isolation of the nuclear family, and as a result our divorce courts, our prisons and our mental institutions are flooded. In saving ourselves we have nearly lost ourselves.

How hard have we tried to save others? Consider the fact that the U.S. evangelical slogan, "Pray, give, or go" allows people merely to pray, if that is their choice! By contrast the Friends Missionary Prayer Band of South India numbers 8000 people in their prayer bands and supports 80 full-time missionaries in North India. If my denomination (with its unbelievably greater wealth per person) were to do that well, we would not be sending 500 missionaries, but 26,000. In spite of their true poverty, those poor people in South India are sending 50 times as many cross-cultural missionaries as we are.

The point here is to show that those who encourage Christians to pursue a luxuriant peacetime lifestyle are missing the point of all Jesus taught about money. He called us to lose our lives in order that we might gain them again (and the context is indeed money-"What does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?"- Mark 8:36. And the way he means for us to lose our lives is in fulfilling the mission of love he gave us.

Be Rich in Good Deeds

Which leads us to the final admonition Paul makes to the rich: "They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous" (1Timothy 6:18). Once they are liberated from the magnet of pride and once their hope is set on God, not money, only one thing can happen: Their money will flow freely to multiply the manifold ministries of Christ.

What about the Lake Home?

So what does a pastor say to his people concerning the purchase and ownership of two homes in a world where 2,000 people starve to death every day and mission agencies cannot penetrate more unreached peoples for lack of funds? First, he may quote Amos 3: 15-"I will smite the winter house and the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish; and the great houses shall come to an end." Then he may read Luke 3:11, "He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none."

Then he might tell about the family in St. Petersburg, Florida, who caught a vision for the housing needs of the poor. They sold their second home in Ohio and used the funds to build houses for several families in Immokalee, Florida.

Then he will ask, is it wrong to own a second home that sits empty part of the year? And he will answer, maybe and maybe not. He will not make it easy by creating a law. Laws can be obeyed under constraint with no change of heart; prophets want new hearts for God, not just new real estate arrangements. He will empathize with their uncertainty and share his own struggle to discover the way of love. He will not presume to have a simple answer to every lifestyle question.

But he will help them decide. He will say, "Does your house signify or encourage a level of luxury enjoyed in heedless unconcern of the needs of others? Or is it a simple, oft-used retreat for needed rest and prayer and meditation that sends people back to the city with a passion to deny themselves for the evangelization of the unreached and the pursuit of justice?"

He will leave the arrow lodged in their conscience and challenge them to seek a lifestyle in sync with the teaching and life of the Lord Jesus.

Why Has God Given Us So Much?

In Ephesians 4:28, Paul says, "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need." In other words, there are three levels of how to live with things: (1) you can steal to get; (2) or you can work to get; (3) or you can work to get in order to give.

Too many professing Christians live on level two. Almost all the forces of our culture urge them to live on level two. But the Bible pushes us relentlessly to level three. "God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work" (2 Corinthians 9: 8). Why does God bless us with abundance? So we can have enough to live on and then use the rest for all manner of good works that alleviate spiritual and physical misery. Enough for us; abundance for others.

The issue is not how much a person makes. Big industry and big salaries are a fact of our times, and they are not necessarily evil. The evil is in being deceived into thinking a $100,000 salary must be accompanied by a $100,000 lifestyle. God has made us to be conduits of his grace. The danger is in thinking the conduit should be lined with gold. It shouldn't. Copper will do.

Living on the Brink of Eternity

Our final summary emphasis should be this: In 1 Timothy 6, Paul's purpose is to help us lay hold on eternal life and not lose it. Paul never dabbles in unessentials. He lives on the brink of eternity. That's why he sees things so clearly. He stands there like God's gatekeeper and treats us like reasonable Christian Hedonists: You want life which is life indeed; don't you (verse 19)? You don't want ruin, destruction and pangs of heart, do you (verses 9-10)? You do want all the gain that godliness can bring; don't you (verse 6)? Then use the currency of Christian Hedonism wisely: do not desire to be rich, be content with the wartime necessities of life, set your hope fully on God, guard yourself from pride and let your joy in God overflow in a wealth of liberality to a lost and needy world.

Are You a Disciple?

I am attaching a link for everyone to watch this video called "Experience the Life" when you get a few minutes. In the video Bill Hull is discussing something that God has been teaching me over the last several years. When I read God's word He convicts me of the state of the Church today. Becoming a Christian these days has been lowered to "just walking an aisle" or "praying a prayer" etc in order to be saved. Yet it is so obvious in America today that "so called" Christians have no transformation in their lives. They continue to live life the way they have or at best they may have cleaned up their act a little and go to church to check off a set of religious acts. But, what God has showed me is that to be a Christian, means to be a disciple of Jesus.

Bill Hull states in his article "What must change now" that: The word Christian-used three times in the New Testament has been preferred over Disciple, used 269 times. Christian seems to be a word that has lost its meaning more so than those who think Disciple is passé. It seems that outside the Church Christians are thought of as intolerant, even hateful, they are critics and judges. It is a title that has disappeared into the fog of Western culture to define religious origin. Inside the Church, Christian has become a word that describes agreement with a set of religious ideas; it does not require action or movement.

Disciple is a robust word; it calls upon a person to give an answer to God, to do something, to follow and in doing so create an opportunity for transformation. Answering the call to discipleship means positioning oneself for spiritual formation. It requires intentionality, self-denial, and commitment to follow Jesus wherever He leads. As Bonhoeffer aptly stated, “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.”

We are called to be disciples of Jesus. Are you a disciple?

mms://media.bible.org/hull_etl_b102.wmv

Desiring God- Money Part 3

Desiring God- by John Piper

Laying Up for Yourself a Good Foundation

Paul's teaching to the rich in 1 Timothy 6:19 continues and applies these teachings of Jesus from the Gospels. He says rich people should use their money in a way that "lays up for themselves a good foundation for the future and takes hold on life which is life indeed." In other words, there is a way to use your money that forfeits eternal life.3

We know Paul has eternal life in view because seven verses earlier he uses the same kind of expression in reference to eternal life: "Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12).

The reason the use of your money provides a good foundation for eternal life is not that generosity earns eternal life, but that it shows where your heart is. Generosity confirms that our hope is in God and not in ourselves or our money. We don't earn eternal life. It is a gift of grace (2 Timothy 1:9). We receive it by resting in God's promise. Then how we use our money confirms or denies the reality of that rest.

Pride of Possessions

Paul gives three directions to the rich about how to use their money to confirm their eternal future.

First, don't let your money produce pride. "As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty" ( 1 Timothy 6:17). How deceptive our hearts are when it comes to money! Every one of us has felt the smug sense of superiority that creeps in after a clever investment or new purchase or a big deposit. Money's chief attractions is the power it gives and the pride it feeds. Paul says, don't let this happen.

Why It Is Hard for the Rich to Inherit Life

Second, he adds in verse 17, "Don't set your hope on uncertain riches, but on God who richly furnishes you all things to enjoy." This is not easy for the rich to do. That's why Jesus said it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:23) . It is hard to look at all the earthly hope that riches offer and then turn away from that to God, and rest all your hope on him. It is hard not to love the gift instead of the Giver. But this is the only hope for the rich. If they can't do it, they are lost.

They must remember the warning Moses gave the people of Israel as they entered the promised land:

Beware lest you say in your heart, "My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth." You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth; that he may confirm his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as at this day. (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)

The great danger of riches is that our affections will be carried away from God to his gifts.

