Obedience

"I may no longer depend on pleasant impulses to bring me before the Lord. I must rather respond to principles I know to be right, whether I feel them to be enjoyable or not." (Jim Elliot)

How great it is to have a stead-fast, unchanging God!

"The fellowship of God is delightful beyond all telling. He communes with His redeemed ones in an easy, uninhibited fellowship that is restful and healing to the soul. He is not sensitive nor selfish nor temperamental. What He is today we shall find Him tomorrow and the next day and the next year. He is not hard to please, though He may be hard to satisfy. He expects of us only what He has Himself first supplied." -A.W. Tozer

"In the midst of change and transformation, we realize that the older we get the more we need somebody bigger than we are to restore what we have lost. In Prince Caspian C.S. Lewis gives us a magnificent illustration of this. Lucy has just come face to face with Aslan:

"Welcome, Child," he said.

"Aslan," said Lucy, "you're bigger."

"That is because you are older, little one," answered he.

"Not because you are?"

"I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."

(Recapture the Wonder, by Ravi Zacharias)

The Wonder of Life

Often times we want to know exactly what will happen in the future--we feel the need to know exactly what will happen in our lives. This worry and fret over the future shows lack of trust in God. He knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future. (from the book of Jeremiah) If we really trusted God and completely surrendered everything to Him, would we worry so much about the future?
If we really knew the future, would we be satisified? Knowing what will come could produce fear if we knew the problems and suffering we will face, and it would take away the wonder and joy of life. There would no longer be a wonder and mystery to life.

Christopher Morley wrote a little poem that helps illustrate this point, more eloquently than I could do myself!

I went to the theatre

With the author of a successful play.

He insisted on explaining everything.

Told me what to watch,

The details of direction,

The errors of the property man,

The foibles of the star.

He anticipated all my surprises

And ruined the evening.

Never again!--And mark you,

The greatest Author of all

Made no such mistake!

The Author of our lives keeps things hidden from us. He knows it all--we get the joy of living with the wonder of a child! We know there are good things to come, and can live with excited hope that God will bring them in ways for our good and His glory (if we truly know Him!).

**The book, "Recapture the Wonder" by Ravi Zacharias got me thinking on this...Good read. :)

Outrageous Mercy!

This is a great section of a book I'm reading by William Farley, "Outrageous Mercy: Rediscovering the radical nature of the cross." Be blessed! _________________________________________________
"God’s love is more than a feeling. It is a decision to live for the happiness of another. Some define it as a decision for another’s happiness even at your expense. “Agape love is not primarily an emotion,” writes Paul Billheimer, “but aggressive, benevolent, sacrificial, outgoing goodwill. It is the soul of ethics.” This is how God loves us. He longs for our happiness with all the intensity of divine jealousy and all the power of omnipotence, even while, in our unredeemed state, we are “by nature objects of wrath” (Eph 2:3).

....In summary, the cross displays the glory and wonder of God’s love only to the degree that we see our unworthiness of that love and our inability to give him anything. With all this in mind, J.I Packer wrote:

“It is staggering that God should love sinners; yet it is true. God loves creatures who have become unlovely and (one would have thought) unlovable. There was nothing whatever in the objects of his love to call it forth; nothing in us could attract or prompt it. Love among persons is awakened by something in the beloved, but the love of God is free, spontaneous, unevoked, uncaused. God loves people because he has chosen to love them—as Charles Wesley put it, “he hath loved us, he hath loved us, because he would love” (an echo of Deut. 7:7-8)—and no reason for his love can be given except his own sovereign good pleasure.”"

Valley of Vision--The Throne

O God of My Delight,
Thy throne of grace is the pleasure ground of my soul. Here I obtain mercy in time of need, here see the smile of thy reconciled face, here joy pleads the name of Jesus, here I sharpen the sword of the Spirit, anoint the shield of faith, put on the helmet of salvation,gather manna from thy Word, am strengthened for each conflict, nerved for the upward race, empowered to conquer every foe;Help me to come to Christ as the fountain head of descending blessings, as a wide open flood-gate of mercy. I marvel at my insensate folly, that with such enriching favours within my reach I am slow to extend the hand to take them.Have mercy upon my deadness for thy Name’s sake.
Quicken me, stir me, fill me with holy zeal. Strengthen me that I may cling to thee and not let thee go. May thy Spirit within me draw all blessings from thy hand. When I advance not, I backslide.Let me walk humbly because of good omitted and evil done. Impress on my mind the shortness of time, the work to be engaged in, the account to be rendered, the nearness of eternity, the fearful sin of despising thy Spirit.

May I never forget that thy eye always sees, thy ear always hears,thy recording hand always writes.
May I never give thee rest until Christ is the pulse of my heart; the spokesman of my lips, the lamp of my feet.

