blessing.

Once upon a time, perhaps a year or two ago, I had a slight desire. It was for something that was very handy, and shiny, and nice. Yet it was not necessary, and I found that I had lived all my life [until that point of realizing my desire] without it; therefore I decided that I ought to be able to get along quite nicely without it. Besides, I couldn't really afford it.

Time went on. I applied my hand to the proverbial plow, and earned an honest living. Yet I still found little justification for making the aforementioned purchase; it was still desirable, yet remained unnecessary and rather frivolous. Such an amount could do much greater good elsewhere. No sleep was lost over this decision.

Fast forward to this evening. Following a nice family dinner and my brother's birthday celebration, I spy a certain young nephew of mine running toward me with a small, shiny object in his hand. He drops it at or around my feet, and I stoop to pick it up. My mind tells me that he should not have this sort of shiny object, then moves to bewilderment as to where such an object might have been procured by his 20-month-old hand; meanwhile, my mouth is asking him the same sort of question. Next I see my name on the screen, and hear a voice telling me, "It's yours, Annie!" 

My mind at this point is thinking several things, such as "I don't have one," "Whose is this?," and "It's not my birthday, it's Tyler's!"

After a few such seconds of such perplexity, the realization sunk in.

I almost cried.

My three brothers, plus Mary and Bryce, pitched in together to get me the very thing I supposed I would never have.

Currently feeling: grateful, undeserving, blessed, amazed, and still somewhat bewildered.

Thanks family. I love you.

And so, the Lord reminded me in a very tangible way of a particular promise in His Word which I read this very morning:

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. -Psalm 37:4

For in so doing, we shall all live happily [and contentedly] ever after.

The End.

stop! stop!

And when these things begin to come to pass,

then look up, and lift up your heads; 

For your redemption draweth nigh.

Luke 21:28

hospitality.

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
distributing to the needs to the saints, given to [pursuing] hospitality."
Romans 12:10-13

this verse has come to my attention several times in the past few years; generally i thought of it as a commendation to those who were of a hospitable nature, not necessarily a command to all believers. but that's precisely what it is- hospitality is a ministry: one which pleases the Lord and blesses believers and nonbelievers alike. i figured i probably didn't have this "gift" but since Paul is referring to everyone here, i realized it definitely included me. so in the past few months especially, i have been praying about this off and on, whenever it came to mind. i also began to observe how others practiced this ministry, and the simplicity in which it could be done.

one of the greatest examples to me was a certain friend who consistently practices this gift, gives regardless of personal abundance or lack, gives the best things freely, and takes no end of joy in so doing and so giving. i began to see beyond my little personal scope of "give what you have to and sigh in relief when you get the rest" and into the joy and blessedness of giving, and of serving, and of showing hospitality.

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: ... he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:6,8

how thankful i am for that grace, so freely given to us; for those gifts, imparted so perfectly and individually to each of us; and for the Spirit indwelling us, and producing such good fruits in us. i love how He works things into us that were before such impossibilities, such contradictions to our nature- and so naturally works them out in our lives, much to our amazement. how grateful i am for the fruit of the Spirit! when we see Him producing each new thing in our lives, we can once again be assured of His working within us, and for such assurance i am entirely grateful. To be found abiding, that is our goal- and when found abiding, such joy and thanksgiving and praise wells up within our hearts! what a loving and gracious Heavenly Father we have.

so, as i've been practicing the ministry of hospitality lately, i have been abundantly blessed each time i give, each time i serve, each time i step out in faith, each time i try something i've never done before! truly it is more blessed to give than to receive, and to obey the Word of the Lord is to take hold of Life Abundant! let us all seek to become more conformed to His image, more renewed in our minds, and more sensitive to His Spirit- and become ministers of His gracious hospitality.

"He has put a new song in my mouth- Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."
Psalm 40:3-5

deuteronomy 33:26-27a.

There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to help you,
And in His excellency on the clouds.
The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms...

sometimes..

we really need to quit fighting. we come to the point where we're all-consumed by seeking for one particular answer that we can't sit still for two seconds together, and we can receive nothing but the answer we think we want. it is at that point when realization dawns upon our stubborn minds and we perceive that perhaps our All-Consuming Thought is not truly the main point. and so, by surrendering our hearts and minds to the Lord [which consists largely of flesh-mortification], we humbly ask that something, anything, be spoken to us- for without vision, the people perish.

and speak He does.

the simple Word refreshes us, washes us. and in it He confirms the things we tended to doubt when first spoken; He speaks new life into our bones and says, "Live!"; He gives us vision for the future; He gives us strength for the day. and in His simple, wonderful way that far exceeds our human ways or comprehension, He brings it to pass.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble. 2 Peter 1:10

let us press on to completion, and be found walking worthy of His calling.

oh saints, He is so good! let us throw ourselves upon His grace, and walk, not by sight, but by faith.

