Time

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven:
    a time to be born and a time to die
  a time to plant and a time to uproot, 
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."

                                            - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8"

This scripture came to mind to me this morning. I feel it's definitely fitting for the time I am in right now. With graduation in two weeks, this scriptures is encouraging. It shows that God has a time for everything, and a perfect timing in all that He has for us. The time and season he has had me in has been a time of restoration, renewal, healing, equipping me, and so much more. The capstones and spiritual foundations and practices I have learned here at New Hope have prepared me to this point and time.

I will take these things and apply them to my life outside this campus, this "city on a hill". There is a time for everything. This time for me is a time to rejoice, but it also a time to weep and laugh. I know when I leave and graduate on December 14th I am leaving behind amazing friends who have become a part of my life in ways I never thought imaginable. 

This isn't the end. It's the beginning of new life a new beginning for me. I am excited and thrilled to see what the next chapter has for me. This time I know it will be filled with joy, happiness and full abandon as I walk with God guiding and leading me every step of the way. Time is such a hard thing to get and understand. There is a time and timing for every thing. You just need to have enough faith to trust that the Lord's timing is better than your own. 

This time...I'm giving it all to Him. Let it be in His will and timing. It's time. 

Fight Against Burdens, Find Rest

"Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find REST for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden in light." - Matthew 11:28-30

22 days until I graduate from New Hope Christian College. This has been my home for four years and the thought of leaving has been difficult and painful. So many question marks and unknowns and it's so easy to feel burdened by all of it as I transition into the next step of life. I really needed to read this as a reminder for where I am at right now. If you're feeling weary and burdened like me, take this as a reminder for yourself as well. 

We all have moments of being weary, life can be real overwhelming at times. I am reminded of the story in Exodus when Moses got tired and weary himself. 

"Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword." - Exodus 17:11-13

Whenever Moses had his arms raised, Israel was winning the battle, but his arms got tired, he couldn't keep his arms raised, it wasn't humanly possible. So Aaron and Hur came alongside him, and held his arms up. Without the support of Aaron and Hur, Moses couldn't have kept his arms up and Israel would have lost the battle. 

In your times of heavy burdens and weariness, don't be afraid to have people come alongside of you and support you. I have no idea how I would be getting through this time I am in without my amazing family, friends and mentors who are always there for me. They cover me in prayer and support my arms to stay lifted to make it through the battle. 

Also allow Christ to give you rest and peace. He will always be there to give you all you need to succeed and make it through. Be encouraged today to find your Aaron and Hur, don't do it alone. Also find rest in Christ and trust in Him who takes your burdens away. REST today knowing Christ has it all taken care of and we have no reason to feel burdened or stressed because ultimately HE covers us every single day. 

Love or Judgment?

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS and PATIENCE. Bear with each other and FORGIVE whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the LORD forgave you. And over all these virtues put on LOVE, which binds them all together in perfect unity." - Colossians 3:12-14

I honestly never gave the book of Colossians much attention. But this semester I have been reading through the New Testament and I have learned so much. I've read scriptures that had gone unnoticed by myself that have ended up impacting me

heavily. These verses here have done that again.

As chosen people, God's people, His children we are called to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient. But above all LOVE ties it all together. I see so often in the news and life that we as believers do not show these characteristics much. There are those ministries and believers that do, I'm not categorizing all of us. But believers rarely make headlines by showing love.

You do not see headlines often about "Local church gives back to community" we tend to see "Local church pickets gay rally" with signs that say, "My God hates Gays!" I would love to go up to that person and ask them where in the Word it says that. As far as I know GOD'S Word says that God loves and died for EVERYONE. We tend to forget that WE ALL are sinners, and are sinful. 

Matthew 7:1 says, "Do not judge or you too will be judged."

John 12:47, Jesus himself says, "For I did not come to JUDGE the world, but SAVE it."

James 4:12 says, "There is only ONE lawgiver, and judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But YOU - Who are you to judge your neighbor?" 

Wouldn't it be amazing if a church made headlines by showing the attributes of God, the same attributes that Christ himself has called us to have? I think we all need a heavy dose of a reality check and be reminded that no sin is greater than the other. It is not our job as believers and God's people to judge or ridicule. We are sinners as well, but Christ died to save us from our sins. Christ has called us to go into the world and share the LOVE of Christ. Christ is judge, not us. We need to be believers who show compassion, humility, love, and gentleness. Not judgment, ridicule and condemnation. What kind of believer do you want to be? 