Is This a Health-Wealth-and-Prosperity Teaching?

Before moving on to Paul's third exhortation for the rich, we must consider a common abuse of verse 17. The verse says that "God richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy." This means, first, that God is usually generous in the provision he makes to meet our needs. He furnishes things "richly." Second, it means we need not feel guilty for enjoying the things he gives us. They are given "for enjoyment." Fasting, celibacy, and other forms of self-denial are right and good in the service of God, but they must not be elevated as the spiritual norm. The provisions of nature are given for our good and, by our Godward joy, can become occasions of thanksgiving and worship ( 1 Timothy 4:2-5).

But a wealth-and-prosperity doctrine is afoot today, shaped by the half-truth that says, "We glorify God with our money by enjoying thankfully all the things he enables us to buy. Why should a son of the King live like a pauper?" And so on. The true half of this is that we should give thanks for every good thing God enables us to have. That does glorify him. The false half is the subtle implication that God can be glorified in this way by all kinds of luxurious purchases.

If this were true, Jesus would not have said, "Sell your possessions and give alms" (Luke 12 :33). He would not have said, "Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink" (Luke 12:29). John the Baptist would not have said, "He who has two coats, let him share with who has none" (Luke 3:11). The Son of Man would not have walked around with no place to lay his head (Luke 9:58). And Zacchaeus would not have given half his goods to the poor (Luke 19:8).

God is not glorified when we keep for ourselves (no matter how thankfully) what we ought to be using to alleviate the misery of unevangelized, uneducated, unmedicated, and unfed millions. The evidence that many professing Christians have been deceived by this doctrine is how little they give and how much they own. God has prospered them. And by an almost irresistible law of consumer culture (baptized by a doctrine of health, wealth, and prosperity) they have bought bigger (and more) houses, newer (and more) cars, fancier (and more) clothes, better (and more) meat, and all manner of trinkets and gadgets and containers and devices and equipment to make life more fun.

Why God Prospers Many Saints

They will object: Does not the Old Testament promise that God will prosper his people? Indeed! God increases our yield so that by giving we can prove our yield is not our god. God does not prosper a man's business so he can move from a Ford to a Cadillac. God prospers a business so that 17,000 unreached peoples can be reached with the gospel. He prospers a business so that twelve percent of the world's population can move a step back from the precipice of starvation.

I am a pastor, not an economist. Therefore I see my role today the way James Stewart saw it in Scotland thirty years ago. It is the function of economists, not the pulpit, to work out plans of reconstruction. But it is emphatically the function of the pulpit to stab men broad awake to the terrible pity of Jesus, to expose their hearts to the constraint of that divine compassion which halos the oppressed and the suffering, and flames in judgment against every social wrong.... There is no room for a preaching devoid of ethical directness and social passion, in a day when heaven's trumpets sound and the Son of God goes forth to war.

Desiring God- Money Part 2

Desiring God by John Piper

The Images of Wealth

I recall a full-page ad for a popular office chair which showed a man in a plush office. The ad's headline read, "His suits are custom tailored. His watch is solid gold. His office chair is________________. " Below the man's picture was this quote:

I've worked hard and had my share of luck: my business is a success. I wanted my office to reflect this and I think it does. For my chair I chose a________________. It fits the image I wanted . . . If you can't say this about your office chair, isn't it about time you sat in a _________________? After all, haven't you been without one long enough?

The philosophy of wealth in those lines goes like this: If you've earned them, you would be foolish to deny yourself the images of wealth. If 1 Timothy 6:9 is true, and the desire to be rich brings us into Satan's trap and the destruction of hell, then this advertisement, which exploits and promotes that desire, is just as destructive as anything you might read in the sex ads of a big city daily.

Are you awake and free from the false messages of American merchandising? Or has the omnipresent economic lie deceived you so that the only sin you can imagine in relation to money is stealing? I believe in free speech and free enterprise because I have no faith whatsoever in the moral capacity of sinful civil government to improve upon the institutions created by sinful individuals. But for God's sake let us use our freedom as Christians to say no to the desire for riches and yes to the truth: There is great gain in godliness when we are content with the simple necessities of life.

What Should the Rich Do?

So far we have been pondering the words addressed in 1 Timothy 6:6-10 to people who are not rich but who may be tempted to want to be rich. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Paul addresses a group in the church who are already rich. What should a rich person do with his money if he becomes a Christian? And what should a Christian do if God prospers his business so that great wealth is at his disposal? Paul answers like this:

(17) As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy. (18) They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous, (19) thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed.

The words of verse 19 simply paraphrase Jesus' teaching. Jesus said

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Jesus is not against investment. He is against bad investment- namely, setting your heart on the comforts and securities that money can afford in this world. Money is to be invested for eternal yields in heaven-"Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven!" How?

Luke 12:32-34 gives one answer:

Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

So the answer to how to lay up treasures in heaven is to spend your earthly treasures for merciful purposes in Christ's name here on earth. Give alms-that is, provide yourself with purses in heaven. Notice carefully that Jesus does not merely say that treasure in heaven will be the unexpected result of generosity on earth. No, he says we should pursue treasure in heaven. Lay it up! Provide yourselves with unfailing purses and treasures! This is pure Christian Hedonism.

You Will Be Repaid at the Resurrection of the Just

Another instance of it in the teaching of Jesus is Luke 14:13-14, where he is more specific about how to use our resources to lay up treasures in heaven.

Whenever you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot pay you back, for it will be paid back to you in the resurrection of the just.

This is virtually the same as saying, "Give alms; provide yourselves purses in heaven." Don't seek the reward of an earthly tit for tat. Be generous. Don't pad your life with luxuries and comforts. Look to the resurrection and the great reward in God "whose presence is fullness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11).

Beware of Being Wiser than the Bible

Beware of commentators who divert attention from the plain meaning of these texts. What would you think, for example, of the following typical comrnent on Luke 14:13-14: "The promise of reward for this kind of life is there as a fact. You do not live this way for the sake of reward. If you do you are not living in this way but in the old selfish way.'' 1

Is this true-that we are selfish and not loving if we are motivated by the promised reward? If so, why did Jesus entice us by mentioning the reward, even giving it as the basis ("for") of our action? And what would this commentator say concerning Luke 12:33, where we are not told that reward will result from our giving alms, but we are told to actively seek to get the reward-"Provide yourselves with purses!"?

And what would he say concerning the parable of the unrighteous steward (Luke 16:1-13), where Jesus concludes, "Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations" ( 16:9)? The aim of this parable is to instruct the disciples in the right and loving use of worldly possessions. Jesus does not say the result of such use is to receive eternal habitations. He says, Make it your aim to secure an eternal habitation by the use of your possessions.

So it is simply wrong to say that Jesus does not want us to pursue the reward he promises. He commands that we pursue it (Luke 12:33, 16:9). More than forty times in the Gospel of Luke there are promises of reward and threats of punishment connected with the commands of Jesus.2

Of course, we must not seek the reward of earthly praise or material gain. This is clear not only from Luke 14:14, but also from Luke 6:35, "Love your enemies, and do good, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High." In other words, don't care about earthly reward; look to the heavenly reward, namely, the infinite joys of being a son of God!

