Prayerless praying

This is from a book I'm reading, called "Purpose in Prayer," by E.M. Bounds. I know its long (I think its about 4 pages of this book). But I think he has a really good point. After reading this, I would say almost all I have ever known how to do is prayerless praying. I rarely truly pray, and that scares me and makes me sad. But you should read what this guy says, it's good stuff.


"There are no possibilities, no necessity for prayerless praying, a heartless performance, a senseless routine, a dead habit, a hasty, careless performance-it justifies nothing. Prayerless praying has no life, gives no life, is dead, breathes our death. Not a battle-axe but a child's toy, for play not for service. Prayerless praying does not come up to the importance and aims of a recreation. Prayerless praying is only a weight, an impediment in the hour of struggle, of intense conflict, a call to retreat int he moment of battle and victory."



"There is nothing that will preserve the life of prayer; its vigour, sweetness obligations, seriousness and value, so much as a deep conviction that prayer is an approach to God, a pleading with God, and asking of God. Reality will then be in it; reverence will then be in the attitude, in the place, and in the air. Faith will draw, kindle and open. Formality and deadness cannot live in this high and all-serious home of the soul.

"Prayerless praying lacks the essential element of true praying; it is not based on desire, and is devoid of earnestness and faith. Desire burdens the chariot of prayer, and faith drives its wheels. Prayerless praying has no burden, because no sense of need; no ardency, because none of the vision, strength, or glow of faith. No mighty pressure to prayer, no holding on to God with the deathless, despairing grasp, 'I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me.' No utter self-abandon, lost in the throes of a desperate, pertinacious, and consuming plea: 'Yet now if Thou wilt forgive their sin-if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of Thy book;' or, 'Give me Scotland, or I die.' Prayerless praying stakes nothing on the issue, for it has nothing to stake. It comes from empty hands, indeed, but they are listless hands as well as empty. They have never learned the lesson of empty hands clinging to the cross; this lesson to them has no form nor comeliness.

"Prayerless praying has no heart in its praying. The lack of heart deprives praying of its reality, and makes it an empty and unfit vessel. Heart, soul, life must be in our praying; the heavens must feel the force of our crying, and must be brought into oppressed sympathy for our bitter and needy state. A need that oppresses us, and has no relief but in our crying to God, must voice our praying.

"Prayerless praying is insincere. It has no honesty at heart. We name in words what we do not want in heart. Our prayers give formal utterance to the things for which our hearts are not only not hungry, but for which they really have no taste. We once heard an eminent and saintly preacher, now in heaven, come abruptly and sharply on a congregation that had just risen from prayer, with the question and statement, 'What did you pray for? If God should take hold of you and shake you, and demand what you prayed for, you could not tell Him to save your life what the prayer was that has just died from your lips.' So it always is, prayerless praying has neither memory nor heart. A mere form, a heterogeneous mass, an insipid compound, a mixture thrown together of sound and to fill up, but with neither heart nor aim, is prayerless praying. A dry routine, a dreary drudge, a dull and heavy task is this prayerless praying.

" But prayerless praying is much worse than either task or drudge, it divorces praying from living; it utters its words against the world, but with heart and life runs into the world; it prays for humility, but nurtures pride; prays for self-denial, while indulging the flesh. Nothing exceeds in gracious results true praying, but better not to pray at all than to pray prayerless prayers, for they are but sinning, and the worst of sinning is to sin on our knees.

"The prayer habit is a good habit, but praying by dint of habit only is a very bad habit. This kind of praying is not conditioned after God's order, nor generated by God's power. It is not only a waste, a perversion, and a delusion, but it is a prolific source of unbelief. Prayerless praying gets no results. God is not reached, self is not helped. It is better not to pray at all than to secure no results from praying. Better for the one who prays, better for others. Men hear of the prodigious results which are to be secured by prayer: the matchless good promised in God's Word to prayer. These keen-eyed worldlings or timid little faith ones mark the great discrepancy between the results promised and the results realised, and are led necessarily to doubt the truth and worth of that which is so big in promise and so beggarly in results. Religion and God are dishonoured, doubt and unbelief are strengthened by much asking and no getting.

"In contrast to this, what a mighty force prayerful praying is. Real prayer helps God and man. God's Kingdom is advanced by it. The greatest good comes to man by it. Prayer can do anything that God can do. The pity is that we do not believe this as we ought, and we do not put it to the test."

Being like Christ

So I was reading through my old journals this weeks, and thought this was cool:

Colossians 1:24 says, "Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's affliction, for the sake of his body, which is the church." I think God showed me something new from this verse about suffering. I have been told a thousand times, from pastors, friends, and the Bible itself, to rejoice in sufferings because they bring us closer to Christ and make us more like him by bringing perseverance, character, hope, etc. All of that is true, but I think there is another side to it.

Paul says he fills up in his flesh that which is lacking... in other words, the sufferings of Christ. Basically, we are called to be like Christ. Well, Christ suffered. So in order to be like him, we must also suffer. I don't think it's just that our sufferings bring us things that make us like Christ such as faith and hope (which they also do), but suffering itself makes us like Christ. No wonder the apostles rejoiced because "they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." (Acts 5:41) What an honor it is to follow in Christ's footsteps and suffer because he did.

I can't restrict God

God is so good to continually set up chances for us to see him, to know him more and to grow to trust him. This weekend, God gently and mightily showed me and taught me more about himself.

We had the Parker Outreach this weekend and I definitely felt very uneasy about what would come of it. I felt God really put on my heart a vision to encourage Prairie View and to spur them on. Although the majority of the church consists of older, married couples with far greater responsibilities in life and are probably all far more mature than myself, I felt like God really wanted me to go and to bring others to add a little fuel to the fire they already had burning.

