My father-in-law wrote a great reply to my last devotion. I thought you all might be interested in reading it as well!
God Bless,
Ashley
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People can see the evidence that God exists everyday in His creation. – if they want to. Psalms 19:1 says, “The Heavens declare the Glory of God; and the firmament [the stars] shows His handiwork.” So how can you miss God in all that? But His handiwork, just like all of His more sensational and spectacular miracles in the Bible, still get missed or forgotten by people who also still fail to notice Him and fail to continue to give Him credit. They just forget and fall back into their unbelief and let life go on “as usual” without God and without faith. Sure, we’re all humans, and you can expect that sort of thing, but thank God He created faith as a plan for those if us who want to remember Him and all He has done!
I believe the real reason we humans forget about God is because no one ever truly sees God and keeps on living. We just see His actions, His work and His results, but never His face. Moses was told by God that "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." (Ex 33:20). So Moses got to see the back of God for just an instant, and that almost killed him! We only get to see the evidence of God’s existence, and that where faith (and often a lot of it) is required for us to believe that the evidence means that God truly exists. The works, wonders, and miracles are all only signs & representations of who God is, but we never really get to see God Himself – because if we saw Him, we would surely die.
I also believe that it would be impossible to see God and still not believe in Him. Good or bad, once you see Him you’ll believe alright, but then it’s too late to do anything about it because you’ll also be dead, and all that’s left then is The Judgment. There’s no gap or time to decide to follow Christ or to correct your crooked path or clean your soiled garments. The instant a human see God – truly and really sees God – life as we know it is over.
This leads me to the list of my three good reasons why God doesn’t actually show Himself to people directly:
1) It eliminates the faith required to believe (aka, “seeing is believing”)
2) it eliminates the ability for people to act on that belief (too late to change; and
3) it eliminates the ability to share that faith and spread it to others.
So again, God in His grace knew we couldn’t actually see Him or this whole plan wouldn’t work right. I’d love to actually see God face to face today because I know I’m ready to meet Him. That doesn’t scare me at all. But if I did see Him right now face to face, I wouldn’t be able to stay here and share my faith with others who don’t know Him and that would not be good for His Master Plan – The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). So as long as I’m part of His plan here on Earth, I’ve got to use faith to keep me in tune with God.
The only exception in the Bible are those people who saw the physical human body and face of Jesus himself. Even then, however, the disciples only saw the physical Christ and never the fully incarnated glorious heavenly Christ. God limited what they saw to what they could understand and endure without zapping them all into heaven in an instant. He needed to energize them to start the church, but He didn’t want to wipe them out before they got started. Maybe that’s why the first generation of the church was so empowered and so spiritual – they saw more of God than any other living man, but yet they continued to live here on earth. That extra dose of God – seeing Christ in His resurrected body – had to be awesome to say the least.
The point of all this is to say that God created faith and gave it to us for us to “see” God in this world and in all of the miracles our human eyes might view. Faith is the “eye-glass of the soul” and God’s primary tool to get man back into fellowship with Him. He still reveals Himself through miracles and acts of healing and the like, and man will continue to get all excited at times and then forget Him at other times. But these things are provided to remind mankind of the faith that we all need to have in Him in order to believe that He truly exists. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without Faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Without faith, we may see evidence of God all around us, but never truly see Him as our Lord & Savior. But with faith, our eyes will be opened more and more to see and appreciate all of His wondrous works and His desire to be Our Awesome God!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
How Often Do You "See" God?
Many people wonder why God doesn't just "show himself to the world" so that we may all see and believe. Well, anyone who continues to ask that, does not fully understand or know the bible. Time after time in the Old Testament, God revealed himself to the people. There were miracles, prophecies, parting of rivers, the 10 commandments, military victories, tornadoes of fire, etc. Unfortunately, after every event, God's people forgot what He had done. They turned back to their old ways and began worshiping/creating false gods.
Even after Jesus walked on this Earth raising people from the dead, healing the blind and sick, feeding thousands of people out of just a few loaves of bread, walking on water, and turning water into wine his disciples almost immediately threw all of the physical evidences of God (along with all his words and predictions to his death) away.
Luke 24 depicts the scene of two of Jesus' disciples meeting Jesus on the road after the resurrection. One would think these disciples would remember God's words (and recognize Jesus) especially after all they had witnessed:
". . . the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him mover to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life" (Matthew 20:17-19)
Jesus said the above words directly to his 12 apostles. Yet as these 2 men were walking along the road, they assumed Jesus was a visitor to Jerusalem. They spoke to him about the man who was crucified, a great prophet, the one they thought would "redeem Israel."
How could these men not know Jesus? They were the ones who knew him the most while on this Earth yet they STILL had to have Jesus(disguised as a visitor) explain to them why He(Jesus) was the Christ! It says that Jesus explained the Scripture to them and all it had said regarding the Christ: "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." (Luke 24:27)
So ask yourself, why do you need God to reveal himself to you? What good would it do? Would you honestly change your life and live it better? Would you forget it? Would you go and tell others? Would other people even believe you? This is why (if you remember my devotion about Elijah on the mountain), God does not want to have to show himself to us in a BIG way. He would much rather be that whisper, that intimate, close relationship that only we can explain. This is why God is so special. And don't forget, you never know how often you are actually interacting with God. Look at the disciples, they did not even know they were speaking with Jesus on the road! How often do we encounter Him in our lives and dismiss Him?
God Bless you all,
Ashley
"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Are you luke warm?
The Devil has many tactics to prevent us from seeking the comforting and loving arms of our Lord and Savior. One of those ways that he prevents me from seeking God is the feeling of guilt and shame. When I sin, I try to hide from God, just like Adam and Even did when they realized they were naked. The Scripture says that when God asked why they were hiding they said they were afraid. (Gen 1). Why should we as Christians feel afraid? We have Jesus who came and died for our sins. We have nothing to fear so long as we follow God. Anytime we sin, we need to ask for forgiveness and repent. The key word here is "repent." This means we must turn from our sins and continue on the path of righteousness. When we do not repent our actions have serious consequences for us and others around us. Read this passage in Jeremiah:
"During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, 'Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,' declares the Lord. The Lord said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah." (Jeremiah 3:6-10)
In this passage, Israel sinned by committing adultery against the Lord (which in this case means worshiping other man made gods). While Israel was sinning, her sister Judah saw Israel and decided to follow Israel's footsteps down the path of sin and destruction. This is where the message becomes difficult to comprehend. God says in the end that Judah (the sister) comes back to God in "pretense" which means with false sincerity. Judah may have said they were sorry but they most likely were continuing their same lives as before. They merely asked for forgiveness in an act of ritual.
How often do we sin against God, but continue on the same exact path, stopping only for a moment to ask for forgiveness out of habit not out of sincerity. The bible clearly states that God will judge our hearts. We cannot run and hide from God. We cannot trick God, making him think we're asking for forgiveness, but in our hearts we are not. Don't be mistaken, it is not good to be like Israel in this passage either. Israel's sin is what caused Judah to go into sin in the first place. I have seen many Christians in my lifetime, including myself, who have went down a path of sin thinking that we will "come back to God later" or we will be the prodigal son and return at another point in our life. Ask yourself this question if you are on that path right now, are you willing to be responsible for the other souls you are leading on the path with you? You may have intention to return to God at some point in time, but will the others? Your temporary sin could be responsible for someone's soul dying, condemned to an eternity of separation from God.
"Return, faithless people," declares the Lord, 'for I am your husband." (Jeremiah 3:14)
May you all be blessed. And please, wherever you are in your life right now, make sure you are sincere in your faith with God. It is better to be hot or cold instead of lukewarm......
"During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, 'Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,' declares the Lord. The Lord said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah." (Jeremiah 3:6-10)
In this passage, Israel sinned by committing adultery against the Lord (which in this case means worshiping other man made gods). While Israel was sinning, her sister Judah saw Israel and decided to follow Israel's footsteps down the path of sin and destruction. This is where the message becomes difficult to comprehend. God says in the end that Judah (the sister) comes back to God in "pretense" which means with false sincerity. Judah may have said they were sorry but they most likely were continuing their same lives as before. They merely asked for forgiveness in an act of ritual.
How often do we sin against God, but continue on the same exact path, stopping only for a moment to ask for forgiveness out of habit not out of sincerity. The bible clearly states that God will judge our hearts. We cannot run and hide from God. We cannot trick God, making him think we're asking for forgiveness, but in our hearts we are not. Don't be mistaken, it is not good to be like Israel in this passage either. Israel's sin is what caused Judah to go into sin in the first place. I have seen many Christians in my lifetime, including myself, who have went down a path of sin thinking that we will "come back to God later" or we will be the prodigal son and return at another point in our life. Ask yourself this question if you are on that path right now, are you willing to be responsible for the other souls you are leading on the path with you? You may have intention to return to God at some point in time, but will the others? Your temporary sin could be responsible for someone's soul dying, condemned to an eternity of separation from God.
"Return, faithless people," declares the Lord, 'for I am your husband." (Jeremiah 3:14)
May you all be blessed. And please, wherever you are in your life right now, make sure you are sincere in your faith with God. It is better to be hot or cold instead of lukewarm......
Friday, July 24, 2009
Walking alone..... with God
Often times in our walk with Christ we come to stepping stones. In order to make it to the next stone, we have to take a great "leap of faith" (pardon my cliche). Depending on where we are in the walk, there may be others right with us taking the step. For example, when we are young, perhaps it is our parents who help to give us insight into the Word of God. At other times, it may be a pastor or a friend. But as we grow, there will always be a point where we must come to that stone alone. It is only up to us to make the jump. It becomes easy to glance around and wonder, "why, where are all the others to help me along the way?" Well, my friend, think of it as a glorious event. It is the jump into "adulthood with God." We cannot learn to depend upon these others in our lives to "make" our relationship with God rich and deep. No, my brothers and sisters, it is up to each and every one of us to make sure that the budding friendship with our Savior blossoms into a magnificent flower.
You may wonder why I speak of relationship with God that is so intimate and sacred that no one else can be there with you for it. In the past couple of days I have watched a few movies regarding the Nazi Jewish Concentration Camps. They have tugged at my soul. I even was brought to the point to ask questions like, "God, why didn't you hear their cries? Didn't you see them" which God in turn replied the following:
"Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? Does he who disciplines the nations not punish? Does he who teaches man lack knowledge? The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile." (Psalm 94:9) - great read; I recommend reading the whole passage.
