Dear Daddy...

Dear Daddy, My Father, My Precious Jesus,

As I sit back and reflect on 2009 one word echoes deep within my soul, faithful. I can’t begin to express my gratitude to you for the year that you have blessed me with, but thank you, thank you Jesus.

My heart aches as I realize more and more each day the depravity of my own soul, the wickedness of my own heart, and the evil thoughts of my mind; I am astonished by the reality of it all despite the understanding of your Word that you have imparted to me, despite the reality of the cross of Christ, and the hope that I cling so tightly to. It is so easy to compare myself to the Christians around me, or even the spiritual “giants” of the faith rather than to the only measure we are held to, that of Jesus Christ. I so often rely on my own strength and my own willpower to overcome the sin that so easily entangles me rather than on yours. I find myself in despair and shame as I ponder the sin that wraps my heart and the intentions that cultivate and breed actions that are far from pleasing to you, your grace at times seems far too much to comprehend. I read a quote recently by Jerry Bridges that said, “Remember that your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace, nor are your best days ever so good that you are beyond the need of it”, the reality of that hit me hard. I am fully dependent on you Father, FULLY DEPENDENT on you no matter what season, what circumstance, or what kind of day I find myself in. A wretched sinner I am, but a wretched sinner that has been mercifully bought at a price and who stands under the grace of a gracious Savior. Oh thank you Jesus!

This year has been one full of surprises, a season of growing in ways that were so needed in my pursuit of you, and trials that have brought me to my knees in surrender consistently. I am humbled by the work of you sovereign God, you God who made the stars and the trees are the same God that formed me while I was in my mother’s womb and who planned out each step I would take long before the world even existed; that blows my mind! To say I have been humbled this year is a truth that I am thankful for despite the pain that it brought. Why is it Jesus that in the times of our breaking we find your love to be so acute? Why is it Father that when the fire is all around us we find peace? It is your ever present Spirit and the hope that you have provided that has pulled me through the dark times this year, it is that hope that I cling so tightly to today and long for to unfold into sight.

On top of the trials have been a multitude of blessings that I can’t even begin to count, blessings that have enabled me to see God’s hand like never before. I am astounded by your working oh God, amazed. I am undeserving of any of the blessings you have given me both temporal and eternal and more importantly grateful for the opportunities to be used by YOU. What a deep-seated irreplaceable joy I find in working for You God, a joy that never fades. Thank you for that.

As 2010 is right around the corner and as I embark on yet another very new and surprising season of my life I am certain of one thing my God, and that is what you have taught me this year, I am certain that you are FAITHFUL. From generations past to the present day and into eternity future you are immutable, never fading, faithfully dependable, you ARE. The faithfulness I have seen displayed this year in my life and the lives around me brings me to my knees in humble adoration of a God who despite our inadequacies, despite our failings, despite our lack of trust, IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL.

Thank you daddy for 2009 and I trust you wholly for 2010, for as you say in Psalm 46:10 we can BE STILL AND KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOD!!

Love,
Your Daughter

Chewing on the Truth Part 7

My own spiritual journey towards Truth brought me to my knees for years after salvation in a humbling realization that I had never fully grasped the meaty truth of the weight of what God had done for me. What I mean is that for four years I had believed that I had some part in my salvation and the repurcussions of that caused my behavior to be different in other areas. Although my salvation wasn't based off of the full understanding of unconditional election or how the culpability of my sin and the sovereignty of God reconcile, it is a part of our sanctification to grow in the knowledge of TRUTH, and the more we understand it the more we fall in love with our Savior. Piper said, "It is possible to believe all these things in your head and go to hell. So easily deceived and hypocritical are we by nature! Therefore our concern in writing these things is not merely to convince the mind but also to win the heart. We want for others the sweet experience of resting in the massive comfort of these truths. We want others to feel the tremendous incentive for righteousness and for missions flowing from these truths. We want for others the experience of knowing and trusting the sovereign grace of God in such a way that He and He alone gets the glory."

Chewing on the Truth Part 6

PART SIX: His electing grace gives us the strength to persevere to the end.

The following verses make it really clear that God WILL persevere to the end and not be lost. If they are predestined, he Will conform them to the likeness of His Son, and if He predestined them He claled them and He will justify the called and glorify ultimately the justified. Romans 8:28-30 says, " And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. "

Piper does what I think is an excellent job at explaining this so I am going to use His reasoning, but ultimately the Bible for that!

A) Our faith must endure to the end if we are to be saved

"But he who endures to the end will be saved"- Mark 13:13

"Now I would remind you brethren in what terms I preached to you the gospel which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast--unless you believed in vain."- 1 Corinthians 15:1, 2

The Word of God is the instrument by which we will presevere. There is a fight of faith to be fought.

B) Obedience, evidence of inner renewal from God is necessary for final salvation

"Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness whithout which no one will see the Lord."- Hebrews 12:14

"If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." -Romans 8:13

"And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments..." - 1 John 2:3

The New Testament demands an internal transformation.

C) God's elect cannot be lost

Romans 8:28-30 says, " And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. "

John 10:26-30 "But you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one.""

Those whom He has chosen for eternal salvation will be enablled by HIM to persevere in faith to the end and to by the Spirit's power fulfill the requirements for obedience.

D) There is a fallin gaway of some believers, but if it lasts or persists, it shows that their faith was not genuine and that they weren't truly born of God

1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us."

The fact that this is possible gives the church reason to admonish the congregation against this.

E) God justifies us first at salvation, the moment we are saved bt in doing so he has in view to all subsequent acts of faith contained, as it were, like a seed in that first act

Our faith enables us to stand righteous/justified before God because of Christ's work, BUT we must also realize that our final salvation is made contingent upon the subsequent obedience which comes from faith. The way these two truths fit together is that we are justified through our first act of faith because GOd sees in it, the embryo of a life of faith.

F) God works to cause His elect to persevere

Jude 24-25 "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."

We are not left to ourselves and our assurance is very largely rooted in the sovereign love of God to perform that which he has called us to do.

G) We should be zealous to make our calling and election sure

2 Peter 1:10 "Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall"

It is He who will keep you through it all and unto the end, what a precious promise!!

Chewing on the Truth Part 5

Part Four: The saved realizes that we are unconditionally elected by God

This whole idea of unconditonal, meaning that we didn't have a condition that had to be met to be saved is one with widespread controversy. As humans we can't seem to wrap our minds around the thoughts and ideas that the cross was only intended for the saved and even more that somehow we were chosen by God from before the foundation of time...I mean it must have been because He saw that we would choose Him right?? But think about it for a second, think about the pride in that statement...why were you good enough, or intelligent enough, or righteous enough to choose God on your own when the person next to you wasn't? If man is really dead in His sin and transgressions before a holy God then there is no life and therefore there cannot be any choosing to save oneself. Faith is not a condition for election rather election is a condition for faith. It is only by God's grace that you are awakened to new life and can exhibit faith; it is then that no man can boast and He alone receives all the glory.

I believe that the story of Esau and Jacob as repeated in Romans 9 is a great example of this unconditonal election; prior to their belief in anything, in fact prior to their birth God said, the elder will serve the younger and Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated. In v 15-16 of Romans 9 we read that "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So it depends not upon man's will or exertion but upon God's mercy". Many say this is not the God they believe in? But this is the God of the Bible, this is the Truth! It is humbling to say the least, but when you start to think of it...is this fair? No! In fact, if God were fair we would all be going to hell, that would be fair. It wasn't fair that He would give up His precious, perfect, only Son for you or for me, that wasn't fair...I am glad that we don't serve a fair God.

John Piper says, "God does not foreknow the free decisions of people to believe in him because there aren't any such free decisions to know. IF anyone comes to faith in Jesus, it is because they were quickened from the dead by the creative Spirit of God. So the foreknowledge of Romans 8:29 is not the mere awareness of something that will happen in the future apart from HIS predetermination. Rather it is the kind of knoweldge referred to in OT texts like Genesis 18:19 and Jeremiah 1:5. God really accomplishes the complete redemption of His peopel from start to finish. He foreknows, elects a people for himself before the foundation of the world, he predestines this people to be conformed to the image of His Son, He calls them to himself in faith, he justified them through that faith, and he finally glorifies them--and nothing can ever separate them from His love (Romans 8:39). And then to HIM ALONE be all the glory and praise!"