I was expecting more people to come. Plans switched from 20, to 12 and then we ended up with 8 on the first night. It was a busy weekend, and I know a lot was going on in Fort Collins with school starting in just a week, so maybe I should have been expecting a smaller group, but my thought was, "God, you gave me this vision, and I've made plans to accomplish this vision, if you gave me this task, why won't you provide what I need to do this?" Well, I'm sure you can see from this what God taught me this weekend.

God did so much more than I have time to record in this blog. He encouraged me and showed me how he takes just a few fish and loaves of bread, and does glorious things with it. Several times people tried to encourage me, trying to relate all of this to what God had Gideon trust him with, but my heart was hard to see the truth and to take my eyes off what I wanted, what I planned. This morning I realized this- God is not restricted by my plans. God accomplished what He had planned, and I stand in awe of him.

One more thing I praise God for and hope to encourage all of you with.

I love how God stuck with me through it all. I went out Thursday night and poured out my heart to him, shedding really painful tears. I felt so alone, and without much fellowship in Parker, I was. I was so fearful that the weekend would be a total bust and afraid that all the effort would go to waste and in the end I would look like a fool for even trying such a thing. With everything God totally knew my sorrow. I know he even wept with me (John 11:35). I experienced the truth of Psalm 34:17

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles"

Continue to pray for Prairie View. They continue to face many trials, but pray for their joy! Pray that they would celebrate their salvation and that their names are written in the book of life. Pray that people would come to Prairie View and draw close to God and fall head over heals in love with Him.

I love you all, I look forward to seeing you.

So fun

I like the fishes on the left. You can click on them to feed them and they follow the cursor around. It's fun...that is all

Live for righteousness

I'm struggling to get very far in my bible lately. 1 Peter has me hooked. For days now, I have been stuck in the first two chapters, feeling like God is teaching me the same lesson over and over and over, and still every time I'm left ecstatic and desiring change in my life.

I sent out a text with the verse:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. - 1Peter 1:3-5

With this God was reminding me, "Philip, I won't let you go, ever, and you can't do anything to lose this new life I gave you". When God speaks, He is powerful, so there is no point in resisting it.

Then, since I got that- I'm saved and God will keep it that way- He told me what was next.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." - 1 Peter 1:14-16

Live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. -1 Peter 1:17(b)-19

I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul- 1 Peter 2:11

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness- 1 Peter 2:24

Over and over and over. Don't sin, don't sin, don't sin- Make War (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4lwYRUwDRM)! Live for righteousness. Not that this is what saves me. No, don't ever mix it up, or you risk turning into a religious pharisee (see my side thought on this). But a key word in verse 13 explains it all. Before urging Christians to live holy lives, he talks about the amazing gift of salvation God gave us, the inexpressible and glorious joy He gave us, something even the angels long to see and understand. Amazing, and it must be understood before the next thought. Then the connecting word "Therefore". So the thought is, in view of all that God gave to you and what he did for you- be holy, reject sin! Not because that is what good religious people do, but that is really the only sound response in light of all that God does. Does this make sense? It is the idea of regeneration- which I don't want to get into, this blog is already way too long, but it gets me fired up and God is reminding me (and hopefully you as well now) what my motivations must be. Live a holy life because of Him, not to play church.


It all starts with God, not us. He loved us first, so now we love him. He showed us mercy, so we show mercy. He took a completely unjustified beating on the cross, so we bear up under unjust punishment. He is holy, so we also live as holy.





Side thought: Here is a scary statistic

"Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish women account for 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% of all abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as "Born-again/Evangelical"."- http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html

Why are there so many Christan women getting abortions? Here is my thought- obviously it isn't true for every case, but this is how I make sense of it. People so desperately want to look like a "good christian", so if they get pregnant before marriage, they are caught with a big sin. Oh no! They will loose their image! Everybody knows that sex outside of marriage is a sin, but God forbid that anybody ever be caught in their sin! Abortion is a way to cover it up. To keep their image as a good christian that never screws up, never gets in trouble. What gets pushed over and over (not even on the pulpit, but just by the culture, by you and me) is "follow these rules, and you'll be okay" instead of remembering God's grace and the response that it should cause in us. Religion- as the word is used today- FAILS. God doesn't like it, he doesn't honor it, and we can see that the result is that people don't really live any differently than an atheist. We must remember the first half of 1 Peter 1 before we start pushing the second half. Lets show mercy and grace towards each other when we stumble, instead of putting such great fear in each other that we have to hide our sins. How many children would still be alive today if we weren't so religious?

Martha

Luke 10:38-41

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!'
"'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'"

So this summer has been busy, and I have been working hard, and I honestly think I can say that what I am doing I am doing for God, or I'm at least trying to do it for him. I can also say I think the things I have done are good things and important things. But I also think I keep missing something. I think God must have had me in mind when he had this story put into the Bible...

I have always found it easier to do, do, do, than to just sit and spend time with anyone, including God. I often catch myself replacing the time I should be spending with my God doing things for him. I often spend so much time doing, that I lose my focus on God. I start just doing, instead of doing for him. And I start thinking I know what God wants me to do. But all of a sudden, just like Martha, I realize that God is not acting quite like I figured he would. So I pause in frustration, and ask God what he does want me to do (vs. 40a), but then, I don't bother waiting for the answer, I just tell God what it is that he must want me to do (vs. 40b). And then I think I know what God wants, because I asked, and rush off to do it. But more often than not, what I end up doing is asking God what he wants and then telling him what he wants, which is usually what I was doing before I asked.

I think one thing God is teaching me is that I can do, do, do all I want, but unless it is not only for him, but with him, it's going to fail. I think if God gave each of us a personalized Bible mine would say something along the lines of, "Alicia, Alicia, I am all that is needed. I will never be taken from you. Come, sit at my feet and listen and learn, then you will know me and what I want, and we will go do it."

Does this offend you?