What I am trying to say is that my husband and I are in a place in our life where it can feel lonely. We do not have many physically close Christian brothers and sisters to turn to. We are in the midst of the challenge of beginning a new church and yet we aren't real active in that process yet. I find myself whining saying, I do not have strong Christian brothers and sisters to surround myself in order that I may grow. Yet, how can I make it their job to grow my relationship with God? I must take responsibility for my own placement in Christ. For I do not know the true extent of what good someone else may do for me. As the good Word states, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phillipians 2:12). It does not just say to "work out" meaning that it is all done in one instant. It says continue! Our relationship with God does not end as soon as we accept Him as our Savior. It is JUST the beginning. Everyday we need to wake up and "continue to work out our salvation." We must choose to live for Him daily. This means putting ourselves into the Scripture so that the Lord can challenge and enlighten you in brand new ways.
I pray that you all are seeking the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It is with this that God can bring light to His word and in your life.
God Bless You All,
Ashley
Psalm 94 : 23
"He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them."
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Christianity: Bondage in Rules or Freedom From Pain?
Many people dislike Christianity for all the ‘rules’. Well I think that is nonsense! What is Christianity except a release from the world’s rules? Christianity is how I am able to be my own person. The world tries to tell me that I need alcohol, wealth, clothes, sports teams, a business, my own career, and a mind that accepts anything and everything as okay.
Christianity in my perspective frees me from the above bondages. For my purpose in life is to not buy clothes, save up a lot of money, or to even be the nicest person in the world (let’s face it – I could try but it probably wouldn’t happen). My purpose is to live each day with a love unlike any other. It is a love that exists through any circumstance. It is a love that tells me to accept everyone else with the same love that I am given. A love that rejoices in flaws because I understand I can never fully reach perfection in this lifetime; at least not until I am united with the sole perfector of the universe, Jesus Christ.
Some other religions or philosophies require that we carry around some item that will bring us good luck, good energy, or make us a better person in general. With Christ we do not need to carry anything with us. We have God at our fingertips literally anywhere, anytime. He even left us a gift, the Holy Spirit which dwells inside of us and helps to direct us. You can think of it as a roadmap from God in case for some reason we cannot understand what He is telling us to do; which is ironic, because the road map is still God speaking to us. You see, we cannot separate from Him. He will never leave nor forsake us.
And if God for some reason required us to carry around some “item” what would we do if we lost it? How would we become better people without some physical item outside of ourselves directing us? A lot of us depend on material things to bring us good luck, charm, and energy. Some believe that these objects will even make us a better person. Well I want to ask a question, why would some being, or whatever you believe in, require us to have some material object in order to become a better person? That would mean it would not be accessible to every person in the world. Jesus’ love extends to every person, of every background, race, ethnicity, and class. And the question I brought up earlier, what would you do if it was gone? If you had nothing left in this whole world except the clothes on your back. What would you do? How would you do it?
Can your rock or your so called god do miracles? Can it provide for you holistically? Can your god heal a lifetime of pain? Can it mend broken relationships? Can it guarantee you happiness and an eternity of riches? NO – because there is not ONE thing on this earth that can guarantee that. No marriage, drink, friend, money, energy baring rock, can do that except for Jesus Christ. He does all of that and guarantees you eternal joy and happiness in His kingdom.
The most BEAUTIFUL thing is that we do not have to ‘do’ anything. There was only one factor that “I” had to do. I simply had to ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior of my life, to forgive me of my sins, and to make in me a new heart. That was the end of it. I was guaranteed a life with God from that point on. Oh, you ask about all the “rules” us Christians must abide by? Well God simply asks us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That is the only rule of Christianity. When you begin a life of following God, when you love Him with all your Heart, that is when all the other things in our life begin to change, that is when you decide to stop doing whatever it is that God has called you to stop doing. But only once you have found God. Christianity is not bondage in rules, it is freedom from pain.
Christianity in my perspective frees me from the above bondages. For my purpose in life is to not buy clothes, save up a lot of money, or to even be the nicest person in the world (let’s face it – I could try but it probably wouldn’t happen). My purpose is to live each day with a love unlike any other. It is a love that exists through any circumstance. It is a love that tells me to accept everyone else with the same love that I am given. A love that rejoices in flaws because I understand I can never fully reach perfection in this lifetime; at least not until I am united with the sole perfector of the universe, Jesus Christ.
Some other religions or philosophies require that we carry around some item that will bring us good luck, good energy, or make us a better person in general. With Christ we do not need to carry anything with us. We have God at our fingertips literally anywhere, anytime. He even left us a gift, the Holy Spirit which dwells inside of us and helps to direct us. You can think of it as a roadmap from God in case for some reason we cannot understand what He is telling us to do; which is ironic, because the road map is still God speaking to us. You see, we cannot separate from Him. He will never leave nor forsake us.
And if God for some reason required us to carry around some “item” what would we do if we lost it? How would we become better people without some physical item outside of ourselves directing us? A lot of us depend on material things to bring us good luck, charm, and energy. Some believe that these objects will even make us a better person. Well I want to ask a question, why would some being, or whatever you believe in, require us to have some material object in order to become a better person? That would mean it would not be accessible to every person in the world. Jesus’ love extends to every person, of every background, race, ethnicity, and class. And the question I brought up earlier, what would you do if it was gone? If you had nothing left in this whole world except the clothes on your back. What would you do? How would you do it?
Can your rock or your so called god do miracles? Can it provide for you holistically? Can your god heal a lifetime of pain? Can it mend broken relationships? Can it guarantee you happiness and an eternity of riches? NO – because there is not ONE thing on this earth that can guarantee that. No marriage, drink, friend, money, energy baring rock, can do that except for Jesus Christ. He does all of that and guarantees you eternal joy and happiness in His kingdom.
The most BEAUTIFUL thing is that we do not have to ‘do’ anything. There was only one factor that “I” had to do. I simply had to ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior of my life, to forgive me of my sins, and to make in me a new heart. That was the end of it. I was guaranteed a life with God from that point on. Oh, you ask about all the “rules” us Christians must abide by? Well God simply asks us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That is the only rule of Christianity. When you begin a life of following God, when you love Him with all your Heart, that is when all the other things in our life begin to change, that is when you decide to stop doing whatever it is that God has called you to stop doing. But only once you have found God. Christianity is not bondage in rules, it is freedom from pain.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
How do you know God's will?
Jesus came to this world with a purpose, a mission. He came to set us free, each and every one in order that we may live a life abundant in the Kingdom of Heaven. However, he left us to decide whether or not we would follow Him to that eternity. Therefore, we must face decisions. Sometimes we consult God, other times, we do not. My question to you is how do you know what is the will of God? How do you pursue His will? Do you pray? Do you ask others? Do you simply make a decision and hope for the best? There is an answer in the word of God that directs us to finding God's will for our lives. In Romans, Paul encourages us to "offer [our] bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God." When we present ourselves to God completely free from all other bindings, it is then and only then that we may find a will for our lives. Paul continues to say that this act is not only a guide to finding what God's will is but it is also an act of worship.
You see, we have made worship into a form of entertainment within the church. This is not how it is meant to be. Worship can occur at any moment, any place, with or without sound, with or without other people. Ultimate worship is laying your life down to follow God. This is a form of praise. God does not want us to conform to this world, which in some circumstances, may be the way you worship God. Do not make your worship simply a way for you to be entertained, where you focus on how you feel. This makes it about yourself and not God. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will." Worship God completely, which entails laying your life down before Him, and you will find and enjoy God's will for your life.
God Bless You All
-Ashley-
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12: 1 - 3
Jesus lived and died, he sacrificed himself for us. Can you now become a living sacrifice?
Monday, July 6, 2009
Revel in God and He will Reveal Himself
One of the most difficult aspects of Christianity (and sometimes the most frightening) is speaking about our faith to others. It is popular to believe that we need not worry (or prepare) for these encounters because Jesus tells us to "not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." (Matthew 10:19) However, this popular verse is taken out of context. When you read just a couple sentences back the whole passage says
"But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father through you."
When Jesus was speaking to his disciples about being arrested, he also was warning the disciples that they will be flogged, stoned, and hated ("I am sending you out like sheep among wolves" - Mth 10:16).
As you can see, there is a huge difference between how these disciples were witnessing and how we today speak about our faith in America. We are not facing whippings or stonings. Yet we expect that God will move and speak through us just the same. In my opinion, I think this is a little naive and prideful on our part. It is naive and prideful in the aspect that we do not spend time in God's word preparing ourselves for the situations that arise in which we must speak about our faith or answer difficult questions. Jesus' disciples had walked, talked, and lived the life of a true Christian so of course the Holy Spirit would speak through them when they were arrested (or in any other situation as well). My point is to not make you think that God cannot and will not provide the words to say in touchy situations, I merely saying how can we expect God to suddenly save us from embarrassment (if we cannot answer someone's question or we seem to stumble on our words when we explain our faith) when we do not live fully for Him? If you do not anticipate the questions that others may have - then you will not have the knowledge already in your mind for God to suddenly pull it forth from you and to speak for you.
I have a great friend who constantly challenges me about my faith. I try to answer the best I can. But because of her, I have learned to anticipate what she may ask me. I have thrown myself into the bible, studying it so that God can pull together everything I have read. You see, it is not I who find the answers, but I put myself in a place where God can REVEAL the answer to me. That is the key factor to success in speaking about your faith. You must be willing to put yourself in front of God so He can speak to you.
Remember my devotion about God's whisper - sometimes it is just that, a whisper. And once God has whispered to you, it is your duty to spread the word so that others may see and hear the light.
"What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs." -- Matthew 10: 27
May God Bless You All!!
-Ashley-
Thursday, July 2, 2009
God's Plan For Your Hardships
Everyday we go through life with so much coming at us. There are deadlines, papers to be written, people to meet, advertisements to be made, the list goes on and on. Sometimes we feel this pressure so much that we feel that there is absolutely nothing we can do. That we cannot make it on our own. We are pushed to our breaking point and once we have gotten there, we are often alone. We do not let others in on our secret struggles. We do not want others to feel our insecurities, whatever they may be.
Well, there is a great song that I feel fits into every hardship we have. It is called "Tears Away." The song speaks about how we are always just a tear away from our Salvation, our Great Healer, our Comforter. We do not have to go through life alone especially in the difficult times. We simply have to cry out to God, ask for His Help and He will never turn away from you. In the first chapter of John, it speaks about Jesus - "In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." God is our way to life and he shines through US! How amazing is it to think that our God's perfection shines the brightest when we follow Him? "that life was the light of men" Whether we know it our not, if we follow Christ, we are shining in the darkness around us. Others may not know that you are a Christian, they may not know why you follow him, or what he has done for you, but there is something about you that I can guarantee they do not understand. The fact that they do not understand you in some way or another, is what brings them to you. It is what draws people to you. That is why we must walk in the light that God has given us, His Holy Spirit.
