What you do for God.

"The more you do for you, the less you do for God."

- Bro. Bobby

Doughnut Girls

I have been reading a wonderful book ( "War Romance of the Salvation Army" by Grace Livingston Hill), about the part that the Salvation Army played in World War 1. I have been especially struck by the stories of the Doughnut Lassies, who went to the front, to encourage our soldiers. I want to share this with you too, but since I cannot put it half so eloquently as Mrs. Hill, I am just going to copy and paste her words, in the hope that they will stir you as they have me.


   It needs some special experience to appreciate what Salvation Army lassies really are, and what they have done. They are not just any good sort of girl picked up here and there who are willing to go and like the excitement of the experience; neither are they common illiterate girls who merely have ordinary good sense and a will to work. The majority of them in France are fine, well-bred, carefully reared daughters of Christian fathers and mothers who have taught them that the home is a little bit of heaven on earth, and a woman God's means of drawing man nearer to Him. They have been especially trained from childhood to forget self and to live for others. The great slogan of the Salvation Army is "Others." Did you ever stop to think how that would take the coquetry out of a girl's eyes, and leave the sweet simplicity of the natural unspoiled soul? We have come to associate such a look with a plain, homely face, a dull complexion, careless, severe hair-dressing and unbeautiful clothes. Why?

   Righteousness from babyhood has given to these girls delicate beautiful features, clear complexions that neither faded nor had to be renewed in the thick of battle, eyes that seemed flecked with divine lights and could dance with mirth on occasion or soften exquisitely in sympathy, furtive dimples that twinkled out now and then; hands that were shapely and did not seem made for toil. Yet for all that they toiled night and day for the soldiers. They were educated, refined, cultured, could talk easily and well on almost any subject you would mention. They never appeared to force their religious views to the front, yet all the while it was perfectly evident that their religion was the main object of their lives; that this was the secret source of strength, the great reason for their deep joy, and abiding calm in the face of calamities; that this was the one great purpose in life which overtopped and conquered all other desires. And if you would break through their sweet reserve and ask them they would tell you that Jesus and the winning of souls to Him was their one and only ambition.

   And yet they have not let these great things keep them from the pleasant little details of life. Even in the olive drab flannel shirt and serge skirt of their uniform, or in their trim serge coats, the exact counterpart of the soldier boy's, except for its scarlet epaulets, and the little close trench hat with its scarlet shield and silver lettering, they are beautiful and womanly. Catch them with the coat off and a great khaki apron enveloping the rest of their uniform, and you never saw lovelier women. No wonder the boys loved to see them working about the hut, loved to carry water and pick up the dishes for washing, and peel apples, and scrape out the bowl after the cake batter had been turned into the pans. No wonder they came to these girls with their troubles, or a button that needed sewing on, and rushed to them first with the glad news that a letter had come from home even before they had opened it. These girls were real women, the kind of woman God meant us all to be when He made the first one; the kind of woman who is a real helpmeet for all the men with whom she comes in contact, whether father, brother, friend or lover, or merely an acquaintance. There is a fragrance of spirit that breathes in the very being, the curve of the cheek, the glance of the eye, the grace of a movement, the floating of a sunny strand of hair in the light, the curve of the firm red lips that one knows at a glance will have no compromise with evil. This is what these girls have.

   You may call it what you will, but as I think of them I am again reminded of that verse in the Bible about those brave and wonderful disciples: "And they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus."

Absolute Surrender

I have been reading a wonderful book by Andrew Murray, on the topic of surrender, and I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes (so far) from it.

- God does not ask you to give the perfect surrender in your strength, or by the power of your will; God is willing to work it in you.


-And that is what we should seek for-to go on our faces before God, util our hearts learn to believe that the everlasting God Himself will come in to turn out what is wrong, to conquer what is evil, and to work what is well-pleasing in His blessed sight. 


-If there is anything holding you back, or any sacrifice you are afraid of making, come to God now, and prove how gracious your God is, and be not afraid that He will command from you what He will not bestow.