Chewing on the Truth Part 4

Why did Christ have to die? The death of Christ was a necessity because God is just and there had to be recompense for sin. Therfore the cross was the necessary vindication of the righteousness of God in justifying the ungodly by faith. So Jesus goes to calvary and bears the curse for sin which we were supposed to bear so that we can be justified before a holy God and vindicated, not held accountable.

All Christians can agree that Jesus paid it all as the song sings but who did He pay it all for? For everyone? I have to again steal what Piper says about this Truth of Scripture because it is put so clearly:

If you say that he died for every human being in the same way, then you have to define the nature of the atonement very differently than you would if you believe that Christ only died for those who actually believe. In the first case you would believe that the death of Christ did not actually save anyone, it only made men savable. It didn't actually remove God's punitive wrath from anyone, but instead created a place where people could come and find mercy--IF they could accomplish their own new birth and bring themselves to faith without the irresistible grace of God.

If Christ died for all men in the same way then he did not purchase regenerating grace for those who are saved. They must regenerate themselves and bring themselves to faith. Then and only then do they become partakers on the benefits of the cross. So if you believe that Christ died for all men in the same way then the benefits of the cross can't include the mercy b which we are brought to faith because then all men would be brought to faith, but they aren't. But if the mercy by which we are brough tot faith is not part of what Christ purchased on the cross, then we are left to save ourselves from the bondage of sin, the hardness of heart, the blindness of corruption and the wrath of a holy God.

In the cross God had in view the actual redemption of his children. And we affirm that when Christ died for these, He did not just create the opportunity for them to save themselves, but really purchased for them all that was necessary to get them saved, including the grace of regeneration and the gift of faith. We do not deny that all men are the intended benefciaries of the cross in some sense, but we do deny that all men are intended as the beneficiaries of the death of Christ in the same way. All of God's mercy toward unbeleivers from the rising of the sun to the worldwride preaching of the Gospel is becuase of the cross of Jesus Christ.

The answer is that Christ's death so clearly demonstrates God's just abhorrence of sin that he is free to treat the world with mercy without compromising his righteousness. In this sense He is the savior of all men. He did not die for all men in the same sense. The intention of the death of Christ for the children of God was that it purchase far more than the rising sun and the opportunity to be saved. The death of Christ actually saves from ALL evil those for whom Christ died...

"I lay down my life for the sheep...you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep." -John 10:15

The "whole world" as talked about in many passages is referring to the children of God who are scattered throughout the world. John 11:51-52 says, "He prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad". If we really believed that in verses like 1 John 2:2 "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" that the whole world was referring to EVERY INDIVIDUAL in the entire world, we would have to believe that John thinks/taught everyone would be saved, which obviously isn't what He teacehs at all. Sins that were propitiated can't be punished. IF He died and propiated all sins then we would say John taught universialism, which He didn't. We must realize that it was rather for some that He gave His life, as Mark 10:45 says, "For the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life for many". In fact JESUS Himself said, "This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28).

If that doesn't make it clear enough look at Ephesians 5:25-27 where Paul says that the intended beneficiary is the church! "Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her!" Think about this for a moment from Piper, "If God gave His own Son for unbelievers who in the end are lost then he cannot as Romans 8:32 says, say that the giving of the Son guarantees all things for those for whom he died. But this is what he does say. If God gave His son for YOU, then He most certainly will give you all things. The structure of Paul's thought here is simply destroyed by introducing the idea that Christ died for all men in the same way. If Christ died for the sin of all men then is unbelief not a sin that is covered by the blood of Jesus? Then people must be saved without having all their sins atoned for in Jesus. He died for the unbelief of th eelect so that God's punitive wrath is appeased toward them and HIs grace is free to draw them irresistibly out of darkness into His marvelous light."

Chewing on Truth Part 3

Step Two: After we realize our need for salvation we then experience His irresistable grace leading us toward faith

It is clear in Scripture that the Holy Spirit can be resisted in many ways. In Acts 7:51 Stephen calls the Jewish leaders stiff necked and resisting the Spirit as their fathers had done. Paul talks throughout the Epistles of the grieving of the Spirit and the quenching as well (Ephesians 4:30 and 1 Thessalonians 5:19). Think of the nation of Israel and the consistent resistance they displayed throughout the Old Testament.

The grace that is irresistable however is the reality that God is sovereign and can overcome all resistance when He so wills. Psalm 115:3 says, "When God undertakes to fulfill His sovereign purpose, no one can successfully resist Him." The summation of this Truth is simply that the sovereign God can overcome the rebellion of our sinful hearts and bring us to faith in Christ for salvation. Piper says that "If a person becomes humble enough to submit to God it is because God has given that person a new and humble nature. If a person remains too hard hearted and proud to submit to God it is because that person has not been given such a willing spirit." John 6:64-65 says that "But there are some of you that do not believe".

Repentance is refered to as a "gift" (John 6:65) "He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him": that seems pretty clear that even the prereqs of salvation are also a gift. God however never forces anyone to believe against their will, in fact the whole idea of irresistable grace is "compatible with preaching and witnessing that tries to persuade people to do what is reasonable and what will accord with their best interests" (Piper).

1 Corinthians 1:23-24 "But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Piper explains this passage well...the following is from a snipit of His writing:

Paul's call goes out to all, both Jews and Gentiles. This is a "general" Gospel call, offering salvation to all who will believe on the crucified Christ. It is mostly foolishness falling on unreceptive ears. Then Paul refers to a second call, the call that goes to the "called". This has to be the irresistable call of God out of darkness into light. If ALL who are called in this sense regard the cross as the power of God, the something in the call must effect the faith...irresistable grace. Since men are blinded to the worth of Christ, a miracle is needed in order for them to come to see and believe. The effectual call is the miracle of having our blindness removed, irresistable grace. Acts 16:14 says when referring to Lydia, "The Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul". This new birth that one experiences as Nicodemus was bewildered by as being "born again", is the enablement of a formerly dead person to receive Christ and be saved. Faith is the evidence that God has begotten us a new. This birth isn't possible by the will of man, as all of Ephesians 2 talks about and what we explained in the previous blog is that man is dead. A dead person doesn't talk, breath, move, blink...nothing, they are dead. It was HE who woke us up.

Chewing on Truth Part 2

Step One: Realizing our Depravity and Need for a Savior
The word depravity, the whole idea, refers to our condition apart from God's grace. Man being depraved could be more evil then he/she is, but our condition must be compared to God not to other men and women. Our rebellion against the creator God is total in that there is no desire for holiness or submission to a perfect GOd. Even though fallen man can be "religious", Jesus himself in Matthew 6:1-18 expressed the reality that religion, unless coming from a childlike heart of faith, is pride and self-reliance. We must realize, especially those of us who have been saved should be able to recognize and remember that prior to our coming to life in Him, we didn't seek after God. And for those of you who might say that you did, what were your motives? Self preservation? Romans 3 makes it clear that nobody does good, nobody seeks God.

Our depravity is the result of the fact that we sin because we are sinners not sinners because we sin. Romans 14:23 says that "Anything not from faith is sin". Paul himself said earlier in the book, Romans 7:18, that no good dwells within him. Our depravity causes us to be UNABLE to submit to God and do good. Romans 8:7-8 says "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God".

Need some more verses on depravity?
- Ephesians 2:1 "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins."
-Ezekiel 36:36 " I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
-2 Corinthians 4:4-6 "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."

And we must remember that as James 2:10 says, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." That means that well here think about this illustration for a moment; you have two PERFECT mirrors (just imagine). Then you take a pebble and throw it at the top right corner of one, and there is a tiny scratch, is the mirror perfect? No. And then you take a large rock and throw it at mirror number two and it shatters into hundreds of pieces. Is that mirror perfect? Obviously not. Both mirrors, although one way worse then the other, are imperfect. It is the same with fallen humanity. The standard is holiness aka perfection and nobody, not Mother Teresa, not the missionary who gave his life in China, not Paul, not Peter, not John the Baptist, not Mary the mother of Jesus, not Moses, Abraham or Job...NOBODY is perfect apart from Jesus Christ.

