Unanswered Prayer

This is such a great quote by Spurgeon.  Please, take a moment and read! It will be well worth your time.

"God often DELAYS IN ANSWERING PRAYER. We have several instances of this in sacred Scripture. Jacob did not get the blessing from the angel until near the dawn of day--he had to wrestle all night for it. 

The poor woman of Syrophoneicia was answered not a word for a long while. Paul besought the Lord thrice that "the thorn in the flesh" might be taken from him, and he received no assurance that it should be taken away, but instead thereof a promise that God's grace should be sufficient for him.

 

If thou hast been knocking at... the gate of mercy, and hast received no answer, shall I tell thee why the mighty Maker hath not opened the door and let thee in? Our Father has reasons peculiar to Himself for thus keeping us waiting. Sometimes it is to show his power and his sovereignty, that men may know that Jehovah has order that thy desires may be more fervent. God knows that delay will quicken and increase desire, and that if he keeps thee waiting thou wilt see thy necessity more clearly, and wilt seek more earnestly; and thee which has need to be removed, before the joy of the Lord is given. 

 

Perhaps thy views of the Gospel plan are confused, or thou mayest be placing some little reliance on thyself, instead of trusting simply and entirely to the Lord Jesus. Or, God makes thee tarry awhile that he may the more fully display the riches of his grace to thee at last. Thy prayers are all filed in heaven, and if not immediately answered they are certainly not forgotten, but in a little while shall be fulfilled to thy delight and satisfaction. Let not despair make thee silent, but continue instant in earnest supplication."

-by Spurgeon

Have a good rest of your week!  Thanks for taking the time to read.  

Stop Worrying About It!

How many times a day do we find ourselves anxious and worried about various things, whether they are big or small?  Well, the answer is, TOO many to count.   For the follower of Christ, worrying should NOT even be an option.  We are NOT to worry at all.  We are NOT to let fear take a hold of our minds and enslave us.  As Philippians 4:6 says: 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."  

  

I love what Pastor John MacArthur says about worrying.

"When you worry, you are choosing to be mastered by your circumstances instead of by the truth of God. The vicissitudes and trials of life pale in comparison to the greatness of salvation. Jesus wants you to realize it doesn't make sense to believe God can save you from eternal hell, but not help you in the practical matters of life. The Apostle Paul reflects a similar desire in Ephesians 1:18-19: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." When you catch yourself worrying, go back to Scripture and let God open your eyes again."  

Worry.  This word in a sense represents a distrust we have in God.  Christ even said in His sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 6, that if He watches out for the birds of the air and provides for them, will He not also watch out for us who are SO much more important than the birds!!  What a God we have dear friends!  We need to stop every time we are allowing fear, anxiety, or worry into our minds and go back to this Truth.   I have seen what fear and worry can do to people, and it eats them up and destroys them.    

Worrying will not do any good.  "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"  (Matthew 6:27).  

Also, John MacArthur adds: 

"Someone might say, "Why make a big deal out of worry? It's just a trivial sin." No, it is not. I suspect a majority of mental illnesses and some physical illnesses are directly related to worry. Many cases of drunkenness and drug addiction are symptomatic of worry. And because of worry, many make foolish life decisions, incurring painful consequences. Worry is devastating. But more important than what worry does to you is what you are communicating about God. When you worry you are saying in effect, "God, I just don't think I can trust You." Worry strikes a blow at the person and character of God.

So, dear friends, are you a worrywart or are you trusting in almighty God and depending upon Him in EVERY area of your life? 

It is a challenge I face everyday, but we, as Christians, are more than conquerors in Christ.

 

So Easily Distracted from What is TRULY Important

Easter Sunday is just right around the corner.   For the non-believer, it is just a day to eat MORE candy and junk food, go on egg hunts, and take pictures with the Easter bunny, with no thought of the reason or cause of how this holiday even came into existence.   For the follower of Christ, it is one of the MOST IMPORTANT DAYS OF ALL!!!! 

Good Friday, is when the Lord was crucified.  On this day, He paid the penalty for man's sins.  He willingly substituted Himself, taking the wrath of God upon Himself, so that we might live eternally with Him in paradise.   Wow.  It is so amazing to really think about, dear friends.   Yet, the world will constantly try to snuff the Truth of Easter right out the window.

The Easter bunny.  This is a popular theme for this weekend.  Egg hunts as well are very common on this Sunday.  Here, the world takes one of the most important days and creates a distraction from the true meaning of if it, which is Christ.