When we do that, we will be comforted in our hardships. I may have written this verse before, but here it is again, think of it as God speaking to you
"I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you; I am greatly encouraged." (2 Corinthians 7:4)
Do not give up in whatever it is you are doing in your life. Do not give up when things do not seem to be going perfectly. God sometimes needs us to show others how to endure hardships in order that others may call on Jesus when they find hardships as well. Think of it as a blessing from God if you are enduring something right now. It means that God has confidence, pride, and courage in you. He believes in you and knows that you are strong enough to handle it. And if it ever gets to a breaking point for you, just remember, God has promised that He will never give us more than we can handle. (I Corinthians 10:13)
May God Bless You All,
Ashley
Friday, June 26, 2009
God is a Whisper
Before I get into today's daily encouragement I would like to give a backdrop for the story. I am usually fairly decent at praying continuously throughout a day. Whether it is just giving a short thanks for something or just saying hi to the Lord. For some reason, tonight I failed to do so. I worked from 4 - 10 pm and completely shut God out of everything I was doing. I was a busy bee. When I came home, I felt lonely because I hadn't spent time with the Lord all evening. While I was preparing my dinner, God whispered to me, "God is a whisper." I immediately thought of Elijah on top of the mountain and I knew what I had to write about that for today's encouragement. I pray that it will be a blessing to you all who read it.
God is a whisper. How many times do we go through each day ignoring His voice in all the little ways? So often we expect to see him move in grand ways but in most cases, this is not the case. I think back to Elijah on the great Mount Sinai where the Lord commanded him to "stand before me." If you are familiar with the story you will know that a furious wind swept across the mountain, shattering rocks and splitting mountains but God was not in the wind. Then an earthquake occurred but God was not in the earthquake. Then there was a great fire but God was not in the fire. When finally, after all these dynamic events God showed up in the smallest most subtle way possible. In a whisper. I don't know about you, but I think of a whisper as something soft, intimate, personal, and caring. What a great way for God to communicate to us!!! I think this demonstrates how God desires a close and personal relationship with us. He does not want to have to display great feats for man to follow him. He simply wants to be our friend, our guidance, our Savior.
Of course, we have to be willing to go to the top of the mountain like Elijah did and withstand all these other great "fires, earthquakes, and great winds" that may pass us. You see, so many things will come by us in this life CLAIMING to be God simply by some greatness that they have. They come in many different disguises. Today it may be money, television, food, anything that consumes your life and takes you away from God. You must be willing to stand strong through these different "anti-christs" that come and take your attention away from God. Be patient, wait for that soft whisper from God. Because he is always there, even through the great fires and winds. He never leaves nor forsakes you.
May God Bless You All,
Ashley
" 'Go out and stand before me on the top of the mountain,' the Lord said to [Elijah]. Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks - but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blwoing, and then there was an earthquake - but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire - but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice. When elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, 'Elijah, what are you doing here?' "
I Kings 19:11-13
dauy8iwk35
God is a whisper. How many times do we go through each day ignoring His voice in all the little ways? So often we expect to see him move in grand ways but in most cases, this is not the case. I think back to Elijah on the great Mount Sinai where the Lord commanded him to "stand before me." If you are familiar with the story you will know that a furious wind swept across the mountain, shattering rocks and splitting mountains but God was not in the wind. Then an earthquake occurred but God was not in the earthquake. Then there was a great fire but God was not in the fire. When finally, after all these dynamic events God showed up in the smallest most subtle way possible. In a whisper. I don't know about you, but I think of a whisper as something soft, intimate, personal, and caring. What a great way for God to communicate to us!!! I think this demonstrates how God desires a close and personal relationship with us. He does not want to have to display great feats for man to follow him. He simply wants to be our friend, our guidance, our Savior.
Of course, we have to be willing to go to the top of the mountain like Elijah did and withstand all these other great "fires, earthquakes, and great winds" that may pass us. You see, so many things will come by us in this life CLAIMING to be God simply by some greatness that they have. They come in many different disguises. Today it may be money, television, food, anything that consumes your life and takes you away from God. You must be willing to stand strong through these different "anti-christs" that come and take your attention away from God. Be patient, wait for that soft whisper from God. Because he is always there, even through the great fires and winds. He never leaves nor forsakes you.
May God Bless You All,
Ashley
" 'Go out and stand before me on the top of the mountain,' the Lord said to [Elijah]. Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks - but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blwoing, and then there was an earthquake - but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire - but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice. When elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, 'Elijah, what are you doing here?' "
I Kings 19:11-13
dauy8iwk35
God Loves You
"I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our trouble my joy knows no bound." 2 Corinthians 7:4
When I first read this, I read it as God speaking to me telling me, "I have great confidence in you", "I take great pride in you", "I am greatly encouraged {by you}". Take a moment to reflect on these words coming from God. You see, God wants us always to have confidence in Him, pride in Him, and to be encouraged by Him; but he also wants us to know that he has those SAME feelings towards us!!! How great is that that we serve a God who believes in us, loves us, and cherishes us!!
Now we come to the last part of the verse, "in all our trouble my joy knows no bound." As you may recall, joy and hope tend to be my theme towards life and my relationship with God. Jesus wants us to always have hope and joy in our life, and when we have that, we cannot be bound by an earthly trouble. I also think we could look at this in the light of God. You see, I'm sure we give God a lot of trouble when we do not do things that honor and glorify Him. But, just as God desires us to have joy, God also always has joy towards us. He has faith and believes in us. If he didn't, he would not have loved us enough to send his son to die on the cross so that we may enjoy eternity in heaven.
I love you all and remember that God loves you!
-Ashley-
When I first read this, I read it as God speaking to me telling me, "I have great confidence in you", "I take great pride in you", "I am greatly encouraged {by you}". Take a moment to reflect on these words coming from God. You see, God wants us always to have confidence in Him, pride in Him, and to be encouraged by Him; but he also wants us to know that he has those SAME feelings towards us!!! How great is that that we serve a God who believes in us, loves us, and cherishes us!!
Now we come to the last part of the verse, "in all our trouble my joy knows no bound." As you may recall, joy and hope tend to be my theme towards life and my relationship with God. Jesus wants us to always have hope and joy in our life, and when we have that, we cannot be bound by an earthly trouble. I also think we could look at this in the light of God. You see, I'm sure we give God a lot of trouble when we do not do things that honor and glorify Him. But, just as God desires us to have joy, God also always has joy towards us. He has faith and believes in us. If he didn't, he would not have loved us enough to send his son to die on the cross so that we may enjoy eternity in heaven.
I love you all and remember that God loves you!
-Ashley-
God is Always There
Since I have heard from at least one of you (thanks brother!) that I write too much, I will make today's verse very short! Which, actually works well since I am extremely tired!
Today's verse comes from John. I am sure you all are very familiar with it.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." (John1:1-3)
I want you all to remember that Christ is with us each and everyday and has been since the beginning of time. He will never forsake or leave us. So stay encouraged!!!
Love you all,
Ashley
Today's verse comes from John. I am sure you all are very familiar with it.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." (John1:1-3)
I want you all to remember that Christ is with us each and everyday and has been since the beginning of time. He will never forsake or leave us. So stay encouraged!!!
Love you all,
Ashley
Tithing
I'm sure you are all familiar with the concept of tithing, where 10% of your income goes to towards God's Church. Today I want to speak on a little bit broader terms in the concept of faith and generosity. It takes faith to tithe, especially when that 10% seems like a big portion of your income. Jesus mentions in Luke 21:1-4 about the widow who gives 2 small copper coins. These 2 small copper coins were more than just 10% of what she had earned, those 2 small copper coins were everything she had. Jesus also refers to the wealthy who only gave money because they had it, not necessarily because they were putting more faith in God. I believe that Jesus is speaking to us not just about tithing, but about something greater than that. You see, tithing is not just about giving money routinely, it is about stepping out in faith believing that God will use that money, multiply it, and expand His kingdom. I can just imagine what those coins say about the widow's faith. She most likely was stricken with hunger, did not have adequate shelter (if she had any at all) and she may not have even had any family around her. Yet she knew that in order to get anywhere in life, she had to give everything that she had to God. In this case, she may have literally done that by giving up those two small coins. Think of what sacrifice that must have taken!!! Do you think that God would ignore such a bold move? Not at all! The bible clearly states that God will bless those who seek after Him. "For the Lord your God will bless you as he promised . . ." (Deuteronomy 15:6) I want you to question yourself right now, what does your tithing say about your relationship with God? Do you take risks and give more than what is asked? Do you give with a cheerful heart as God desires? Or do you do it regretfully, saddened that you must lose that extra portion that could have been a date night, or a couple of tickets to go see a movie? You see, I'm noticing that God looks at our hearts in so many more ways than what we even expect. We may feel that we are doing well in our relationship with God, but are you pushing yourself? Are you evaluating your motives in every "Christian" thing you do? We must not forget that we have the JOY OF THE LORD. THAT is what distinguishes us from every other person. How will people know you are a Christian if you do not have that joy?
So please, give unto the Lord what is His! (Matthew 22:21) Give to your local church, missionary, or whatever you feel called to give towards. And if you do not have anyone to give to, please, feel free to pray diligently about whether or not God wants you to contribute to the Hope Springs Church Plant. You can always visit our website and donate online if you have nowhere else to give too. Or perhaps God will call you to go above what you normally give, to contribute and help to further God's kingdom in Oconomowoc, WI. Either way, God will bless you no matter where you decide to give your money too.
May God Bless You All!!
-Ashley-
Also check out 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 (roughly) this is a very encouraging section about giving out of love.
As always, if you do not wish to receive these devotionals anymore, please reply to this message and let me know.
www.hopespringschristianchurch.org
(Click on partnership to read more about our needs)
So please, give unto the Lord what is His! (Matthew 22:21) Give to your local church, missionary, or whatever you feel called to give towards. And if you do not have anyone to give to, please, feel free to pray diligently about whether or not God wants you to contribute to the Hope Springs Church Plant. You can always visit our website and donate online if you have nowhere else to give too. Or perhaps God will call you to go above what you normally give, to contribute and help to further God's kingdom in Oconomowoc, WI. Either way, God will bless you no matter where you decide to give your money too.
May God Bless You All!!
-Ashley-
Also check out 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 (roughly) this is a very encouraging section about giving out of love.