Or, as Jesus put it in Matthew 6: 3-4, don't care about human praise for your merciful acts. If that is your goal, that's all you will get, and that will be a pitiful reward compared to the reward of God. "When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Luring Others to the Reward by Loving It Ourselves

The reason our generosity toward others is not a sham-love when we are motivated by the longing for God's promise is that we are aiming to take those others with us into that reward. We know our joy in heaven will be greater if the people we treat with mercy are won over to the surpassing worth of Christ, and join us in praising him.

But how will we ever point them to Christ's infinite worth if we are not driven, in all we do, by the longing to have more of him? It would only be unloving if we pursued our joy at the expense of others. But if our very pursuit includes the pursuit of their joy, how is that selfish ? How am I the less loving if my longing for God moves me to give away my earthly possessions so that my joy in him can be forever doubled in your partnership of praise?

Desiring God- Money Part 1

In my Sunday School class I am currently teaching from John Piper's book called, Desiring God. This month we are on the Chapter that deals with money. This lesson has been very difficult for all of us but one that WE as believers need to hear especially in this day and age of wealth. Compared to the rest of the world we are extremely wealthy people. God has a plan and purpose for our prosperity and how we are to handle it. So, I thought that I would post this chapter online. I have broken it up into 4 segments and will post a segment every couple of days. I would love to hear your feed back on it. This chapter is very convicting and my prayer is that Christians today would really grasp this. It would be life changing if we did.

Money:
The Currency of Christian Hedonism


Money is the currency of Christian Hedonism. What you do with it-or desire to do with it-can make or break your happiness forever. The Bible makes clear that what you feel about money can destroy you:

Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. (l Timothy6:9)

Or what you do with your money can secure the foundation of eternal life:

They are to be liberal and generous, thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed. (l Timothy6:18,19)

These verses teach us to use our money in a way that will bring us the greatest and longest gain. That is, they advocate Christian Hedonism. They confirm that it is not only permitted but commanded by God that we flee from destruction and pursue our full and lasting pleasure. They imply that all the evils in the world come not because our desires for happiness are too strong, but because they are so weak that we settle for fleeting pleasures that do not satisfy our deepest souls, but in the end destroy them. The root of all evil is that we are the kind of people who settle for the love of money instead of the love of God ( 1 Timothy 6:10) .

Beware the Desire to Be Rich

This text in 1 Timothy 6 is so crucial that we should meditate on it in more detail. Paul is warning Timothy against

[They are] people who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Now, there is great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to bc rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs.

Paul writes to Timothy a word of warning about slick deceivers who discovered they could cash in on the upsurge of godliness in Ephesus. According to verse five, these puffed-up controversialists treat godliness as a means of gain. They are so addicted to the love of money that truth occupies a very subordinate place in their affections. They don't "rejoice in the truth." They rejoice in tax evasion. They are willing to use any new, popular interest to make a few bucks.

Nothing is sacred. If the bottom line is big and black, the advertising strategies are a matter of indifference. If godliness is in, then sell godliness.

This text is very timely. Ours are good days for profits in godliness. The godliness market is hot for booksellers and music makers and dispensers of silver crosses and fish buckles and olivewood letter-openers and bumper stickers and lucky-water crosses with Jesus on the front and miracle water inside guaranteed to make you win at Bingo or your money back in ninety days. These are good days for gain in godliness!

He Didn't Say, "Don't Live for Gain."

In his day or in ours, Paul could have responded to this effort to turn godliness into gain by saying, "Christians don't live for gain. Christians do what's right for its own sake. Christians aren't motivated by profit." But that's not what Paul said. He said (in verse six), "There is great gain in godliness with contentment."

Instead of saying Christians don't live for gain, he says Christians ought to live for greater gain than the slick money lovers do. Godliness is the way to get this great gain, but only if we are content with simplicity rather than greedy for riches. "Godliness with contentment is great gain."

If your godliness has freed you from the desire to be rich and has helped you be content with what you have, then your godliness is tremendously profitable. "For while physical training is a little profitable, godliness is profitable for all things, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come" (1 Timothy 4: 8). Godliness that overcomes the craving for material wealth produces great spiritual wealth. The point of verse six is that it is very profitable not to pursue wealth.

What follows in verses 7-10 are three reasons why we should not pursue riches.

Getting Raises Is Not the Same as Getting Rich

But first let me insert a clarification. We live in a society in which many legitimate businesses depend on large concentrations of capital. You can't build a new manufacturing plant without millions of dollars in equity. Therefore, financial offers in big businesses often have the responsibility to build reserves, for example, by selling shares to the community. When the Bible condemns the desire to get rich, it IS not necessarily condemning a business which aims to expand and therefore seeks larger capital reserves. The of ficers of the business may be greedy for more personal wealth, or they may have larger, nobler motives of how their expanded productivity will benefit people.

Even when a competent person in business is offered a raise or a higher paying job and accepts it, that is not enough to condemn him for the desire to be rich. He may have accepted the job because he craves the power and status and luxuries the money could bring. Or, content with what he has, he may intend to use the extra money for founding an adoption agency or giving a scholarship or sending a missionary or funding an inner-city ministry.

Working to earn money for the cause of Christ is not the same as desiring to be rich. What Paul is warning against is not the desire to earn money to meet our needs and the needs of others; he is warning against the desire to have more and more money and the ego boost and material luxuries it can provide.

There Are No U-Hauls behind Hearses

Let's look at the three reasons Paul gives in verses 7-10 for why we should not aspire to be rich.

(1) In verse seven he says, "For we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world."There are no U-Hauls behind hearses.

Suppose someone passes empty-handed through the turnstiles at a big city art museum and begins to take the pictures off the wall and carry them importantly under his arm. You come up to him and say, "What are you doing?"

He answers, "I'm becoming an art collector."

"But they're not really yours," you say, "and besides, they won't let you take any of those out of here. You'll have to go out just like you came in."

But he answers again, "Sure, they're mine. I've got them under my arm. people in the halls look at me as an important dealer. And I don't bother myself with thoughts about leaving. Don't be a kill-joy."

We would call this man a fool ! He is out of touch with reality. So is the person who spends himself to get rich in this life. We will go out just the way we came in.

Or picture 269 people entering eternity in a plane crash in the Sea of Japan. Before the crash there is a noted politician, a millionaire corporate executive, a playboy and his playmate, a missionary kid on the way back from visiting grandparents.

After the crash they stand before God utterly stripped of Mastercards, checkbooks, credit lines, image clothes, how-to-succeed books, and Hilton reservations. Here are the politician, the executive, the playboy, and the missionary kid, all on level ground with nothing, absolutely nothing in their hands, possessing only what they brought in their hearts. How absurd and tragic the lover of money will seem on that day-like a man who spends his whole life collecting train tickets and in the end is so weighed down by the collection he misses the last train. Don't spend your precious life trying to get rich, Paul says, "for we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of the world."

Simplicity Is Possible and Good

(2) Then in verse eight Paul adds the second reason not to pursue wealth: "If we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content." Christians can be and ought to be content with the simple necessities of life.

I'll mention three reasons why such simplicity is possible and good.

First, when you have God near you and for you, you don't need extra money or extra things to give you peace and security.

Keep your life free from the love of money. Be content with what you have. For he has said, "I will never fail you nor forsake you." Hence we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

No matter which way the market is moving, God is always better than gold. Therefore, by God's help we can be and we should be con tent with the simple necessities of life.