Valley of Vision--Morning Dedication Prayer

Almighty God, as I cross the threshold of this day I commit myself, soul, body, affairs, friends, to Thy care. Watch over, keep, guide, direct, sanctify, bless me. Incline my heart to thy ways. Mould me wholly into the image of Jesus, as a potter forms clay. May my lips be a well-tuned harp to sound Thy praise. Let those around see me living by Thy Spirit, trampling the world underfoot, unconformed to lying vanities, transformed by a renewed mind, clad in the entire armour of God, shining as a never-dimmed light, showing holiness in all my doings. Let no evil this day soil my thoughts, words, hands. May I travel miry paths with a life pure from spot or stain. In needful transactions let my affection be in heaven, and my love soar upwards in flames of fire, my gaze fixed on unseen things, my eyes open to the emptiness, fragility, mockery of earth and its vanities. May I view all things in the mirror of eternity, waiting for the coming of my Lord, listening for the last trumpet call, hastening unto the new heaven and earth. Order this day all my communications according to Thy wisdom, and to the gain of mutual good. Forbid that I should not be profited or made profitable. May I speak each word as if my last word, and walk each step as my final one. If my life should end today, let this be my best day.

Spring Break is the Best

Great is HIS Faithfulness!

On Sunday, my dad preached on the section in Mark that talks about Peter denying Christ. I was reminded how easy it is to try and rely on our on strength, or get "puffed up" with pride. Either thing will cause us to fall into deeper sin (in Peter's case, publicly denying Christ). Today, I finished reading through 2 Peter. The verses in chapter three were just so comforting. It's so sweet to hear of how loving our Lord is toward us. They even mean more, coming from Peter, who knew first hand the compassion of Christ.

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.....Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.....You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
-2 Peter 3:9,14-15,17-18

35 Reasons Not to Sin (by Jim Elliff)

1. Because a little sin leads to more sin.
2. Because my sin invites the discipline of God.
3. Because the time spent in sin is forever wasted.
4. Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.
5. Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.
6. Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.
7. Because I am doing what I do not have to do.
8.Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.
9.Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.
10. Because my sin saddens the godly.
11. Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.
12. Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.
13. Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.
14. Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.
15. Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.
16. Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.
17. Because my sin may influence others to sin.
18. Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.
19. Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.
20. Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.
21. Because God chooses not to respect the prayers of those who cherish their sin.
22. Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.
23. Because others once more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.
24. Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.
25. Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.
26. Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.
27. Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.
28. Because my sin is adultery with the world.
29. Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.
30. Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.
31. Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.
32. Because to sin is not to love Christ.
33. Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.
34. Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use, never because it is worth anything on it's own.
35. Because I promised God he would be Lord of my life.

Relinquish Your Rights - Reject the Sin - Renew the Mind - Rely on God

Copyright © 1992 Jim Elliff

Christian Communicators Worldwide, Inc.

201 Main, Parkville, MO 64152 USA

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"Strive to see God in all things without exception and acquiesce in His will with absolute submission. Do everything for God, uniting yourself to Him by a mere upward glance or by the overflowing of your heart towards Him. Never be in a hurry. Do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inward peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. Commend all to God."

"Commend all to God, and then be still and be at rest in His bosom. Whatever happens, abide steadfast in the determination to cling simply to God, trusting to His eternal love for you.And if you find that you have wandered forth from this shelter, recall your heart quietly and simply. Maintain a holy simplicity of mind and do not smother yourself with a host of cares, wishes or longings under any pretext."
Francis de Sales

He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young. --Isaiah 40: 11

Happy Valentine's Day!

"For your Maker is your husband— the LORD Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth."

-Isaiah 54:5

Lord's Day help

The book I was reading this morning by Jeremiah Burroughs is very helpful (and convicting!) on preparing for worship:

"Christians, I beseech you to account highly your time of worship. You have been so long at prayer, yes, but how much of it has been lost because you have not prepared beforehand for it? Perhaps you kneeled upon you knees, but you were a long time before you could get your hearts warm at your work. Why, you should have been warm before you came!
It is so, oftentimes, with many men when they meet together and there is no preparation for their business. They come together and are a long time before they can buckle to the business for which they came because there was no preparation. But if preparation is made, then every man knows beforehand what his work is. They can fall to it, and then dispatch as much in one hour as others do in two or three....
...There must be preparation because our hearts are naturally and exceedingly unprepared for every good work. We are all naturally reprobate to every good work. The duties of God's worship are high and spiritual and holy things, but by nature our hearts grovel in the dirt, and we are carnal, sensual, drossy, dead, slight, sottish, and vain, altogether unfit to come into the presence of God. Oh, that we were apprehensive and sensible of the unfitness of our hearts to come into God's presence! Perhaps because you do not know God, you can rush into His presence without any more ado; but if you knew yourself and God, you could not but see yourself altogether unfit for His presence, so as to wonder that the Lord should not spurn you out of His presence every time you come unto Him. There needs to be, then, preparation because we are so unfit to come into His presence."

WOW! I wish I could think and write like that all the time!

Sowing in Springtime

http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/2009/01/sowing-in-springtime.html