So what then? What does our depravity deserve? All of us would believe the following (just a few examples):

- 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power"
- Matthew 10:18 "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
- Matthew 13:49 "This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous"
-Revelation 14:9-11 "A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name"

HELL! We deserve hell. Our depravity as Piper says, "means that our rebellion against God is total, everything we do is in rebellion is sin and our inability to submit to God or reform ourselves, save ourselves, is TOTAL, and we therefore totally deserve eternal punishment"...it just makes sense. There is no way that we can find even a single verse in Scripture that would teach the opposite, that would show that in someway, some of us or even all of us have even a pinch of "good" in us apart from the grace of God. I challenge you to seek to find even one verse. If we can humble ourselves to this Truth, when we can really understand the bad news, we will be able to see the awe and amazement of the Truth in a whole new light, the good news will be amazingly glorious.

Chewing on Truth Part 1

Over the past 8 years of my walk with my Jesus I have grown in the knowledge of Him by His grace (Colossians 1:10) and have wrestled with many precious Truths of Scripture trying to I suppose reconcile what in my head seemed to be logical conflicts. What of course I discovered time and time again was the reality of my finite human brain and the greatness of our God and the fact that the more I studied and sought the Truth the more He revealed it to me. James 1:5 stood true, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." My prayer is that through this blog you would be challenged and encouraged to seek the Truth for yourself through His Word.

I remember my moment of salvation quite clearly, in fact if any of you know me, or have read my past blogs you know that my point of conversion was some 10 years after I thought I had been saved. Much like Charles Spurgeon I had come to Christ originally thinking that I was doing it all myself, that I was seeking Him, but what He revealed to me 10 years later was it was HE who was seeking me. I remember the moment when I realized that there was a complete exchange of resumes, Jesus' for mine and that nothing I brought to the table was going to make my standing before a holy God "good enough". When I began to think about how I became a Christian, I began to realize that I shouldn't have sought after Him if He hadn't put an influence inside my heart and mind. The doctrines of what have come to be known as "Calvinism" are taboo in many Christian circles and rarely discussed in depth leaving many "Christians" trying to chew on meat that seems impossible to swallow. Trying to reconcile a tension on our brains between the culpability for our own sin and the reality of a sovereign God who chooses us from before the foundation of the earth causes many to wrestle with countless thoughts night and day. So what to do then? Do we leave it alone because the tension is unresolvable? Do we not seek the Truth and treat it as a "minor" issue rather than a "major" one necessary for salvation? I don't think Paul would encourage us any differently then He did the Bereans who were good students of the word...we too must be the same!

I have wanted to write series of blogs about this topic for quite sometime but I have been a bit hesitant because of the weight of the Truths it would contain and because even more so I am only 8 years old in my faith and I myself still am not even close to understanding it all, but as I journey in the quest for Truth through the pursuit of the word of God I pray that what I have found biblically to be true would encourage you as well as you seek to grow in your holiness.

"The more you feast on his fellowship, the hunbrier you are for deepr and richer communication. We do not begin as Calvinists and defend a system. We begin as Bible believing Christians who want to put the Bible above all systems of thought. But over the years--many years of struggle-- we have deepened in our conviction that Calvinistic teachings on the five points are Biblical and therefore true. Our own struggle makes us patient with others who are on the way. We believe that all wrestling to understand what the Bible teaches about God is worth it. God is a rock of strength in a world of quicksand. To know him in His sovereignty is to become like an oak tree in the wind of adversity and confusion. And along the strength is sweetness and tenderness beyond imagination. The sovereign Lion of Judah is the sweet Lamb of God." -John Piper

Let us throw the word "Calvinism" aside for the time being and rather call what we are trying to discover Christianity, what the Bible calls it. Our desire, as believers, is to make sure that we honor God by rightly handling the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15). As Jesus is our perfect example of humility and as we are striving to be like Him (aka God is making us more like Him), we need to humbly be willing and open to change any of our ideas which could be contradictory to the Word of God. In order however to more clearly understand the process of regeneration I am going to use some of the words used in the system of Calvinism. Again I pray you will be encouraged!

Truth Bearer?

"If you are of the truth, if you have learned the truth, if you see the sanctity of the truth, then speak truth. We are not called to be deceivers or liars. God is a God of truth, and His people are called to have an enormously high standard of truth." -R.C. Sproul

"Truth has no degrees or shades. A half truth is a whole lie, and a white lie is really black." -John MacArthur

I was recently thinking about the truth, the truth spoken from our mouths. I guess the reality is that most people have come to believe that lying, even small lies, are okay, not that big of a deal and can just be glazed over, but is that really what God's word says? James 3 is a powerful passage on the tongue and the truth behind the fire that it blazes. "And the tongue is a fire, a world of righteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell" (James 3:6). When did it become okay to tell half truths, when was it acceptable among Christians to lie to make someone feel better, or to omit truth in certain contexts? When did we decide to determine what was acceptable before a holy God and what was permissable in our own lives?

I guess I am foremost speaking to myself when I say all this, I have come to realize that although I would never have said I am a liar or that I struggle with lying, my speech and conduct don't always reveal that. Thinking back on the past week, how many times have I exaggerated, smoothed things over with a white lie, or not told the whole truth to make myself look better or to make a situation seem a certain way? I can't say it has never happend because the truth is it has, and often times it has happened as a practice, in other words I do it without even realizing I am doing it...that is scary! John MacArthur said it well, "Satan is the prince of this world, and since he not only is a liar himself but also "the father of lies" (John 8:44), it should not be surprising that the system he heads is characterized by lying... Our whole society is largely built on a network of fabrication, of manufactured "truth." We shade truth, we cheat, we exaggerate, we misrepresent income tax deductions, we make promises we have no intention of keeping, we make up excuses, and betray confidences - all as a matter of normal, everyday living."

As we read on James 3 it becomes obvious that with the same tongue that we sing praises to the Lord with, or tell of His wonderful deeds, is the same tongue that we curse with, make false promises to, and say things that are exaggerations or just plain lies...how can this be? Christians of all people need to be a people marked by Truth because we have the absolute TRUTH in the Word of God. If our lives are marked by half-truths, unkept promises, and white lies how can we be taken seriously when we share the real Truth of the Gospel? When I began to think of it that way, I began to realize the weight of the situation. I want to represent God in all areas of my life, especially in the area of my tongue, because it is there that I will represent the Truth of the Gospel as well in the most outright way.

May we as Christians strive to reign our tongues by the power of the Lord, may we listen to the conviction of the Spirit and respond, may we speak truth no matter what the cost, and may that give us the authority to preach the Gospel wherever we go!

"Think about how much falsehood and deceit there is in the world! How much exaggeration! How many untruths are added to a simple story! How many things are left out, if it does not serve the speaker's interest to tell them! How few there are around us of whom we can say, that we trust their word without question!" -J.C. Ryle

Thankful...With ALL My Heart

As I sit and think about thanksgiving this year and the many things I am thankful for I can't help but remember the cross, and the free gift of grace that was given to me; to say thank you just doesn't seem like enough. I don't really even think I can begin to comprehend what God has done for me through the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross, no matter how many times I read passages like Ephesians 2 or Isaiah 53, I don't fully grasp it, I feel as though I am digging deeper into a love that has no end. A love that is more precious than gold and will never change or fade, a love that is forever mine.

I was thinking about what thanks even means, what does it mean to say "thank you" or to be thankful? Is it merely a word, because quite frankly I can be honest and admit that I have said "thank you" without really being thankful for it. I looked up the word "thanksgiving" in both the dictionary and in the Greek and Hebrew and here is what I found:

Merriam Webster: a) the act of giving thanks (grateful thoughts, gratitude) b) a prayer expressing gratitude c) a public acknowledgement or celebration of divine goodness

Hebrew Lexicon: a celebration of thanks, an acclaim, s inging

Greek Lexicon: an expression of thanks

When I looked at all these defitions the common theme was an expression, or in other words, an action. I guess what I realized was that thanksgiving, being thankful had to be cultivated from within the heart, it had to be something mediated upon, and expressed not merely a word, or a passing thought. I realize that I must have a response to something in order to be grateful for it, or thankful; I must actually respond with an expression of thanks and not merely just look at and not ponder it often. I was thinking about how I should and need to respond to the cross of Christ ALL THE TIME, not just during thanksgiving, and that is with a response of loving Him with all my heart. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Of course we are quick to say that's impossible, but is it something that we shouldn't strive for then? That we shouldn't want to do? Absolutely not! We should desire with everything within us to love God with everything that is within us, to strive towards loving Him more everyday and to ask Him to enable us to do that.