As always, if you do not wish to receive these devotionals anymore, please reply to this message and let me know.
www.hopespringschristianchurch.org
(Click on partnership to read more about our needs)
Sin is Sin
Tonight while I was working out, I came across the most amazing news story. A convenient store owner in his 40's was robbed. The robber who came in who was also around his 30's - 40's. He came in with a bat commanding the man to give him some food items. The shop owner pulled out a rifle and immediately the robber broke down in sobs, got to his knees, and asked for forgiveness. The robber explained that he had lost his job and was only trying to get some food for his family.The shop owner, instead of calling the police immediately, told the man to stay where he was. The owner walked behind the counter and came back around with $40, a loaf of bread, and some other food items. He gave it to the man after making him promise to never rob another place again. The story does not end here, what did the two men do next? They PRAYED together. The robber accepted the convenient store owner's faith and went on with his life. The owner told police if they did find the would-be robber, he would not prosecute him.
Now, the twist comes in the story when we find out that this shop owner was not a Christian. How wonderful and amazing it would have been if he was. No, he was a Muslim. I want to ask all of you, would you do that in a circumstance like that? This man exemplified absolutely EVERYTHING that Christ stands for!!! Christ pities those that we immediately would cast away. Instead, the shop owner showed grace, mercy, pity, love, and even provided for his needs. While looking for a verse that could connect to this story I came across Luke 18:9-14
Jesus is speaking about two different men uplifting prayers to God. The first is a Pharisee....
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evil doers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God have mercy on me, a sinner.'
I tell you this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God."
Think about what the Pharisee said, "I am not like other men - robbers, evil doers . . . " How true it is of us Christians to say such a thing as that!!! How often do we compare sins as greater or less than another. Every single sin comes down to two general concepts - selfishness and disobedience to God. Sins do not rank higher or lower in God's eyes. Disobedience is disobedience. It is easy to turn our noses down upon "sinners" in this world (when in reality we ALL are sinners and have fallen short of the Glory of God). I challenge you to think of people in your life who you view as "inferior" to you. If they threatened you, would you give them bread and milk to feed their needs? Or would you turn them away just like the inn owners who turned away Jesus' parents?
God Bless You All.
-Ashley-
"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 18:14
Now, the twist comes in the story when we find out that this shop owner was not a Christian. How wonderful and amazing it would have been if he was. No, he was a Muslim. I want to ask all of you, would you do that in a circumstance like that? This man exemplified absolutely EVERYTHING that Christ stands for!!! Christ pities those that we immediately would cast away. Instead, the shop owner showed grace, mercy, pity, love, and even provided for his needs. While looking for a verse that could connect to this story I came across Luke 18:9-14
Jesus is speaking about two different men uplifting prayers to God. The first is a Pharisee....
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evil doers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God have mercy on me, a sinner.'
I tell you this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God."
Think about what the Pharisee said, "I am not like other men - robbers, evil doers . . . " How true it is of us Christians to say such a thing as that!!! How often do we compare sins as greater or less than another. Every single sin comes down to two general concepts - selfishness and disobedience to God. Sins do not rank higher or lower in God's eyes. Disobedience is disobedience. It is easy to turn our noses down upon "sinners" in this world (when in reality we ALL are sinners and have fallen short of the Glory of God). I challenge you to think of people in your life who you view as "inferior" to you. If they threatened you, would you give them bread and milk to feed their needs? Or would you turn them away just like the inn owners who turned away Jesus' parents?
God Bless You All.
-Ashley-
"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 18:14
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Hope!
If I were to summarize my theme for my life in one word, it would be hope. I don't know if this ever happens to any of you, but the verses that always stick out to me the most in the bible are the verses/passages regarding hope. My first bible verse that I ever memorized was Romans 12:12 "Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times" (Good News Bible Version) The definition of hope is: to expect with confidence. When we have hope in God, we are expecting God to move within our lives. I view hope as a synonym for faith. If we have faith, we have hope. Some people throw the word hope around lightly. They will say, I hope that I get off of work this weekend or I hope that I get a computer for Christmas, etc. This is contrary to its definition, these are merely wishes. A wish is simply to have a desire. We must have more than just a desire, we must have confidence.
In this day and age, people have lost hope in Christianity and regretfully, the Church. I firmly believe that if you have lost hope in the Church, you have lost hope for every single individual Christian across this world, for THEY are what makes up the Church (not a building or the location where you meet) What good does it to do to lose hope? How does that encourage others? How is that increasing your faith? It doesn't. There are many forms of suffering in this world. There are emotional, physical, and spiritual sufferings that occur. And yes, these will occur within the Church. But simply because you see suffering and sin within the Church, it does not mean that you should turn your back on it.Christ calls us to not only have hope for one another, but most importantly, "Hope for the GLORY OF GOD!" When we have this kind of hope, well, how can anything else be against us!? Look at the following verse in Romans 5:1-5 **Side Note** - Removing yourself from Church completely because you have been hurt by A church is not the answer. We cannot work together as a body to help each other if we simply leave every time we witness something we disagree with within a church***
"Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 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 God has given us."
Christ CLEARLY tells us that Hope cannot disappoint us! So long as we have the Holy Spirit, our hope will sustain us. All the trials and hardships in life do not matter when we have hope, because we know that God's glory will be revealed at the end of EVERY tribulation, insecurity, doubt, etc.
I pray that we all have hope in God's Kingdom, Church, and his people. May HIS word flourish across this nation and every other nation across this world.
God Bless you all,
Ashley
"Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." (Romans 4:20)
^Regarding Abraham
In this day and age, people have lost hope in Christianity and regretfully, the Church. I firmly believe that if you have lost hope in the Church, you have lost hope for every single individual Christian across this world, for THEY are what makes up the Church (not a building or the location where you meet) What good does it to do to lose hope? How does that encourage others? How is that increasing your faith? It doesn't. There are many forms of suffering in this world. There are emotional, physical, and spiritual sufferings that occur. And yes, these will occur within the Church. But simply because you see suffering and sin within the Church, it does not mean that you should turn your back on it.Christ calls us to not only have hope for one another, but most importantly, "Hope for the GLORY OF GOD!" When we have this kind of hope, well, how can anything else be against us!? Look at the following verse in Romans 5:1-5 **Side Note** - Removing yourself from Church completely because you have been hurt by A church is not the answer. We cannot work together as a body to help each other if we simply leave every time we witness something we disagree with within a church***
"Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 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 God has given us."
Christ CLEARLY tells us that Hope cannot disappoint us! So long as we have the Holy Spirit, our hope will sustain us. All the trials and hardships in life do not matter when we have hope, because we know that God's glory will be revealed at the end of EVERY tribulation, insecurity, doubt, etc.
I pray that we all have hope in God's Kingdom, Church, and his people. May HIS word flourish across this nation and every other nation across this world.
God Bless you all,
Ashley
"Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." (Romans 4:20)
^Regarding Abraham
Sunday, May 31, 2009
America's Wealth & God
I started this email writing about dreams, callings, and visions. I was going to encourage you all to follow them, step out in faith and let God bless you. Well, I somehow got off track and decided to throw that out. Instead, I am going to let you ponder over some quotes from a book I am currently reading entitled Revolution in World Missions written by K.P. Yohannan, a man from India. He grew up in dirt poor poverty. His mother prayed for him to be a pastor and at a very young age (younger than 18) he was led by the Spirit and began preaching in the street. He eventually was led to America. He was astonished at Christian's spirituality in America. I strongly encourage you all to find a copy and read it. I think we, as Americans, need to be pushed a little bit more in our Christianity than what we are. This book definitely does it.
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"The battle against hunger and poverty is really a spiritual battle, not a physical or social one as secularists would have us believe."
"Americans are more than just unaware of their affluence - they almost seem to despise it."
"I compared their clothing (Americans) to that of the native missionary evangelists whom I had left only a few weeks before. Many of them walk barefoot between villages or work in flimsy sandals. Their threadbare cotton garments would not be acceptable as cleaning rags in the United States. Then I discovered most Americans have closets full of clothing they wear only occasionally - and I remembered the years I traveled and worked with only the clothes on my back. And I had lived the normal lifestyle of most village evangelists."
"Sad to say, it appeared to me that for the most part they had absorbed the same humanistic and materialistic values that dominated the secular culture."
"In 1998, personal expenditures in the U.S. averaged $19,049 per person of which $1,276 (6.7%) went for food, leaving a comfortable $17,773 for other expenses. In India, the average person had only $276 to spend, of which $134 (48.4%) went for food, leaving a scant $142 for other needs for the entire year. I had lived with this reality every day, but Americans have real trouble thinking in these terms."
"I expected to see a bold witness. God's grace obviously has been poured out on this nation and Church in a way no other people have experienced. Instead I found a Church in spiritual decline."
"The secret of following God's will, I discovered, usually is wrapped up in rejecting the good for God's best.
God did not shower such great blessing on this nation for the Christians to live in extravagance, self-indulgence and spiritual weakness."
-------------------
All in all, we need to be challenged in our faith. We do not face persecution and tribulation like our brothers and sisters in other countries. Do not become locked in a place with Christ. We should all be racing after God. Spurring one another on for love and good deeds.
"O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirst for you;
my body longs for you,
in a dray and weary land
where there is no water."
(Psalm 63)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The battle against hunger and poverty is really a spiritual battle, not a physical or social one as secularists would have us believe."
"Americans are more than just unaware of their affluence - they almost seem to despise it."
"I compared their clothing (Americans) to that of the native missionary evangelists whom I had left only a few weeks before. Many of them walk barefoot between villages or work in flimsy sandals. Their threadbare cotton garments would not be acceptable as cleaning rags in the United States. Then I discovered most Americans have closets full of clothing they wear only occasionally - and I remembered the years I traveled and worked with only the clothes on my back. And I had lived the normal lifestyle of most village evangelists."
"Sad to say, it appeared to me that for the most part they had absorbed the same humanistic and materialistic values that dominated the secular culture."
"In 1998, personal expenditures in the U.S. averaged $19,049 per person of which $1,276 (6.7%) went for food, leaving a comfortable $17,773 for other expenses. In India, the average person had only $276 to spend, of which $134 (48.4%) went for food, leaving a scant $142 for other needs for the entire year. I had lived with this reality every day, but Americans have real trouble thinking in these terms."
"I expected to see a bold witness. God's grace obviously has been poured out on this nation and Church in a way no other people have experienced. Instead I found a Church in spiritual decline."
"The secret of following God's will, I discovered, usually is wrapped up in rejecting the good for God's best.
God did not shower such great blessing on this nation for the Christians to live in extravagance, self-indulgence and spiritual weakness."