-Be not afraid, but come just as you are, and even in the midst of your trembling the power of the Holy Spirit will work.


- When God has begun the work of absolute surrender in you, and when God has accepted your surrender, then God holds Himself bound to care for it and to keep it.


-God is willing to maintain our life. Only let our absolute surrender be one of simple, childlike, and unbounded trust.


-Denying self must every moment be the power of your life, and then Christ will come in and take possession of you.

Go Low

I wanted to share with everyone, a wonderful post, written by a wonderful God-loving girl. This post has caused me to do alot of soul searching, (which explains the lack of posts recently) and I hope that it will inspire you as well. If you enjoy this one, check out the other recent posts on her blog, they are all equally as inspiring! 

go low

Photo Credit

If the Christian life could be a picture, I'd say it would be a road. It passes through valleys, mountains, rain, sun, night, day, minutes and epochs. The end is sure but unknown; the distance is measurable. People walk that road, some going backwards, some plodding forward, some running hands-to-the-sky, most milling around and some sitting, exhausted. And at the beginning of the road, just after the narrow gate, there is another wall-like structure. No door. Too high to climb. Too far to go around. It's certain that the traveler who makes it past the gate is on the road -- no questions there. But he is stuck at this wall. He is stuck. Some make it through -- they must, somehow, because the road stretches on. But for the most part there is a whole crowd standing beside that wall, clogging the road, jostling the seeker who tries to get close.

For the longest time, I remember standing outside that wall, staring it up and down and around to figure out how to get past it. I could hear the singing of those on the other side, their feet pounding the ground as they moved closer and closer to the finish line -- and I wanted what they had. Badly. My heart thrilled whenever it thought of the possibilities on the other side of that wall. It was everything I desired. But it was always like an outsider looking in: I wanted it, but I didn't have it, and I didn't know how to have it. I had no part in that business beyond the wall.         read the rest here

Gimme' that Old Time Religion

A think lot of people now-days have this idea of past Christians as being stuffy, legalistic, and hypocritical; considering the outward show of religion, as more important than true salvation. But as I have been reading some writings for young women, on outward conduct and the workings of Christian religion; I would have to challenge that long held belief. These people got it! Their religion (yes, I said the "R" word!) was more than pithy sayings and raising hands because of an emotional high. It was more than, empty words and time wasted on self. These people, allowed religion to change their lives! They carefully ordered their lives around the pursuit of God, and guarded their time against idleness and self-gratification. They regularly came before Christ, whether they felt like it or not. And they came to him with a (horror of horrors) righteous fear of Him. They recognized Him as their Lord and King, and didn't brush Him off as a causual 'buddy' or 'best friend' as we are apt to do today. Of course there were some who took it too far and became fake, but unless you can look around today and say that some people haven't taken this "relationship, not religion" thing too far, then there is no question that we have something to learn from our elders.
   Now I have some questions. What if we, today, took our que from the great Christians of the past and lived out our belief's instead of hiding behind our Christian freedom? (Which, by the way, is a valid belief, as long as it is kept within the proper bounds.) What if we chose prayer and Bible study, over fleeting amusement? And what if we did this all, in the spirit of loving Christ and honoring Him? I think that we could make a huge difference!!!

The god of Emotions

   Now, if you are a guy trying to read this post, it may not make alot of sense to you since you operate on a more 'rational' level (at least that's what I've heard), but you are welcome to persevere and see what you can get out of this.

   I have never thought of myself as an overly emotional person. I mean, sure I tear up at the end of a sad movies, and funerals, and end of camp speeches like any self respecting girl. Sometimes I even get a little misty when I have been provoked and frustrated beyond the call of duty, but I never fly off the handle. (I leave that to my sister! hehe!) I don't become irrevocably depressed when things don't go my way, I don't have frequent and dramatic mood swings, and I don't fall to pieces when the guy I like gets a girlfriend. (which of course rarely happens!) So, I must not be an overly emotional person! Right? Ya, well, I was wrong. I am just as much of a slave to my emotions, as the girl that goes through Kleenexes like a smoker through cigarettes, except I think I'm worse. The worship of my emotions is causing me to pay a higher price than any Kleenex box, it is causing me to sacrifice a growing knowledge of and love for my Savior! 