<sup>John 6

60</sup>On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

⁶¹Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? ⁶²What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! ⁶³The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. ⁶⁴Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. ⁶⁵He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

I appreciate your post Megan. I want to speak truthfully to others about Jesus. Lots of people are waiting for the savior still, and we can tell them he is here. When Jesus talked to the Samaritan Woman at the well (John 4), she said "I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us". She wasn't a Jew and still she was waiting for Jesus! The whole world was waiting for him, but so many still haven't heard.

God has grown me a bit in being bolder and more upfront with people about truth. He has pushed me to ask questions I have been afraid to ask people, to tell people their beliefs are wrong (in a loving kind of way, as much as I could), and even to yelling down a hall in a busy mall at a guy who just blew off the gospel and led his girlfriend to do the same. I love the way Jesus straight out says "Does this offend you?" knowing full well that it did. He lost several disciples after this event, but the ones his father chose, he won't lose. We ought to be upfront with people. Sure, we may look like "fanatics", but we should be! Yes, we will scare some away, but the ones the Father has chosen will never leave. I'll follow Jesus' example.

Understandably, it is not easy to have people leave because what you say is just too hard for them to accept. It hurts. People will say "what happened to you, you've changed". If close people to you haven't left you, trust me, it hurts real bad and it can bring several other struggles along with it. But here is something I pray for.

⁶⁷"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.

⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."


We won't leave because we have to have Jesus! Where else shall we go? I sincerely hope and pray that each person on our team will never leave this faith we profess. Satan's lies steal away so many (1 Peter 5:8). Be on your guard against him and hold fast to the truth. I've made this commitment to many brothers in the past, and I make it to you all. If you are mocked, insulted, teased, persecuted, beaten, chastised, hated or crucified for boldly proclaiming Jesus, as long as I still have breath, I will not leave you. I will stand with you as together we follow the God of all and put on Christ in this deceived world. Do not fear man (Galatians 1:10). I sincerely beg and plead with you, never never never turn away. The reward at the end is worth all of it!


⁶⁹"We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

acts 13:7b

i was going over some of my thoughts from this summer. came across this verse...

acts 13:7b- the governor invited barnabus and saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God.

WOW. do people want me to hang around them because in doing so, they'll hear more about my God??! i don't think that is true of me. i want it to be SO BAD, i think that is such a beautiful example of selling your life out for the One you love more than anything in this world. i want that. i want to shine in this way. i want to proclaim the name of my Dad everywhere i go. i want to boast in His Glorious Name.

we can all be so deceived into thinking that others around us don't want to hear about God. this is phony. even when we're persecuted, it DOESN'T matter, it's an HONOR. i want to constantly be praising the name of my Father, who has redeemed my soul from going down to the pit. i want to live to enjoy this Beautiful Light. i don't want to hide it.

so i think this is a great goal, especially with summer coming to an end and a new school year beginning. i want to declare His Name in the dorms, in the classrooms, on campus, on the street...everywhere. i want people to know who they can go to to talk about Christ. i think it's an awesome vision to have in outreach. i appreciate the lives of men and women who have sold their lives out for Christ. what we sow now we're going to be reaping in 20 years...does this scare you or make you excited? it's something to definitely think about. :)

Prayer Request

Big prayer request.

Our sister Heather sent me a text this morning saying she was on her way to the hospital because of a headache she has had for the past couple days. Initial tests and scans and such show nothing wrong, but they wanted to check at another hospital to see if they saw anything.

Please pray for her. She is our sister. Ask that God would heal her and make her feel better. Also pray that if there is something there that needs to be dealt with, that the doctors would find out what it is. Lets come together and plead with God for her health.

wait.

"God's best is always going to be worth waiting for."
this is a quote i heard in a faithwalkers east teaching by george sebek "while i'm waiting" online last night.

i struggle with the temptation to force things to happen, take them into my own hands. i have such a silly mindset that i KNOW what i want. honestly? i have no idea though. it's such a problem in my life. waiting is the most testing and trying thing we can go through sometimes. i want God's ways...but i don't want to wait for them.

i learned that waiting is training. it teaches me faith, perseverence, persistence.
i can't give up on God. even when i'm waiting for things in my life.
the Bible mentions this so much. SO MUCH. we are told to wait.

MY LIFE CANNOT BE IN MY HANDS AND GOD'S HANDS AS WELL.
i'm learning that God has GOOD REASON to make me wait. can i trust that? i have to.
why would God make things difficult for me for no reason? He LOVES me. unconditionally. He wants my best. He ONLY does good things. what a beautiful promise.

i want to completely trust in God's heart. He is so good. in every situation, i want to learn to let go and trust God. He has a different perspective than i do. LUCKILY, He's God and i'm not!

i'm trying to learn to TRUST GOD'S TIMING. God is never in a hurry. Jesus had so much to accomplish in His 3 short years of ministry, but you never see Him in a hurry. He was calm, at peace, but PURPOSEFUL. i want to be like Him. patient, and trusting like that. God sees all of history simultaneously, let that be enough to trust in!

if God were to give me everything i asked for RIGHT AWAY, it would probably destroy me. it's silly that i want God's blessing, but i don't want to wait. waiting simply means i have to trust God knows what He's doing and when He wants to do it.

these are super jumbled thoughts...but it's what is hitting my heart, thanks to all i'm learning. i decided that it's okay to wait. i can do this. God is testing my heart, and He will use these delays in life to refine my integrity. they are SOVEREIGNLY designed by God to build my character, so i can be spiritually mature. God is so good, in every trial, He is with us, and He is growing us.

"BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD." -God. :) what a beautiful thing it is, TRULY, to wait for blessings from God, and things we think we want.

Crawl

So, I was listening to a CD that my Dad had in his truck yesterday, and there was a song on it that I ended up really liking. It's called Crawl, by Superchick (surprising, I don't usually like them all that much). It's a pretty song, but what really got me is what I thought the lyrics were saying, which I'm not even sure they say anymore (still sounds like it to me).