-------------------
All in all, we need to be challenged in our faith. We do not face persecution and tribulation like our brothers and sisters in other countries. Do not become locked in a place with Christ. We should all be racing after God. Spurring one another on for love and good deeds.
"O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirst for you;
my body longs for you,
in a dray and weary land
where there is no water."
(Psalm 63)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Overcoming Our Everyday Storms
I hope everyone was able to enjoy the wonderful weather for this Memorial Day weekend! Ben and I celebrated our one year anniversary this weekend. I'm so blessed that he is in my life! God definitely has plans for the two of us together and I am looking forward to see how these plans will unfold for us in this upcoming year. I have added a few more people to my mailing list. Just a reminder, if you do not want to receive these, just send me an email and I will take you off :). I have decided I will try to send these out every other day. I do not think every day would be a realistic goal for me.
For today's encouragement I have decided to look at a very short passage/story in Luke that I bet a lot of you will be familiar with. It is the story of Jesus calming the storm.
Luke 8:22-24
"One day Jesus said to his disciples, 'Let's go over to the other side of the lake.' So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Master, Master, we're going to drown!' He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 'Where is your faith?' he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, 'Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.'"
I thought it was interesting that God waited to speak to the disciples about their faith until after he calmed the storm. Jesus could have criticized them during the storm, assuring them they would be fine, just have faith, etc. but he did not do that. Jesus knows us personally just like he knew his disciples were frightened and fearing for their lives. Because Jesus knew this about them, he decided to take care of them by calming the storm. Once he calmed the storm, it was then that he decided to speak to them about having more faith. Jesus still does that for each and everyone of us to this day. There are many situations where we are frightened, confused, scared, or whatever the emotion is, in which God decides to "calm the storm" or take the situation away from us instead of forcing us to endure through it. Jesus tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that he will not tempt us beyond what we can bear. And that when we are tempted, he will provide a way out for us so that we may be able to withstand the temptation. What I want you to remember from this passage is that God knows you personally. We are not just another grain of sand in millions of others, but rather, we are one in a million to God. We are unique to Him and he loves us and knows us inside and out. He cares for us and will not make us go through storms that he knows we cannot handle. And even if he thinks we can, and we cry out to him, telling him we are afraid, he will rebuke the wind and raging waters so that the storm will subside.
This does not mean we are to run from every storm that life hands us. It is true that we learn from the hardships and difficulties that occur. This is just life and we cannot avoid every single one. But just remember in those hard times, that many of us are facing in these days, is that God is a God of hope. He is faithful. He is trusting. He is protecting. He will never leave you alone.
May God bless you this week!
-Ashley-
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
For today's encouragement I have decided to look at a very short passage/story in Luke that I bet a lot of you will be familiar with. It is the story of Jesus calming the storm.
Luke 8:22-24
"One day Jesus said to his disciples, 'Let's go over to the other side of the lake.' So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Master, Master, we're going to drown!' He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 'Where is your faith?' he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, 'Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.'"
I thought it was interesting that God waited to speak to the disciples about their faith until after he calmed the storm. Jesus could have criticized them during the storm, assuring them they would be fine, just have faith, etc. but he did not do that. Jesus knows us personally just like he knew his disciples were frightened and fearing for their lives. Because Jesus knew this about them, he decided to take care of them by calming the storm. Once he calmed the storm, it was then that he decided to speak to them about having more faith. Jesus still does that for each and everyone of us to this day. There are many situations where we are frightened, confused, scared, or whatever the emotion is, in which God decides to "calm the storm" or take the situation away from us instead of forcing us to endure through it. Jesus tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that he will not tempt us beyond what we can bear. And that when we are tempted, he will provide a way out for us so that we may be able to withstand the temptation. What I want you to remember from this passage is that God knows you personally. We are not just another grain of sand in millions of others, but rather, we are one in a million to God. We are unique to Him and he loves us and knows us inside and out. He cares for us and will not make us go through storms that he knows we cannot handle. And even if he thinks we can, and we cry out to him, telling him we are afraid, he will rebuke the wind and raging waters so that the storm will subside.
This does not mean we are to run from every storm that life hands us. It is true that we learn from the hardships and difficulties that occur. This is just life and we cannot avoid every single one. But just remember in those hard times, that many of us are facing in these days, is that God is a God of hope. He is faithful. He is trusting. He is protecting. He will never leave you alone.
May God bless you this week!
-Ashley-
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Daily Verse Inspiration
Last night I came up with the idea to send out daily verse inspirations. If you'd like them to be sent to you, let me know and I will be more than glad to add you to my list. I decided to do it for the core group of people who is starting a new church in Oconomowoc, WI. I wanted to do something that could encourage us all as times get tough. Here is my first daily verse.
Hello everyone,
I realize that not all of you are on board with the church plant but I added some who may appreciate receiving this anyway. I have decided that I am going to try to send out a daily verse as a way to encourage as all. I know that the days ahead of us in this church plant will be stressful and chaotic. Hopefully this will be able to serve us all throughout these times. If you would prefer not to receive this, you can simply reply and let me know. I will not be offended :)
For this morning I would like to ponder the following short passage in Luke:
"Then he (Jesus) turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little'" Luke 7:44-47
I cannot help but think about how I would welcome Jesus into my household/life. Sometimes God can come and speak to us at inconvenient times. It may be during a busy work day, while you are finishing a household project, or perhaps while you are sleeping. My husband was speaking with me earlier telling me that sometimes I want to do everything on my terms. I realized while I was laying in bed that it was true. Not too long after that, God gave me the idea of sending out this daily encouragement. I thought about getting up and doing it right then in the middle of the night. I began to pray asking God if it was truly necessary to do it at such an odd time. Then God told me, why does it always have to be on your time? That is when I submitted and opened to the above passage. You see, my situation mirrors this slightly. I could have acted like Simon. I could have let Jesus in grudgingly, but ignored him, mistreated him, and not loved him. (Or essentially said okay God, but I am going to sleep and will do it in the morning anyway). God tells us that he will come like a thief in the night. Perhaps that has more meanings that what we think. God can come and speak to us "like a thief in the night" or like a "thief in the middle of our busy work day". Are you going to view God as a thief? Someone who steals your precious time away from you? Or are you going to let him in with weeping, kissing, and rejoicing, pouring your valuable perfume over his feet in a sign of reverence? Have your heart open like this woman had her heart open to Jesus. Be willing to receive him whenever and wherever he comes to speak and be with you. God is not your slave. He does not have to speak to you only on your time. I'd suggest that whenever He has something to say, that you put down whatever it is you are doing to be with him.
Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, praise his name! Proclaim his salvation day after day!
God Bless and have a wonderful day!
-Ashley-
Hello everyone,
I realize that not all of you are on board with the church plant but I added some who may appreciate receiving this anyway. I have decided that I am going to try to send out a daily verse as a way to encourage as all. I know that the days ahead of us in this church plant will be stressful and chaotic. Hopefully this will be able to serve us all throughout these times. If you would prefer not to receive this, you can simply reply and let me know. I will not be offended :)
For this morning I would like to ponder the following short passage in Luke:
"Then he (Jesus) turned toward the woman and said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little'" Luke 7:44-47
I cannot help but think about how I would welcome Jesus into my household/life. Sometimes God can come and speak to us at inconvenient times. It may be during a busy work day, while you are finishing a household project, or perhaps while you are sleeping. My husband was speaking with me earlier telling me that sometimes I want to do everything on my terms. I realized while I was laying in bed that it was true. Not too long after that, God gave me the idea of sending out this daily encouragement. I thought about getting up and doing it right then in the middle of the night. I began to pray asking God if it was truly necessary to do it at such an odd time. Then God told me, why does it always have to be on your time? That is when I submitted and opened to the above passage. You see, my situation mirrors this slightly. I could have acted like Simon. I could have let Jesus in grudgingly, but ignored him, mistreated him, and not loved him. (Or essentially said okay God, but I am going to sleep and will do it in the morning anyway). God tells us that he will come like a thief in the night. Perhaps that has more meanings that what we think. God can come and speak to us "like a thief in the night" or like a "thief in the middle of our busy work day". Are you going to view God as a thief? Someone who steals your precious time away from you? Or are you going to let him in with weeping, kissing, and rejoicing, pouring your valuable perfume over his feet in a sign of reverence? Have your heart open like this woman had her heart open to Jesus. Be willing to receive him whenever and wherever he comes to speak and be with you. God is not your slave. He does not have to speak to you only on your time. I'd suggest that whenever He has something to say, that you put down whatever it is you are doing to be with him.
Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, praise his name! Proclaim his salvation day after day!
God Bless and have a wonderful day!
-Ashley-
Monday, May 18, 2009
You wouldn't ignore a friend would you?
How do I make a relationship with God personal? There are so many late, tired, grumpy nights where I feel angry that I have to take time to read God's word. I ask myself, why is it important, what will it accomplish, how can God possibly speak to me? Often during these times I'm looking at the relationship half-way. I am of course the one wanting something from the relationship. I forget the many times where God has met me when I have not been giving my all. There are little things that I do to make myself read the bible sometimes (and it isn't always a challenge - just most of the time as a tired, go go go go college student who reads text books all the time). Tonight, I am thinking of God as a friend who needs me. I would set down anything just in order to spend time with a friend in need. It might be weird to think of it in this aspect, but it is true. God needs us. He wants us. He loves us. If this was not true, he would not have poured so much of his love, energy, and creativity into us. So tonight, my friend, my God, just needs some time with his good friend, me. You know, we haven't hung out in awhile. I know he has been missing me. It would be rude if I were to just ignore Him.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Denominations and Meaningless Talk
When people learn that my husband and I are starting a new church, the first thing they ask me is, "What kind of church are you starting?" They expect me to ramble off one of the many denominations of Christians that exist. Denominations are important in the sense that people do have preferences for certain styles of music, preaching, etc. But why is that THE first question that people ask? I doubt that they even would understand what kind of church we were establishing simply by listing off a certain denomination. Jesus prays in John 17:20 "That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. . . May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" Jesus is saying here that he desires Christians to come together in one body, one group, one family. So while Hope Springs may be affiliated with the Assemblies of God, the important aspect of our church is that we are calling God's children together under one family. This involves ALL believers in ALL denominations. Paul also asks Christ followers to "agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought" (1 Corinthians 1:10) People ask, "why are there so many churches in one community". Well, as I stated before, different preferences. One thing that Hope Springs is taking into account is that we are not against the other churches in Oconomowoc, but rather we are working with them to benefit God's kingdom. The devil can sometimes use these divisions (denominations) to divide us. We become nitpicky about certain things that are trivial. Christ also warns us against such meaningless talk that does not glorify Him. Paul even encourages men to give up myths and genealogies that "promote controversies rather than God's work - which is by faith" (I Timothy 1:4) What controversies or meaningless talk is in our faiths today? How is this affecting those around you? Are those who do not know Jesus getting a wrong picture about what is truly important? (The greatest commandment - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these. - Mark 12:29)
I encourage you to take the time to evaluate your life. What 'meaningless' things are there that may block yourself from God or from showing God's light to others?