   You see, I've been nursing a cold, since Friday (courtesy of Mrs. Amy Smith), and when I get sick, even just a little, it wipes me out! I am not one of those who can bravely march through illness without complaint. Nope, when I get sick, I need: my bed, my medicine, my mommy and some old movies, along with lots of rest and possibly my own drink refiller. Through this, I have been neglecting God. But I'm soooo tired, and I'm  sure God want's me to get my rest so I can feel better instead of waking up early to spend time with Him. He really couldn't expect me to be able to concentrate on prayer and reading the Bible with my head hurting so bad. Well, you know, I'm sure He wouldn't mind if I skipped my devotions, since I really need to catch up on something else, just this once won't hurt! Sound familiar? But the thing is, these excuses aren't just reserved for when I'm sick. If I'm tired in the morning, I turn off my alarm. If there is a really good movie on or I'm behind on laundry I postpone my quiet time. If I am reading a good book.... you get the point. Then God tapped on my shoulder and showed me how I was allowing my emotions to dictate what I did and did not do. He showed me that it is possible to control them, not in my strength but in His. As I was mulling all this over, He showed me once more how my emotions were taking over, by leading me to todays Revive Our Hearts which was on, guess what? Exactly, emotions! Is He good or what? I can only praise Him for His faithfulness in taking situations that have to potential to draw me away from Him, and turning them into learning moments that can propel me farther into my walk with Him. How great is our God!

Mary's Bible

I first read this in the transcript of a Revive our Hearts broadcast, and it made me realize how often I take the Bible for granted. I hope it will convict and challenge you as much as it did me.

“I must have a Bible of my own! I must have one, if I have to save up for it for ten years!"

The year was 1794. For as long as she could remember, little Mary Jones had yearned to hold a Bible in her hands so that she might read it for herself. For years, she had sat at night on her weaver father’s lap and listened to him tell stories of Abraham and Joseph and David and Daniel. But her family was far too poor to afford a Bible, even if one had been available, for Bibles could scarcely be found in all of Wales during those days.

Two years earlier, Mrs. Evans, the wife of a nearby farmer, having learned of Mary’s longing to read the Bible, had promised the child that when she learned to read, she could come to their house and read their Bible. As soon as the first school opened in a neighboring village, Mary had eagerly set about learning to read.

Now, the ten-year-old girl had just walked two miles from the North Wales village of Llanfihangel to the Evans’ farm. The distance was no object to the eager child: "I’d walk further than that for such a pleasure, ma’am!" she had said to Mrs. Evans.

When once Mary finally was left alone in the room with the Bible, she reverently lifted off the white napkin that covered and protected the cherished book. Then, with trembling hands, she opened the book to the fifth chapter of John where her eyes lit on the words, "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39 KJV). Confident that God had spoken to her directly, she earnestly vowed to search His Word with all her heart.

Every Saturday from that point on she made the journey to the Evans’ farm, where she read, studied, and memorized entire chapters from the ‘borrowed’ Bible. All the time, however, her heart ached, so great was her yearning to have a Bible of her own. She purposed that she must have a Bible, at any cost.

For the next six years, in addition to her studies at school and the many chores to be tended to at home, Mary used every available moment to do odd jobs for friends and neighbors. Every penny she earned was carefully laid aside, until, at long last she had saved enough to buy a Bible of her own.

When she learned that the closest place a Bible could be purchased was the town of Bala, some twenty-five miles away, there was no question in her mind about what she must do. With hope in her heart, she started out early one morning, walking barefoot, so as not to ruin her one pair of shoes. Before she reached her destination, her feet were blistered and cut from the stones in the road.