Anyway, what I thought she said is "And when I have to crawl, well, you crawled too." Whether that's right or not, it still gave me a pretty cool thought: God crawled. Did you ever think about that? I hadn't. But God, the creator of everything, who is so powerful he did it with only his words, who made me and you, and could take everything we know away in an instant, and who is so far above me I don't feel like I could ever really know him... that God; he crawled. On earth. As a baby. And probably again as he was dying.

This week has been pretty tough, and I kinda feel like I'm just crawling along. It's been hard with family, but also very busy at work and also very hard as far as my "spiritual life" goes. I think I would go so far as to say I'm a little peeved at God right now. But something I forget very often is that he knows what this life is like. He lived life, just like we live. He had friends die. He was tempted. He got tired. He had pain. And He even crawled on the ground.

I find it pretty encouraging and awesome that God understands what we are going through like that.

Again with the Cost

I've been hit again today, the cost of following Jesus. God must want to make sure that I really get this. There is no turning back and I have no claim to anything in this world. All I need is Jesus and just like when he told Levi "follow me", I need to leave everything and follow him!


Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

-Luke 9:23



As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

-Luke 9:57-62

Also, here is a link to the full length video of that last one I posted. Probably my new fav song ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4lwYRUwDRM

Make War!

I like this video, hope it fires you up like it did for me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=041jIpPkVCg

Let me go with you!

"The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying "Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him."

Luke 8:38-39


I'm sure you have all heard me sound somewhat suicidal at times. And truly, I desire to depart from here and go and be with God. Even if it was just before the best day of my life, like the day I get married or right before the birth of my child, I'd rather go see him because I know seeing him will be over a quadrillion times better than those things. Don't get me wrong, I look forward to those things still, but I want to be with Jesus, with all my soul I want to go see him.

Although I may beg him to let me go with him, much like this guy who had thousands of demons driven out of him by Jesus, He still says, "Go and tell how much God has done for you". No sense in arguing with Jesus, I'll just do what He says, He is the Boss. Someday I'll see him, but I will wait patiently and do my best to please Him now.


Good news! My niece was born on Saturday!!! Natalie Jane Maley! There were a few scares, but she is doing well and is healthy. I will be going home next weekend for her baptism (my family is Catholic and it is a pretty big event for everybody). Please be praying for my time at home with my family and that I would be bold and shine for Jesus, telling about all that he has done for me!

Also, be praying for our sister Alicia and her family. I am mourning with you sister and I pray that your family will find comfort and peace in Jesus right now. We all together love you and support you.

So, not sure if this blog is for sharing prayer requests or not... but if not, I personally think it should be, mostly because I'm selfish and could use some prayer. Today has been kinda rough. At about 4:00 this afternoon my mom called me and told me my aunt, Carol, has cancer and that her and my dad were on the way to the hospital to see her. She hadn't told anyone, but I guess she was diagnosed about a month ago. At about 9:30, I got another call saying that Carol had been moved into hospice care, and probably has about 24-48 hours to live, and at the most a week. I don't really know what to ask for in terms of prayer, as I'm not quite sure what to think at this point, other than I know that her two kids can use prayer, as well as my dad (it's his sister), who are all taking it pretty hard. I also know that pretty much none of my family on my dad's side, other than my dad, are saved, including her... If you would pray for this, I would really appreciate it. Thanks guys

Update:
So, thanks to anyone who was/is praying. I just thought I would let you know that Carol passed away today, around noon. I would still appreciate your prayers, especially for the family now. Thanks

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus!

I just read this and I was so fired up and nearly in tears. I imagine someday people in this coffee shop where I have many quiet times are going to start thinking I am a bit crazy. As you read it, I highly recommend having this song play in the background

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjudEF7yobg


Mark 11:1-10

¹As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, ²saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.' "

⁴They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, ⁵some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" ⁶They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. ⁷When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. ⁸Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
¹⁰"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"

The scene is so epic! The people believed Jesus was going to be like the kings of the world and come and reign over them, and they honored him as such. Little did they know, Jesus would do so much more than that! He was riding into the city in which he knew he would die, and there Jesus would conquer what they could not see, he would triumph over Satan!

HOSANNA!!
HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST!!!

Powerful Prayer

¹⁴For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

-Ephesians 3:14-19

How often do you guys pray like this? Reading this recently certainly pricked my conscience and stirred in me a desire to ask God for greater things than I often do. This is my prayer for all of you.

Physical hunger can wait, I need Jesus

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."

His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"

-Mark 8:1-4

It's wise to make plans for certain journeys. If you are driving out to Provo to visit some friends (hint hint), be sure you have enough cash to pay for gas to get out here and for the return trip home. However, when following Jesus, you only need a one-way ticket, cause there is no return.

This group of people got up and went to Jesus and they were so far from home that they would not be able to make it back safely. Lets follow him like that. I want to be at a point in my relationship with him that I forget about the concerns of this world. I want to be overwhelmed with amazement at Jesus (Mark 7:37).

I have another neice on the way! Please pray for her! Pray that she will be born healthy and that someday God will save her. I am very thankful she will be born into a family that loves her very much already, but I want her to know that her Father loved her before anybody else even knew about her. Her name is Natalie Jane Maley.

Yesterday, Laura Coleman and I got to lead a woman to Christ on the UVU campus. It was pretty sweet. Please pray for her, Melanie, that it would be a true conversion and that satan would have no victory over her, but that God would stomp out any attempts he makes to bring her down.

Power

So, I'm sitting here watching what I believe is the most intense thunder storm I have ever seen in my life. It started at about 8:00, and it is 10:30 now. At first, I was simply loving it. It was an amazing sight: clouds lit up pink by the sunset, with lightning all over and sunlight still on the horizon. And the thunder sounded so amazing. But then it started getting closer, and more severe. And now I can honestly say I have never seen a storm like this. There is a severe thunderstorm warning, a flood warning, and a tornado warning all happening at the same time. It's honestly somewhat scary. But yet, it's so beautiful. I am enjoying watching it, despite my fear.

