Blessed Assurance

 Yesterday afternoon an old hymn by Frances J. Cosby called "Blessed Assurance" was running through my head. 

 

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

 

At this time in my life, I am constantly questioning where I belong. A job is harder to find that I ever thought possible. School will soon be upon me but I am not sure of my major. Family matters leave me uncertain of many things. Life is always so full of uncertainties. Oh, what a treasure to bask in the presence of my Savior. It truly is such a comfort and a "foretaste of glory divine"!

 

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

 

Submission has never been my strong suit. However, as I continue to grow in my faith, I find the Lord's will is where the most peace abides. When I seek out my own way, I only find confusion and more frustrations. Yet when I dwell in the presence of the Lord, the "perfect delight" I find is unmeasurable.

 

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

 

I do a lot of watching and waiting, but when I fix my eyes on the Author and Perfecter of my faith who endured the cross, my trials seem to fade. I wonder if this is what Paul meant in Hebrews 12 when he challenged the church to "run with perseverance and to throw aside anything which may threaten to entangle us." My heart cannot deny the Lord's goodness. When I focus on that fact, I find myself so "lost in His love."

 

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

 

One of my absolute favorite verses in the Bible is Psalm 63:3-4, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you for as long as I live; in your Name I will lift up my hands." Oh to be able to tell my story and struggles, yet to "praise my Savior all day long." This truly is my story and my song.

 

What a "Blessed Assurance" indeed!

 

 

A Need for Accountability: Stop Making Excuses!

As I am gracelessly slipping into this thing called adulthood, I am beginning to realize a couple of things.

 

One of the things I notice about the culture that I am growing up in is that no one wants to take responsibility.

 

Oh, Hillary lied again.

That's just what politicians do.

 

Ryan Lochte gets drunk and destroys property.

Oh, boys will be boys.

 

Gabby Douglas gets bullied on social media.

She needs to grow a thicker skin or else get off social media.

 

Really?

 

Where is the accountability? Where is the sense of right and wrong?

 

People like to blame others, dodge the truth, and make excuses. In reality though, the people are the culture. It is our fault that these things are becoming acceptable.

 

One of the things I hear a lot in churches is that people like to blame the leaders of the church for not reaching the lost, not standing up for the broken, not doing this, that, and the other. Thing is, the leaders are not the church. The Christians as a whole are the church. Yes, the church leaders need to be wise in their decisions but the people of God definitely can do something.

 

Why are the people not reaching out to the lost? Why are the people standing by the broken? Why are the people making excuses?

 

This is the same in politics and in society as a whole. Yes, good and bad leaders influence the people but the people ultimately make the choice.

 

There is this awesome quote by Edmund Burke that says,

 

"The only thing necessary for evil to win is that good men do nothing."

 

Yes, we could sit here and blame others. We could wallow in our own hurt and pain and what others have done against us. We could say, "Well I am only one voice, so what will it matter?" We could remain silent. It would be easier and less painful. It would be normal.

 

Thing is, when God called us, He didn't call us to follow the world. He called us to follow Him.

 

James 4:17 says, "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it."

 

In the movie God's Not Dead 2, the main character says when asked why she just won't sign a plea bargain apologizing for her belief in Jesus Christ, "I would rather stand with God and be judged by the world than stand with the world and be judged by God."

 

It's time for the people of God to stop taking sin lightly. It's time for the people of God to come alongside the broken and hurting instead of wallowing and blaming everyone else. It's time for the people of God to stop making excuses.

 

We are called to be a "light in the darkness" and a "city on a hill." What are we waiting for?

Thy Will Be Done

I spent my summer climbing on roofs, ministering to homeowners, making late night McDonalds runs, worshiping my Savior every night, performing crazy skits, and doing meaningful work.

Then I came home. Everyone who has done TEAMeffort before warned me that it would be hard. Little did I know.

At first, it was easy. I am taking a gap year. I applied for a job position at the YMCA that seemed perfect for me. Only problem is, they never called me back.

 

Without a job, I was left doing odd jobs around the house and throwing myself into whatever I could find. After a summer of running around non-stop and doing work that had tangible results, going back to real life struck me as dull and boring.