And remember, our church is a church dedicated to living Christ's example, to giving to others, to showing love, for giving people a place to find comfort, to finding Christ in a non-judgmental place, to building communities, and to teaching.
THAT is the kind of church Hope Springs is.
I Cor. 9:11
- If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?
I encourage you to take the time to evaluate your life. What 'meaningless' things are there that may block yourself from God or from showing God's light to others?
And remember, our church is a church dedicated to living Christ's example, to giving to others, to showing love, for giving people a place to find comfort, to finding Christ in a non-judgmental place, to building communities, and to teaching.
THAT is the kind of church Hope Springs is.
I Cor. 9:11
- If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Life is more than Clothes
As a student, wife, and employee it is very easy to get yourself wrapped up in the mundane everyday tasks of life. I think this is a tactic of the devil. He has pounded into every American's mind that in order to be successful, happy, and productive in our life we must work, work, work. If the Devil manages to take all of our time away from us, then we lose who we are, which includes sometimes, losing touch of God.
I also think it is difficult for me because of my age. It is easy to become discouraged, knowing that I still have so much to learn in every aspect of my life. Every where I go, people seem to be either a) astonished or b)amazed. Astonished because I am so young, I'm married, and I am helping to start a church. People usually look at me with not complete approval in this manner. If they're amazed, it is because they see that I am young, in love, happy, and joyous. They understand that I am following something greater than me and that "greater" thing is my God.
Anyway,I constantly have people telling me that I look too young, that I appear to be 16 or 17 years old. Well, as a 21 year old young woman, this can be somewhat despairing to me. I would like to look my age. Yes, many people tell me that this is a blessing later on. But, right now, I view it as a hindrance. This therefore leads me to the unfortunate desire to buy new clothes, spend money on hair products, etc. Which are all things that I know I do not need. I can survive on the clothes that I have, the hair accessories I do have, and the hair cut that I have in and of itself. But, unfortunately, this is what the society of America tends to do. It pushes women to believe that they have to meet certain physical beauty standards. This is what young women, teenagers, and young girls are taught. That in order to achieve in life, they have to meet a certain "look." Of course, this look often focuses on certain attributes of the woman's body. Anyway, in my mind, it is easy to see how this is the Devil working in our culture. The Devil wants us to not feel valued, loved, accepted, or comfortable within our own skin. He wants us to be constantly changing to become something that we are not. Sometimes I just need to take some time to focus and reflect on the love of Christ. HE is the one who loves me for me. He does not care what clothes I wear, what my make-up looks like, etc.
He is the one constant that I have in my life. Besides, why should we be so focused on getting "new stuff" when there is so much more in life. We should be using our money to benefit God's Kingdom. This means caring for others. This is true not just for the hard times of today, but for the easy times as well. It is so much more fulfilling to give money to someone who is struggling than buying a new purse or shirt for myself. Just remember that when you do give, don't give so that you can be recognized. For God says that "when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it" (Matthew 6:3)
Well, there still is more that I want to say. But for now, I will leave you with this:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes? Look at the birds flying around: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest, and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?
And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass - grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you?
So do not start worrying: "Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes? Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of
So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.
Matthew Chapter 6
I also think it is difficult for me because of my age. It is easy to become discouraged, knowing that I still have so much to learn in every aspect of my life. Every where I go, people seem to be either a) astonished or b)amazed. Astonished because I am so young, I'm married, and I am helping to start a church. People usually look at me with not complete approval in this manner. If they're amazed, it is because they see that I am young, in love, happy, and joyous. They understand that I am following something greater than me and that "greater" thing is my God.
Anyway,I constantly have people telling me that I look too young, that I appear to be 16 or 17 years old. Well, as a 21 year old young woman, this can be somewhat despairing to me. I would like to look my age. Yes, many people tell me that this is a blessing later on. But, right now, I view it as a hindrance. This therefore leads me to the unfortunate desire to buy new clothes, spend money on hair products, etc. Which are all things that I know I do not need. I can survive on the clothes that I have, the hair accessories I do have, and the hair cut that I have in and of itself. But, unfortunately, this is what the society of America tends to do. It pushes women to believe that they have to meet certain physical beauty standards. This is what young women, teenagers, and young girls are taught. That in order to achieve in life, they have to meet a certain "look." Of course, this look often focuses on certain attributes of the woman's body. Anyway, in my mind, it is easy to see how this is the Devil working in our culture. The Devil wants us to not feel valued, loved, accepted, or comfortable within our own skin. He wants us to be constantly changing to become something that we are not. Sometimes I just need to take some time to focus and reflect on the love of Christ. HE is the one who loves me for me. He does not care what clothes I wear, what my make-up looks like, etc.
He is the one constant that I have in my life. Besides, why should we be so focused on getting "new stuff" when there is so much more in life. We should be using our money to benefit God's Kingdom. This means caring for others. This is true not just for the hard times of today, but for the easy times as well. It is so much more fulfilling to give money to someone who is struggling than buying a new purse or shirt for myself. Just remember that when you do give, don't give so that you can be recognized. For God says that "when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it" (Matthew 6:3)
Well, there still is more that I want to say. But for now, I will leave you with this:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes? Look at the birds flying around: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest, and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?
And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass - grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you?
So do not start worrying: "Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes? Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of
So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.
Matthew Chapter 6
"We Are The Church" Courtesty of Pastor Don...
The following is an entry on my Pastor's blog, Don's Devo Thoughts. It is speaking about the church we are planting in Oconomowoc. It is a great read especially if you do not quite understand why we (or anyone) would start a new church.
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We Are The Church
I want to talk to you about our church plant in Oconomowoc. To do that effectively, in my mind, I want to share my heart in regard to what the Lord has shown me about church planting. When Peter spoke to the church, he said the reason he wrote was to “stir up their pure minds by way of remembrance” “though they knew (those things) and were firmly established in the truth.” Many of the things I am writing serve that purpose, I want to stir them up again and bring them to your attention.
Jesus said, “I will build my church…” and yet we also are told from the Scriptures, “God has committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation.” Jesus affirmed this by saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
You see, I believe that Jesus is saying He is with us as we go and make disciples and thus build the church. When we go to build His church, we go with His authority and therefore His blessing. I am writing you because I believe that you also know how important it is for each of us to obey the great commission. Experience has taught the church at large that the most effective way to make disciples is church planting.
Why do many church plant attempts fail if Jesus is involved in building His church? One may blame the faith or skill of the church planter, but I believe no person is called to do the work of ministry on their own. Eph 4:16 tells us that “From Him the whole body… grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” That means we each have a part to do and share responsibility for the work. The Holy Spirit has told us that we cannot say that we do not need each other; each member is essential and necessary not only to the growth of the local church but also to the Church at large.
In the past there have been individual planters whose primary resource from the body of Christ was finances. Because they lacked the other elements of support necessary in planting a church, they failed. This has resulted in a move towards satellite churches where one local church provides almost all the necessary elements.
While these churches are more successful, they still do not reflect the image of the full body of Christ working together for growth and edification. The body of Christ shouldn’t have a sink or swim pragmatic attitude toward church planting success or failure. Rather the Bible says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Cor 12:26). That tells me that for every church plant that has failed, the whole body has suffered and every success should be shared amongst the whole body (because the whole body contributed in some way toward that success).
What does a successful church plant need? I have grouped the needs into four categories:
1) Prayer – church planting is met with spiritual resistance according to Jesus (Mt 16:18). The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Cor 10:4).
2) People – The lead pastor is called of God to equip/prepare these people to do the work of the ministry (Eph 4:12) and entrusting the same to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others (2 Tim 2:2).
3) Provisions – finances are needed for start up costs, to purchase necessary equipment, and to provide for the lead pastor whom God has ordained or commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel (1 Cor 9:14 KJV/NIV).
4) Peers – these are those individuals and organizations willing to provide supervision, guidance, wisdom, and even accountability for the church plant’s leadership team.
Since you are my friends, I am making my plea to you to join with us to help plant Hope Springs Christian Church in Oconomowoc, WI. Pray seriously about what function God is calling you to do in this work. Friends, we do share responsibility and as such we share the success or failure of this church plant. Each one of us can do something, however great or small, however trivial or significant in our own eyes, the point is to have a good conscience before God that we did something and that something is all that Jesus has told us to do.
I am available to share my vision for Oconomowoc to you and your church if you like. Meanwhile check out our website at www.hopespringschristianchurch.org to see our specific plans and view a needs list.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We Are The Church
I want to talk to you about our church plant in Oconomowoc. To do that effectively, in my mind, I want to share my heart in regard to what the Lord has shown me about church planting. When Peter spoke to the church, he said the reason he wrote was to “stir up their pure minds by way of remembrance” “though they knew (those things) and were firmly established in the truth.” Many of the things I am writing serve that purpose, I want to stir them up again and bring them to your attention.
Jesus said, “I will build my church…” and yet we also are told from the Scriptures, “God has committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation.” Jesus affirmed this by saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
You see, I believe that Jesus is saying He is with us as we go and make disciples and thus build the church. When we go to build His church, we go with His authority and therefore His blessing. I am writing you because I believe that you also know how important it is for each of us to obey the great commission. Experience has taught the church at large that the most effective way to make disciples is church planting.
Why do many church plant attempts fail if Jesus is involved in building His church? One may blame the faith or skill of the church planter, but I believe no person is called to do the work of ministry on their own. Eph 4:16 tells us that “From Him the whole body… grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” That means we each have a part to do and share responsibility for the work. The Holy Spirit has told us that we cannot say that we do not need each other; each member is essential and necessary not only to the growth of the local church but also to the Church at large.
In the past there have been individual planters whose primary resource from the body of Christ was finances. Because they lacked the other elements of support necessary in planting a church, they failed. This has resulted in a move towards satellite churches where one local church provides almost all the necessary elements.
While these churches are more successful, they still do not reflect the image of the full body of Christ working together for growth and edification. The body of Christ shouldn’t have a sink or swim pragmatic attitude toward church planting success or failure. Rather the Bible says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Cor 12:26). That tells me that for every church plant that has failed, the whole body has suffered and every success should be shared amongst the whole body (because the whole body contributed in some way toward that success).