I have SO much to be thankful for, the neverending blessings that our God has showered upon me is but a taste of the eternity we have to hope in. But our thanksgiving for ALL things must begin at the reflection of what happened over 2000 years ago in a small town in Israel, when a man of lowly form, his image distorted by wounds unbearable, wearing a crown of thorns, bore a cross down a road as the crowd, His chosen people, who had once accepted him, followed him chose to mock him and crucify him openly... And I wonder what thoughts could be pouring through the head of our precious savior, and then I realize it was me...it was you! And as he hung like a prisoner from a tree with nails and struggled just to breath what did He see? He saw YOU and ME. And then His Father, His perfect Father, crushed him, in fact according to Isaiah 53 He was pleased to crush Him, he was PLEASED to crush Him with the weight of all of my sin and all of yours and pour his wrath upon His precious and beloved son...but why? Because He loved YOU and He loved me! And the pinacle of the redemptive story was accomplished as the King of the Jews bled, hung and died there, all of creation crying as the ground shook below. And in that moment, the victory was WON, it was finished and He conquered death forever. And then three days later rose from the grave, HE HAD WON, and now and forevermore He reigns victoriously in heaven with the Father! It is there that our thanksgiving must always begin both on thanksgiving and each day, and it is from there that we drive motivation and desire to truly love him with ALL OUR HEARTS in response...how could we not.

The Master Planner

Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

This journey called life is one full of many choices and decisions as we as Christians are attempting to discover God's SPECIFIC plan for our lives. I write about this often, that I know, but I guess I seem to never fully grasp the reality of a sovereign God. I tend to make figuring out God's will for my life so much more difficult then need be; although I wouldn't say it, I think I expect God to come out of the clouds and write with a giant marker in the sky. It is one thing for me to say with my mouth that I believe God is good and working and that it will all work out for His glory and my good but when the forks in the road come, the trials and the times when I am led to a place of making a choice/decision is when all the head knowledge is tough to translate to my heart. But thanks be to God who somehow strengthens and enables me to remember Truth and to trust even when everything within my flesh says no.

Something that I have had to remind myself of over and over again is that the Bible IS the general road map for our life, but as Ephesians 2:10 says there are SPECIFIC plans for each person and it is that area where things in my mind get tough. The questions pour in...What college do I go to? What major do I invest in? What ministry do I serve in? What job do I take? Who do I marry? Where am I supposed to live? and the list goes on. But do we realize that God has PREPLANNED your entire life? I LOVE THAT TRUTH! There is hope and encouragement in the fact that my decisions aren't contingent upon God's ultimate plan for my life.

I recently listened to a message from years ago by my Pastor Mike Fabarez about this very topic and how to really know God's plan for our life and was so encourage as we looked at the life of Abner and his disobedience in 2 Samuel 2:8-3:1

There were three general principles Pastor Mike reminded me of that I want to encourage with each of you in hopes that you will be so encouraged and reminded that OUR GOD IS IN CONTROL!

First, you can't fight God's plan so don't! My HS youth pastor used to always say, your arms are too short to box with God so why even try; how true is that?! How often do we do this, we are fighting God's will in the secret recesses of our heart. Be still my child He says, and obey and yet we so often don't. We want to do what we want or we think that we somehow have to help God out, but that is not what the Bible teaches. There are so many example sin Scripture where people supressed the leading of God in their life and yet what happened in the end? They ended up doing what God wanted because His will will be accomplished, no matter what. The question comes then, is God telling you to do a good work for Him but you are scared to? You don't understand how you can? Or you don't want to? Stop rattling off escuses and oey! It is hard to fight against the goads right? In 2 Samuel we see the story of Abner and how he tried to do things in his own way but what we soon find out that he finally obeys and God gives him victory...go read the story in 2 Samuel 2-3 and see how and why you can't fight God's plan for your life!

Next we need to avoid the shortcuts. This is a tough one for me especially because we live in a microwave society where we get what we want when we want it, we aren't used to waiting. But God doesn't work like the world does He?! And satan is right there ready to tell you take this shortcut to get God's plan for you, but shortcuts really are detours in disguise. Remember that!

And lastly, we need to think longterm. When God purposes something for your life He deosn't mean that have a problem making you wait for it. We hate that because again we want things when we want them, but don't you think that the God of the universe knows better than you or me? I think so, rather I KNOW SO! It will be worth the wait, the desires of your heart will be worth the wait. David was promised to be king and had to wait 21 years for that to come to pass. Don't think shortterm or you might get discouraged because God doesn't think shortterm, He things long term as He works His redemptive plan and your life to fit into that. God's plans for you are good but He doesn't give them to you overnight. And we need to be willing to wait so we become the people God wants us to be, God has a plan and we need to be faithful and trust His way!

All in all we need to trust God, we need to obey His leading in our life even when we don't understand and KNOW that He is will guide as Psalm 25:12 says, "Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose."

Truth vs Feelings

"Truth renews the mind. Indeed, the truth which would affect the heart, which moves the heart, which changes the heart, must first enter through the vestibule of the mind if it would enter the sanctuary of the heart. The intention of truth preached is to affect the emotions and the will and the heart and the whole of our humanity…and thus preaching must come first through the mind. It makes its appeal through the mind; it enters through the mind – but it doesn’t simply stop with the mind." -John Armstrong

I hate my flesh! I hate that I am encased in a body that naturally defaults to sin, thats every desire and motivation will always be antithetical to God in and of its own doing. BUT on the flip side I am SO thankful for the grace of God that came, saved me and put His Holy Spirit within me so that I would be able to not live in obedience to my flesh or as Romans 6:6 says, "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,that we should no longer be slaves to sin—" , my old self was crucified with Christ! But, the fact of the matter is that although my sin problem has been dealt with completely and judicially it hasn't been practically done away with; what I mean is that until the day I meet Jesus face to face, I will live in a fallen body that is poisned by sin and therefore it will be a constant struggle, a battle until the day I die.

One thing in particular I hate about my flesh is feelings. Now don't get me wrong, emotions are a good God-given thing, it feels great to experience happiness or excitement, hope and anticipation but what I am talking about is the emotions that derail me from trusting and affirming what is true and right, those feelings that creep in in tough times or circumstances that bring doubt, confusion, worry, anger...and the list goes on; the feelings that come from the sinful flesh and are allied with the enemy. The quote at the beginning of this blog by Armstrong I think hits the hammer on the head of the nail, emotion or feelings are fine when they are IN RESPONSE to Truth, not the other way around.

I guess what I am trying to get at is the fact that we as humans, especially girls for some reason, tend to base our decisions and reactions to circumstances upon the emotions or feelings we have at the moment as opposed to what we know to be True and right. Philippians 4:8 is one of my life verses because it in short reminds me to daily "THINK TRUTH", and as Corinthians reminds us, anything that isn't needs to be taken captive to the obedience of Christ. This goes against everything the world is telling us to do, as all things that are God honoring usually do, it is telling us to live by what we know to be True even when our feelings and emotions tell us to repsond, react or feel otherwise. But how on earth do we do that? How do we as Christians, encased in a body prone to sinful thoughts and feelings THINK TRUTH?? I have found three things that are practically helpful in this battle that will last until we meet our Jesus face to face.

- BE IN THE WORD DAILY
If we are not in the Word daily we are not going to be mediating and fixated on the promises of it throughout the day, lets be honest, the days that we fail to be in the Word are the days that we tend to live by our feelings more than by His Truth. Psalm 119 is a great chapter in Scripture that reminds us that the law must be "mediated on day and night" and is what will "perserve your life". If we are in the Word daily, especially in the morning, we will start our day with FACT and not feelings and it will set the course for our mind and heart to pursue HIS way rather than our emotions.

-MEMORIZE HIS WORD
There are going to be times when we forget, or choose to forget God's promises and what is True and right and the emotions will flood in and we will want to think about things that arent "true": it is in these moments that those scriptures that we have placed in our heart will enable us to think upon what is True and FACT as opposed to feeling, as Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. "

-TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE
2 Corinthians 10:5 says, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Although the context is not specifically about your "feelings" the idea and principle remains the same, that we need to be taking anything that comes into our minds and measuring it up to the Word of Truth to see if it is God-honoring, True and edifying and if not what do we do? DEMOLISH IT!