The theme of the summer was Pray As You Go. Each night, we focused on one of the words and how they related to our lives and circumstances. Every week for eight weeks I heard the same message. Monday night we focused on Pray and the story of Jesus in the Garden prior to His death. Jesus prayed for God's will to be done.

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42

If Jesus, the Son of God, had to pray for God's will to be done, wouldn't it make it all that more important for us, as mere humans, to pray for God's will to be done?

It's a powerful and awesome story and Spencer, one of my team, presented it in such a way where it really came to life. I can't think of anyone who could have done a better job with that particular night.

However, in my own life, saying "Not my will, but God's will be done" is hard! I am a headstrong person. I don't like not knowing what the future holds. I don't like doing mundane tasks when I feel they have little purpose. I like exciting and adventurous.  I like tangible results. I like feeling like a crucial part of a team.

When we say, "Not my will, but God's will be done," we are forced to let go of our ego. We are forced to let go of our plans, our dreams, and anything we feel entitled to. That doesn't mean God won't fulfill our dreams and plans, but it does mean that we put ourselves into God's hands and leave everything there. It isn't comfortable or easy.

Sometimes it means being content with the mundane. Sometimes it means doing a job that is less "perfect" for me and more uncomfortable. Sometimes it means doing your best in this moment and trusting God with every moment from here on out.

I share this because I struggle with this. I love the Lord with everything I am, but I am not a fan of this season. It isn't the first time that I have struggled against the will of God in a certain season. A few times I have even lashed out at God. I have cried, yelled, and finally come to my knees.

I want to follow God, but the uncomfortable is ... well, uncomfortable.

That doesn't make it any less crucial though. True obedience is following Christ wherever He may lead. It is abiding in God's will even when it hurts our pride and may require great sacrifice. It is abiding in God's will in faith and with a sense of contentment.

As Corrie ten Boom said, " the center of God's will is the safest place that we can be."

I have a long way to go before I will truthfully be able to say that I desire God's will and will abide in it no matter where He calls me or what He calls me to. However, in this season, I will fix my eyes on Christ.

May the desire of my heart be like Hebrews 12:1-3, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

And may my prayer look similar to Jonathan Edwards',

"I claim no right to myself – no right to this understanding, this will, these affections that are in me; neither do I have any right to this body or its members – no right to this tongue, to these hands, feet, ears, or eyes. I have given myself clear away and not retained anything of my own.

I have been to God this morning and told Him I have given myself wholly to Him. I have given every power, so that for the future I claim no right to myself in any respect. I have expressly promised Him, for by His grace I will not fail. I take Him as my whole portion and felicity, looking upon nothing else as any part of my happiness.

His law is the constant rule of my obedience. I will fight with all my might against the world, the flesh, and the devil to the end of my life. I will adhere to the faith of the Gospel, however hazardous and difficult the profession and practice of it may be."

 

When I chose to follow Christ, I lost all rights to myself. May His will, not mine, be done.

 

 

Spiritual Warfare: A Very Real Battle

Today I am going to share another camp story. This one is different than the rest in that this was something we dwelt with all summer. For some, it may be a challenging story to read. Please read this post with a sense of seriousness.

 

The story I am going to tell you revolves around the topic of spiritual warfare.

 

Before I begin, I would like to first define what spiritual warfare is. The short definition is: Spiritual warfare is the very real battle that goes on between good and evil.

 

Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

 

Bluntly put: As long as God exists and Christians actively seek to serve Him, evil will exist. Satan is against anyone who is for God and he will use any means (people, circumstances, our weaknesses, our emotions, etc.) against us to detour us from serving God.

 

The primary purpose of man is to bring glory to God and those who pursue that frustrate the Devil's ploys. Revelation 20 talks about how God will ultimately, at the end of time as we know it, win against the Devil. Good will overcome evil and God gets the last word. However, while we live in a fallen world, where God is not worshiped by all and where Satan has some degree of power, we have to fight against spiritual warfare.

 

I have always had a strong belief that spiritual warfare existed, but never had I seen it as evidently as I did this summer.

 

Prior to campers arriving in Copperhill, we had a set up week. Each day we would work long hours to prepare for campers to arrive the following week. Our camp is one of the largest TEAMeffort camps and hence we had an awesome opportunity to be a light to hundreds of campers and show them Jesus.