I think, in some ways, this storm is like God. I mean, it is beautiful and amazing, but it is also extremely dangerous. Sometimes I think I lose sight of a part of who God is. The Bible says that his voice is like thunder. Psalm 29:3 says, "The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters."

And with only his voice, he could make the thunder be still.

This storm is powerful, and dangerous, but it's beutiful because of that. Without the element of power and danger, it would be no more awesome than a pretty light show on my computer screen saver. I think that's similar to how God is. He is good and loving. But he is also awesome and powerful and dangerous. I find it very easy to look at God as the loving father figure or as my friend and savior. But I don't think I really understand what it is to fear God. I think that when I just look at his loving and nice side, I miss seeing the whole picture of God. Just like this storm wouldn't be as awsome if it wasn't dangerous, we miss part of the amazing picture of who God is when we only look at the "happy" side of him (or at any side without the others).

This makes me wonder... how much of God do I really understand and see? How much am I still missing? I mean, I know I don't understand a whole lot. But I live as though I understand him very well. I do things assuming I know what he wants and without asking. I get bored with reading his word because I already read it. I don't want to spend time with him, because I already did that, and he already told me what he wants to tell me. But I have to wonder: if I can so easily miss something as big as his power and danger, how much more am I missing?

psalm 10:17

i have been struggling lately. it's been hard to keep my spirits lifted, and encouraged, because i feel emotionally tired. i don't know what has caused this, but this week has just not been easy. i've longed to be in an easier place, such as home, and i've longed to be alone. i forgot that this summer wasn't supposed to be easy, and that i was going to be tested and challenged in many ways. it just seemed like this week, everything was going wrong. i wasn't getting a lot of hours at work, i was having a hard time being surrounded by so many people 24/7, my car has been broken, i'm broke, and my quiet times were dry.

i took a walk to the river one night after dinner, when my attitude was just terrible, and i tried to get right with God. it was hard to say much to Him, because it seemed like everybody was outside and things were distracting me. i couldn't even get alone with God when i wanted to get alone with God! anyways, i got to the river, and just started crying. i felt God in the midst of my loneliness, and chaotic life. it was like all this past week i couldn't breathe until i got to the river and was alone with God...He comforted me, He had His arms wrapped around me. it was an amazing feeling. i had no words, but it felt good. i didn't need words for my God. He just KNOWS how i'm feeling, and what i need to feel better...it's always HIM.

anyway, the week has still been a struggle for me, but i have been able to rest in His promises, and find my comfort in that. i have been called to a life where i will suffer. i have been called to a life where i am to die to myself. i have been called to serve others, and love others before myself. it's been a trial here--but i believe God is teaching me SO much about patience, and joy in Him.

i love the verse Psalm 10:17 that says: LORD, you know the hopes of the hopeless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them.

He heard me, He hears me, and He will continue to do so. He comforts me. there is nobody else in this WORLD that i will ever want to carry me through my trials. He is perfection, and He is the perfect Lover. He is so good to me, and He loves me so much. i am so thankful that i can find rest and peace in Him, when everything seems chaotic. i love that i can keep pressing on despite my struggles or hurting heart, because i have a God who is ALWAYS with me, even when i forget it.

The Glimpse or Lack Thereof

Lately God has confronted me with how I think and worship in prayer and the Word.

Romans 15:30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

If the love of Jesus and the Spirit call us to prayer, why don't I pray more? So often I feel incapable of helping those around me, so why oh WHY don't I pray? If this is really true that we can join in the struggle through prayer, I think my conception of prayer needs to change.

Mark 2:2 So many gathered there that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and He preached the Word to them.

Jesus had the Word of God to give to the people. The people came desiring the Word and His teaching. The roof was even sacrificed to bring a man into Jesus healing presence. His ministry was certainly standing room only. We know that in John 15:3 that we are already clean because of the word He has spoken to us. Jesus was able to heal with a word and a touch. I feel like I don't understand how vastly important and powerful the Word of God is.

i want that life.

oh man. God is really working in my heart. i can feel it. it's AMAZING.

rick whitney spoke tonight for our infusion teaching. i really appreciate his heart. he gave some great pointers that are so simple, yet so easy to miss. a few that stood out to me are as follows:

maintain good habits, practice the basics. i have to be in the Word daily, and praying daily, and i have to surround myself in fellowship.

enjoy the journey. i want to start smiling deep down in my heart. my joy is from the Lord. i need to rejoice more. i want that more than anything.

pray on the way to every meeting. what an easy thing to do! i don't know why i didn't think of it. but, i want to have a heart that is aware of everything i'm walking into being for the Lord, and seeking God.

pray for the LOST, weekly, or daily! i want a heart for the lost. this is my family. this is some of my friends. this is VITAL. we are commanded to pray for the lost, i don't know why i forget it so easily! it's ridiculous!

has daily faith, hope and an expectation of GOOD. i like this one a lot :) i want this.

holds to the truth and does not waiver. things aren't going to be easy, but it's about persevering...knowing the end prize. i have already won in Christ.

not just a watcher. not being content as a spectator. WE ARE A BODY IN CHRIST. we need to use our gifts and talents and serve in love as Jesus did. it's beautiful when we can all come together and offer ourselves to make a functioning church. it's cool to think about.

cultivates faithfulness. wow.

DAILY STRONG IN THANKFULNESS. i need a more thankful heart. i have so much. i have my health, my youth, people who love me, my church, food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over my head, family, SALVATION...oh my--i could go on and on and on...and i hate that i take it for granted. if i walk away with anything i've learned over the summer, i want it to be that i've learned what it means to be thankful for all my God has given me...

and to end it, a quote rick shared with us from the nebraska cornhusker stadium by one of the football players...
"not the victory, but the action. not the goal, but the game. in the deed, the glory."

awesome.