Second, we can be content with simplicity because the deepest, most satisfying delights God gives us through creation are free gifts from nature and from loving relationships with people. After your basic needs are met, accumulated money begins to diminish your capacity for these pleasures rather than increase them. Buying things contributes absolutely nothing to the heart's capacity for joy.

There is a deep difference between the temporary thrill of a new toy and a homecoming hug from a devoted friend. Who do you think has the deepest, most satisfying joy in life, the man who pays $140 for a fortieth-floor suite downtown and spends his evening in the half-lit, smoke-filled lounge impressing strange women with ten-dollar cocktails, or the man who chooses the Motel 6 by a vacant lot of sunflowers and spends his evening watching the sunset and writing a love letter to his wife?

Third, we should be content with the simple necessities of life because we could invest the extra we make for what really counts. For example, the "Annual Statistical Table on Global Mission 2002" by David Barrett and Todd Johnson reports that there are 1,645,685,000 unevangelized people in the world. That means 26.5 percent of the world's population live in people groups that do not have indigenous evangelizing churches. This does not count the third of the world that does live in evangelized peoples but makes no profession of faith. If the unevangelized are to hear- and Christ commands that they hear-then cross cultural missionaries will have to be sent and paid for.
All the wealth needed to send this army of good news ambassadors is already in the church. And yet in 1999, the average Protestant gave 2.6 percent of his income to his church.

According to the website of Mission Frontiers.

1. The total global church member annual income is $12.3 Trillion ($213 billion)
2. Of this, $213 billion (1.73 percent) is given to Christian causes.
3. Of this, $11.4 billion (5.4 percent of the 1.73 percent) goes to Foreign Missions.
4. Of this, 87 percent goes for work among those already Christian; 12 percent goes for work among already evangelized non-Christians, and one percent-$114 million- goes to the unreached.

If we, like Paul, are content with the simple necessities of life, hundreds of millions of dollars in the church would be released to take the gospel to the frontiers. The revolution of joy and freedom it would cause at home would be the best local witness imaginable. The biblical call is that you can and ought to be content with life's simple necessities.

How to Pierce the Heart with Many Pangs

(3) The third reason not to pursue wealth is that the pursuit will end in the destruction of your life. This is the point of verses nine and ten:

Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs.

No Christian Hedonist wants to plunge into ruin and destruction and be pierced with many pangs. Therefore, no Christian Hedonist desires to be rich.

Test yourself. Have you learned your attitude toward money from the Bible, or have you absorbed it from contemporary American merchandising? When you ride an airplane and read the airline magazine, almost every page teaches and pushes a view of wealth exactly opposite from the view in 1 Timothy 6:9 that those desiring to be rich will fall into ruin and destruction. Paul makes vivid the peril of the same desire which the airline magazines exploit and promote.

Unashamed

Therefore do not be ashamed of the Tesimony of our LORD, nor me his prisoner. But share in suffering for the Gospel, by the power of God.

2 Timothy 1:8

The Fellowship of the Unashamed


I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."

The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made. I am 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, and my future is secure.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,

small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,

chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.


I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,

promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by

presence, lean by faith, love by patience,

lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace

is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my

road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,

my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,

compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,

diluted, or delayed.


I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the

presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,

ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander

in the maze of mediocrity.


I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until

Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,

and work until He comes. And when He comes to get

His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.

My colors will be clear.

But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.
2 Timothy 1:12

If Only Our Prayers Were More Like This

The Call Nashville

Warning: Lots of reading ahead….. I am about to make up for not having posted a blog for 3 weeks….

I have been marked forever by 7.7.07, a day of seeking the Lord through fasting and prayer. The Call Nashville was an event of 100,000 people coming together at LP field in Nashville, Tennessee to fast, pray, repent, praise and renew our vows to the LORD and to return to Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

The event was preceded by a 40 day fast and consecrating ourselves to the LORD. Then, on the day of the event we fasted and prayed together for over 12 hours while we worshipped, prayed and sought God together. It was the most amazing and intense time of worship that I have ever experienced. I have still not recovered from God’s presence at this event and what He showed me- I don’t want to recover!

In order to learn about the purpose of “The Call” you can click on these links.

http://www.louengle.com/articles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHEJRPlaBk4

At the beginning of this year- God began to talk to me about fasting. This was completely foreign to me. I had never fasted before and had no idea how to go about it. As I prayed one night for God to confirm that He was indeed calling me to a fast He was faithful to answer. The very next morning in my daily reading of His Word, God set before me Isaiah 58 which talks about True and False Fasting. I didn’t read much into the verses at the time but was sure at this point of God leading me to fast.

As I approached this calling from the LORD, I felt led to a 3 day fast. I followed through in obedience but I must admit that it was very difficult. To deny the cravings of my flesh for food was brutal on me. However, this denial of food drew me straight into the embrace of my Father and there in that time of surrender God began to speak to me intensely through His Word. He began really convicting my heart about His bride and His coming back for her.

There has been an urgency in the Lord’s message to me for some time-an urgency to reach those who have gone astray from the LORD and to point them to Jesus so they can return to the LORD with all their heart. But this time His message was stronger than ever during my fast. Another message that God has spoken to me has been through Joel 2 where God speaks about pouring out His Spirit in the last days. With both of these messages on my heart God continued to lead me to more fasting. A continual practice of fasting and praying was the Lords agenda for me. But why? God was preparing me for “The Call”.

God dropped this event right in my path and showed me that this was a time to come and pray for The Church and for our nation to return to the LORD and HE had been preparing me for this very day. 40 days of fasting from May 28th-July 7th 2007. It was so awesome to see God bring all of this together. During my 40 day fast, God led me back to read Isaiah 58 but for a different reason. As I read it, God confirmed for me again the reason for my fasting and praying. Take a look at it. Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the fast that I (God) choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? God showed me the reason for this fast and the reason I was to go to “The Call Nashville”. I was praying and fasting on behalf of our nation to repent and turn back to the LORD.

I have tried over and over to sit down and recap this event and what God has showed me through it all and my words have fallen short every time. There is no way to describe to you the intensity of the worship and the presence of God and the things that He revealed to me personally. But, I am going to recap some of it for you so you’ll have an idea of what took place.

Recalling “The Call Nashville 7.07.07”
The event started at 10:00am but there was a prayer march that started somewhere around 7:30 or 8:00am that led to the stadium. Here is a picture of the march.

At 10:00am Worship was opened with the sounding of the shofars.
Lou Engle opened by reading from Joel 2 - Blow the trumpet - call a solemn assembly.

Different groups present were asked to stand and be presented before the Lord.
1. The residents of Nashville and the musicians of Nashville.

2. The African American church.

3. Asian Americans

4. Latino Americans

5. Native American Indians

6. Everyone who attends a church in America.

7. Natural born Jews.

Senator Sam Brownback repented of sins on behalf of our Nation and asks for forgiveness from different American groups:

1. American Indians

2. African American community

3. For the policy that makes abortion legal
4. For the Latinos regarding immigration

5. As a nation let us not forget Israel

Michael W. Smith read a letter from President Bush addressing those attending “the Call Nashville” We spent time praying for our President and governmental leaders. We had a time of repentance for a critical spirit towards our leaders. Mike Bickle led us in a prayer of repentance for a rebellious spirit.

Rick Pino led in Worship- Awesome!

Dutch Sheets explained why God chose 7.7.07

Summer of love 1967-

Charles and Anne Stock share their 1967 Summer of Love involvement. Lou Engle leads prayer of repentance for a generation that embraced, free sex, drugs and rejection of morals and rebellion against authority.