 

One night we were up late at the chapel practicing songs and getting the media all set up. It got to be about ten o' clock and some of us decided to wrap it up and call it a night.

 

I volunteered to go to the tool shed that was nearby to put something away. Due to it being dark and I being unfamiliar with the area, I ended up going the wrong way and wandering around a bit before I realized that I had gone the opposite direction of the tool shed. I found the tool shed and put what I needed away and headed back to the chapel.

 

Once back at the chapel, about half of the staff loaded into one of the cars to go back up to the house. The other staff stayed behind to finish wrapping up a few things. I was in the car headed back up to the house.

 

We got only a little ways down the trail when we realized we had forgotten something. The driver went to back the car up and as we were doing so, the entire back half of the car collapsed. It was like the ground had been pulled out from underneath us.

 

When we got out of the car (very carefully) to see what had happened, we saw that the car had fallen into a gigantic sink hole. The back half of the car was completely in the hole and the front end was sticking up on the edge.

 

The entire time, all of us staff were pretty shaken. I was shaken, but it had little to do with having been in the car when we fell into the sink hole. Where we had fallen in was the same ground I had walked on earlier when I got lost. What is more, the minute before we fell in, I had this sense of intense evil around us. That feeling only intensified when I got out of the car.

 

We ended walking back up to the house because there was nothing we could do about the car that night. The entire time, I was shaking. I could feel the presence of evil so vividly that it scared me. I started to pray.

 

James 4:7 says that when we resist the Devil, he will flee. Ephesians 6:13 talks of us putting the armor of God in order to resist the Devil. Luke 10:19 says that God has given us authority over the Devil because of Christ within us. 1 John 5:4 says that our faith has overcome the world (and Satan is a very real part of this world). 1 Timothy 1:18-19 talks of Paul commanding Timothy to "wage the good warfare." Finally 1 Timothy 6:12 commands us to "fight the good fight."

 

I believe that one of the biggest weapons against spiritual warfare that we have is prayer. All night and into the early hours of the morning I prayed. Around four a.m. I finally felt that the battle had been won for the time being and that I could rest. It was then that I slept.

 

That was probably the biggest example of spiritual warfare that I experienced all summer, but it certainly was not the only experience. All summer the Devil tried to frustrate, cause tensions, interrupt, and destroy. Some days it felt like he was winning. Ultimately though, I can look back and see how God ALWAYS had the final word.

 

God had the victory.

 

God showed up and showed off.

 

God was and is always faithful!

The Meditations of my Heart

As I said in my last post, I have learned a lot of things this summer. Today I want to tell you about a boy that we will call Jacob and how his story changed the way I looked at the importance of my thoughts and words.

One week of camp, I had this phenomenal group. They were on the younger side but extremely hard working and more than willing to learn. They came from a poorer community and many of the youth were being fully funded by their church to be in attendance. This really spoke to me and how the body of Christ is called to support each other.

There was one boy in particular that stood out to me in this group. From the minute I met him, I knew something was off. He seemed distant and almost off balance. As the week went on, this pattern continued. I would ask him to go get me a hammer, telling him where it was. He would come back fifteen minutes later empty handed saying that he couldn't find it. I would go looking and the hammer was exactly where I had said it would be. I would give him some nails to hammer in and it would take him at least fifteen minutes to get in just one nail.

As this continued, I became frustrated. I didn't say anything but in my head I wondered what was wrong with this child? Why was he not getting it? I wondered if he was mentally handicapped or perhaps just lazy. My frustrations would occasionally rise near the surface and I would consider saying something, but I never did.

The group completed the week incredibly well, but Jacob still miffed me.

As the group was packing up that Saturday, I had the chance to talk with one of the chaperones as we waited for the youth to bring down their luggage. Somehow we got on the topic of Jacob.

The chaperone revealed to me a story that both stunned and convicted me. 

 

Just over a year earlier, Jacob had seen his father shoot his mother in cold blood. A month later, his brother was killed in a freak accident on a motorcycle. The boy was currently living with his grandparents, but they were not well.

After the group left, I went back to my room and fell to my knees. All week long I had assumed this boy was handicapped or lazy. Some might say I was being too hard on myself; how could I have known Jacob's story?