If it were not for the death of Christ, we, OURSELVES, would have to suffer for our sins for all of eternity.  If it were not for the resurrection of Christ, it would show that He was NOT God, and that He was just like ordinary man because He too would have died for His own sins.
 As Romans 1:3-4 says:

"...Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

and declared to be the Son of God with power and according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. "

 So, do not let the distractions of this world take your focus off of the importance of this special weekend! (I am speaking this for myself too) 

Do you truly understand the importance of Christ's death and resurrection?

Thanks for reading!   :)

So Comforting

I love these verses in Isaiah, chapter 40:28-31. 

"Have you not known?  Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.  His understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.  Even the youths shall faith and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." 

I know several dear people who are going through awful times right now.   From sickness to emotional stress and difficulties, yet I have seen them grow in the Lord and look to Him for encouragement and guidance.  That is just so amazing to me.  I see them suffer through their terrible struggles and difficulties, and they are happier than most people I know who are very well off.  Why is that?!  It does not seem to make sense?  Well, to the rest of the world it doesn't, but to the one who is a follower of Christ, it sure does. 

They are choosing to look to the One who alone will give them the strength they need to get by each and every day.  I am not saying that they do not have days when they are feeling terrible and discouraged, for I do know they have those days, but they are choosing to focus on the Truth that is contained in God's word, and through that comes an abundance of JOY!  As seen here in this passage in Isaiah, believers are to wait upon their God and to trust in Him.  Yes, it may not be easy, and it never says it will be, but it is what we MUST do. He will bless His children with an abundance of peace that surpasses all understanding.  He is our shepherd, and we are His sheep.  He will take care of us and comfort us!

Are you waiting upon the Lord? 


Have a great beginning of your week! :)

Food for Thought

This is a great quote by Amy Carmichael, a missionary years ago to India. 

"We must look upon the world, with all its delights and all its attractions, with suspicion 

and reserve.  We are called to a higher kingdom, we are touched with a diviner Spirit.  

It is not that He forbids us this or that comfort or indulgence, it is not that He is stern, 

demanding us to follow a narrow path.  Be we who love our Lord and whose affections are 

set on Heavenly things voluntarily and gladly lay aside the things that charm and ravish the 

world, that for our part, our hearts may be ravished with the things of Heaven that our whole

being may be poured forth in constant and unreserved devotion in the service of the Lord

who died to save us."  

Are you more preoccupied with the things of the world, and is it your main focus in life to follow after the things of this world? Or, are your affections set on Heavenly things, laying aside that which charms and ravishes the world? 

Have a great rest of your Sunday!  

  

This Life is Not MINE

  It is often so easy to get into the mindset that the life we are living is all about us, meaning OUR wants, OUR desires, or to do whatever pleases US alone.  Let me state simply, it is NOT.  As a follower of Christ, the Lord graciously has been opening my mind up to this Truth more and more.   I am not sure if I fully understand it myself, but that is where I must lift up my concerns and confusions to the Lord.  I am to trust in Him and in what He teaches through His Word.  As Proverbs 3:5-6 states,  "Lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."  I know that I do not fully understand all that is contained in Scripture, but it is only by His grace and mercy that He will lead me to a comprehension of it and to a peace that He is in control. 

   So, let me get back to the point of this post.  Our focus in life should not be to please ourselves nor to follow after what we alone desire, but it is ultimately to pattern our lives after what the Lord wants for us.  As a great passage in scripture teaches,

 "...None of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.  For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord.  Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's."  

(Romans 14:7-8) 

 

   What this passages is teaching is that the focus of the Christian life is never to be oneself.  EVERYTHING we do should be to please our sovereign Lord.   

    Another one of my favorite passages that clearly teaches this truth is found in Luke 9:23. 

"Then He (Jesus Christ) said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, 

let him deny himself, and take up his cross DAILY, and follow me." 

     Now this is indeed a very great passage of scripture. It definitely is stated here that one who follows Christ is to live a life of self-denial.  This kind of self-denial is a desire to obey Christ and to live a life that is honoring and pleasing to Him.  

       This way of life does not come naturally, of course, because it is in the human nature to live only for oneself, and to seek our good alone, but it is only by the grace of God, through salvation, that He gives us the desires and wants to follow after Him.  It is a growing process, friends, and a daily one at that, but be confident in this Truth: 

"He who has begun a good work in you will complete

it until the day of Jesus Christ. "  

    I pray that He will show and open up to you, as He has to me (and will continually do so), the meaning and the understanding of the Truth contained in His word.  

  So, it is important to know that our lives are Christ's, not our own. 

Are you denying yourself, taking up your cross daily, and following after Christ?

Thank you for reading and have a great rest of your weekend! :)

Ready to Fight!