What does a successful church plant need? I have grouped the needs into four categories:
1) Prayer – church planting is met with spiritual resistance according to Jesus (Mt 16:18). The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Cor 10:4).
2) People – The lead pastor is called of God to equip/prepare these people to do the work of the ministry (Eph 4:12) and entrusting the same to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others (2 Tim 2:2).
3) Provisions – finances are needed for start up costs, to purchase necessary equipment, and to provide for the lead pastor whom God has ordained or commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel (1 Cor 9:14 KJV/NIV).
4) Peers – these are those individuals and organizations willing to provide supervision, guidance, wisdom, and even accountability for the church plant’s leadership team.
Since you are my friends, I am making my plea to you to join with us to help plant Hope Springs Christian Church in Oconomowoc, WI. Pray seriously about what function God is calling you to do in this work. Friends, we do share responsibility and as such we share the success or failure of this church plant. Each one of us can do something, however great or small, however trivial or significant in our own eyes, the point is to have a good conscience before God that we did something and that something is all that Jesus has told us to do.
I am available to share my vision for Oconomowoc to you and your church if you like. Meanwhile check out our website at www.hopespringschristianchurch.org to see our specific plans and view a needs list.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Change
I have realized that change can be very difficult. I used to prize myself in thinking I handled change great. In reality, I do not at all. I get angry, tired, pessimistic, and isolate myself at times. There are periods where I look for something to fill this void, this emptiness within my heart. I have to remind myself that I do not get my self-value from being constantly surrounded by college girls in a dorm or watching television or playing on the internet, or even working (the list could go on....)
It is so easy to lose sight of what really brings you joy in life, which is Jesus. I can be enjoying an afternoon with nothing to do but relax. The devil instantly attacks me with thoughts that I am alone, there is no one in the world that cares about me, etc. This is an outright LIE! We have to claim victory in the name of Jesus! Otherwise, these thoughts can become all consuming! This is how people are led into depressions. Unfortunately, the devil loves to attack me like this all the time.
So, my question is, what do you do in these times when you feel alone? When you have nothing to do but relax? Do you go to facebook to find security by talking with friends? Do you watch tv to distract yourself from how you feel? Do you eat food to make yourself feel comfortable? What is that one thing that keeps you from going to God? I know for me personally, it is not one item, it is several things. That is why it is a discipline. Right now, one of my ways of dealing with these feelings is to journal.
Here are a few verses that relate to what I was talking about:
James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
Romans 8:38 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus Our Lord."
In the end, God can and WILL deliver us from any situation that we are bound in. The only thing we have to do, is ask. God shows up when you call upon Him, I guarantee it.
Psalm 56
-I am reading this imagining that the men who are hotly pursuing me is every thought I had that tries to pull me down into a depression. The thoughts telling me I am nothing, I am alone, no one cares, those are the men who are pursuing me in this Psalm-
Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me;
all day long they press their attack.
2 My slanderers pursue me all day long;
many are attacking me in their pride.
3 When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?
5 All day long they twist my words;
they are always plotting to harm me.
6 They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
eager to take my life.
7 On no account let them escape;
in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.
8 Record my lament;
list my tears on your scroll b]">[b]—
are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise-
11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows to you, O God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me c]">[c] from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life. d]">[d]
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Baseball games, Cars, and Angels
I received this in an email chain, but the words brought tears to my eyes. Read them.
"Every fork in the road is a choice and a challenge."
"Every fork in the road is a choice and a challenge."
You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you've ever heard fills the air. The sound is high above you. A trumpet? A choir? A choir of trumpets? You don't know, but you want to know.. So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren't the only curious one. The roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are open, and people are Staring at the sky. Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store. The Little League baseball game across the street has come to a halt. Players and parents are searching the clouds And what they see, and what you see, has never before been seen. As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the earth. There are no shadows. None. From every hue ever seen and a million more never seen. Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at a time, until they occupy every square inch of the sky. North. South. East. West. Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison, and over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the cherubim and seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy... The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver-bearded elders and a multitude of souls who join the angels in worship. Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet. The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns and there He is... Jesus. Through waves of light you see the silhouetted figure of Christ the King. He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop a billowing cloud. He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his declaration: I am the Alpha and the Omega. The angels bow their heads.... The elders remove their crowns... And before you is a Figure so consuming that you know, instantly you know: Nothing else matters... Forget stock markets and school reports. Sales meetings and football games. Nothing is newsworthy... All that mattered, matters no more.. For Christ has come. |
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Never Quit...
I was listening to a sermon by Joyce Myers today and she spoke about John Wesley's "failed" attempts at preaching. (They were not real failures though...) She read a few incidents from his diary. I've re-worded them to make it short and to the point but it is really interesting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 5th Wesley preached at St. Ann's and was asked to never come back again.
Later that evening he preached at St. Johns and the deacon asked him to get out.
Sunday May 12th... He preached at St. Judes and couldn't go back there either.
Sunday am May the 19th - Preached at another church where the deacons called a special meeting and said that Wesley could never return.
Sunday evening May the 19th - Wesley preached out in the open on a street and then got kicked off.
Sunday am May the 26th -While Wesley was preaching in a meadow a bull got loose and ran him and everyone there away from the field. (I don't think he ever finished his message there)
Sunday am June the 2nd -He began preaching at the edge of town and got kicked off the highway.
Sunday pm June the 2nd afternoon
PREACHED IN A PASTURE WHERE 10,000 PEOPLE CAME TO LISTEN TO HIM!!!!!!!!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, what a story! I wish I could read his diary personally! I'm sure he went into more detail about all those events. It just goes to show that you should not be intimidated by failure. Sometimes there must be an outward appearance of failure in order for true success to come. Please keep that in mind the next time you are going through a hardship. You never know what lies ahead of you :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 5th Wesley preached at St. Ann's and was asked to never come back again.
Later that evening he preached at St. Johns and the deacon asked him to get out.
Sunday May 12th... He preached at St. Judes and couldn't go back there either.
Sunday am May the 19th - Preached at another church where the deacons called a special meeting and said that Wesley could never return.
Sunday evening May the 19th - Wesley preached out in the open on a street and then got kicked off.
Sunday am May the 26th -While Wesley was preaching in a meadow a bull got loose and ran him and everyone there away from the field. (I don't think he ever finished his message there)
Sunday am June the 2nd -He began preaching at the edge of town and got kicked off the highway.
Sunday pm June the 2nd afternoon
PREACHED IN A PASTURE WHERE 10,000 PEOPLE CAME TO LISTEN TO HIM!!!!!!!!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, what a story! I wish I could read his diary personally! I'm sure he went into more detail about all those events. It just goes to show that you should not be intimidated by failure. Sometimes there must be an outward appearance of failure in order for true success to come. Please keep that in mind the next time you are going through a hardship. You never know what lies ahead of you :)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
God's Word Will Not Return Void
My husband and I have decided to start a bible study. For right now it will only be every other week but it is starting April 9th. While we were talking and praying about it, a half of a verse popped into my mind. It had to do with God's word not returning void. I could not remember the exact verse or even where it was located. So, Ben and I did a search for it and we came across this:
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “ For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;"
This is found in Isaiah 55.
When I first looked at it, I immediately looked at in the aspect of God speaking to us regarding the bible study. I felt that God was saying if we tell people about Him, the Holy Spirit will do the rest for us, his word will never go out void. It will always accomplish something "it shall accomplish what I please." In my mind I saw it as a blessing from God saying go forth! Hence verse 12, "For you shall go out with joy, and be lead out with peace."
Another interesting view of this verse came from my husband. (I love reading things and seeing how differently we interpret them) Ben immediately thought of Christ. After all, in John it does say that Jesus is the same as the word who is the same as God. (WoW, that can seem really confusing I know! Let me know if I need to explain it). Anyway, Jesus was sent out by God to "accomplish what [God] pleased." And, of course, Jesus did not return void. Jesus returned victorious! He had cleansed us all of our sins and conquered death.
Here is the entire passage that I felt connected too:
8 “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
9 “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “ For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “ For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
If you look at this passage as a whole, I see that God is God of all. He controls everything, the snow, the rain, the sun, the moon. I felt that this could also become a message to anyone who is prideful or someone is trying to accomplish something all by them self. You have to remember, God is in control, if you let go, let God handle it, it will save you stress and anxiety. Plus, it will turn out so much better than if you tried to make things happen on your own. If you follow God, he will allow you to go forth with JOY and PEACE with the TREES CLAPPING and MOUNTAINS SINGING!
God bless everyone!
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “ For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;"
This is found in Isaiah 55.
When I first looked at it, I immediately looked at in the aspect of God speaking to us regarding the bible study. I felt that God was saying if we tell people about Him, the Holy Spirit will do the rest for us, his word will never go out void. It will always accomplish something "it shall accomplish what I please." In my mind I saw it as a blessing from God saying go forth! Hence verse 12, "For you shall go out with joy, and be lead out with peace."
Another interesting view of this verse came from my husband. (I love reading things and seeing how differently we interpret them) Ben immediately thought of Christ. After all, in John it does say that Jesus is the same as the word who is the same as God. (WoW, that can seem really confusing I know! Let me know if I need to explain it). Anyway, Jesus was sent out by God to "accomplish what [God] pleased." And, of course, Jesus did not return void. Jesus returned victorious! He had cleansed us all of our sins and conquered death.
Here is the entire passage that I felt connected too:
8 “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
9 “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 “ For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
12 “ For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
If you look at this passage as a whole, I see that God is God of all. He controls everything, the snow, the rain, the sun, the moon. I felt that this could also become a message to anyone who is prideful or someone is trying to accomplish something all by them self. You have to remember, God is in control, if you let go, let God handle it, it will save you stress and anxiety. Plus, it will turn out so much better than if you tried to make things happen on your own. If you follow God, he will allow you to go forth with JOY and PEACE with the TREES CLAPPING and MOUNTAINS SINGING!
God bless everyone!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
God will answer our prayers - Faith & Healing
I'm still reading through the book of John. I have overwhelming faith right now, that God can and will heal any ailment that you are experiencing. God is sovereign. He has the power to heal if you believe and ask him too. I pray right now that there is a healing touch over any one's body who needs to be touched by the hand of God. I know a friend of mine who is struggling with muscular dystrophy. I proclaim healing in her body by the name of Jesus Christ. God says that "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it" Tonight God, I ask for healing in my best friend's body. Lord take every muscle that causes her pain and may all pain be released. I will not give up God. I will keep praying for a miracle for her every single day.