Matthew Stark - Call to repent for involvement with pornography.

1. 325,000 US children age 17 or younger are prostitutes or pornographic performers

2.One out of six boys / one out of three girls are sexually molested before they turn 18

3.Pornographic revenues in the US are greater than that of the NBA, MLB and NFL combined

4. 51% of pastors say they struggle with pornographic temptation..

5. 53% of men who went to a promise keeper event confess that they looked at pornography the week before.

6. 54% percent of church leaders regularly view pornography.

7. One out of three visitors to pornographic web sites is women.

8. 60% of adults and 50% of born again Christians believe it is ok for men and women to live together

9.Pornographic movie rentals increase more than any other time when Christian conferences come to town..

10. Nine out of ten kids ages 8 to 16 have viewed pornographic material online either intentionally or accidentally. (Parents get the computers out of your kid’s rooms.)

This was a huge eye opener for all of us and there was a time called to REPENT. A LARGE number of people left their seats and went to the front to repent and ask forgiveness.There was a wave of confession, repentance all over the stadium and people were DELIVERED and set FREE!

Eddie James worship-

More prayer for the cleansing of our eyes. Call to make a covenant with our eyes to not look on any vile thing.

Testimonies of involvement with abortions. Personal repentance and prayer for forgiveness for:

1.Those who have had abortions.

2.Those who have given abortions

3.Those who have encouraged others to have abortions.

4.Those who have paid for abortions

Dutch Sheets - Gave Seven Decrees

1. We decree that America's marriage to Baal is terminated and that the fruit of that marriage will now come to an end.

2. We decree that the stronghold of sexual sin in America is being broken, including sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, incest, adultery and pornography. We decree that in its place will come a revival of purity and holiness.

3. We decree that the sin of covenant breaking, manifesting thru divorce, generational breeches, disloyalty, ratial strife, lying, disrespect of authority, and broken relationships in general are now broken in America. We decree that in its place covenant faithfulness will again prevail in America

4. We decree that witchcraft, idolatry, and the power of false religions are broken off of our land. 5. We decree that the sins of violence and anger, murder, abortion, rape, incest, self mutilation, cutting and other forms of violence are being broken off of America.

6. We declare that in this divorce settlement, we receive custody of the children.We decree that Baal and Molech will not continue to steal, kill and destroy our children, but rather a great awakening is coming to America that will save a generation

7. And lastly, we decree that America is turning back to God and his son Jesus Christ and that we are renewing covenant with him thru Jesus Christ. We declare that love is stronger than death, that the fire of love for God is stronger than the fire of lust. We decree that America will once again burn with a holy passion for God.

Misty Edwards led worship-This was Incredible! What an anointed worship leader!

Mike Bickle came out and began talking about the spiritual message of Song of Solomon 8:6.
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. God will set a seal of His love on our hearts.

One of the songs that Misty sang that was so powerful was called “Come be the Fire inside of me.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTshSpja0y8

We sang that song for about 30 minutes or more. It was such a powerful time of worship. Just when I thought that I couldn't stand another minute to sing, God's spirit would come and call me back to my feet in awesome worship!

Lou Engle led everyone in communion, a covenant ceremony symbolic of the Bride of Christ marrying our Bridegroom. This was the sweetest moment of it all for me. Lou Engle shared with us that more weddings were taking place that day on 7.07.07 than on any other day in history. They had three couples get married there that day on the stage as an enactment in the natural of what is going on in the Spiritual. The weddings were but a shadow of the glory that will be as Jesus marries his bride. This was the NEATEST thing. It was such a beautiful picture of what is to come. Lou stated that this generation is getting ready for the marriage of the Lamb. The bride is making herself ready. As the three couples got married we sang songs of worship to our God the romancer of our hearts and danced with the lover of our soul.
Chris Dupree sang, Dance with me, oh lover of my soul. Romance me, oh lover of my soul. God made Himself so present personally for me at this moment. Something I’ll never forget!

Lou Engel led us in a time of singing and praying over Jerusalem. James Goll – led us in a time to pray for an unprecedented awakening of Israel in Jesus name. We prayed for the greatest awakening that the Jewish people have ever had.We prayed that our Nation would be in proper alignment with Israel.

Ok, and then Michael W. Smith came out to lead us in worship. Can I just say, that God made Himself present in that place when Michael took the stage. He sang several songs, but then he sang, “Let it rain, open the flood gates of heaven” I thought God was literally going to rend the heavens and come down on us. The Holy Spirit fell upon us and this opened the door for massive prayer to break out. We prayed for our Nation and for a great awakening and for Revival. (I get chills just thinking about it) It was a time that I did not want to end.
We had a time of prayer for adoptions. We prayed that the church would rescue children from the foster-child system and from mothers who do no want to or can not take care of their babies. We were encouraged as believers to step up to the plate and give these children a Christian home despite our person preferences or comforts.

We spent a LONG time in Prayer and focus for ending abortion- We Stood in silence with LIFE stickers over our mouths for those that have no voice to speak for their lives. A WOW moment for sure!

To end the night we had an incredible time of the sounding of 300 shofars and major shouts of warfare and victory. The 300 represented the number in Gideon's Army. It was so chilling as we all raised our voices as loud as possible to God at the sound of the shofars.

One of the things that was so interesting was that so many thousands had been fasting and were fasting that day. There was a good cloud cover for part of the morning, but then the sun came out and it was HOT. There were people passing out all over the place and an announcement was made that everyone needed to drink water or the event would be shut down. It was just neat though to see the dedication to fasting and seeking the LORD in worship and repentance ALL day long even under the brutal circumstances.

Also, there were constant images of faces with the word HOLY written on their foreheads on the jumbo-trons at the stadium through out the day. These images have been ingrained on my mind.

Good grief….this is just a drop in the hat compared to what happened. I couldn’t possibly recall it all for you. There are so many things that happened before/during/and after the event that I hope to eventually share with everyone in bits and pieces.

We are in the end times. Jesus is coming back for His Bride but He will not come back for her while she is in such a pathetic state. It was eye opening to see how much murder-abortion, sexual immorality- pornography is running rampant in the church. It’s time for the Church to wake up, Repent and return to the LORD….the lover of our soul. I look forward to seeing how God works on behalf of our day of prayer and fasting. My life has been forever changed and I know 100,000 other lives have been as well. Thank you God for calling me to participate in this awesome day of calling on your name in prayer in fasting on behalf of the Church and our nation.
On 7.7.07 I was ruined for love. My heart is the LORD’S and I am committed to do whatever it takes to help wake the church up! It’s time…..The time of the LORD is near!

Here are some videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s-gp_aQ-0U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4gUR1xImWE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDMQV04j610

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTshSpja0y8

There are tons of other videos on http://www.youtube.com/ Just enter “the call Nashville” in the search box and it will pull up many clips/songs of the day. There are more "Call's" coming to participate in as well. You can find all the info here http://www.thecall.com/

The Best Way to Start Every Day

In my previous post Open the Word I addressed the importance of getting in the Word and whether or not the soil of our lives is in a condition prepared to receive the Word so that it bears fruit. I read this testimony from George Mueller and I could not resist sharing it with you. It is so good and I believe that it is advice that we all need to hear. I think that you'll agree that this is the BEST way to start every day. Let's get serious about the Word and start putting to practice the commendments of George Mueller.