Physically weary, but barely able to contain her excitement that her lifelong goal should be so nearly realized, Mary finally arrived in Bala, where she poured out her story to the minister, Mr. Charles. When she had finished, Mr. Charles reluctantly informed her that the last of the Bibles available for purchase had already been sold and that the handful of remaining Bibles had already been promised to others. Furthermore, the Society that had printed the small quantity of Welsh Bibles did not intend to print any more.

So great was Mary’s disappointment, that she began to sob uncontrollably. Touched by the intensity of her passion to have a Bible of her own, Mr. Charles decided that she must have one of the few Bibles left in his possession. Words cannot describe the ecstasy Mary felt as Mr. Charles placed into her hands that precious treasure for which she had prayed, wept, and hoarded all these years. Her heart sang as she walked the twenty-five miles back home, carrying her very own Bible, the Book that would remain her dearest friend and companion throughout her life.

Abide in Me

⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

                                                                   -John 15:4-5


   This year, instead of making a list of resolutions that I won't keep, I decided to choose a word that correlates with a verse to use as my 'word of the year'. Can you guess what it is? Yes, it's 'Abide'! God really laid this concept on my heart last month, as He took me through a cleansing process. He brought me to a place where I saw myself as I am, and showed me that as long as I tried to make myself holy, I would fail, but if I let Him mold me, then I could gain even greater ground. At first it was hard for me to understand how doing nothing could accomplish anything, but then He showed me that I could do something, I could simply abide in Him. So this is my goal this year: to learn to abide in Christ every moment of every day. I have found that listening to an audio bible as I clean my room or do laundry is a very practical way to accomplish this. (here is the one I listen to online) There are a lot of verses that come to life when you hear them compared to simply reading them. Another way that I'm working on, is choosing a verse or quote to meditate on if I have some mental down time, such as while I'm doing laundry or sweeping the floor, and you can't beat prayer as a way to stay close to God. I would love to hear some of your thoughts on this, and if you have any ideas for practically living out the call to abide in Christ I would love for you to share them!

Dead Prayers

   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 out 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 in the moment of battle and victory...
   The process of hindering prayer by crowding [it] out is simple and goes by advancing stages. First, prayer is hurried through. Unrest and agitation, fatal to all devout exercises, come in. Then the time is shortened, [and] relish for the exercise palls. Then it is crowded into a corner and depends on the fragments of time for its exercise. Its value depreciates. The duty has lost its importance. It no longer commands respect nor brings benefit. It has fallen out of estimate, out of heart, out of the habits, out of the life. We cease to pray, and cease to live spiritually.

                                            - E.M.Bounds in Purpose in Prayer

Could this be true of me?

   This morning during my quiet time, I ran across this devotion in Oswald Chambers, 'My Utmost for His Highest' and it really convicted me about the way that I am living out my Christianity. So, I hope you all read this slowly and prayerfully, and ask yourselves, if this is true of you.
     
   'But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself.' Acts 20:24
  
  It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, them memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the common-sense basis.
  What do I really count dear? If I have not been gripped by Jesus Christ, I will count service dear, time given to God dear, my life dear unto myself. Paul says he counted his life dear only in order that he might fulfill the ministry he had received; he refused to use his energy for any other thing. Acts 20:24 states Paul's almost sublime annoyance at being asked to consider himself; he was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Practical work my be a competitor against abandonment to God, because practical work is based on this argument- 'Remember how useful you are here. or - Think how much value you would be in that particular type of work.' That attitude does not put Jesus Christ as the Guide at to where we should go, but our judgment as to where we are of most use. Never consider whether you are of use; but ever consider that you are not you own but His.
                     -Oswald Chambers