 

That isn't a valid excuse in my mind though. Every person we meet is fighting some kind of battle or had been through something that changed them. We don't always (usually) know those battles. While I may have never said anything directly unkind to Jacob, my tone was certainly not always patient and my thoughts were certainly not always kind.

 

Psalm 19:14 talks about, "the words of our mouth and the meditations of my heart being pleasing to God."

 

Our thoughts matter, as much, if not more than our words. What is in our head and heart comes out in our actions and words. We don't know the battles people may be fighting. That is why it is so important to be patient and kind. God's command to love is not limited to action, but in word and thought.

 

God used Jacob to convict me of the fact that my thoughts (the meditations of my heart) are important. Even if no one else knows the "meditations of my heart," God does. May my prayer be the same as the Psalmist.

A Life Changing Summer

We all have had experiences that are forever etched in our memory. Experiences that changed us, humbled us, and brought us face to face with our fears. This summer was packed with those kinds of experiences.

 

If you have been following me on social media, you know that I have been working for a Christian mission's camp called TEAMeffort. TEAMeffort works in rural areas with middle school and high school students from church youth groups all across the country to meet physical needs and then meet the spiritual needs of people in overlooked areas within the U.S. (primarily). I was located in Copperhill, Tennessee this summer and had the pleasure of having my own worksite. By the way, did I mention that TEAMeffort is mainly construction based?

 

That's right. The girl who didn't know the difference between a phillips head screwdriver and a flat head screwdriver at the beginning of the summer got to teach kids how to use a saw and put boards together to build a 12x18 shed with a lean-to on the back and also put a roof on a house.

 

What I learned construction wise is really not what changed my life. Over and over and over again, God showed up and showed off. That's what changed my life.

 

TEAMeffort's theme for this summer was "Pray As You Go." Let me tell you something, I prayed a lot this summer. Last summer when I worked at Boy Scout camp, I thought I was as far out of my comfort zone as I could get. This summer proved that theory wrong. 

 

Without God, I would not have made it through this summer.

 

He was my strength when I was so bone tired that I couldn't think straight.

 

He was my encouragement when everything around me went wrong.

 

He was my voice every Wednesday night when I got up on stage and talked about our identity in Christ and how loved we are by God.

 

He was my Creator who showed me the beauty of His creation day in and day out. 

 

He was my King who was worthy of worship every time we sang songs of praise and came together in prayer.

 

He was my Father who protected me countless times.

 

He was my friend who loved me with an everlasting love and held me accountable for my words, thoughts and actions.

 

I could spend a lot of time telling you what I did this summer, but that would be under false pretenses. Truth is, I didn't do this. God did this.

 

In the next few weeks, I hope to share some of what God did this summer and share some of the stories of how God changed me and those around me.

"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God."
Romans 1:20 NLT

A Graduation Post: God Is Faithful

Today, I officially graduate from high school.

 

I feel like I am writing about someone else with that sentence. I am no longer a high school student. I am a high school graduate. Goodness, that is such a loaded title.

 

The big question that every graduate gets asked is: What's next? Truth is, I don't know.

 

In less than two weeks, I start my summer job with TEAMeffort Christian camps, but come mid-August, I will be back to where I am now: Praying and taking each step in faith. My plan is to return from my camp experience and take a gap year from school. During that gap year, I want to get a job and do some job shadowing to get a better idea of what I could spend the rest of my life doing.

 

The unknown is never a comfortable thing to walk in and I find that this is no exception. Not knowing what I am going to do is terrifying. I want to make a difference. I want to follow God. I want to love on people. I want to have a family. I want to be a woman of character.

 

I know that God knows those desires and though it is a scary time, this is also an exciting time. The adventures God has in store for me are bound to be full of growing, learning, and proof of God's faithfulness.

 

Speaking of God's faithfulness, I have been thinking a lot lately about how faithful God has been in my life. I have seen and experienced a lot in my eighteen years. Through it all God has been faithful.

 

• In late elementary school and through middle school I struggled with my self worth. I turned to cutting as an escape from reality. God brought people into my life that constantly confirmed my worth and value, not only as a Child of God, but as a person who could and would do great things. 

 

• My Sophomore year of high school, my family went through a dark season. All the things I had ever felt secure in, came into question. My brother battled depression and the road we traveled was full of lots of heartache and tears. God brought people to encourage me and help my family in this season. In everything, God met our needs and my faith became my own. No longer did I just believe in God because it was what seemed to be expected of me. I believed in God because He had become my hope and I had seen His faithfulness.

