Benefits of the Will of God

Colossians 1:9-14
Paul was telling the Colossians that he was praying for them to find God’s will and do it. When we find God’s will and do it there are some things that may come with our obedience:
1. You’ll be walking worthy of the Lord – When we do His will we are pleasing Him and accepting what He’s told us to do.
2. You’ll be fruitful in all you do – Now you might not see the fruit, but your labor is not in vain.
3. You’ll grow closer to the Lord – Your knowledge of Him will increase which will strengthen your relationship with Him.
4. You’ll be strengthened – God gives strength to the weary, strength to those who are afraid, and strength those who are weak.
Eph. 3:20 – We have the power to see God do above and beyond the normal with His strength and power.
5. You’ll be given strength in patience ad you’ll have joy while showing it – We are never patient all the time, there is always at least one area where we are lacking in patience. But it is possible to suffer through things and still have joy.
6. You’ll realize all you have to give thanks for – Did you ever stop to think of all God’s given you? He’s given so much, Thank Him!
What are some things to be thankful for?
a. He’s given us eternal life
b. He’s delivered us from Satan and will continue to do so
c. He’s given us a home in Heaven
d. He’s bought us with His blood and call us His brethren
e. He’s forgiven us of all sins – past, present, and future.

The real question is: why don’t people want to do the will of God when there are so many benefits from doing it?

*originally taken from a journal entry from September 2008*

The Rope of Supplication

Last week we had missions conference and during one of the messages, Brother Starnes (church planting in Harrisburg, PA) gave a list of ways we can hold the ropes for missionaries. One of the ways we do that is by holding the rope of supplication, begging on the behalf of the missionaries. The following is a list he gave during the sermon:
Ways to Pray for your Missionaries:
1. That they would have the power of God
2. To be able to withstand the evil ones
3. Grow in the knowledge of God
4. Do all they can to stand
5. Have a great Prayer life
6. Encourage themselves in the Lord
7. Be steadfast and do what God would have

He Leadeth Me

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!

O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.


Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

Refrain:
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Where Is Your Mission Field?

You may be thinking in your mind, “I know I am not called to missions, this has nothing to do with me.”. But you are wrong. This question is one that we all need to ask ourselves.
I know that everyone is not called to foreign missions but I do believe that every one is called to a mission field. You are starting to think, “This girl is loopy!” Hang on just one minute before you completely blow me off. A mission is a job to accomplish, right? Well in the Christian life we all have a job to accomplish. So a mission field would be the place we are to accomplish that job. Does this make sense so far? Well here is what the Lord has been showing me.
Some people are called the foreign mission field, that is where God has called them to. There are other who feel God has called them to reach their own country, or people. These people whom God has called to reach their own country and people are no less called to missions than the foreign missionary, they just have a different mission field.
So I began to think of other things. Some of us are called to reach our own country, for me that is America, and that is great because our own country needs the Gospel just as much as the foreign countries do. But what about some other mission fields?
For parents: Guess what? Your mission field is your home, the children you bring into this world are going to have an effect on the world. Are you raising them in the ways of the world?Follow your requirements according to the Word of God. You are to reach the mission field of your family first.
For every saved believer: Where God has placed you right now is the mission field He has placed you in. The church you are in is to be your mission field, the people in it, your people. The community that you live in is your mission field, those lost souls that you pass every day in the store are your people. You will be held accountable for those that you pass and never tell the Gospel.
Teachers: Your mission field are those precious, but sometimes trying, children in your classroom. They may be from a Christian home but that doesn’t mean that they are being brought up in the ways of God. Do all you can to build the character and moral in those children that they will need to be the godly generation of tomorrow.
So have you figured out your mission field? Where has God called you to? If you know you are doing God’s will for you life right now, then you are right in the mission field God has placed you in. So don’t think that just because you aren’t called to the foreign mission field you don’t have a mission field. Reach your mission field!

God Will Make a Way

I listened to a great message entitled God Will Make a Way When There is No Way by Dr. David Gibbs yesterday. What a great message! In it he gave five rules to follow if you want to see God make a way where there is no way. I thought I would list them.
Rules to follow if you want to see God make a Way where there is no way:
1. He’s put you exactly where He wants you, give thanks and praise for the trials as much as you do for the blessings in your life.
2. Strive to give God the glory more than you want relief from the trial. Make God look good.
3. Pray fervently, throw yourself into it.
4. Wait on the Lord. This is where faith develops. No hope-no faith. God is still moving and working when we are standing still waiting.
5. Take the next step of faith. Do what lies clearly ahead not just what is seen dimly at a distance.
It was a real encouragement. You can find it on sermonaudio.com, under David Gibbs.

Challenge to College Students

My Dearest College Students,
If there were one bit of wisdom I could impart to you as you start this journey of college it would be to keep your focus on the Lord, letting nothing sway you or distract you from Him. I’ve been to college and lost my focus on the Lord. Freshman year of college was new and exciting to me, I was the shy girl, just observing everyone around me. By my second semester I had warmed up to my surroundings, loving every part of college, even learning. But seemingly without my notice my eyes slipped and the Lord wasn’t my main focus. The more I became friends with those around me the more I cared about them and their lives. By my second year of college other things came into my life that were not right at the time and further distracted me from the Lord. Oh, I still read my Bible and prayed and served in my ministries but not with my whole heart. After my second year I didn’t expect my plans to change, I would be back in the fall to finish my schooling. Little did I know that God had other plans. A ministry opportunity arose, teaching three missionary children while their parents attended language school. Someone volunteered my name, so I said I’d pray about it but I had no intention of giving up my plans. I fought it, I did not want to go across the ocean and teach, I didn’t even have my degree! I heard college horror stories of how people that drop out for a year most times don’t return. I didn’t want that, I loved college. But during a camp service where I was a counselor that summer the Lord got a hold of my heart and I surrendered. Two months later I was across the ocean teaching children without a college degree, but I was right where God wanted me. It was there that He revealed to me that my focus was not on Him and Him only. My God became so real to me, my Bible, my greatest comfort. The Lord had to take me across the world to get my attention, but it worked and college now is so different. You see He knew how much I love college and He has allowed me to come back and finish what I started but I came into this year with a new focus. “I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Ps. 16:8. Don’t learn this lesson the hard way, start your college years with the right focus, so you can end your years of college with the right focus.

Full Consecration

The following is taken from the book Kept for the Master’s Use by Frances Ridley Havergal:
“’Take my life!’ We have said it or sung before the Lord, it may be many times; but if it were only once whispered in His ear with full purpose of heart, should we not believe that He heard it? And if we know that He heard it, should we not believe that He has answered it, and fulfilled this, our heart’s desire? For with Him hearing means heeding. Then why should we doubt that He did verily take our lives when we offered them, our bodies when we presented them? Have we not been wronging His faithfulness all this time by practically, even if unconsciously, doubting whether the prayer ever really reached Him? And if so, is it any wonder that we have not realized all the power and joy of full consecration? By some means or other He has to teach us to trust implicitly at every step of the way. And so, if we did not really trust in this matter, He has to let us find out our want of trust by withholding the sensible part of the blessing, and this stirring us up to find out why it is withheld.”
Pretty powerful paragraph isn’t it. I don’t think I need to say anything else, it speaks for it’s self.