Testimony of George Mueller ( 1805-1898) from his autobiography:

While I was staying at Nailsworth, it pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, irrespective of human instrumentality, as far as I know, the benefit of which I have not lost, though now . . . more than forty years have since passed away. The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers, I might seek to relieve the distressed, I might in other ways seek to behave myself as it becomes a child of God in this world; and yet, not being happy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit.

Before this time my practice had been, at least for ten years previously, as an habitual thing, to give myself to prayer, after having dressed in the morning. Now I saw, that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus, whilst meditating, my heart might be brought into experimental, communion with the Lord. I began therefore, to meditate on the New Testament, from the beginning, early in the morning.

The first thing I did, after having asked in a few words the Lord's blessing upon His precious Word, was to begin to meditate on the Word of God; searching, as it were, into every verse, to get blessing out of it; not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word; not for the sake of preaching on what I had meditated upon; but for the sake of obtaining food for my own soul. The result I have found to be almost invariably this, that after a very few minutes my soul has been led to confession, or to thanksgiving, or to intercession, or to supplication; so that though I did not, as it were, give myself to prayer, but to meditation, yet it turned almost immediately more or less into prayer.

When thus I have been for awhile making confession, or intercession, or supplication, or have given thanks, I go on to the next words or verse, turning all, as I go on, into prayer for myself or others, as the Word may lead to it; but still continually keeping before me, that food for my own soul is the object of my meditation. The result of this is, that there is always a good deal of confession, thanksgiving, supplication, or intercession mingled with my meditation, and that my inner man almost invariably is even sensibly nourished and strengthened and that by breakfast time, with rare exceptions, I am in a peaceful if not happy state of heart. Thus also the Lord is pleased to communicate unto me that which, very soon after, I have found to become food for other believers, though it was not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word that I gave myself to meditation, but for the profit of my own inner man.

The difference between my former practice and my present one is this. Formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible, and generally spent all my time till breakfast in prayer, or a,!most all the time. At a,l events I almost invariably began with prayer.... But what was the result? I often spent a quarter of an hour, or half an hour, or even an hour on my knees, before being conscious to myself of having derived comfort, encouragement, humbling of soul, etc.; and often after having suffered much from wandering of mind for the first ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour, or even half an hour, I only then began really to pray.

I scarcely ever suffer now in this way. For my heart being nourished by the truth, being brought into experimental fellowship with God, I speak to my Father, and to my Friend (vile though I am, and unworthy of it! ) about the things that He has brought before me in His precious Word.
It often now astonishes me that I did not sooner see this. In no book did I ever read about it. No public ministry ever brought the matter before me. No private intercourse with a brother stirred me up to this matter. And yet now, since God has taught me this point, it is as plain to me as anything, that the first thing the child of God has to do morning by morning is to obtain food for his inner man.

As the outward man is not fit for work for any length of time, except we take food, and as this is one of the first things we do in the morning, so it should be with the inner man. We should take food for that, as every one must allow. Now what is the food for the inner man: not prayer, but the Word of God: and here again not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts....

I dwell so particularly on this point because of the immense spiritual profit and refreshment I am conscious of having derived from it my self, and I affectionately and solemnly beseech all my fellow-believers to ponder this matter. By the blessing of God I ascribe to this mode the help and strength which I have had from God to pass in peace through deeper trials in various ways than I had ever had before; and after having now above forty years tried this way, I can most fully, in the fear of God, commend it. How different when the soul is refreshed and made happy early in the morning, from what it is when, without spiritual preparation, the service, the trials and the temptations of the day come upon one! 1

1. Autobiography of George Mueller, compiled by Fred. Bergen, (London: J. Nisbet Co., 1906), pp. 152-54.

Open the WORD!

I have been thinking a lot about the Inspired Word (as a whole) lately, mostly because I have been teaching on this topic in Sunday school but also because I have been pondering the fact that so many people don't take God's word seriously. Why is it that believers today will claim scripture as the full authoritative Word of God, but they don't read it? The very breath of God revealed to man and we let it sit on our night stands and collect dust or at best, we’ll open it up every now and then.

As John Piper states in his book, Desiring God, “the Bible is the source of life and faith and power and hope and freedom and wisdom and comfort and assurance and victory over our greatest enemy. Not to pursue our joy every day in the Word of God is an abandonment of the revealed will of God. It is sin” No wonder Christians are walking around defeated today. We are busy, depressed, stressed, confused, full of anxiety, discouraged, lonely, exhausted and completely empty inside. Why? The answer is simple. We have abandoned the Word and are trying to do things our way. Guess what?…..It’s NOT working!

There are some however, that are reading the Word, but there is no change in their lifestyle and there is no fruit being produced. What is going on with believers today? The church as a whole is dead. There is not much evidence of people living the abundant life and having a zeal and fire for the LORD. Today we live in a culture where we have many LARGE churches and we have impressive worship services, great music and teaching but the church itself is not a living, vibrant, effective church. What is going on? I think there are several reasons why this is true, but I want to address only one today.

Matthew 13:22 says, “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” Listen to what Chris Tiegreen says:

Many Christians begin with zeal in serving the Lord, but find only a few years later that their lives are consumed with possessions, debts, and busy schedules bent on maintaining a certain lifestyle. We must be wary of one of the enemy’s primary weapons-clutter. His intent is no so much a disorganized home, as we often think of clutter, but a disorganized, encumbered life. The enemy wants to give us as much baggage as possible-materially and spiritually-in order to render us fruitless. We must not let him.

Have you ever found yourself considering a certain ministry or service, only realized it’s impractical because it would involve too much of a change in lifestyle? Or wanting to five more to ministries of the church, but realizing you can’t; you owe too much to other people, or have too many plans about how to enhance your own environment? It’s an uncomfortable position to be in, but it’s an accurate reflection of today’s verse. And many of us are there. The deceiver keeps us striving after an elusive contentment in status and things. He keeps us thinking that an adequate lifestyle is just around the corner. But it never comes.

Imagine standing before the Lord one day and explaining our fruitlessness. How defeated we will sound if we have to say, “Lord, I would have served You there, but I couldn’t get by on that income. I would have given to that ministry, but I needed the money to insure my possessions. I would have shown others how to have peace in their hearts, but I was so worried about just surviving. “ Be on guard against the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth. We will have to answer for them. Better to weed them out before they choke God’s Word in our hearts and the enemy uses them to render us unfruitful. Take up your pruning shears today. "

God’s Word is not being lived out, because it is choked the minute we receive it. This is due to the condition of the soil of our lives. It is full of thorns (worries, possessions, debts, and busy schedules bent on maintaining a certain lifestyle.) God’s Word will never bear fruit in our lives if we are consumed with the things of the world. We have got to seek God with all our hearts and begin asking Him what in our lives need to “go”. God is looking for those that will set their lives completely apart for Him and Him alone. If you are serious about this, most likely this will be a painful process. What kind of soil is the Word of God falling on today? Is the Word choked by thorns? I don’t know about you, but I want to live in victory and have a life that bears much fruit to the Glory of God. Let’s take a long hard look inside to see where we stand today, open up God’s Word and start living the abundant and effective life that God has called us to.

Where am I?

