threats of this world.....Cally Logan

 The threats of this world are real, but we do not stand against such threats alone. Our Heavenly Father stands with us, and in Him, we can find all we need to face such times. The Lord offers to us a spirit of peace in place of fear and a spirit of hope in a place of worry. 2 Chronicles 7:14 reminds us to humble ourselves before Him and to seek Him for healing upon our land. This earth is His creation for His people, and we know that He Who died for His creation intends to sustain it. Draw upon His strength each day for the worry that day holds, and rest securely that He is indeed faithful to be with us, even to the end of the age.  

Streams in the Desert

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

I kept for nearly a year the flask-shaped cocoon of an emperor moth. It is very peculiar in its construction. A narrow opening is left in the neck of the flask, through which the perfect insect forces its way, so that a forsaken cocoon is as entire as one still tenanted, no rupture of the interlacing fibers having taken place. The great disproportion between the means of egress and the size of the imprisoned insect makes one wonder how the exit is ever accomplished at all -- and it never is without great labor and difficulty. It is supposed that the pressure to which the moth's body is subjected in passing through such a narrow opening is a provision of nature for forcing the juices into the vessels of the wings, these being less developed at the period of emerging from the chrysalis than they are in other insects.

I happened to witness the first efforts of my prisoned moth to escape from its long confinement. During a whole forenoon, from time to time, I watched it patiently striving and struggling to get out. It never seemed able to get beyond a certain point, and at last my patience was exhausted. Very probably the confining fibers were drier and less elastic than if the cocoon had been left all winter on its native heather, as nature meant it to be. At all events I thought I was wiser and more compassionate than its Maker, and I resolved to give it a helping hand. With the point of my scissors I snipped the confining threads to make the exit just a very little easier, and lo! immediately, and with perfect case, out crawled my moth dragging a huge swollen body and little shrivelled wings. In vain I watched to see that marvelous process of expansion in which these silently and swiftly develop before one's eyes; and as I traced the exquisite spots and markings of divers colors which were all there in miniature, I longed to see these assume their due proportions and the creature to appear in all its perfect beauty, as it is, in truth, one of the loveliest of its kind. But I looked in vain. My false tenderness had proved its ruin. It never was anything but a stunted abortion, crawling painfully through that brief life which it should have spent flying through the air on rainbow wings.

I have thought of it often, often, when watching with pitiful eyes those who were struggling with sorrow, suffering, and distress; and I would fain cut short the discipline and give deliverance. Short-sighted man! How know I that one of these pangs or groans could be spared? The far-sighted, perfect love that seeks the perfection of its object does not weakly shrink from present, transient suffering. Our Father's love is too true to be weak. Because He loves His children, He chastises them that they may be partakers of His holiness. With this glorious end in view, He spares not for their crying. Made perfect through sufferings, as the Elder Brother was, the sons of God are trained up to obedience and brought to glory through much tribulation.
--Tract

Godliness..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Godliness

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 9:11-13

There is a common misconception that believers should be perfect. Pretending to have our lives in order, many of us wear happy faces and speak words that sound acceptable. At times we’re ashamed to admit our shortcomings, as if they should not exist. Salvation through Jesus, however, doesn’t change the fact that sin is present in our life. When we’re born again, God forgives us and sees us as righteous. Yet our battle with sin continues till we arrive in heaven.

In fact, striving for perfection actually can be a trap that pulls us away from living a godly life. Functioning in this way is a form of relying on our own capability. Jesus said that He came to heal the spiritually sick because they recognized their weakness. With an awareness of our inadequacy comes the realization of our need for Him.

The world sees successful individuals as powerful and self-sufficient, but Jesus didn’t care about these qualities. Instead, He wants people to be aware of their own brokenness. This is the foundation for godliness.

We should accept our neediness and seek God passionately. Doing so allows the following attributes to develop: a hunger for God’s Word, faithful service, deepening trust, and decision-making based upon principle rather than preference. Patiently and mercifully, God matures us.

Be careful not to cover up your sins in order to look like a “good Christian.” Without recognition and confession of our sinfulness, we are unable to rely fully on God. It is only with this awareness that we can passionately seek Him, obey in His strength, and confess with repentance when we miss the mark.

God’s Hammer Soften Hearts..... by Lynette Kittle

 God’s Hammer Soften Hearts

by Lynette Kittle

“’Is not my word like fire,’ declares the Lord, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?’”  -- Jeremiah 23:29

Have you heard of God’s indestructible hammer as described in Jeremiah 23:29? If not, you may never have thought of God’s Word being like a powerful hammer.

The Old Testament often describes how at times, the Israelites hearts had hardened towards God. Zechariah 7:12 explains, “They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.”