  Do you ever have one of those days or weeks where you are completely discouraged, not "happy", or feeling like a cloud is hanging over you?  I can tell you that I definitely have had my share of those times. 

   Now, let me ask you something. Were those the days when you were not reading your Bible, praying, or "telling yourself" the Truth?  I, myself, can pretty much say "yes" to that question.  Isn't it interesting to really think about, friends, that a lot of the reasons why we feel so utterly down and in the dumps is because we are listening to the "voices" of our flesh, and we are not constantly feeding our minds with the Truth of God's Word.  

    That's why we are always to be ready to "fight"!  Meaning, we are to know the Truth and focus on that because when those hard days come (and they WILL), we need to be prepared.

"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breast-

plate of righteousness, and having shed your feet with the preparation of the 

gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able

to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."  

(Ephesians 6:14-16) 

 

   I want to encourage you to continually feed your mind with Truth because you will CONSTANTLY be attacked.   As my pastor says,  "talk to yourself", meaning to tell yourself the Truth especially during those very difficult days.  

   I also need to be in the Word more and to do as Ephesians 6 teaches. 

Are you ready for battle?  

Thanks for reading, have a great rest of your Thursday! :)

Living for the Weekend

   So, it's Wednesday, the middle of the week.   For many people, working a Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. job, they are most likely longing for the weekend at this point.  It has been a busy beginning of the week, and there are only TWO more days of work. 

   Working in an office where the days and hours are like the ones mentioned above, it is interesting to see the "mood" of people change from when it is Monday verses when it is almost the weekend, on a Friday.  Most of the time, I see that people are not as "up-beat" or "happy" on Mondays as they are on Fridays.  Of course, I can understand why because they are looking forward to the weekend, and they are excited to not work for the next two days. It definitely makes sense.

     I too am not excluded from this kind of "up and down" behavior based on the day.  I noticed that I too was more excited on Friday verses being more quiet and less exuburant on Monday.  Then I began to really think about this (and still do).  Is that right to have a different behavior based on what day it is?  Shouldn't I, as a follower of Christ, rejoice always no matter if it is Monday or Friday?  The answer is, YES!  I most definitely am called to rejoice no matter what day it is.  When I am in those "up and down" moods because I have to go back to work again after a nice weekend, I am then basing my "happiness" on circumstances, instead of focusing on the Truth, which is to rejoice always, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE! 

    I realize that this is a DAILY battle.  We all base our happiness at times on our circumstances, but we must see that our true JOY comes from the Lord and from His Truth alone.  So, I just want to challenge you to pay more attention to what Philippians 4:4 teaches, to rejoice always! Go read that chapter if you have time and really focus on that!  Also, James 1:2-5 discusses this as well, so good!

Are you living for the weekend, or are you rejoicing EVERYDAY in the Lord?

Have a good Wednesday!  :)

Are You a Name-Only "Christian"?

     The word "Christian" I believe is very broadly used and dare I say, most people who call themselves "Christians" do not even know what it means to be one.  In the days of the early church, after Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, this term (meaning "little Christ/Christlike") was originated to identify with those who TRULY followed the Lord and obeyed what He taught.  They lived set-apart lives, honoring their Savior.  However, in today's day and age, the word "Christian" is used very loosely. 

      Countless times have I heard people profess "Christianity" and say that they "love Jesus" or "love God", yet their lives demonstrate the very opposite.  It is sad to see that a lot of "Christians" have NO clue about what that word really means.  They may go to church once a week (or not even that much), pray every once in a while,  read their Bible very occasionally, and live their life just like everyone else in the world.  They use the same language as the world (cussing, swearing, joking inappropriately, etc...), they are involved in the same activities as the world (partying and getting drunk, being "loose" in their actions, etc...), and the list could go on, but you get what I am trying to say.  So what IS the difference between a "Christian" and those who don't really care about Christ at all?  Well, nothing from what I was just describing earlier.   Are you understanding what I am saying?!  The term "Christian" has been used so loosely and broadly that when one says that they are a "Christian", it honestly can mean anyone.  I hope that makes sense.

   What I am really trying to point out, readers, is that there SHOULD be a difference from one who follows Christ and from one who doesn't. This is not ME just giving my own opinion, this is what the very Word of God teaches.  Let me give one passage in particular.  

(Ephesians 4:20-22)

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have 

been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, 

the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit

of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true

righteousness and holiness."   

(also...Romans 6:6 and Colossians 3:10)

   Followers of Christ are NOT to be conformed to this world or follow after the pattern of this world.   Dear friend, if you read this and can identify with that "Christian" I described at the very beginning, and then you say, "but I do not want to give up MY life" or "but I love the world too much to be completely different"...then maybe you should examine your own heart and see to whom you really belong to...Christ or the world. 