Forget The Past, Focus on the Future

"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: FORGETTING the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." 

Philippians 3:13-14 (New Living Translation) 

A year or so ago, in my Bible after this scripture I wrote that this was my life scripture. Throughout my life journey there are parts of it that have held me down and, at times kept me from living. I had to get to a point where I didn't let my past dictate who I am today and who God has called me to be. It wasn't an easy thing and it's a strenuous process, but I am so glad it happened.

I had to realize that those parts of my past have helped me become the woman I am today, but you need to let it go and let the past be the past. You need to LEAVE it there. If you are always living in to the past you will not be able to look forward to the future that God has for you. It's hard to let go of the past and some part of it you won't forget completely. I think Paul (the writer of this book) was talking more about letting go of what is in your past and walking forward. 

Your past can easily become your own prison of sorts if you live and dwell on it constantly. You become enslaved to your past, and we don't have to live in bondage anymore. Jesus Christ conquered our bondage when he died on the cross. We can live in freedom, but it's up to us to embrace that freedom or let ourselves become captives by our past. Christ promises us a future of hope and prosperity. (Jeremiah 29:11) 

So if I can encourage you in any way it would be to say, start letting go of the past and look forward at the amazing future we have promised for us. Life can only get better from here, but it's your choice. Choose to be a conqueror, not a slave to your past. 

Purity and Righteousness

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be PURE and blameless, until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God." - Philippians 1:9-11

In this scripture Paul is writing to the church at Philippi. Paul often wrote and let his friends know what he prayed to God for them. It's an encouragement to us to know that we are prayed for by our friends. Pray prayed for them that they may be loving people. Their love for God, each other and others. I think the most important part of this scripture is when Paul said 'so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless.' 

Being pure and blameless in our culture is not easy. We are sinful by nature and that gives us more of a draw to satisfy our own needs, much like Eve in the garden of Eden. Just a whisper for the enemy and her desire for what was forbidden peaked enough for her to compromise what the Lord himself had told her. The enemy is out to destroy us and but a wedge between us and Christ. 

In our day he uses our culture and the self-gratification mindset our cultures has. He uses it to tempt us and make us forget that Christ has called us to be above all of that. To live a life of purity, righteousness and love. It does get hard and it's never easy but being pure is something that our culture doesn't get or understand. Which is all the more reason to take a stand. Live a life of love, PURITY, and righteousness, so when you meet God face to face you can stand before him blameless. 

Yes, we do make mistakes, I have and I've done things I am not proud of. That's where God's grace is so wonderful to experience. He washes us clean with his grace and love. What's in the past is past, He is more focused on our futures. Purity is choice. Are you going to let the culture tempt you and destroy you or will you stand in the purity and righteousness God has called you to? Self-gratification only leads to more loneliness and pain, while purity and righteousness leads to true fulfillment and love. It's up to you to choose how you want to live.

I am not here to judge, or ridicule. This is just something that God is speaking into my own life. I had forgotten how important being pure was, I had let myself go down certain roads and I was deceived by the enemy to the point where I pushed it aside because it felt good. But in the end I realize, I still felt empty and it didn't satisfy me in the way it should. Then God used a song, by a Christian band, to wake me up and show me how He really wants me to live. Letting go of it isn't easy, but I find that I have felt more fulfilled by focusing on Christ and letting him fulfill my needs. So let God do the same in your life. You will be glad you did. 

Be An Eager Mary

"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 named 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.'" Luke 10:38-42

This story has always come to mind at times where I needed to be reminded to stop and sit at the feet of Jesus, and just listen. We all are always so busy in life, always on the run, our schedule so crazy packed with things to do. We run around all over, yet neglect to realize the importance of sitting at the feet of Jesus. Jesus, in Martha's frustration tell her that Mary had chosen what is better. 

Jesus wouldn't make Mary go and help Martha because Mary took the time to sit at the feet of the Lord. Would you have done the same? If Jesus was sitting in your living room on the couch, would you be busy in the kitchen cooking and doing everything else, neglecting the fact that Jesus was right there waiting to spend time with you? I don't know about you, but I would spend as much time as I could at the feet of Jesus soaking up every bit of knowledge, and encouragement from him. 