My encouragement to each of you, and to myself, is that we would seek to live by what is fact, which is the Word of God (the Truth that we live by) and not by what our feelings tell us, which are often stemming from the sinful flesh which we are indwelled by. And what is the result? Well as Psalm 119:1 says, we will be blessed (happy) "Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD"

Grace...Oh SO Amazing

Recently I have been going through a refining period of my life, a practical time of sanctification, and continual circumstances that test and reaffirm my trust and dependence upon the Lord; it has been during these times that my precious salvation has become more and more real and more and more precious to me. During my times with the Lord for the past few weeks "Amazing Grace" has been on repeat and the more I listen to it the more I amazed I truly am at the grace the Lord has given me. When I look around at the world we live in I am humbled continually by the realization that it is by grace that I have been saved, it was HIM who opened my eyes to the Truth, it was HIM who made me alive in Christ through His death and resurrection and dead to sin, and it is HIM who makes me more like Jesus day by day.

I can't thank my Jesus enough for the work that He has begun in my heart and in my life, and through it all, the good and the bad, I have seen His steady hand working and have been so encouraged by His provision, grace, strength, comfort, joy and peace. When I think about the suffering and hardship that I have endured, I am reminded of James 4:14, "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away" and the reality that we are here on this earth for but a moment...in the grand scheme of things, of eternity, this life is but a speck; when you have that perspective, everything changes! You begin to realize that the temporary things of this life aren't worth your time and your cravings and longings become more eternally focused. But again, all of these things are coming by His grace...His amazing grace.

The last verse of Chris Tomlin's version of amazing grace encourages me the most because it is the hope of what is to come, the glory that has yet to be revealed, and the promise that we have been longing for day after day...

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine

May our hearts forever be focused on His grace...for it is nothing short of AMAZING!

Fully Dependent

This week has been one of the toughest both physically and emotionally as well as one of the most peaceful and blessed. Let me explain...Being sick the past few days has enabled me to do a lot of praying, meditating, thinking and well realizing; what have I realized, yet again...the fact of how dependent upon my God I truly am for EVERYTHING. As simple and maybe foolish it may sound, I have realized that a lesson even in my moment of weakness being sick is the fact that it is by His grace that I even can have the strength to get up in the morning. It's funny to me that I forget these simple truths so often and take so many of the simple blessings in life for granted, that I have to be thrown on my back or have a moment of suffering in order to realize my utter dependency upon my Jesus. As much as I hate being in a place of weakness, sickness, trial or suffering, I have come to realize that it is in these moments in my life that I find true joy because I can experience the love of Jesus in a more acute way than in any other time in my life.

During the past week there have been a few verses that have pulled me through:

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

and

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[a] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

and

Isaiah 26:3 " You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you."

All three of these promise very different things, but all three of these show the character of my God; a God who is all-powerful, a God who is faithful, a God who has planned out each moment of my life, a God who is working in the midst of ALL things, a God who is making me, His daughter more like His Son, and a God who provides a joy and a peace to me as HE enables me to trust Him. Oh the precious blood of Jesus that has enabled me to experience this fellowship with the God of the universe. It is so amazing to me that the God of the universe desires to have a relationship with me, that He would enable me to daily trust Him, and that He would choose to allow me to suffer for His sake in order to make me more like Christ. You may be thinking I am talking crazy at this point, but for those of you who have been through tough times, the fire, through suffering and pain, you relate because you know that it is in the valleys in which you experience God's love in a fresh new way.

My favorite song in all of history is a hymn written by Horatio Spafford. Horatio wrote the hymn shortly after his only son and four daughters died and all of his fortune had been ripped from his hands in a moment. In what the world looked at at as the lowest point in Horatio's life, a time of terrible suffering and pain, tragedy really, Horation saw as a triumph and a time of refining because the strength of His Father in Heaven. Before I leave you with some of the precious words penned by Horatio, remember you are FULLY DEPENDENT; may you be encouraged that wherever you are, in trial and suffering or in triumph and joy, to run to your Jesus and find joy in His salvation, find strength in His power and find peace in His perfection. May we sing as the great hymn writer did, Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, it is well with my soul!

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul."

Strength in Surrender

I remember clearly the moment that I surrendered my life to the Lord; I remember the tears I shed and the feeling of a burden being lifted from my back that I would no longer have to bear. Matthew 11:30 says, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." I remember thinking why me? and marveling at the amazing grace that had been freely given, and in that moment all seemed so right. Since then, my life has been full of many trials and triumphs that have built upon that foundational moment in my life. What I have learned time and time again is that there is no more precious and comforting place then at the foot of the cross, clinging to my Jesus and depending fully on Him.

Surrender, it is a powerful word and brings many visuals to mind. The actual definition of the word is to give up, an acceptance of despair, to give up after defeat. The Biblical definition of the word is to give into the hands of another, into the power of another; to deliver to one to take care of and manage; to give itself up. I love the idea and the picture of surrender presented all throughout Scripture because along with it comes full dependence on the one you are surrendering to, Jesus Christ. Throughout our lives as Christians we are called to surrender situations, relationships/people, trials, sins, etc. to the Lord allowing Him to bear the burden, the load that we can't carry on our own.

Recently I have been face to face with this very thing as I have had to surrender some serious things to the Lord in full dependence and reliance upon Him and His perfection. Despite the promise I have in who He is and the promise that He will work all things together for good (Romans 8:28-29), my sinful human flesh desires to control situations and to want to know all the answers or to make people SEE the Truth for what it is; but the truth is "I" can't! I must rely on Him to do the work, I am simply the sower and He is the grower!

There is such a peace that is found at the foot of the cross in complete surrender as you lay your burdens down. Isaiah 26:3 has been a constant reality for me, "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." I am so blessed to have a Father in heaven who wants to bear my burdens, who wants me to surrender all to Him, to as the Biblical definition says, "manage and take care of me". I have found that in surrender there is strength, a power that you can't explain, a joy that can't be hidden. I am so amazed at who HE is and what He has done and am hopeful of all He has yet to do.

My prayer for you is that you too will find hope and comfort and strength in surrender at the precious feet of the One who saved you, who loves you, who comforts and protects you, and who will take care of you forever more!

Trusting through Tears

I can't help but feel. Don't you sometimes wish that you were numb to emotion, to circumstances, to trials; I mean I know that all the pain I feel is a result of sin and that one day I will live free from it, but there are often times I want so badly to just be free from feeling. I recently have been bombarded with what has seemed like heartache to the max. My hurt hasn't stemmed from a circumstance in my own life or the sin that so easily entangles me but rather from a distance as I watch people that I love and have invested so much in simply draw nearer to the world and further from Him. I can't express the pain, the physical pain I feel within as I watch these people blindly living a life so far from what they used to, and from what the Bible commands. Despite the countless prayers and tears and the fact that I know God is in control the pain doesn't dissipate even though I have peace. And to be honest sometimes I sit and wonder what God is doing. I don't want to sound judgmental or that in some way I am putting myself on some pedastool because that is far from the Truth, I am merely experiencing the hurt and heartache of the sin of life.

Since the Lord saved me I have seen many of my friends come to the knowledge of the Lord, I have gained new brothers and sisters and God has enabled me to run with some, disciple others and be encouraged by many. Throughout the past eight almost nine years I have seen countless lives changed and the power of the Gospel displayed (Romans 1:16). It has been both humbling and well, it has pretty much rocked my socks off :). It is so amazing to see the power of God at work in the lives of people; and it is even cooler when we get to be used in some way to make that happen! From missions trips to youth ministry, from Christian colleges to coffee shops; I have seen God work through planting seeds, softening hearts and saving souls. All the glory goes to Him alone! Yet, within that time a parable that Jesus spoke long ago , as recorded in Matthew 13, has become more and more real than ever.

Many of us are familiar with the parable of the sower and the seeds, but fail to realize that Jesus was explaining exactly what was going to happen throughout the rest of history future. Lets look at the verses 1-9 :

" 1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."

Here we see four types of seeds thrown out...