 

• My Junior year of high school, I struggled to keep up with all my school work. Most of the time, I felt like I was drowning more than swimming. There were a lot of long days and late nights. God constantly gave me perseverance though and rest that I desperately needed. The summer of my Junior year, I had an amazing experience working at a Boy Scout camp. I learned and grew a lot.

 

• This past Senior year, I dated a great guy. Unfortunately, things did not work out, as we disagreed on some important issues. I struggled again with my self worth and I questioned God's plan. In this time, God brought people into my life that overwhelmed me with love. My self confidence really grew and I learned to stop being so hard on myself. In addition, God constantly confirmed my choice to believe in Him and do what I believe is right, even though it is often hard and unpopular.

 

I could keep going with stories of God's faithfulness, but this blog post would go on for awhile. If I could leave you with one thing from this post though it would be that I am proof of God's faithfulness. I have seen His faithfulness in my life. As I continue to walk this journey, there are many unknowns, but this I know: My God WILL be faithful.

 

I will finish this post with a verse that has been a constant in my life for many years and that hangs right by my bedroom door in a frame as a constant reminder of God's faithfulness.

 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!

Lamentations 3:22-23

 

 

 

Lessons from the Birds

Birds are an object of fascination in my house. We have a series of birdfeeders in our back yard and a big window to watch them from. From chickadees to robins to wrens to cowbirds to blue birds; you name it, we probably have seen them! Each bird is so unique.

 

Matthew 10:29 talks about how God cares for the birds: “What is the price of two sparrows--one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.”

God cares for each bird and I think we can learn from them.

 

Geese: These big birds always stick together. Very rarely do you see a single goose; they’re usually in pairs. They eat together. Nest together. Fly together. Protect each other. They are a family and a team. They have each other’s backs.

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9 says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.”

Blue jays and mockingbirds: These birds are feisty! They chase away anything that they think may threaten their territory, even if that thing may be much larger than itself. They are bold and don’t let evil overcome them. By doing this, predators that could do harm tend to flee or just avoid them all together!

 

James 4:7 says, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

 

Cardinals: Even in the winter, these birds stand out. They’re bright red color speaks for them and provides some cheer on bleak or snowy days. They also are very self-sacrificing birds. When they have babies, they pluck each other to provide soft feathers for their nests. They use what they have to provide for their families.

Deuteronomy 16:17 says, “All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the LORD your God.”

Blue birds: These birds are so cheary! Not only are they beautiful, but they have such a pretty chirp. Bluebirds were known for bringing happiness in ancient China because wherever they went, a joyful song followed.

Psalm 100:2 says, “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”

Robins: These energetic birds are constantly looking for food, usually worms. When it rains, they are the first ones out looking for worms that may have come out of the ground. When they are not looking for food, they are building and adding to their nests with twigs and sticks and anything else they can find. I don’t think I have ever seen a robin just sunning himself; they are always keeping busy with something!

Proverbs 14:23 says, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

All these birds and more can teach us valuable lessons. God cares for each bird and He cares for us too.

Matthew 6:26 says, “Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?”

Birdseed may be for the birds, but Christ came for us and He promises to take care of our every need. In that, we can put our hope.

Convicted: Jesus Washed His Disciples Feet

Every New Year's Day, my local church sponsors a group of ladies with a foundation called CARITAS. These ladies come from all kinds of backgrounds, mostly rough ones. Many have been abused or have various drug and substance abuse related issues. Some of them have been thrown out of their homes and shunned by their family.

 

These women, more so than some of us, know what it is to crave love because they have been rejected for so long. Many understand the desperate need we all have for hope. Most of them are Christians already or very open to hearing about the Gospel.  

 

Over the course of New Year's Day, church members are invited to come and play board games with these women, eat with them, talk to them, and fellowship with them. This year I decided to go.

 

A team of volunteers served the ladies lunch and then one of the ladies volunteering pulled out a bag of nail polish. She asked if anyone wanted their nails painted. At first, some of the CARITAS ladies were cautious, but the more we talked to them and pampered them, the more they opened up about themselves.

 

The stories shared in that room are not ones that I can share on this blog, but needless to say, many of them were heart-wrenching.