I love how at times, I do not want to actually take the time to read the bible; but when I put forth the effort, God meets me there. Tonight, I read about the Holy Spirit. God gave us the Holy Spirit to stay with us forever until Jesus returns (John 14:16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God.)
My grandmother is 75 or 76 years old. She is the woman I aspire to be someday. She has lived her life loving everyone else as if they were her own child. I think she truly exemplified this concept: "The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them." My grandmother would give her life for any of her grandchildren if she had too. She loved like Christ loved us. A series of unfortunate events (some including the simple process of aging & dying) has led her to her sad position that she is now. Over Fourth of July weekend last year (2008) we thought she was going to die. I was thankful to have decided to go down to Missouri that weekend to be with her. She was in the ICU, critical condition, and the doctors told us to prepare ourselves. My father along with his two brothers had made the painful decision that if she had stopped breathing, that they would not attempt to revive her. This was a hard time for my family. We had hope, but we assumed that God would decide to take her at that time. My brother asked me to go with him to find the hospital chapel so we could pray for her. During this time, we prayed together, and then we prayed separately. While I was praying on my own, God gave me this overwhelming calm and peaceful feeling. I knew immediately that she was going to be fine. I KNEW she was going to make it through the night. I had witnessed someone else become healed from a physical ailment once before and this was the exact same feeling I experienced then. I told my brother what I had felt and we both just kept praying that this was truly God's word. The rest of the night, I did not worry as much. I knew that I had heard from God and that he was going to spare her life. This is exactly what happened. My grandmother made it through the night!! It was amazing. Later, I also found out that my grandma had some type of experience with God, I think it may have been a vision. Anyway, in this, she is speaking with Jesus and she is telling him that she is ready to go home. Jesus replies telling her that no, he is not ready for her to come home yet. He still has something for her to accomplish. I don't know what it was she has to do yet, but I think it is amazing that God can use a woman who is 76 years old!!!! It just goes to show that God does use every single person who calls upon His name!!
Anyway, that about sums it up for tonight! God loves us all! He can use you, no matter where you have come from, what you have done, or where you feel that you are headed. He loves us all equally and cares SO much about us. He DIED so that we may live a life free from pain and agony.
Remember...
"The greatest love a person can have for his friend is to give his life for them"....
That is what Jesus did. He loves you.
God Bless,
Ashley
I love how at times, I do not want to actually take the time to read the bible; but when I put forth the effort, God meets me there. Tonight, I read about the Holy Spirit. God gave us the Holy Spirit to stay with us forever until Jesus returns (John 14:16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God.)
My grandmother is 75 or 76 years old. She is the woman I aspire to be someday. She has lived her life loving everyone else as if they were her own child. I think she truly exemplified this concept: "The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them." My grandmother would give her life for any of her grandchildren if she had too. She loved like Christ loved us. A series of unfortunate events (some including the simple process of aging & dying) has led her to her sad position that she is now. Over Fourth of July weekend last year (2008) we thought she was going to die. I was thankful to have decided to go down to Missouri that weekend to be with her. She was in the ICU, critical condition, and the doctors told us to prepare ourselves. My father along with his two brothers had made the painful decision that if she had stopped breathing, that they would not attempt to revive her. This was a hard time for my family. We had hope, but we assumed that God would decide to take her at that time. My brother asked me to go with him to find the hospital chapel so we could pray for her. During this time, we prayed together, and then we prayed separately. While I was praying on my own, God gave me this overwhelming calm and peaceful feeling. I knew immediately that she was going to be fine. I KNEW she was going to make it through the night. I had witnessed someone else become healed from a physical ailment once before and this was the exact same feeling I experienced then. I told my brother what I had felt and we both just kept praying that this was truly God's word. The rest of the night, I did not worry as much. I knew that I had heard from God and that he was going to spare her life. This is exactly what happened. My grandmother made it through the night!! It was amazing. Later, I also found out that my grandma had some type of experience with God, I think it may have been a vision. Anyway, in this, she is speaking with Jesus and she is telling him that she is ready to go home. Jesus replies telling her that no, he is not ready for her to come home yet. He still has something for her to accomplish. I don't know what it was she has to do yet, but I think it is amazing that God can use a woman who is 76 years old!!!! It just goes to show that God does use every single person who calls upon His name!!
Anyway, that about sums it up for tonight! God loves us all! He can use you, no matter where you have come from, what you have done, or where you feel that you are headed. He loves us all equally and cares SO much about us. He DIED so that we may live a life free from pain and agony.
Remember...
"The greatest love a person can have for his friend is to give his life for them"....
That is what Jesus did. He loves you.
God Bless,
Ashley
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Vines, Fruit & a Gardener - John 15:1-4
Vines, Fruit, and a Gardener comes from John 15 in the New Testament. (This comes from the Good News Bible Translation)
"I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit. You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you. Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me."
Nature is beautiful. It is the one place in this world that no matter what is going on, I can feel completely relaxed. I love just sitting in nature and dwelling in God's spirit. It is peaceful there. So when I began reading John 15, I thought of that peaceful feeling that I receive when I am outside dwelling in God.
I absolutely love how Jesus can speak to us in ways that we can connect with him. Of course, sometimes it takes a little knowledge of their culture at the time to be able to understand his words, but for the most part it speaks to us still today.
Alright, onto the actual passage now. The first thing that popped out to me when I began reading this passage was "I am the real vine." To me, this is just like Jesus saying, "I am the real Messiah." From Jesus' time on (and even before Jesus came I am sure) people testified that they were the Messiah. So when I read that "I am the real vine" it was a peaceful feeling knowing that I serve a God who IS the real vine.
The next thing that Jesus says is that God is his gardener. So even while Jesus was on this earth, God was still taking care of Him just as God takes care of us today. You see, even though Jesus was perfect, he still faced temptations just like everyone else. He still had to have his vines pruned & trimmed just like every other person who followed God. He states that God "broke off every branch in me that does not bear fruit." Every possible negative thing in Jesus' life that in some way would not glorify God, God got rid of it! It is the exact same for us too! If we ask for God to remove a sin, a burden, a pain in our life that is not bringing God glory or bring us closer to Him, God will completely remove that dead branch from our life!
With that said, we have to remember that blessings do not always come without pain. Just as the dead branches get cut off, the living branches also need to be pruned: "and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit" This pruning process can be painful. We have to remember that in every bad circumstance, there is a God that is helping us through it. It may feel painful, but in the end, God may bring us even more blessings than we had before!!!
The next verse says that "You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you."
Basically, I look at this in the aspect that when we become saved, that is the cleaning process. There is no pain in becoming clean, it is refreshing and wonderful. Everyone loves that feeling of taking a warm long shower. You feel relieved, fresh, and joyful when you get out. That is what salvation is meant to feel like. All the things that had weighed you down before, made you anxious, nervous, or depressed, that is no longer your problem when you become saved. It becomes God's. He will take care of it for you. Now, in order for those problems to no longer harm you, God will have to cut off some branches and he WILL consistently prune you from now until the end of your days.
The last few verses all tie together.
"Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me."
Jesus is saying that we cannot try to live life by ourselves. We need more than food, shelter, money, and all that this world says it can offer us. If we try surviving on the world alone, then we will die and shrivel up like a plant that is not watered. God specifically states that He will not leave us so long as we love and follow Him.
A branch cannot bear fruit by itself........
I love you all!
Good night and God Bless!
"I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit. You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you. Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me."
Nature is beautiful. It is the one place in this world that no matter what is going on, I can feel completely relaxed. I love just sitting in nature and dwelling in God's spirit. It is peaceful there. So when I began reading John 15, I thought of that peaceful feeling that I receive when I am outside dwelling in God.
I absolutely love how Jesus can speak to us in ways that we can connect with him. Of course, sometimes it takes a little knowledge of their culture at the time to be able to understand his words, but for the most part it speaks to us still today.
Alright, onto the actual passage now. The first thing that popped out to me when I began reading this passage was "I am the real vine." To me, this is just like Jesus saying, "I am the real Messiah." From Jesus' time on (and even before Jesus came I am sure) people testified that they were the Messiah. So when I read that "I am the real vine" it was a peaceful feeling knowing that I serve a God who IS the real vine.
The next thing that Jesus says is that God is his gardener. So even while Jesus was on this earth, God was still taking care of Him just as God takes care of us today. You see, even though Jesus was perfect, he still faced temptations just like everyone else. He still had to have his vines pruned & trimmed just like every other person who followed God. He states that God "broke off every branch in me that does not bear fruit." Every possible negative thing in Jesus' life that in some way would not glorify God, God got rid of it! It is the exact same for us too! If we ask for God to remove a sin, a burden, a pain in our life that is not bringing God glory or bring us closer to Him, God will completely remove that dead branch from our life!
With that said, we have to remember that blessings do not always come without pain. Just as the dead branches get cut off, the living branches also need to be pruned: "and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit" This pruning process can be painful. We have to remember that in every bad circumstance, there is a God that is helping us through it. It may feel painful, but in the end, God may bring us even more blessings than we had before!!!
The next verse says that "You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you."
Basically, I look at this in the aspect that when we become saved, that is the cleaning process. There is no pain in becoming clean, it is refreshing and wonderful. Everyone loves that feeling of taking a warm long shower. You feel relieved, fresh, and joyful when you get out. That is what salvation is meant to feel like. All the things that had weighed you down before, made you anxious, nervous, or depressed, that is no longer your problem when you become saved. It becomes God's. He will take care of it for you. Now, in order for those problems to no longer harm you, God will have to cut off some branches and he WILL consistently prune you from now until the end of your days.
The last few verses all tie together.
"Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me."
Jesus is saying that we cannot try to live life by ourselves. We need more than food, shelter, money, and all that this world says it can offer us. If we try surviving on the world alone, then we will die and shrivel up like a plant that is not watered. God specifically states that He will not leave us so long as we love and follow Him.
A branch cannot bear fruit by itself........
I love you all!
Good night and God Bless!
Speaking of Faith - Political Issues & Christianity
If you are confused on how your political life should look like because you are a Christian, try listening to this program called Speaking of Faith. This program speaks on all religions, political issues, and so on. Simply google "Speaking of Faith" open Itunes, and download a podcast! (It's free!) The one that I am specifically speaking of is from April 18, 2008. It is called Evangelical Politics: Three Generations.
It's great! I will post my thoughts on this program later :)
God Bless everyone and have a great day!
-Ashley-
It's great! I will post my thoughts on this program later :)
God Bless everyone and have a great day!
-Ashley-
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