1) The seed that was thrown on the path and the birds snatched away
2) The seed that fell on rocky places with little soil that sprang up quickly but had no roots
3) The seed that was among the thorns and got choked
4) The seed that fell on good soil and produced a crop

And these four seeds describe four responses to the Gospel and four types of people...(V 18-21)

1) The people who reject the Gospel as the evil one snatches the Truth away
2) The people who look like Christians for a time but when hard times come they leave because there was no root
3) The people who hear the Gospel but the worries of life and the want of wealth choke it
4) The people who receive the Gospel and are saved and produces a crop

Throughout my life I have seen these four people and responses to the Gospel. The reality that the road is narrow and few will enter has become more and more real in my eyes. To say that my heart is burdened is an understatement; I look around at the people around me and I long for salvation to come to some and for fervor and passion to come for others. I desire so badly for people to receive the grace that God has afforded me and for God to move in radical ways for His glory. In the midst of my burden I am assured that God is working and that He is doing exactly what He has planned from before the foundation of time; and although it is not the way I may want it to be it is exactly how He wants it to be!

I have to face the cold hard fact that I am not going to understand it all. You know, someone once told me as I was discouraged by a seed that had fallen among the thorns that "Jesus had Judas". As funny as that might sound it brought me so much peace and encouragement because I realized that if the King of the universe had someone who betrayed Him, I too was going to have the same. Although these people may not have betrayed me they have betrayed my God and it breaks my heart! I so badly long for people to have a love for Christ that overwhelms them and a passion to run hard after Him, but what I realized is that I can't make it happen...only He can. Sounds simple enough, but how often I forget. I so often think I can change people, I can make them believe or turn from their sin or overcome something in their life, but I CAN'T...ONLY HE CAN! My job remains to speak Truth, to love and to get on my knees and pray, pray and pray some more!

As I sit here and remind myself of these precious Truths and find encouragement in His Words, I want to remind you who are fighting the good fight ( Philippians 3) and running the race to take heart, to press on and to endure through it all with your eyes fixed on Him; although you may not understand why God does what He does, why He hasn't saved the person you have prayed for for ten years or why your best friend is falling hard for the world; you can trust that God is working all things for His glory and His pleasure and that He is sovereign and in control. I want to leave you with one of my new favorite verses, please be encouraged and don't stop running. ""You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." -Isaiah 26:3

The Trials of Life

Let's face it, being a Christian isn't easy; in fact when you decide to repent of your sin and put your faith in God you are in for a life altering change that has now just put you against the world and the greatest enemy of all...satan himself. The tragedy we see today is that false hope of a perfect life is presented to people by many "evangelicals" when in reality that is not what Scripture teaches at all. In fact look at the following:

Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 5:12 "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

John 15:20 "Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also."

2 Timothy 3:12 "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted"

These are just some of the verses we see in Scripture promising us that EVERYONE who is truly saved is going to face hardship, suffering, persuction AKA TRIALS of all kinds.

First of all lets think about what kind of trials the Christian faces...

1) God's Testing- This is a specific trial that God has put you through
2) The Enemies Persecution- Like Job, God allows Satan to test and try the faith of His beloved
3) Self Inflicted- Sin and the consequences of that cause you to go through trials

But what is the purpose of these? Why do we have to go through trial and suffering as a Christian? Why do we have to hurt and feel pain?

Romans 5:3-5 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. "

1 Peter 1:6-9 "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. "

Trials of the faith enable us to be refined like gold, they strip away the bad stuff and make us more like Jesus. The trials of our faith enable us to depend more wholly on the Lord, and give us confidence in our salvation. They refocus our minds on what is important...eternity and the hope of heaven. And they allow us to relate to Jesus in a whole new way because He suffered through the most heinous of trials.

So the question then becomes how are you doing on the tests of faith? Are you passing or are you failing? Evidence of your salvation lies in your response to trials in your life. Matthew talks about the parable of the sower and the seeds, and one seed in particular that grew a little or appeared to until the weeds choked it; that represented the person who followed Christ when times were good but deserted Him in the hard times. If you are failing I urge you to ask yourself where your heart is, where your hope is, and why...turn from your sin and put your faith in Christ. If you are struggling through the hard times, find hope and encouragement in the promise that Christ has already wont he victory and as you cling to Him and depend on Him in this tough time you will overcome through His strength, press on. And if you are passing the tests of faith be excited about the confidence you have in the promise of your salvation!!

And although the Christian life is not an easy one there is a peace that transcends understanding, an unexpressible joy, a confident hope and an assurance of what is to come that floods the Christian's heart daily!!

Real Conversion

Last night at small groups a very common question was posed, "What if I walked away from the Lord for a while and then came back...does that mean I wasn't a Christian to start?" This is one of the biggest questions that surrounds the evangelical movement today; this whole idea of rededication. Our HS pastor Bobby Blakey has a great blog on this specific topic (http://www.compasschurch.org/blogs/pastorbobby/rededicating-your-life-to-christ/) and after last night I couldn't help but touch on the issue myself because it has burdened my own heart and through God's grace I have come to realize that, brace yourself, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS REDEDICATION, it just isn't biblical!

It should be enough that that term "rededication" isn't even found in Scripture but I want to try and support it even more. Let's think about what happens during "conversion" and try to see if rededication makes sense logically. I think the best passage to go to is Ephesians 2:1-10:
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Lets break it down first as to what goes on in the conversion process...

Step One: You are dead in your transgressions and sins; You are living for yourself as you follow the ruler of the world (Satan) and your flesh and gratify the cravings of your sinful flesh. Wow that is pretty intense! So this person is dead and the "object of God's wrath". Now lets think about that logically for a minute, is it possible to be kind of dead, or sort of dead, or alive and then dead and alive and then dead? No, I'm pretty sure once you die physically you are dead. So the first thing we must understand biblically AND agree with is that pre conversion you are dead.

Step Two: Then what? Well because of God's great love for us, because of his mercy and grace, he has saved those whom He calls. Okay so something happens to make you go from being dead in sin to alive in Christ? This is typically called your "conversion point". So you weren't breathing, you wren't moving, nothign and then all of the sudden you came to life; that is radical! So how did you come to life? Well God in His love drew you to Himself and convicted you of sin and enabled you to repent (aka...turn away from your sin towards Him) and believe (aka actively trust in) in the Gospel message (Christ died for your sins and rose 3 days later, the penalty for sin was paid in full). Alright so the logical conclusion from this is that there is going to be a HUGE change in the person, I mean come'on if someone was dead and now they are alive I think you are going to notice!

Step Three: Lastly the rest of their life (whether that be one hour or one hundred years) is marked by "good works" which we were made to do. What are these good works also known as? Fruit; things like serving, fruits of the Spirit, spreading the Gospel, denying your flesh, giving up sin and putting on righteousness etc. Do these good works save? NO of course not, that already happened but they do do something very crucial, Paul said in Acts 26:20 that, "I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds"; in other words your fruit is going to be the living proof of the inward conversion.

Alright so now that we have that understood back to this whole idea of rededication. Christians always ask if it is possible to have a "period" a "season" in their life in which they "fell away". That is a tough question because each person and case is a little different, but I will do my best to try and clarify this biblically. Do Christians sin? Yes, until we meet the King we will sin. Do Christians struggle with sin? Yes, nonChristians don't because they constantly give in, the Christian battles. Do Christians have "seaons" of their life in which they are LIVING IN SIN? No! That is not biblical, no where in Scripture do we read of someone who lived in sin for some period of time. Now we do read of many who sinned, for example David, the man after God's own heart who committed adultery and murder, or Peter who denied Christ three times; these men sinned, but was it a lifestyle of that? Were their lives characterized by that sin? Absolutely not. In fact both were almost immediately repentent, turning from that sin and turning to God for forgiveness and restoration.

If you are alive how can you be dead again? You can't! There is no way that you can be a carnal Christian, you can't really be saved and yet live in sin; God promises us that we no longer walk in sin (Romans 6) but we walk in holiness as we have the ability to say no to sin and to say yes to righteousness.

So what does it mean to be "living in sin" or have a life characterized by sin? Well first, you are as the passage above says, satisfying the cravings of the flesh continually; that goes for anything from lust to lying, from coveting to selfishness; your entire life is consummed with sin and there is no active repentance in your life. Secondly your life looks just like a nonbeliever, there is nothing that sets you apart from even the "best" non-Christian. And lastly you are not pursuing the Lord at all, there is no personal fellowship in the form of prayer or reading the Word, no serving, no fruits, you are a dead tree so to speak.