In our busy schedules it's easy to forget how important it is to pause and take even just fifteen minutes out of our day to spend with Jesus. He's sitting there just waiting and hoping you would just stop and come spend time with him. He's always eager to spend time with us. Mary did the right thing and sat at his feet. We need to do the same. 

My encouragement to you today would be to stop, pause, and take just a couple moments and spend some time with Jesus. Pray, talk to him, let him re-energize you and fill you up. It may be just the thing you need to get through the rest of your day. Don't be a busy Martha, be an eager Mary. Eager to sit at his feet and soak Him up. 

Picking Up Our Crosses

"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

Jesus' path meant that these disciples would live in tension. They had access to many blessings through Jesus, but His departure meant that other blessings the Messiah would bring were to come. But, here Jesus says that to follow him means walking in the path of the cross. Disciples are like their teacher, they need to understand that life in this world will not involve an easy, stress less walk.


That path involves 'taking up the cross' (like Jesus did), 'losing ones life' (like Jesus did), and not being ashamed of Christ. The essence and root of a true disciple is humility before God. Taking up your cross daily and following Jesus means walking in the footsteps of ministry in this world like Jesus himself did. He gave of himself daily, even to the point of rejection which led him to the cross.

Mark 10:45 says, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many." 

A disciple or follower of Christ has to be prepared to be rejected, we follow in the same path as Christ. Jesus in this scripture is preparing his disciples for his departure from them. He calls us all to be faithful in rejection by the world. But we know that through our suffering, Christ will vindicate through righteousness. 

But know that our suffering will not be in vain. Do not be afraid to pick up that cross daily. Jesus willingly picked up his cross and be nailed to it. The least we can do is carry ours and know it is because of that cross that we have the ability to have a cross to pick up. Do not be ashamed of it, He wasn't ashamed to die for you. 

The Den of Lions

“Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” Daniel 6:21-23

This story shares again the evidence of God’s protection and faithfulness to one of his children whom love him. “My God sent his angel” Daniel takes up the king's expression, and confirms it; he asserts God to be his God, of which he had given him a proof in sending his angel to him that night; either one of the ministering spirits about him, or the Angel of the covenant, the same with him, said to be like the Son of God, that was seen in the fiery furnace, even the Messiah in human form: and shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me; by taking away hunger from them, or by striking terror into them; so that they had either no inclination to hurt him, or were afraid of him: 

forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; either before God, or before his Angels.

Daniel appeared to be an innocent and righteous person; therefore the Lord pleaded his case, and made it to appear that he was just, and his case good; for this is not to be understood of the merits of his works, and the causality of them to justify and save; for here he is speaking not of the righteousness of his person, but of his cause; and not of eternal, but temporal salvation.

and also before you, O king, I have done no harm. Either to his person or government; nothing that was criminal and sinful, but what was just and right, serving daily his God; and this was plain to the king, what he knew and owned; and though he had acted contrary to the decree the lords had craftily obtained, yet it was not out of disrespect to the king, but in obedience to his God. In doing of which he had done nothing prejudicial to the king's interest.

Then was the king exceeding glad for him. For Daniel, because of his safety, because he was alive, and in health, and unhurt; and the speech he made was very acceptable to him, agreeable to his sentiments, and which he was satisfied was just and true: or "with", or "for himself" being now eased of a guilty and distracted conscience: So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him. That is, he ordered those that were with him, his servants that attended him, either to roll away the stone, and so let him out; or to let down ropes, and draw him out, or ladders by which he might ascend; for one would think it would not have been safe for them to have gone down into it, to take him up: these orders the king gave without the consent of his lords, being animated to it by the miracle.” (John Gill's Exposition of the Bible)

When Daniel was brought up from the den, no bruise was found on him by them throwing him into the den, no wound was made by the lions, or his flesh in the least torn by them: because he had trusted in his God. Think of the amazing faith Daniel had to have as he was being thrown into that den of lions. I couldn’t imagine how he felt as he saw his face get closer, and closer to the bottom, hit the bottom and look up seeing lions right in his face. What a picture huh? But Daniel’s faith was unlike any other. We live in a lion’s den on a daily basis. We are being thrown deep into this chasm of life where the world is our den and we are surrounded by lies, deceit, and struggles. So what are we to do to in this lion’s den called life?