   I do not mean to sound harsh, friends, but this has been on my heart to share.  It hurts me tremendously to see ones I love going in this path.  Do not lie to yourself.  For true believers are to live ALL of their life, meaning EVERY aspect of it, for their King.  

     So, in the context of what I have been discussing....are you a follower of Christ or are you a "Christian" in name only. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this very long entry.  :)

Have a great night!

   
     


  

Convicting Words

I love a particular poem, written by Elizabeth Elliot.  She is a woman who dedicated her life to serving in the mission field; however, she may not have expected her "plans" to turn up as they did.  If you are not familiar with her story, maybe you should look into it.  It is very amazing and intriguing to look back and see the road the Lord had chosen for her and even for the many woman she worked with.   So, I would like to share with you a poem she wrote:

Father, I know that all my life 

Is portioned out for me,

And the changes that are sure to come

I do not fear to see;

I ask Thee for a present mind, 

Intent on pleasing Thee. 

I would not have the restless will

That hurries to and fro,

Seeking for some great thing to do

Or secret thing to know;

I would be treated as a child 

And guided where I go. 

Wherever in the world I am,

In whatsoever estate,

I have a fellowship with hearts 

To keep and cultivate.  

Are YOU willing to let the Lord lead and guide your life, even if it means giving up what you had in mind for yourself?!

(Galatians 2:20)

Thanks for reading!  Have a great rest of your weekend! 

 

What Does the Future Hold?

   I am in my early 20's, so a question someone often asks me is, "what are your plans for the future?"  Talk about a BIG question.  Looking back over the past few years, in particular, the last 4 years, I can say that I definitely have had "plans" for my life.  Especially my senior year in high school, I would say that I pretty much had a 5 year plan.  Go to college, find a job RIGHT after, get married, and buy a house.  Ok, I had in the back of my mind that, yeah probably it won't all go like THAT, but then, I pretty much was under the impression that it was going to go SOMEWHAT like how I had it  all "worked out" in my mind.  WELL, now jumping 4 years from that time, pretty much nothing has gone according to my "plan".

      Now, I don't want you to think that I am sitting all along in my room, with a box of tissues right next to me, and I am crying my eyes out as I am writing this.  In fact, I am smiling as I am typing this.  It's very amazing for me to look back over the short amount of time of 4 years, and to see that NOTHING actually has gone according to what I had pictured.  Now, I have talked to several people about this, some older than me, and if I tell them this, they most likely will roll their eyes, and pat me on the shoulder saying, "Breana, Breana, you are young and in-experienced.  Of course, life never really goes how we plan it."
      
     Yes, that is very true.  However, I have learned more about this fact than I ever really expected to learn.    Recently, the Lord has shown me that living life as a follower of Christ, is all about giving up our own desires, denying ourselves, and following after His will.  I have heard of this Truth pretty much all of my life, but until now, I really don't think I truly understood what it meant.  My plans, up till this point, may not have come about as I had "thought", and yes, certain areas of life have gone in a different, unexpected directions, but it is all because of God's leading, and it is really all for the better.
  
       I still do have unfulfilled desires and hopes, but I know that my Savior has not forgotten about them.  He is not unaware of them, and as I have been encouraged to do by amazing influences in my life, I am to take ALL of my desires to the Lord.  As believers, followers of Christ, we ALL should.  Even the so called "little ones".  Just the other day, I was trying to make a seemingly small decision, and my dad just said to me, "Pray about it.  God is not an author of confusion.  He will lead you to make a decision even in this, if you just ask."  It is so true friends.   As Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  

   Isn't it comforting to know that we can take ANYTHING we are concerned about to the Lord?!  What an awesome God!

    So, needless to say, I am not unhappy because my life has not gone according to "plan", but I have learned, and will continue TO learn, that the Lord is in control, and He will bring about whatever He wants in His time!  I have never been more joyful than now!

   I also would like to challenge you, to pray about your desires and concerns, even if they be seemingly insignificant.  Nothing is to hard for the Lord.

Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your Saturday!  :-)

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Getting Started...

   Now that I have created my blog page, and I have set up everything (for the most part), I now wanted to make my first post!  To be quite honest, I am not much of a blogger, and really never have been much of a writer, but I think this will be a great challenge for me in doing this!   I want to be able to share what I am learning and experiencing with others, in hopes that I can encourage and challenge at least one person out there to grow in their faith!  The same is true with me!  Please, write when you can! :-)