The Blessings of Biblical Friendship

Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.   -Ecclesiastes 4:12


   This last week has been spent at teen camp, worshiping God and fellowshipping with other believers. The theme this year was 'Thirsty', which is what I was originally going to do a post on, but a late night conversation with a close friend changed my mind. I have heard, over and over, how we need to be friends with other Christians, because they will pull you up, while worldly friends will pull you down. But, I never understood just how that worked, since people often didn't go into detail about how to develop those friendships, and how much of a blessing they could be. Until last week, I had never experienced the incredible encouragement, that you can receive from others. So I decided that I wanted to do a post (or two) on the blessings of Biblical friendship, and for those that don't have a friendship like that how to at least begin one. (Since I'm in the beginning stages myself)
    One of the most outstanding blessings, is one that I think is key in a biblical friendship. In the course the conversation with my friend, I mentioned something she was doing that really inspired me, and after a moments pause, she said that she had done it because of me, and something that I was doing. I have thought about that part of our conversation alot since, and I have realized that a biblical friend grows with you and holds you up. When I took karate, one of the things we learned was how to get out of different situations, and one was if you and a friend were bound together on the floor you could use each other to get up. So when we would practice, another girl and I would sit back to back and link arms, then pushing against each other for support, we would gradually rise from the floor to a standing position, from which escape was made easier. Just as without her weight against my back, I wouldn't have made it off the ground, so in friendships, if I don't have someone leaning on and supporting me, it will be much harder to get off the ground spiritually. Also, as we were talking, I shared with her some things I was struggling with and some concerns that were on my heart. After she listened, she shared with me her perspective, and I was blown away by the wisdom in her replies. In fact, I'm still pondering some of the incredible things that she said. And lastly, I think the best blessing is knowing that your not alone, knowing that there is someone else to lean on when you don't know what to do, someone else that is on your side, someone else that knows you. And I believe that this is exactly what God had planned when He gave us friends.

Devoted

Hey everybody! Sorry I haven't posted in so long, but I was gone and then sick.
      Last week, I went to Student Life mission camp in Missouri, and the theme was Devoted. I went not expecting much, other than a tan, and maybe an emotional high,  but I came away with so much more. I came away with the knowledge of what it means to be Devoted to Christ and the realization that I'm far from it. The first day at camp they issued all of us these booklets that had our quiet times in them and some places to take notes. On the first night at family group quiet time we did an activity out of this book that really brought into focus how un-devoted I am to Christ and really set the tone for the week. So I want to share this with you in hopes that you will do it and that it will impact your life as it did mine.
      So first of all you will need a sheet of paper and something to write with. On your paper write the numbers 1-10 vertically, leaving a space large enough to write in. Next to number 5 write the word Knowledge, this represents everything you know to function each day; next to 7 write Culture, this represents your culture pretty self explanitory; next to 8 write Stuff, this represents everything you own; and  next to 9 write Values this represents what you believe, how you view right and wrong.  Now next to 1 write the most important person in your life, i.e. (mom/dad, husband/wife, mentor, best friend); for number 2 you are going to write your most important role, (daughter/son, husband/wife, student, friend); next to number 3 write your most important support group; for number 4 write down your heritage ( American, Mexican, Russian, Indian); now skip to 6 since five already has a word and write down your favorite place to be, this could be anywhere from your bedroom to a special place outside where you go to be alone; finally next to 10 write the activity that brings you the most joy ( reading, spending time with family, singing, fixing stuff).
     Now look at your list and cross off four things that you would be willing to live without to keep the rest and think about why you are willing to live without these things. Now cross off two more, and think about why you crossed these out and left the ones that you did. i.e. - (why were you willing to cross off stuff but not your heritage?) Now, cross off two more, and think about the same things. This should leave two numbers on your page not crossed off. Now I'm going to ask you to cross off one more, and really think about why you left the one you did. Why are you willing to live without the other 9 numbers in order to keep that last one? Now here comes the kicker, if you were to put God at the top of your page, would you be willing to cross off that last number in order to keep Him? Would you be willing to forsake your support group, for Him? Or what about the thing that brings you the most joy, could you give that up in order to be devoted to Him? Because this is what He asks of us, that we be willing to give up all we hold dear, to follow Him. He doesn't always ask us to, but, He does need us to be willing.
    Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)