Pray, be in your Word, have your armor on daily. I was talking yesterday to one of the girls I’ve been mentoring, and I was encouraging her and tell her how important being in the Word is. Let’s face it, we all struggle to sit down and just have that time with God during our busy daily schedules. I’ve used excuse after excuse to try and justify not doing them. God, this semester is challenging me, and giving me all the time in the world, which takes away any and every excuse I could conjure up. The amazing impact having those daily devotions has woken me up and jerked me up short. IT IS VITAL to our survival in this world!

Like I shared in my last post, Jesus himself used the Word, the Bible against the devil in the desert, the enemy cannot argue or get passed the Word of God, and it’s inherent, “belonging to the basic nature of someone or something.” It is ESSENTIAL to our walk with God. Praying is also important. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Followed by Romans 8:26 that says, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning’s too deep for words.”

The Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf when we don’t even know what to pray. Sometimes, we have no words, and are in dire straits where the words just aren't there. It’s in those times that Holy Spirit ministers to us in our need. So my encouragement to you today will be, have faith, know that Christ is with you in the den of lion’s you are in. Know that Christ will intercede on your behalf, and protect you from the lions. Stay faithful to him, and He will be faithful to you. Pray, do your devotions, edify yourself with the Word because it really makes a difference. 

Trust me. 

Spiritual Weapons

“The weapons we fight are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and ever pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought, to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)

“The work of the ministry is a warfare, not after the flesh indeed, for it is a spiritual warfare, with spiritual enemies and for spiritual purposes. And though ministers walk in the flesh, or live in the body, and in the common affairs of life act as other men, yet in their work and warfare they must not go by the maxims of the flesh, nor should they design to please the flesh: this must be crucified with its affections and lusts; it must be mortified and kept under. (2.) The doctrines of the gospel and discipline of the church are the weapons of this warfare; and these are not carnal: outward force, therefore, is not the method of the gospel, but strong persuasions, by the power of truth and the meekness of wisdom. A good argument this is against persecution for conscience’ sake: conscience is accountable to God only; and people must be persuaded to God and their duty, not driven by force of arms. And so the weapons of our warfare are mighty, or very powerful; the evidence of truth is convincing and cogent. This indeed is through God, or owing to him, because they are his institutions, and accompanied with his blessing, which makes all opposition to fall before his victorious gospel.” (Matthew Henry Commentary)

So I am really loving the Common English Bible translation. It sets into motion a modern outlook on the Word of God in ways we can apply today. Ephesians 6:10-18 says, “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and his powerful strength. Put on God's armor so that you can make a stand against the tricks of the devil. We aren't fighting against human enemies but against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil in the heavens. Therefore, pick up the full armor of God so that you can stand your ground on the evil day and after you have done everything possible to still stand. So stand with the belt of truth around your waist, justice as your breastplate, and put shoes on your feet so that you are ready to spread the good news of peace. Above all, carry the shield of faith so that you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is God's word. Offer prayers and petitions in the Spirit all the time. Stay alert by hanging in there and praying for all believers.”

All I can say is Amen, and Amen! Lately I have felt attacked, spiritually, emotionally and even physically ever since I came back to school. I’ve talk to mentors about it and they have been praying for me and encouraging me. One mentor in particular has encouraged me to daily pray this scripture out loud and put on my armor. Every day, it has been a challenge but I want to make it into a routine because it helps so much. You can walk out your door knowing that your armor is on already and anything the enemy may throw at you that day is blocked. Maybe not completely but his arrows won’t kill you. Today was one of those days that this morning was a whirlwind and I didn’t get the chance too, the enemy took that opportunity and I got hit with an arrow because I was unprotected. I instantly prayed God’s protection over me and it was hard to feel better. Nobody feels better after being shot by an arrow, it’s painful, uncomfortable and it takes you down. Especially when it’s unexpected. Which is why claiming and praying the armor over your days and life is so important.

“Above all carry the shield of faith so that you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the SWORD of the spirit, which is God’s Word.” The entire armor is important for us to have, but these two are most important. You carry the shield to protect yourself and then the Sword that is God’s word to combat the enemy. God’s Word is your sword, it’s the most powerful thing we can use against the enemy. Jesus even used God’s word against Satan when he was tempted in the desert. 

Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. The tempter came to him and said, "Since you are God's Son, command these stones to become bread." Jesus replied, "It's written, People won't live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God." After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, "Since you are God's Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won't hit your foot on a stone." Jesus replied, "Again it's written, don’t test the Lord your God." Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He said, "I'll give you all these if you bow down and worship me." Jesus responded, "Go away, Satan, because it's written, you will worship the Lord your God and serve only him." The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him.” Matthew 4:1-11

Notice Jesus responded with “IT IS WRITTEN, IT IS WRITTEN, IT IS WRITTEN” Jesus knew that the devil couldn’t argue and win against the powerful, inherent Word of God. Nobody can. The battles we face are spiritual, and the Bible, our SWORD is what defeats the enemy when he comes at us. Which is why it is SO important for us to be in our Word constantly because it gives us the weapons we need to defeat the enemy when he comes at us, and he WILL come at us. He will never stop. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us, “Be clearheaded. Keep alert. Your accuser, the devil, is on the prowl like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Be on guard, clearheaded and alert. The devil is swift and cunning, he knows your weaknesses, and he lies in wait for you to be at your weakest like a lion. If you’re not ready, he will devour you, so always have your shield and sword ready because you never know when he will attack. But you have victory in the Lord, and the weapons He has anointed to give to us. 

The Giver That Sows

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

“If I am sowing wheat in the field, it stands to reason that the more seed I sow, the greater harvest I will have. Now if I want to be very careful about how I sow, and just take seeds and toss them out here and there, then I’m only going to have little wheat shoots here and there. I’m not going to have much of a harvest. But if I go out and sow just abundantly, then I’m going to reap an abundant harvest.” Chuck Smith.

The more you give, the more you get, the more God returns, the greater the harvest. The word “reap” comes from the Greek word ‘therizo’ which means ‘summer harvest’ with reference to bringing Samaritans into the kingdom of God, in regard to which the disciples would enjoy the fruits of what Christ has been doing ministering in Samaria. The Greek word ‘eulogeo’ has a couple meanings but in this case, it comes from the synonym, ‘aineo’ which means to praise; the cause to prosper; to make happy; to bestow blessings on. 

Verses 7 and 8 in the same chapter go on to say, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times you may abound in every good work.” (ESV)

I have been blessed to see times where my parents didn’t have much money to spare but they would see a homeless person and be impressed upon to buy them food. Just this summer my mom and I bought food for a homeless man and it wasn’t out of selfish ambition or gain, but to give this man food in his stomach. There are times when we (and I say we because I am guilty of the same thing) that we just pass homeless people by without realizing that very easily that could be us. We could be the ones standing on the corner, starving, in need of food. 

I don’t know about you, but wouldn’t you hope someone would sacrifice $5.00 of their Starbucks for the day so you could eat? Reality check. Philippians 4:12 is a great reminder of this. I’m quoting out of the Common English Bible because it gives a great modern way of looking at it. “I know the experience of being in need, and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry, whether having plenty or being poor.” Wow. 

The apostle Paul really did know this. He didn’t have an easy life. In fact, Paul wrote this letter to the Philippian church to thank them for the gift they had sent him when they heard of his detention in Rome. He uses this letter to report on how he is doing, but also to encourage the Philippians to stand firm in persecution, rejoice regardless of circumstances, and to exhort them to humility and unity. Even in prison Paul was reaching out to help the Philippian church. I know life can hand us some crazy cards, but in all this, I encourage you to give out of yourself in whatever way you see fit. See what God may sow out of it because you may be really blessed by it.

I was always blessed by watching my parents feed those homeless people because it was always showing a side of Christ nobody shows very often. I remember the looks on their faces and that has been imprinted on my heart. You never know what life is gonna bring, so use it well now, you won’t regret it. 

The Fiery Furnace

“And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” – Daniel 3:23-25

King Nebuchadnezzer tells us right off the bat who the fourth person was. It was Jesus Christ, son of God. He was literally with them in their worst trial. We don’t know if Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego knew Jesus was with them in their fiery ordeal. Isn’t that just like us sometimes? There are times we are fully aware of Jesus’ presence in our lives and trials, and sometimes it feels like He’s not there, but He IS nonetheless.