 

In the middle of all this, one of the CARITAS ladies asked if I might be able to paint her toe nails. Up until that point, the lady who brought the nail polish and I had only been painting fingernails.

 

One thing ya'll should know is that I hate feet. I hate touching feet. I hate feet being on me. I hate the feel of feet and the smell of feet. Feet just are not my thing. I am happy to paint my own toe nails, but in that moment where I was asked to paint someone else's toe nails, I balked.

 

In my head, there was a battle that went on. Every excuse imaginable came to mind as to why I could not and would not paint these women's feet. The arguments in my head were silenced, however, when I felt the Holy Spirit remind me of the story of Jesus washing His disciples feet.

 

Jesus. The Man who died on a cross for me. Jesus. My Creator and Redeemer. Jesus. The whole reason I was even in this place. Jesus. The Man who washed dirty feet.

 

In that moment, shame engulfed me. As long as I could be comfortable, I was willing to serve, but the minute I was asked to do something that might be hard for me, I made up excuses.

 

Jesus is the most selfless and loving person to ever walk this earth, yet He never demanded thanks or applause. He took on the form of a servant, though He holds all authority in Heaven and earth in His hands.

 

If Jesus could wash dirty feet, was it really too much to ask for me to paint these women's feet? Is any task that I am asked to do beyond me in light of the fact that Jesus washed feet and even died for me?

 

Sometimes Christ washes our feet and sometimes He calls us to be His hands and feet and serve others.

 

With that conviction on my heart, I knelt down and painted these women's feet. Over six women asked if I could paint their feet that day. Tears streamed down many of their faces as I painted their nails. One woman said that she felt like Jesus was painting her feet.

 

I think that day, He may have been.

 

"When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.  “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

John 13:12-17

 

 

Children of the Light

This post has been on my heart for a few weeks now and now I am finally sitting down to write it.

I heard a story recently about a girl who was found in an abusive situation in 2008 in Florida where she had been kept in a dark, back room without any windows or lights for many years. When she was found, she was carried outside and all she could do was scream and try and run back into the dark room again.

This young girl had been in the dark for so long, that the light scared her. She didn't know that light was natural and good because she had only known the darkness. I think we are sometimes like that girl.

When we encounter Christ, we are called to come into the light. Darkness has no place where Christ is. However, many of us are so used to the darkness of our world and our sin that we cower and run from the light.

 

Even when we accept Christ and His goodness and put off our old selves, often times we hold onto some of our old ways. Whether that be the pureness of our thoughts, the way we treat others, white lies, the way we look at others, or something else. The darkness has held us for so long that we cannot imagine coming fully into the light.

The problem is that with Christ, light and darkness cannot coexist. We are either for Christ or against Him. Lukewarm is not an option.

Revelations 3 talks of God "spitting out" lukewarm people and Paul often warns Christians in his letters of the danger of being lukewarm. To be cold is better than lukewarm.

1 Thessalonians 5:5 tells us that we are children of the light. "For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night."

And John 1:5 says that, "Light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it."

 

Martin Luther King said that "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that."

 

God has called us to be children of the light. That is not a destination, but a daily journey. It takes constantly putting to death our old selves and sin. It takes having the courage to admit that we don't have all the answers. It takes humility and the strength to apologize. Most of all, it takes Christ being the center of our lives.

 

We live in a dark world that is growing darker all the time, but we serve the King of the Light! We need not hide in darkness. We need not fear the light. Yes, the light may reveal our pain and ugliness, but it also reveals our need for grace. And, my friends, we all need grace.

 

We cannot even begin to drive out the darkness in our world until we drive out the darkness in ourselves. In Christ though, light can break through the darkness.

 

In Christ, we can be set free from the bondage on sin.

 

In Christ, we can shine.

 

In Christ, we can be children of the light!

The Power of One

We hear about all sorts of groups starting great things.

There is a website called http://www.moreloveletters.com/ It is a movement that sends letters of encouragement to random people or to specific people that other's submit a request for that are hurting.

There is another movement called "The Rebelution," http://therebelution.com/ that is a challenge for young people to rebel against the low expectations set for them by the world and dare to live out their God given talents audaciously.