The greater the risk, the greater the reward

"Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him"

-Matthew 25:28-29

In the parable of the talents, the master gave 3 of his servants some money before he left on a journey. One got 5 talents, one 2 and another just 1. The servants with 5 and 2 talents both doubled what their master gave them, but the one with one was too scared to do anything with it because he knew his master was a great man with a lot of power and he did not want to upset him.

Jesus wants us to take what he has given and to use it! Don't hold back, but in faith, invest. I think it relates well to the economy. Right now, the economic situation is stuck, because everybody has a lot of fear and they are not willing to do anything with their money, there is too much risk. However, although people aren't losing their money in this situation, they holding back the economy from getting started again. If nobody ever takes a risk (like making an investment in a coffee shop), the economy will continue on its current downward path. God gave you your life, invest it! When Jesus comes back, have something to give him! Show him what came of him trusting so much to you. If you do nothing with your life, he won't be too happy about it. He is a master that is of great power and is to be feared.

What will you have?

Holy Holy Holy

The only characteristic about God that the bible talks about with a triple emphasis. Sometimes before Jesus speaks to people, he would preface his teachings with truly, truly (or amen, amen, or verily, verily), which indicated importance in a similar way that an exclamation mark does in our language today. But normally he only uses the double emphasis. When it comes to God's holiness, even the angels use a triple emphasis- holy, holy, holy!

God's holiness is reason for us to fear him. When Isaiah caught a glimpse of what it is like in God's presence (Isaiah 6), he cries out for his ruin! His impurity became evident in God's presence, as I'm sure the contrast is significant. When thinking of God's holiness, I am amazed, and sometimes I sort of run short on breath. It is reason enough for us to fall face down to worship him, the only response that might be somewhat reasonable enough, but God's holiness is so overwhelming that it still doesn't seem adequate enough.

I want to understand God's holiness more. I think it will change my life more as I understand this. I think it is so important that maybe the diagram should outline God's holiness before his love. I could probably study it forever and read all that people write, but no poetry, art or any human expression could adequately portray his holiness. I am terrified of coming into his presence, but forever grateful that I will. Understanding God's holiness makes the gift of his Son even more precious since it magnifies the place I will be brought into. I can't believe that I will get to be there with the Holy One!!!

Prayer request: I had a migraine that kind of took me out a couple nights ago. When I get migraines, it doesn't hurt too bad, but my vision gets messed up and all my thoughts become kind of garbled. My head still feels a little bit off. I'd really appreciate your prayers. God is good, I know He is refining me.

What can I be praying about for you?

Learning from Jesus

Hey guys, sorry to take so long to get on top of this. I feel like the summer is flying by already and it has been really encouraging to read about how God has been teaching and growing you.

Jesus has been hitting me hard with the words he spoke during the Sermon on the Mount, which I have been trying to memorize for what, the last 2 years? I am almost there now, and despite my lack of discipline and faithfulness, God has proved himself to be more than willing to instruct me as his son. I stand in awe of Jesus' wisdom, his revolutionary thinking, his ability to concisely deliver such a life changing message to such needy people as were found in his day as well as ours. His words are both simple and profound. He plainly explains how God values our hearts and minds just as much as our outward actions. He redefines the law, extending it to our hearts and minds, and urges us to go against the grain of our own nature and our society's culture by restraining our sinful desires and thoughts, loving our enemies, and praying for those who persecute us (or perhaps more applicably, just rub us the wrong way). He warns us not to take actions and make decisions with the intent of impressing or pleasing other people, but rather stresses the importance of honoring God in secret ways and seeking his reward alone. He tells us not to worry and draws a distinction between us and the world. He says that we are to be salt and light, given to preserving, improving, and illuminating the world around us with our good works and his message of purpose and salvation. He warns us to avoid being like the pagans, who run after base urges such as food, clothes, and the approval of others. He tells us not to be like them, because our Father know what we need before we even ask him. I deeply desire to grow in trusting God for all facets of my life and surrender to him all the worry and uncertainty that clouds my ability to understand what God wants me to do with my life and to humbly walk in his plan for me.

There are also a ton of practical applications to be drawn from Jesus' words, but I think I'll have to save those for another time - I feel like I could keep going on and on about how valuable Jesus' teachings here are and how much potential they have to affect my life, as well as all of yours. God bless you guys out in Provo, reading all your posts has reminded me to be in prayer for you. Jeff, if your reading this, don't get too cocky about the Lakers - I'm sure Kobe will put up less than 40 points some day...

jeremiah 29:11

i've realized lately that i have no idea what i want to do in this life. i am so inconsistent when thinking of my future plans, it's actually ridiculous. first i want to move to africa, then i want to stay in colorado, then i want to move to salt lake city, utah. i just can't seem to make up my mind about what i want to do in this life. and it can be so frustrating! i've been struggling with this, and after saturday night i decided i wanted to move to utah, (suddenly, of course, because that's my flesh) God spoke to me.

"megan, you don't need to make the plans. they will fall through anyways. I see the whole picture. I know where you'll be in twenty years from now. rest in that, follow Me, and all things will be given to you."

so today i decided to look more into the famous verse, jeremiah 29:11.