Recently I woke up and had a strange feeling and I thought to myself, “Where am I”? As I looked around our house and outside it felt like my mind was playing tricks on me. “What am I doing here, this is NOT my home”. You see, a year ago our family was pulling out of the drive way from our home in Texas and headed toward a new place; a place where God had called us. A year ago, everything was familiar and comfortable. We had our families with us, our jobs, our long time friends, we had a church home that we loved, and we had ministries that we were so fond of. Everything was nice and comfortable until the day God called us to a new place.

After my husband graduated seminary we began an unexpected long and painful process of interviewing and trying to discover where God would have us serve in ministry. We waited an entire year for God to show us where to go. One of the things that we made sure that we did in our process of seeking out our place of ministry was to not limit God on where he wanted to take us. We told the Lord that we would go anywhere that he called us. We imagined ourselves in many different cities and states and even possibly for God to keep us in an area close to family. However, when we got word from the LORD that we were moving to Alabama, I was speechless.

We had interviewed in many different states but in all my thinking and dreaming about where the Lord would place us, there were two places that I never imagined God would call us to. The first place was Africa and the second was Alabama. I don’t know why, I just never saw us being at either of those locations. But, this is usually the way God works isn’t it? He always does the thing that we least expect and He sure through me for a loop on this one.

So here we are a year later, in the place where God asked us to serve. We picked up everything in Texas and moved our family far away from the place we called home for so many years. We were leaving a place of comfort and familiarity and walking out in faith and allowing God to take us somewhere new. I often think about Abram and how he must have felt when God called him to leave everything behind to follow Him to a place he did not know. The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. (Genesis 12:1) We really love Alabama, our new home, friends and church family. God has blessed us more than we ever imagined being in this new place. But, we are still getting settled and used to the area and all the new things that come upon us. It has felt a little foreign getting adjusted to a new home and driving these different roads each day. There is still that strange feeling and something that still stirs my heart telling me that I am longing for my real home.

Where is my real home? Is it Texas? I’ll always be a true Texas girl at heart, but I believe my longing is for a place of a fairer kind. Just like the writer of Hebrews describes Abraham, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Heb 11:8-10) My real home is with my Heavenly Father in the place that I will spend eternity.

So, why am I telling you all of this? God may not be calling you to a new city or state. You may sit right where you are at for many years to come, but one thing we must learn is that we should never get too comfortable or wrapped up in the things of this world. We should be constantly asking ourselves….Where am I? And what am I doing here? We need to be reminded that this is not our permanent home. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”- (Philippians 3:20) It is so easy to allow things to get so familiar to us that we forget our purpose and our calling. If we get too comfortable and settled into this world we will miss all that God has in store for us. We need to be constantly seeking Him and asking where it is He wants us to go or serve. God wants to grow and stretch us and take us to places of faith that we never imagined. Things may be a bit unsettling in our walk with the Lord here on earth. But remember this is not our home, we are only here temporarily.

Wake up America!

I came across this video this morning and I could not resist putting this on my Blog. This is has been SO heavy on my heart!! This is a message that America needs to hear! Pass it on.

I was made to love You!

Hey everyone!
I am so sorry that I have been silent for over 2 weeks now on the Blog. I have been away from my desk and extremely busy. It has been the most sleep deprived and exhausting 2 weeks that I have had in a LONG time but I can't wait to tell you why. I have got a ton of things on my heart so I am going to just start spewing out thoughts on the keyboard.

This is the first year that I have ever gotten to participate in VBS. In all the summers past, I have always had to work. So, I have been looking forward to getting to help this summer now that I am no longer a career woman! I had the privilege to teach 5th graders. I have to say that I was somewhat nervous about it because I am used to teaching women, not children. But, I had no idea what God had in store for me.

Last week, I spent pretty much the entire week up at the church decorating our room. I had no idea all the work that went into this event. It is wild. We ended up with a really cool room though! Monday came and we had a room full of energetic 5th graders. This was the cutest bunch of kids. From the first day, I was HOOKED! I fell head over heels for all of them. I wish I could tell you all of the details of each day. But, I will stick with a brief overview. We had the kids an hour and a half for bible study time and then the kids went on to do the different activities that they signed up for. After the activities, they went to worship. We had the best time in worship singing and dancing unto the LORD.

Wednesday, was my favorite day. This was the day that we got to sit down in bible study and go over the ABC's of becoming a Christian. While sharing the plan of salvation with my kids I was so pumped to see that the kids were really taking in all that I was saying. There was this one girl that did not take her eyes off me when I was talking to them. She was zoned in and soaking up every word. Afterward, the kids were taken to worship where the plan of salvation was shared again and then an invitation was given for the children. There were a lot of kids that went forward to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior over their lives, but I was SO excited to see that same girl from my class walk forward. That decision alone made it worth every minute of the time and energy that went into all the planning and preparing on my part. There were 2 others in my class that came to know the LORD that day as well. I was BLESSED beyond measure.

I just was not prepared for this week in regards to what God was going to do. He showed up and knocked my socks off. This was an incredible week of VBS and my life has been changed by the experience. Today was the last day and even though I was extremely tired of all the long hours and little sleep, I was so sad to see it end. I am crazy about these kids! They were all so precious and I had a blast with them! One of the boys that was in my class came up to me today and wrapped his arms around me so tight and said, "I had so much fun this week and I loved having you for my teacher". SO sweet!

There was another boy in my class that I had problems with all week. Monday was really tough with him and we had to contact his mom first thing. After hearing her heart, I knew God planted him in my room for a reason. So, I really went the extra mile to try and take him under my wing and show God's love to him. I was fearful all week that my help or anything that was taught was not making any kind of impression on him. However, today he stunned me with a hug expressing to me how he enjoyed the week. I couldn't help but cry over this one!

God revealed Himself personally to me over and over this week. I was teaching and serving the children, but God was teaching me and showing Himself to me in the process. My heart was overflowing in joy over the children and our time together. But, God was even at work in other areas of my life. He doesn't waste a moment. We serve an amazing God. I gave up two weeks to pour myself out for VBS and God blessed me double in return. My life has been changed.

Take a peek at some of the week. http://www.hsbc.org/news/onetime_events/summerquest.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jDYoEgTodA

Now, to wrap things up we finished our week out with the 6th graders at a Toby Mac concert tonight. I wasn't sure that there was enough energy in me to get my self to a concert much less a Toby Mac Concert. I am not one to spend my time jammin out to Christian Rap music. (although my 2 boys certainly love it) I much prefer to let Travis Cottrell lead the music while I worship God. But, again.....God showed up and did what I was not expecting. I WORSHIPPED GOD to Rap Music! I found myself jumping, singing (and screaming) in Holy Worship unto the LORD. I don't care much about Toby Mac and all his moves and singing (I must say he did put on a great show though) but, he did help lead me straight to the throne of God tonight.

One of the things that hit me tonight while listening to Toby was this..... Believe it or not, I used to be crazy (A LONG time ago)about rap music. I have always loved the thump it has. However, the message was never a good one and the lifestyle at the time was not a God honoring one. I was able to reflect back on where I have been in my life journey and see to where God has brought me. This time, I could enjoy the beat AND the words and do all of it to the Glory of God! Gods love and restoration floors me!! HE has brought me such a long way and I always stand amazed at His grace and mercy over my life! What a sweet touch the Father gave me tonight by showing me His loving Hand!