And another movement called "End It Movement," http://enditmovement.com/ whose goal is to shine a light on modern day slavery and give those who do not have a voice a voice.

All these are big, powerful, movements and all of them were started by one person.

One person who had the courage to stand up and say something is wrong with people hurting, when a handwritten letter has the power to encourage and let people know that they are good enough and very loved.

One person who dared to say that something is wrong with young people not living to their fullest potential with their God-given talents and abilities.

One person who challenged those who turned a blind eye to the hundreds of thousands of people trapped in the bonds of slavery all over the world.

One person.

God called us to, "Go and make disciples." He didn't say, "Wait for others to join you and then get out there and try and make a difference" or "If you feel uncomfortable going at something alone, maybe you should just wait for someone else to do it."

 

Put bluntly: You can't make a difference by doing nothing.

The difference makers are those the world calls crazy and insane. They are the ones who may be shaking and stuttering, but they dare to speak. Courage does not mean unafraid, it means moving despite fear or the risk of failure.

Making a difference does not usually start on a big scale. It starts small. It starts with standing up to one person or one group. It starts with speaking out. It starts with choosing to not go with the crowd. It starts with loving the unlovable. It starts with choosing Christ over the opinions of man.

 

God didn't call us to be comfortable or confident, He called us to go. We may not be popular or liked. We may be left out and verbally beat down. We may wonder if we're crazy, but a mission done in the Name of God is never considered a lost cause.

 

When one person steps out, God promises to go with us and bless us.

 

While it is one who starts a movement, you may be surprised how many people come out of the wood-works to support you. Strangers, friends, people of power, difference makers. Not everyone has the courage to take the first step but they do have the courage to join those who are willing to make a difference.

 

Movements start with one and grow when others share that passion and need to see change. There is power in one! So what are you waiting for? Go and make a difference!

 

“I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do.” -Helen Keller

 

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” -Dr. Seuss, from The Lorax

The Wonder of the Cross

The cross has always been a symbol of hope for Christians. Non-Christians are often baffled by why a device that created such pain and torture would be viewed as such a significance piece of our faith.

Many criminals died on that cross. What made Jesus any different?

 

Well, for one, He wasn't a criminal. A rejecter of common practices? Yes. Someone who ruffled feathers wherever He went? Certainly. But not a criminal.

 

What's more is that not only was He not a criminal, but He was flawless.

Completely, and totally, flawless.

The Oxford dictionary defines flawless as: without any blemishes, imperfections, mistakes, or shortcomings; perfect.

Why then, was this man hung on a cross? Why was He tortured and spit on? Why was He left to die?

Simply put: He was hung on that cross for you and me.

Yes, we have heard this story all our lives, but when was the last time we let it sink in?

The wonder of the cross is not in the cross itself, but in the One who hung on it and why.

Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, hung on that cross for you and me to bridge the gap between us and God.

Our sin is great, but His grace is greater! How powerful a truth; how incredible a hope!

Isaiah 53:3-9 says,

"He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.

He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

 

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.

 

Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.

 

He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave."

 

Our Lord was tortured and killed for us.

 

That really should break our hearts. Truth is, we don't deserve love anywhere near that.

 

However, the story did not end. If it had, there would be no hope. There would be no reason to worship this Deity who was fully God and fully man.

 

Had Christ not risen, we probably could have marked him off as a good man and a rather odd character who was definitely crazy (I mean, He walked around claiming to be God...).

 

BUT that WASN'T the end!

 

Three days after His death, Christ came back to life. I will discuss this more in a later post, but how awing is that?

 

How could a man rise from the dead? Like, He was deader than dead, but now He is alive?! What?!?!?

 

The cross should hold a significance for us, as Christians, because it shows the ultimate definition of love and sacrifice. It bridges that gap between God and man. No longer does man earn his salvation. No longer do we have to go through a priest or holy man to get to God. No! Christ made Himself that High priest. Now all we have to do is go through Him to get to God.

 

That is so huge, ya'll!

 

The wonder of the cross is not limited to one people group, gender, sexuality, and amount of knowledge one knows or doesn't know. The wonder of the cross bridges the gap for all people in every tribe and nation!

 

May we never forget the significance of the cross; may we never lose the wonder of the cross!

 



"The Wonder of the Cross" by Vicky Beeching

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc9-OEgFsKE