"For I know the plans I have for you." Declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

how beautiful and comforting that really is, though. that is so amazing to me, because i realize i don't even know WHAT i want! but God DOES, and i should surrender it all to Him, and let Him lead me. He will bring me good things, He DOES bring me good things. His thoughts are all working towards the expected end, which he will give in due time. i have to remember (and i don't know why i struggle with this) that God never stops thinking of me. He's my DAD! i just want to rest in this promise, and never try to lead on my own again. God is all-knowing and all-loving towards me. i am so thankful that He has planned out my future, and He will speak to me as to where i should (or shouldn't) go, and who i will (or wont) marry, and where i will (or wont)work. i have such selfish motives all the time and that is why i can never seem to make up my mind. this verse means a lot to me because of that reason. my future is in God's hands, and that means that i have such great things laid ahead of me if i continue to walk in His will. so, that's what i'm thinking.

thank you, Jesus, for seeing the whole picture.
YOUR will be done, not mine.

What is worth your soul?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Matthew 16:24-26


To follow Jesus, you forsake your own identity and with tremendous joy, put on Christ. Nobody will ever find life without this first change in what makes up and characterizes who that person is. The phrase "get a life" has a different meaning for us as Christians. The phrase should be prefaced with "follow Jesus" or "Take up your cross".

Jesus is the only place where we will find life because it is the only place we will find value for our soul. Giving your soul to anything but Jesus is a foolish thing to do. Using physical imagery (I may be approaching blasphemy as the worth of Jesus is much greater than the idea of any worldly wealth), it's like trading Mercedes for a cheap cup of coffee. It's not a fair trade. A car is worth a lot and it can take you places. A top of the line car demonstrates some sort of success and significance. A cup of coffee (to some) may taste pleasant and it gives a good feeling, but in five minutes the cup goes cold and 20 min later the rush of caffeine wears off and causes a crash. After you consume it, there is nothing left to show, and you traded something of great value for something that left you with nothing.

Nothing is worth the exchange of a human soul. If God was willing to send His own Son and buy our souls with His blood, we can see the value and significance of our souls. Giving your soul to something of the world (money, work, houses, cars, fame, power, land, kingdoms), is trading something of great worth for a cup of coffee, and Satan wins another sucker.

Matthew 12:34
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?
For out of the over flow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Hearts are funny, treacherous things. God has confronted me with the fruit in my life. The idols, the desires, the fears all bear bad fruit. God is such a loving gardener that He refuses to leave my heart untended. He confronts me and blesses me with mercy far beyond what I deserve. Praise Him, PRAISE Him, PRAISE HIM!

I read this in a Hymnal. It's the words of Howard Thurman.

Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart.

Here is the citadel of all my desiring,

where my hopes are born
and all the deep resolutions of my spirit take wings.
In this center, my fears are nourished,
and all my hates are nurtured.
Here my loves are cherished,
and all the deep hungers of my spirit are honored
without quivering and without shock.
In my heart, above all else,
let love and integrity envelop me
until my love is perfected and the last vestige
of my desiring is no longer in conflict with thy Spirit.
Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart.
Amen.

Tears for Provo

I'm sitting in a coffee shop that is next to our apartment (Praise Him that one of only two coffee shops for the whole city is set up just 2 blocks from us) and God struck me with great sorrow for the city. I was reading Matthew 12:20-24, where Jesus talks about how it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sodom than these cities that he himself walked through and did many miracles in. I was nearly moved to tears as I thought about this city we have been in for only 9 days now. I thought of the many faces I have met here, awesome friendships that have started, and the lies that people have bought and are clinging on to as we share the truth with them. Many of our new friends are part of the LDS church. They are familiar with what the New Testament says, and how we are saved by grace, but then there is always something more to them that is required, actions they must do to be counted "worthy". False teachings and promises with no evidence or truth behind them enslave these people, even while they have the teachings of Jesus in their hands! What a stronghold satan has here. I hate him. I will fight against him, and though I am not strong enough on my own, I have God inside me who really is strong enough and will be the victor.

you should see the scenery here. it's absolutely stunning. the provo mountains are just RIGHT THERE, like you could walk to them. they're amazing, so big. they display such mighty works of the Hands who made them. i am in awe. everyday i look at them, and i smile because my Father made those.

God is so good. He gives us so much.

Psalm 24: 1 The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.

It is all God's! He made it all! He is so magnificent, and good, and beautiful. He didn't have to give us the green grass, or the warmth of sunshine, or the fluffy white clouds...but He knew that we'd delight in those things. His heart WANTS us to enjoy His creation. i think that's so incredibly beautiful to think about. maybe because i'm in a new display of scenery, or maybe because i'm in an awesome group of fellowship, but i feel my heart drawing more towards God. i see Him in nature. i see Him working in my life.

God answered prayer with jobs out here...and He's still continuing to do so for more people. it just makes me feel silly when i think that it could've happened on my own. it's ALL GOD. i hate when i lose sight of that, or fear to trust Him. we are free to trust Him, and He always provides. :) i love that i can remember that and hold Him to it for the rest of my life.

Praise You Lord for You are Good...Your faithful Love endures forever.

I want to be like that

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

Matthew 9:35-36

Sometimes I like being in crowds, but I quickly get tired of them and just want to escape to be by myself. Jesus must have always had crowds around him, but he looked at the people and had compassion on them. He knew of their suffering and the lies they had been deceived by. He cared about the people and loved them.

We just finished our first week in Provo. We've spent most of our time looking for jobs, praying, and meeting people in our apartments and at the Rock. It seems like a lot of relationships are off to a good solid start out here. We seem to be in big crowds a lot here, so God really spoke to me at the right time with this verse. I want to be more like him.

If you get a chance to pray for us, pray for the city and that God would break down Satan's stronghold that he has here, that God would bless us with jobs this coming week, and that God would build up our brothers and sisters in the church here.

How Fast the Storm Comes

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"

He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

-Matthew 8:32-27

Storms hit us that we never see coming. It can almost seem as if the world is over, my life is done, game over. At those times, I do go cry to Jesus, "save me, I'm going to drown!".

Jesus hears my plea, he is kind and loving and merciful and knows our sorrows in a greater way than we know. But he is also realistic and says "Philip, come on my son, have faith in me! I won't let you drown. Trust me."