To have an adamant or hard heart describes a person who refuses to be persuaded, who is unmovable or unshakeable in their thinking. In Scripture, it refers to the spiritual condition of a person who is rebellious towards God’s law and His words.

By describing their heart condition as hard as flint, the hardest of stones and used to cut other rocks, meant their hearts were to the point where they were too hard to receive God’s law, to be carved or receive His words.

Yet God’s hammer, His Word, is able to judge the hardest of heart. It’s able to infiltrate into the deepest part of man’s heart and bring to light true motives, thoughts, and attitudes.

His hammer is able to break the unbreakable kind of rock, to shatter man’s stubbornness and arrogance against God.

As Hebrews 4:12 describes, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

R.C. Sproul writes, “God’s hammer smashes not just the icons of the world around us; it also smashes the idols of my heart. It is hard, heavy, even painful, precisely because of the love of the One who wields it. He has promised to forgive me for my hard heart but has also promised to soften it.”

Ezekiel 36:26 reveals God’s desire towards men, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and you a heart of flesh.”

Like a physical hammer shatters, God’s hammer demolishes spiritual strongholds as 2 Corinthians 10:4 explains “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”

With God’s hammer, as 2 Corinthians 10:5 describes, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

His Love Endures Forever..... by Ryan Duncan

 His Love Endures Forever

by Ryan Duncan

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! - 1 Chronicles 16:34

Last December I had the privilege to be part of a short-term mission trip to Vladimir, Russia, where I worked alongside Russian Christians in the city’s orphanage. The trip was incredibly challenging, but the opportunity did help me learn a lot about God and about myself. In particular, I remember the Sunday morning where our interpreters invited us to attend their Church. The building they met in was small, and as I took my seat with the rest of the team, I realized there couldn’t be more than thirty people in the congregation.

I found that number rather depressing. My own Church here in the states wasn’t what I’d call big, but it certainly had more than thirty people in it. A small voice in the dark part of my mind wondered if this was a sign of change in our world, that maybe Christianity was beginning to die out. I was still in this dismal frame of mind when the congregation stood for the first song, and it was at that point something extraordinary happened. The people of that small Church began to sing together, and I was amazed at the passion they displayed toward God as they worshiped.

Afterward, my interpreter took me aside and began to tell me about the history of the Church. Apparently, this little Church had been in the community for ten years, and it wasn’t shrinking, it was growing. My interpreter told me how it was through this Church that he had first come to know Christ. He was the only Christian in his family and was doing his best to witness to them, but in the meantime, he considered the people here just as close as any brother or sister. Nearly everyone in the Church was involved in some kind of outreach, some even worked with the orphanages full time.

All of this from a Church of thirty people. Sometimes I lose sight of who God really is, and what he can do with the smallest of offerings. God will never be threatened or hindered by our world. He will always be there for us no matter how far we stray or how hard mankind tries to remove him. Through the rise and fall of countless empires, all the advancements of science, through war and pain, the spirit of God has endured.

I guess the writer of Psalms knew what he was talking about when he wrote,

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever; to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;” – Psalm 136:1-4

Intersecting Faith and Life: Try to find ways to live your faith, consider getting involved in your church outreach.

Further Reading: Psalm 100:5

A Prayer for When You Are Anxious..... By Wendy van Eyck

 A Prayer for When You Are Anxious

By Wendy van Eyck

I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me. - Song of Solomon 7:10

When I first read about the following prayer in a book by Brennan Manning called, “The Furious Longing of God,” I thought it sounded too simple but I gave it a try anyway.

I can’t remember the exact words Manning wrote but I remember reading something along the lines of, 'if you pray this prayer every day for one month it will change you.'

This prayer has changed me.

This 5-word prayer has become my "go-to" prayer anytime I feel anxious.

Driving to the oncologist to get scan results: Abba, I belong to you.

Waking in the middle of the night with concerns about work or finances: Abba, I belong to you.

Worrying over a relationship that is struggling to work: Abba, I belong to you.

Praying for a friend: Abba, [insert name of friend] belongs to you.

As I pray it I find myself remembering who God is: Big, mighty, good, merciful, loving, Abba.

As I pray it I find myself surrendering to who God is: In control, infinite, beyond comprehension, seeking my good.

As I pray it I find myself believing who I am:  Human, living in forgiveness, valuable, beloved, desired by God.

Ponder: Are you willing to try praying this prayer every day for a month and see if it helps your anxiety?

Prayer: I exhale and inhale when I pray it as Brennan Manning suggested, but I’ve found my own rhythm:

Inhale: Abba

Exhale: I belong

Inhale: to

Exhale: you

I find the combination of breathing and words calm me. This makes sense to me because none of us are only physical or only spiritual. We are both, so why not use both to find peace when I'm anxious?