I could go on with examples but I will leave it at that. Ultimately there is only one moment in time in which you are converted, it is instant and it changes your life! Not only that but once you are saved you are always saved; John 36:37 says, "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." That is such a precious promise and a precious Truth that I forever hold onto. I love that once we are His we are forever! I know that even on this earth I will still sin I have the ability through His strength to fight that battle daily and to become more like Him, I have the promise that I will be rescued from temptation and He will discipline and chasten me even when I try to run away so to speak, how sweet is the Father to us.

John 12:46 says, "“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”" Once you are in the light you are ALWAYS in the light, find hope and peace in that!!

The Daily Battle

"From behind the shadow of the still small voice – more awful than tempest or earthquake – more sure and persistent than day and night – is always sounding full of hope and strength to the weariest of us all, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”" -Thomas Hughes

Have you ever thought about the fact that you are in a war as a Christian? Literally, everyday we wake up we are going into the battlefield, in fact even when we are sleeping we are in the battlefield; until we enter into the kingdom of heaven one day we are going to face the harsh reality that we are not of this world and the attack is on. As I was thinking about the sins that I struggle with regularly recently I was discouraged by the fact that I so regularly fail. Although I know that Christ has victory over sin and has enabled me to be an overcomer the weakness of my flesh and the temptation and lures of the enemy and the world constantly wage war in my soul...and does it ever get tiring! Praying MARANATHA, Lord come quickly is definitely the ever present desire in my heart, but I know that God has left me here, He has numbered my days as the Psalmist said and has a specific plan and purpose for my life as well as yours if you are one of His (Eph 2:10); and that means that I need to prepare for battle everday until He comes and takes me home.

Any soldier will tell you that before they go into battle they prepare, rarely will a soldier go into battle unprepared. We need to do the same! We need to prepare our minds as 1 Peter 1:13 says, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." So what are we preparing our minds for? What on earth is the believer's warfare? I did a little bit of examining what Scripture had to say about this battle:

First this battle is internal: Galatians 5:17 "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." Isn't this the truth, how often have we wanted so desparately to not sin and yet we give in. We must realize that the battle begins within, it begins within the depravity of our flesh and we must be on guard.

Next the battle is with the world: Galatians 3:22 says, "But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe." The world is bombarding us with sinful temptations day in and day out, but take heart Jesus says in John 16:33, ""I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.""

And lastly the battle is with the enemy himself, Satan: Ephesians 6:11-12 says, "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." This is intense, our struggle is an ongoing battle by a force that has a lot of God given granted power and is a master mind schemer.

So how do we fight it? We put on the armor of the Lord of course! In Ephesians 6:13-18 we read, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. "

Practically speaking what does this mean....
1. Belt of Truth- THINK TRUTH, BE BIBLICAL, PURSUE HIM
2. Breastplate of Righteousness- PUT OFF THE SINFUL WAYS AND PUT ON RIGHTEOUS/GODLY HABITS THEY WILL GUARD YOUR HEART
3. Feet with readiness to share the Gospel- THAT IS OUR MISSION
4. Shield of Faith- OUR CONFIDENCE IN HIM AND TRUST IN WHAT HE DID AND WILL DO WILL PROTECT US FROM THE LIES THAT ARE THROWN OUR WAY
5. Helmet of salvation- A HELMET PROTECTS YOUR HEAD, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR BODY AND YOUR SALVATION IS WHAT PROTECTS YOU FROM DEATH AND GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO LIVE ETERNALLY
6. Sword of the Spirit- THE WORD OF GOD, THE SWORD LETS YOU FIGHT SUCCESSFULLY
And lastly it says PRAY! That is crucial in this all out battle. John Piper called prayer a "wartime walkie talkie".

We can hope in knowing that He has already overcome the world and that each day as we embark on this journey and go head on into battle we have a commander in chief who has already won!

Joyful No Matter What

It seems that throughout my life the Lord has been faithful to provide me with a verse for every season, both tragedy and triumph, a verse that encourages and spurs me on and keeps my heart and mind steadfast on Him. I love Isaiah 26:3 in which we read, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because He trusts in you" or Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God", and then there is Colossians 1:16 "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him", or Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." or even Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful"...and I of course could go on, those are just a few of the verse that come to mind when I think of specific verses the Lord gave me during specific seasons in my life. I am sure that you too can think of a handful of verses that God has used to keep you steadfast during the ups and downs in your life.

I recently was having a conversation with a coworker and the topic of depression came up. This individual was explaining how they had been having a period in their life where they were always sad, hurting, and angry for what they believed to be "no reason"; not being saved, this person's immediate reaction was to make a phone call to the doctor and set up an appointment to get diagnosed with depression so they could get the pills to "balance" out. As I sat there thinking about what was going on I continued our discussion and soon realized a foundational truth of all humanity...happiness for humanity is circumstantial, not so profound I know but it definitely is something that is true for all of the human race. If life is going great then the person tends to be happy and joyous and the moment that life takes a turn for the worse so do the emotions, everything is based on the circumstances and situations surrounding that individual. And then as I am sitting there having this conversation with them I realize that I am blessed (happy) because God is my rock. Okay yeah I knew that all along but in that moment it really hit me, it hit me that no matter what I do in life, no matter what situations come my way, no matter how hard or how tough life gets I have a peace and a joy that never fade, and then God gave me a verse... Habakkuk 3:17-19

"Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments."

This promise is something that I am so sure of, that no matter what befalls me in life I will always be secure and confident in my standing with Christ and bottom line that is all that matters, and there is happiness in that because we are truly blessed!! I love the prophets description here that despite the circumstances that befall, and the fact that there is really every reason "logically" or from a human perspective to be upset and depressed, yet despite that He will rejoice BECAUSE His hope and joy are found in God His Savior who strengthens and enables Him to find peace and perservere. As I continued to dwell on this precious promise I was so encouraged looking back over the seasons of my life and seeing how despite it all there was a consistency in my heart because God is and was my portion and although everything else failed HE WOULDN'T!

What a treasure we have as sons and daughters of the King, what a precious promise we have inherited and what a blessing it is to have the Truth of Scripture that the Spirit impresses on our hearts perfectly giving us specific verses to enable us to continue running!

"Sarah" Moments

"God's faithfulness means that God will always do what He said and fulfill what He has promised." -Wayne Grudem

Today I was reading through the book of Genesis (which by the way I highly recommend) and I came across one of my favorite OT stories, that of Abraham, Sarah and Issac and how God proved His faithfulness time and time again to these three. I was quickly reminded of so many Truths and I couldn't help but smile because of God's providence in my reading that specific passage even today (He knows I needed it). In Genesis we read about the covenant that God the Father made with Abraham in relation to the blessing of generations of people who would follow the one true God; what we soon see is the mistrust and sin of Abraham and Sarah as Ishmael is conceived in sin through Hagar. I don't know how many times I have wondered why on earth the two of them (Abraham and Sarah) weren't just patient and why they couldn't just trust the God that had already proved His faithfulness in their lives in the past; but then I am humbly reminded of how I too have the same attitude...how I am a modern day Sarah, or I have what I call my "sarah" moments...but don't we all?! God had a very near and dear relationship to Abraham and Sarah and had promised Abraham the blessing of a child through whom the nations would be blessed, yet in the quietness of her heart Sarah laughed at the promise because of the circumstances she found herself in (barrenness and old age, not to mention that she had waited for some time at that point, and I am sure her patience had run dry). In Genesis 18:10-14 we read,

"He said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?' "Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

As I read over this passage once again I saw myself, I couldn't help but realize that I often am the laughing Sarah in the circumstances I find myself in, most of the time in the quietness of my own heart where only God can see. I KNOW God is faithful and I have even experienced and seen His faithfulness yet when it comes to unfulfilled desires or provisions I seem to laugh thinking that the situation is impossible, or that the time has run out, or that maybe it jsut won't happen. But is anything too difficult for the Lord? Absolutely not, obviously not! Now although I don't have the privilege of talking directly with the Lord (as in verbally) like Abraham and Sarah did, or the actual time frame of a promise answered, I do have the same privilege of talking to the Lord, the presence of His Spirit, and the response of His Word. In that I also have the ability to trust the Lord through His strength and the pirivlege of looking back over 6000 years and seeing God's perfection, His providence and His proven faithfulness time and time again. Is anything really too hard for Him? Is something too much for the God who spoke the universe into existence, the God who covered the earth with a flood and spared a family, the God who bore the sin of the world? As I am writing this I can see more and more how absurd my thinking can become, how tainted my emotions can make my focus and how often I forget the truth of who this God is. The same God who promised (and KEPT that promise proving His perfect faithfulness) Abraham and Sarah a son is the same God who has promised to never leave or forsake us and who is faithful in even the small affairs of our lives, how foolish it is to laugh in our hearts.