Charles Spurgeon observed that God’s people are often in the furnace and though there are different kinds of furnaces they serve similar purposes in our life. There is the furnace that men prepare, that Satan prepares and that God prepares. God can deliver us FROM a trial or he can miraculously sustain and strengthen us IN a trial. King Nebuchadnezzer also observed that the four men were free in the fire. The fire only burnt the ropes that bound them.

Verses 26-27

“Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.”

Before they are out of the furnace the king recognizes that they serve the Most High God. The fire also had no harmed them and had no power over them because of Christ. John 16:33 says, “In the world you will face trials of many kinds, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” This miracle turned the king’s life around. The testimony was amazing to him as he saw God work in the lives of these men who believed in Christ, it impacted him.

Imagine the impact our own trials can have on the people in our lives. For a long time as our family was going through our own fiery furnace, we didn’t talk about anything, or share about what we were going through. But within the last two years God started to do so much that we couldn’t help but share Christ coming through for us in the mist of our trials. Which is what I use this blog for.

I’m here to share with you what God is doing in and through me so that maybe it will encourage you. James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it joy when you face trials of many kinds because the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” If we never go through the fire, we would have no reason to have faith in what Christ is able and capable to do and we miss out on the astounding miracles. 

If you are in your own fiery furnace right now, know that Jesus is right beside you and you will survive because HE has overcome and so will you! 

Hidden Sin

“He reveals deep and hidden things, he knows what lies in darkness and light dwells with him.” – Daniel 2:22

It is God who revealed to man what true wisdom was when no one else could. It is He that reveals things to come. He perfectly discerns and distinguishes that which is most closely and industriously concealed. Psalm 139:11-12 says, “He knows what is in darkness and what is done in the darkness, for that hides not from him.”

The word ‘gehla’ means to reveal; to uncover, to be discovered. The Greek word ‘kryptos’ means inwardly secret, hidden. So here we see that God will uncover what is inwardly hidden from normal sight. The Greek word, ‘araphel’ is defined as ‘thick darkness, gross darkness, dark cloud.’

When we are participating in sin there is a spiritual battle going on inside us. There is an araphel a gross dark cloud over us but, even in that Christ sees it and knows all about it. He brings it to light. The Greek word ‘photizo’ means to give light, illuminate; make to see. Light dwells in God, He is the light that shines in the darkness. 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with him and one another.” 

Sin can be something that destroys you from the inside out. Jesus said in John 8:34, “truly, truly I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” But know that we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. (Romans 3:23) We can rest in the knowledge that because of Christ’s sacrifice we are no longer a slave to sin, because of His grace and righteousness.“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. 

I don’t know about you but I am so thankful for Jesus taking my place. God created us with a sinful nature and we are human after all, but because of Jesus we can come to throne of the father in repentance and be forgiven of all our sin. He knows we will sin again, all of us sin every single day in one way or another, but he shows us grace every single time. “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14. 

The word ‘grace’ comes from the Hebrew word ‘chen’ meaning, well-favored. We are the children of the most High God, we are favored by him because he loves us as much as He does. In this favor, we have victory over sin. So be encouraged that you don’t have to live in sin anymore and find hope in Christ’s love and grace for all of us. If you find yourself fighting a battle of sin, kneel before the throne of your Father and lay them down at his feet, be free of the sin that easily entangles you. Don’t get caught up in the messiness of it.

So many people today praise Jesus with one arm and are sinning with the other hand. Don't be like that. The Pharisees were like that and Jesus condemned them for their hypocrisy. Take your sin and place it at the throne of His feet. Only then can you be victorious in the battle over it. 

Jars of Clay and the Power of Christ

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God, and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

In this scripture the writer (Paul) compares the ‘gospel minister’ to a piece of pottery. ‘We have this treasure in jars of clay’. This treasure is the good news about Christ. Jars of clay actually means “earthenware vessels”. (Greek word: “ostrakinois skeuesin”) The noun “skeuos” refers to a vessel serving a specific purpose, such as a cup, jar, pot or pan. When used of people it often carries the sense of ‘implement’ or ‘instrument’. So to be God’s vessel is to be his instrument in carrying out a specific purpose, the purpose in this case is sharing the gospel.