My heart is just bursting at the seams right now in crazy love for My Savior! He blows my mind and fills me with so much joy. His Word sets me ablaze for Him and He even uses rappers to lead me to His throne to sing His praises. It felt so good to just be free tonight -to be unashamedly crazy for Jesus. One of the closing songs by Toby was "I was made to love You". It was my favorite song and such an appropriate way to end the week. "I was made to love, find and adore God" and this week, I DID! I thought that I would end this blog with the words to the song.
Drained- but FILLED!
Brittnie


Made To Love Lyrics

Great is the LORD!

A Song of Praise. Of David. Psalm 145

1I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. 3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 4One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. 7They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

8The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. 10All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you! 11They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, 12to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.] 14The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. 15The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. 16You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. 18The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. 20The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Ok, so I couldn't help but post some scripture! I was reading these verses in my daily reading today and I just got set on FIRE! God is so good. His Word fills me up!! While I know this may sound a bit silly, I must say it anyway. Do you remember what we are taught as kids to do if we were on fire? That's right.....Stop, Drop and Roll! Well, today I am on fire from God's Word. So, I will do this instead.....Stop, Drop, and PRAISE!

I will exalt you my God and I will praise your name! I will speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. I will pour forth from my mouth the fame of your abundant goodness and I shall sing aloud of your righteousness. I will bless your name FOREVER and EVER. Amen

Praise our great God with me today.
Brittnie

The Liar

Yesterday I was reading my devotional book by Chris Tiegreen and the title was named "Rejecting the Liar". It was based on John 8:44 which says, "When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Chris was talking about being aware of the lies the enemy feeds us.

In the middle of my reading, my youngest son (5 yrs) came up to me crying. He began to tell me what was wrong. He said, "my mind is trying to tell me that I don't love God-but mama, I do love God- so why is my mind trying to make me think that I don't love Him" He would walk around with his hands on his head saying, "make it go away".

I sat there stunned! I tried consoling him and telling him that I knew he loved God. I also shared with him that God knows all things, so therefore God knew that he loved Him, and to try and let it go. But, it didn't bring him alot of comfort at this point. Obviously, this kind of thinking was only bringing him alot of distress. He sat down beside me and put his head in my lap and said, "mom, pray for me right NOW" I prayed over this precious one and he seemed to be satisfied with leaving it in God's hands.

But, then it hit me....I was just reading about "the Liar" and I realized that he was already planting lies into my son's head. It occured to me that my oldest son experienced something very similar at the same age also. The enemy will begin to target even the youngest of minds. When he knows that innocent minds are being filled with The Truth he quickly goes in for the kill. (John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy)

It made me mad to think that my precious boys were even targets for the evil one. But, I was so impressed that my son knew immediately when something in his mind was not right. His mind is still pure enough that he could recognize a lie. How often we forget the battle that is going on in our lives constantly. Our minds are filled with so much junk from the world that we often don't recognize when the enemy speaks a lie into our minds.

Sadly enough, in so many cases we will fall for the lies of the evil one and we live in defeat after defeat. He loves to have us in this place because we are no threat to the kingdom of hell and even worse we fail at bringing God glory. The most important thing that we can do daily is to saturate our minds in Truth, so that the minute the lie comes, we can stare in it's face and reject it. We must also put on (daily) the full armor of God as Ephesians 6:11-18 tells us. We have got to be equipped to recognize The Liar and get back in the battle!

The best protection against Satan's lies is to know God's truth- Anonymous

Humble Yourself and Shine!

Hey everyone!

I know I have been lacking in my Blog posts. I have a lesson swirling around in my heart from the LORD on Joel 2 and haven't had time to sit down yet and put it to words. I'll try to get it posted soon. In the meantime, I have something else I thought that I would post.

Last week my teacher asked me to memorize Philippians chapter 2. I have been mulling those verses around in my brain and letting them sink in. Today I came across a summarization of Philippians chapter 2 by Beth Moore from her commissioning to her ladies at the Living Proof Live conference in Albuquerque. So, I thought that I would share it. Enjoy! Brittnie

Dearly loved one

You’ve been called by God

To shine like a star

In a dark, depraved world

Don’t blend in

Refuse the daily temptation

To be absorbed in yourself

Take interest in others

Deliberately humble yourself

And live the life of a servant

As you live in the crisis

Of “continue to”

Keep working out

What God is working in

Watch your mouth

Choose words of life

And one glorious day

You will see the face of Christ

And He will show you

Every good purpose

He fulfilled through you

And there will be delight

Even if you are despised or ignored

You are Christ’s star

Go forth and shine

By Beth Moore

A Gift of Grace

35 years ago a woman unable to conceive desperately prayed to receive a child. At the same time another woman desperately sought out a way to give up a child that was conceived unwanted. In God’s providence a prayer was answered and a delivery was made from one mother to another. At birth-This child was given a gift of grace-LIFE. My mother adopted me and loved me as her very own. In Adolescence- This child was given another gift of grace-ETERNAL LIFE. My heavenly Father adopted me and loved me as His very own. (Ephesians 1:5)

How I thank you LORD for answering the prayer of my mother and for placing me in her loving arms. Her love and nurturing helped lead me straight to you. That is something that I can never repay. Thank you mom for your unconditional love, I am forever grateful. I love you.
Brittnie

Happy Mother’s Day to all you precious mothers out there!

Face Down

One of the things I want to make clear is that when I address Christians in my posts as "we" that I am always included. I never want to be viewed as pointing fingers at anyone. No one has suggested that to me as such, but I wanted it to be understood. These lessons are as much for me as they are for anyone else.

My last post Revive Us LORD! was again on pride. This is such a huge issue. Over the last few years God began gradually exposing my pride and stripping me of self sufficiency. This has been a painful process. For those of you who don't know....I am an only child. If you know anything about research on birth orders you may understand that as an only child or first born the personality traits are things like leadership, perfectionists, strong willed etc.

These traits describe me to a "T". I am extremely strong willed and have been from an early age. My mom has often referred to stories of my toddler years when trying to help me with certain things I would refusingly scream, "ME DO IT". These words define my life in a nut shell. "Step aside please-I can do it" and "I don't need your help, I am perfectly capable" were common statements for me. Do those statements describe you too?

I have to admit, this personality type can get me in a lot of trouble. There is no humility wrapped up in that kind of attitude. Don't get me wrong- we need people with leadership skills and that are strong willed. These qualities are all God given and a part of His plan. However, if we are not careful we may forget where our help comes from. Luke 18:14 says, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

"Listen to what Chris Tiegreen says in his book "At His Feet". "Pride denies sin is a problem and it exalts self and self effort. It denies a need for God and refuses His help; it attributes accomplishments to human ability rather than God's gifts; and it completely undermines God's effort to display His grace to the world." God began to open my eyes to this issue. I have always been so independent that I never saw my need for God's help. However like I said, God began to strip me of my self sufficiency, showing me that He has ownership over me and how much I was in need of Him. This was so hard at first but now I see how wonderful it is to trust and rest in the arms of a loving God.

My learning is not over. Just last week God showed me yet more pride. When I least expected, it just kind of crept up into my life. I was under such conviction, that face down at His feet was the only posture I could find. I began quickly confessing that sin and asking for forgiveness. God definitely humbled me but in that posture was where I found God and He was faithful to lift me up. You may find yourself sensing God pointing out pride and sin. Join me today face down at the feet of Jesus. There is no better place to be.

I want to close with a quote from William Bridge.
"If you lay yourself at Christ's feet, He will take you into His arms."

I would love to hear from you all. Please send me a post on how God is working in your life.