My prayer for myself is that I would take heed to the lesson found in Genesis 18 and remember the God I serve, and remember to hold firm to the Truth of His Word as it says in Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."

Words

"I would rather play with forked lightning, or take in hand living wires with their fiery current, than speak a reckless word against any servant of Christ, or idly repeat the slanderous darts which thousands of Christians are hurling on others, to the hurt of their own souls and bodies." -A.B. Simpson

I was reading through the book of James yesterday and came across one of the most convicting passages in all of Scripture, at least for me personally, specifically in James 3. The passage dealt with the topic of our words, our mouths and how important and yet how sinful they are. I am so often shocked at what comes out of my mouth; I can think of numerous times in which I wish that I could just suck back up the words I said or rewind the tape, but truth be told, words once they leave your mouth can never be taken back. The tongue however has great power, I think we underestimate the power of our words as the tongue can speak both positively and negatively and often times because of our sinful flesh the latter occurs. If you think about it for a moment I am sure you can think of times that you yourself have been hurt by words that someone carelessly or even purposely spoke towards you or even about you, and those words will never be erased (although forgiveness takes place the words were said). And on the flip time I am sure, just as I can, that you can think of a time when you have said something that you wished you would have never said.

In James 3:2-12 we read...

"We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

Talk about convicting! The only person on this planet that ever spoke without a word of gossip, slander, lie, or anything not edifying to others or honoring to the Lord was the God-man Jesus Christ. But just because we know that on this side of heaven we are not going to be "perfect" does that mean that we just give up? Absolutely not! It does not leave us exempt from striving towards holiness for He commands it.

The anaolgies used here in chapter 3 are so interesting, James speaks of small things that have the power to control a lot and likens it to the fact that although the tongue is a very small part of the body, it has the ability to influence EVERYTHING in life. John MacArthur expounds on the fire analogy and explains, "like fire, the tongue's sinful words can spread destruction rapidly, or as its accompanying smoke, those words can permeate and ruin everything around it"; that my friend is the power of your words. In Proverbs 18:21 we read that, "The tongue has the power of life and death".

James goes on to explain that out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. How often have we went to church to worship the Lord and at church we have gossiped or slandered someone else name? How often have we said a prayer in the morning and on shortly after sent a text message to a friend talking badly about someone or something? The truth is brutal but we must see it and face the reality that we so often use our tongues in the most counter opposing ways. But when you logicaly think about it how is that even possible?? I am so often guilty of this and many times without it even phasing me will say something that should never have come out of my mouth because one it is not glorifying to God and secondly it doesn't edify anyone else. Many Christians think that this specific passage is only talking about foul language/cursing when in reality it is talking about ANY kind of language or ANY words that are not going to build up/encourage another or glorify Christ.

But how do we control this? How do we make sure that we are using our words in a way that would most honor the Lord and encourage others? How do we make sure that our words are not both of light and of dark or of good and evil? It all begins in the heart, whatever you are saturating and filling your heart/mind with is going to influence you the most. So if you are in the Word, meditating on Truths of Scripture and spending time in fellowship with those who will encourage and sharpen you you are going to be spill out what goes in, and that will be things that are lovely and pure and true(Philippians 4:8) as opposed to things that are unrighteous. So it begins there. We read in Luke 6:45, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." So what is in your heart is going to translate onto your lips...kind of a scary thought when you begin to think about what comes out of your mouth huh?!

But the comfort, encouragement, and hope in it all is that God gives us the ability to speak rightly, to use our words to encourage, to edify one another. We have power in our words.. When you start looking at it that way you may be more careful to choose what comes out of your mouth. Oh to be used by the Savior as a tool with your words! In Hebrews 3:13 we read, "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Let us do that, lets be known for the good that comes out of our mouth so that those around us may look at us and glorify our Father in heaven! I urge you brothers and sisters, use your words as a source of life!

Do You Pray?

"MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY" -Luke 18:1

About a year and a half ago I was recommended a book by J.C. Ryle titled "A CALL TO PRAYER"; it looked like nothing more than a typical little pamphlet (in fact it was only 30 pages) on praying, what I soon discovered was that it was a rich exhoration from a Godly man. I remembered the book yet after reading it once failed to ever look at it again, I think I may have even written a blog after reading it a long while ago, but I recently stumbled upon it once more and what I found once again was more exhortation and more encouragement from Ryle that I couldn't help but share with each of you! My prayer is that you might be encouraged to pick the little book up, it is but a couple dollars, and find the deep treasures inside.

He starts off simple by begging the question DO YOU PRAY? Why would he ask such a question in a book that is intended for the "Christian" I remember thinking, I mean come'on obviously I pray. And yet he quickly reminds the reader that "it is one thing to say your prayers and another to pray"...that is where the conviction began. The following are reasons he begs the question, there are many included in the small book but I picked the four that stood out the most to me...

1. A HABIT of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian
"It is as much a part of their new nature to pray, as it is of a child to cry. They see their need of mercy and grace. They feel their emptiness and weakness. They cannot do otherwise than they do. They MUST pray."
Looking throughout Scripture at the lives of Godly men and women you find that they had a devotion to prayer, it was a big part of their lives; even present day missionaries, or men of the church were prayer warriors. If someone is not praying how is he communing with God? How can He be saved? How can he be feeling brokeness of sin? How can he be thanking God for His mercy and provision? A habit of prayer identifies a Christian!

2. There is no duty more NEGLECTED than prayer
"It is one of those private transactions between God and our souls which no eye sees, and therefore one which men are tempted to pass over and leave undone."
Millions of people of all time have never uttered a word of prayer to the creator of all, they simply don't talk to Him and selfishly live their lives wrapped up completely in themselves. Yet for even those who claim to "pray" they are not really praying, it is but a form, repetition of words where no heart is involved. True prayer is not natural to anyone. It is impossible for sin and prayer to live in a man's heart.

3. Prayer is an act with great ENCOURAGEMENT
"There is a way by which any man, however sinful and unworthy, may draw near to God the Father. Jesus Christ has opened that way by the sacrifice He made for us upon the cross."
Jesus is our intercessor, He is the one presenting our prayers to God! Our prayer is His delight! The Spirit is in our hearts, as believers, and giving us the words to say in that prayer, HE is giving us grace and supplication. Ryle explains that there are promises, precious promises for those who pray, look at Matthew 7 "Ask in prayer BELIEVING and you shall receive". And all throughout Scripture we see the power of that prayer, what a hope!

4. Diligence in prayer is the secret of eminent HOLINESS
"They are all fighting the same good fight; but how much more valiantly some fight than others. They are all doing the Lord's work; but how much more some do than others. They are all light in the Lord; but how much more brightly some shine than others. They are all running the same reace; but how much faster some get on than others. They arll love the same Lord and Savior; but how much more some love Him than others."
Pursuing holiness involves prayer...and alot of it! We look around and see those that run hard and fast and we wonder what their secret of holiness may be, it begins at the throne room of God!

So for those of us who DO pray be encouraged and remember to...
*Come in reverence and humility- Ecclesiastes 5:2
*Pray spiritually- asking the Spirit to help
*Make it a regular part of life
*Have Perseverence- Colossians 4:2, 1 Thess 5:17
*Earnestness in Prayer- James 5:16
*Praying with Faith- Mark 11:42- "We should endeavor to believe that our prayers are heard and if asked according to God's will, will be answered!"
*Boldness- with a spirit of confidence
*With Fullness- we are not likely to err on praying too much, Ps 81:10- "Open they mouth wide and I will fill it"
*Specifically/Particularity- Be specific in what you pray for/about
*Intercede- don't be selfish in your prayer
*Be thankful- All of Scripture gives us the example of thankfulness going hand in hand with petition in prayer
*Watchful over prayers- It is the spiritual "pulse"

So let us pray, and pray, and pray some more and remember the God who holds it all in His hands hears your prayers!