Paul goes on to say that this all-surpassing power is from God and not us. The adjective “all-surpassing power” focuses on the extraordinary quality or extend or something, that ‘something’ being the power of Christ. The Greek word “dynamis” is a term from the word ‘dynamite’. I love this quote that I found in a commentary on biblegateway.com. The author said “Paul is saying that the gospel is not merely a message that confronts the mind but an explosive power that turns a person’s life upside down!” (IVP New Testament Commentaries)

In one of my classes here at NHCC I was able to take a class going verse by verse through Corinthians. I learned that the book we know of 2 Corinthians is not the second letter Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, it’s actually the fourth and last letter. With this being the last letter Paul is stressing the power of Christ, the importance of his Word, and the power of what Christ has ordained all of us to do; share the gospel and be a gospel minister. We may be pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down but Paul gives us hope. We won’t be crushed, we won’t be in despair, we won’t be abandoned, and we won’t be destroyed.

Paul stood strong and maintained that God’s power is able to make itself known through hardships and distress. The church at Corinth believed that the power of Christ was only seen in miracles, signs and wonders. Paul is showing the church at Corinth otherwise. The power of Christ is not seeing through wonders it is seen in dire straits in a believer’s life, through our hardships and distress. So how do we live on? Not by our own strength but Christ’s. In our weakness Christ’s power is revealed. Find Christ’s strength and power in your weakness, for it is an explosive power that can turn your life upside down if you let it. 

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

By Faith

“We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

We live by faith, not by sight. Another well-known translation is we walk by faith, not by sight. This scripture is in fact my ultimate life scripture. Throughout my life I have had to walk a live by having faith in Christ. Even now I am having to walk this out. Most of you know that I am graduating college in December. The week of me leaving to come back to school for my last semester, I got a call from the financial aid office here at the school.

They began to tell me that there was a problem with something on my application which has stalled the awarding of my aid for this semester. Up until the day before I was planning to leave I didn’t know I was coming back. So here I am, two weeks into my last semester and still no financial aid and no job. Scary? Absolutely. My flesh is screaming at me to be freaking out and stressed out about it. But my spirit, the spirit of God within me is allowing me to focus on being confident in the Lord, having faith and knowing He is going to provide all my needs.

He’s done so in the past, why would he stop now? Even though our circumstances may appear hopeless and our feelings may tell us to give up, we mustn’t allow ourselves to be limited by the visible world. Instead, we need to put our trust in God who never changes. If I can encourage you in any way today it would be to tell you to have faith in what Christ is capable of doing in your life. Never limit God! He is capable to do more than you can imagine. Never put God in a box, He has the ability to surprise you. Whatever uncertainties you are dealing with right now, remember that Christ conquered the grave and rose again, he can conquer and show up in your circumstance. 

Faith is never easy, but it’s worth it. 

Guard Your Wellspring

"Above all else, guard your HEART for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

For many years I have been given this scripture and in my own life it has become one of my "life" scriptures. You may wonder why this is so important. The word "guard" is defined as 'watch over in order to protect and or control'. "Wellspring" is defined as 'an original and bountiful source of something'. So this scripture states that we need to watch over and protect the bountiful source of our very being.

Our hearts are the core of our being. When we are sad, when we are heartbroken it interrupts our lives in a huge way. You've probably heard studies of people who have died from a broken heart. Why? Your heart is the wellspring of who you are. Without it, we don't live. If it's broken, literally needing an operation of sorts, or metaphorically after someone hurt you deeply, it affects us, it interrupts life as we know it. Which is why Christ stresses how important it is for us to guard it.

Don't put your heart out there in a nonchalant way, like it's no big deal. This is something I've had to learn myself. People say I wear my heart on my sleeve, this could be dangerous because you open yourself up to be more vulnerable and your heart unprotected. I've had to train myself to open up to only certain people, people who have proven to me that my heart is safe in their hands. To the other people it's okay to open up just don't bear your soul to them because they haven't earned your trust to where you can be transparent. Be very careful in choosing who those people you open up to are.

When it comes to the opposite sex, don't give your heart away too quickly, or without concern. I've made this mistake more than once and I've learned this the hard way. No guy or girl is worth the pain and heartache you will experience if you don't guard your heart. I can't stress enough how important this is! Be mindful and always stand guard over the wellspring of your life. Jeremiah 17:9 says 'The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.' This scripture shows us the severity of why guarding your heart is so important. You need to be able to discern your heart from your flesh. It's a battle, which is why you need to be on your guard.

Guard it, protect it, watch over it.