Just like the disciples on the boat, I'm always amazed at how Jesus controls the storm.

Work in Progress

Isaiah 64:8
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hands.

Today, tomorrow and forever, God is working. I'm so thankful to know that even when I don't see how things are going to fit together, God is in control. I don't want to be anywhere else, and there couldn't be a better pair of hands to trust in and to be shaped by.

Reason to rejoice; I say it again, Rejoice!

1 Samuel 2:1-10

Then Hannah prayed and said:
"My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

"There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

"Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

"The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry hunger no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

"The LORD brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.

The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.

He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.
"For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's;
upon them he has set the world.

He will guard the feet of his saints,
but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.
"It is not by strength that one prevails;

those who oppose the LORD will be shattered.
He will thunder against them from heaven;
the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
"He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed."

God heard Hannah's plea to him, and after He answered her and gave her what her heart desired, this was her response. She praised God and lifted him high. Hannah understood the power of God, she was a firsthand witness to it. He is the one who upholds us and guards our feet. Lately God has also answered many of my prayers. How exciting it is that our Dad is so mighty and He gives such good gifts. I just want to shout his name and let people know about how awesome He is!

Dew

Job 38:28 Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew?

I love dew! In the warm months, each morning the millions of individual blades of grass sparkle with the dew laid that morning. Then in the cold we witness the crystals of frost. When I think about the delicacy of how God works yet the infinite, 30-billion light year God being the same it just blows my mind. How great is our God!

Can I see some ID?

I kind of wish my drivers license had my true identity on it. You can find out what I look like from this card, but you won't find out who I am from it.

King Ahasuerus, the king of Persia, was a really bad husband. He didn't even know his wife, Esther, the queen, was a Jew.When the decree was passed down that all Jews in the empire were to be killed, she knew she was included in this. Since there weren't many who knew she was a Jew, and she had the power of being a queen, I think she could have escaped such a fate if she was just quiet about it all. But she didn't hide her identity. She risked her life to show who she really was, and how could she not if she really identified herself as a Jew.

We are children of God. I am a son of God. Let everyone know our true identity. I boast in Jesus Christ!

Proverbs 3:3-4

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.

Many times going through Proverbs can feel legalistic. I can come up with a list of do's and don'ts real easily. I have heard others who start to feel this way too, but this verse just broke all that down for me.

Faithfulness seems easy for me to understand and observe. It's the actions of my daily life. It's taking the instructions given in the word and applying it, living it out. But this verse also says not to forget about love. I think the two must go hand in hand. If I grow in love, I grow in God, and this in turn will grow me in faithfulness.

Proverbs isn't about just following the rules. I think it is more like guidance about how our lives ought to be lived out we grow in Christ and become more like Him. Relationship with God is not to be forgotten in any of this because love is not to be forgotten.

Your great mercy

"For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy" -Daniel 9:18b

I've been reading Daniel during my quiet times. I'm not sure how much I understand of all his visions, but I love the relationship that Daniel had with God. Gabriel comes to Daniel to give him insight, saying that he is "greatly loved". Daniel remains faithful to God and God is faithful to him.

I miss all of you and can't wait to have you back!!!

Hi guys. I've been reading John, Proverbs and Isiah for my quiet times and have really enjoyed having more time to think about what I'm reading. In John, I picked up in chapter 15 after John Meyer talked about remaining in Christ's love at Faithwalkers. A couple of verses that stood out are 15:9-10 as well as 16:32. These hit me hard because they reveal how important for Jesus to share his life with the Father. Jesus says that he "obeyed his Father's commands and remain in his love". This doesn't mean that the Father's love for Jesus or us is conditional, but rather that in order for us to experience a real relationship with God (remain in his love), we must obey him. I don't think these verses are legalistic either. The command to obey God expresses much more than simply not sinning or performing acts of service out of a sense of duty. God wants us to walk humbly with him (Micah 6:7) and to be on a mission to obey him completely as Jesus did.

Woah

I'm still piecing this together, so if anyone has any thoughts, I would appreciate hearing them.
Psalm 59: 12-13a For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter Consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more. This is very clear, and shook me up a little. David uses the words "sins of their mouths." i guess I can fool myself into thinking speech is a small thing, but here it is treated as being a very big deal.
Then, I read in Acts 8:6 When the crowds heard Phillip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.
It seems like Phillips actions spoke much louder with the people. The signs convinced them to tune into the gospel and what he was saying.
If what we say is such a big deal, then our actions must really matter in God's eyes. I'm still puzzling through this one.

First Time Faithwalker

It was sweet! Still processing. So here's a verse

Psalm 89
15) Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD. 16) They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness. 17) For you are their glory and strength.

Will you really?

"Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.” - Isaiah 42:6

This is what the Israelites who had survived the invasion from Babylon told Jeremiah after they asked him to get direction from God on what they should do and where they should go after all the turmoil and destruction. Mind you, they had never listened to any of Jeremiah's warnings before.

When Jeremiah had received the word from God, he relayed it to the people. He had spent 10 days seeking this from the Lord, but when he spoke to the people, the news was not what they wanted to hear. They turned it around on him calling Jeremiah a liar, saying that what he spoke was not really the word from God. The Isrealites went back on their word and did what they wanted instead of listening to the wise words from God.

May this not be the same for us. Although it is easy to think "WHAT THE HECK ARE THOSE GUYS DOING, DON'T THEY EVER LEARN?!?", how often do I find myself doing the same thing. I humbly submit myself to God, and I do make the same vow that those Israelites did (except I know that every instruction from God for me is good, so I say I will obey whether I desire to do or not). I know I am deceived by my flesh at times (praise Him for his grace), but I pray by His spirit who lives in me that God will give me the wisdom and strength to follow the narrow path and obey my Father, being sensitive to the Spirit, and dead to my flesh. I feel like this is the only wise way to live life.