I will wait for You, O You my Strength;
For God is my defense.
My God of mercy shall come to meet me...

But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.

To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.

psalm 59:9-10,16-17

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced;
they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish.
You shall seek them and not find them; those who contended with you.
Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing.
For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, “Fear not, I will help you.”
Isaiah 41:10-13

His ways are beyond finding out!

don't you love how when we sit down to read the Word, the Lord just showers blessings upon us?
i am continually amazed at how truly Living and Active the Word of God is.

par exemple, this morning as i was reading the last couple chapters of Mark, all about the crucifixion and Resurrection, i was amazed at the contrasts between those who believed and those who did not believe. such blessings upon those who believe, and such condemnation and rebuke for those of unbelief and hardness of heart.

and then i turned to my bookmark in the psalms, and lo and behold, it was psalm 22, which 'just so happened' to be a Messianic psalm about the crucifixion! again i found references to faith, in Jesus Himself, having no one but His Father in whom to put His trust.

My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever! psalm 22:25-26

those who seek the Messiah will find Him in the Person of Jesus Christ. and they shall rejoice and live forever!

A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this. psalm 22:30-31

let us believe!

mercy.

at our ladies' bible study last night, we were reminded through 1 peter 2 that when the condemnation of the world is heaped upon us, the mercies of God that stretch to the very heavens are upon us. we are pilgrims and sojourners in this temporal land, but oh! the mercies, all surpassing, all encompassing, new every morning.

..who were not a people but now are the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.. 1 peter 2:10-11

The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. psalm 11:4

But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me. psalm 13:5-6

psalm 15:1- Lord, who may abide in Your temple? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
the footnote in my Bible says that abide can also be sojourn. we are sojourners here on earth, but what a privilege for us to sojourn in His presence.

amen!

psalm 1

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.



p.s. amazon cancelled my mistake order.
..for His mercy endureth forever.

be still, my soul.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27

Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.
Psalm 119:165

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.
Isaiah 26:3-4

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

lassen uns beten!

in the past week i've visited with or heard from many different people, ministering all over the state, country, and world. pastors wives from the midwest, bible college students in several continents, pastors' kids and interns in europe, christians being light in their hometowns and to the uttermost parts of the earth. on my 8-hour drive to and from wisconsin, i spent several hours listening to recordings from past missions conferences. i was so blessed to hear the testimonies of people who have surrendered their lives to the Lord and have been used by Him so immensely. may He see fit to use me as such a vessel.

it is so amazing to see the work that God is doing all over the world. what a privilege we have to be able to intercede for our brothers and sisters spread abroad. i'm reminded of one of our memory verses from wolfgang's missions class:

I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!'
Bring My sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth-
Everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.
-Isaiah 43:6-7

remember to pray for the outreach teams from the ccbc campuses in peru and germany- they're ministering all around the world this week!

balance.

"Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon." Nehemiah 4:17

"The battling of the Christian must never replace the building. We must be armed for our warfare ... [but] the wall has got to go up; the final answer of the Christian to the world is that the wall is being built, that the temple of the Holy Spirit is visible."

-excerpts from Alan Redpath's Victorious Christian Service: Studies in the Book of Nehemiah.
i am currently reading this book, and by it being immensely blessed. if you haven't read it, please put it on your to-read list!

roots.

last night our family went out to our country garden and picked the last of the summer harvest.
part of that harvest was a bumper crop of carrots, and several bucketsfull of potatoes.
but in order to remove those root vegetables, you have to dig- it's hard, dirty, work.
yet it wasn't without reward- we'll be eating carrots and potatoes until they come out our ears. [which would definitely incur more digging]

in the past days the Lord has been doing an awful lot of digging in my own heart. there's been bitterness left unheeded in the deep recesses of my heart. did i like to admit it? of course not. but in praying and preparing my heart for future ministry, the Lord has placed His finger upon that root, and has revealed the ugliness of it. it is not a pleasant experience to be dug into, but it is a necessary one if we are to be Useful For Every Good Work.

my friends, having learned this lesson the hard way, i humbly ask you to not let the root of bitterness go unchecked in your heart. may the God who dwells in unapproachable light shine into our hearts and cleanse us, that He may receive all the glory.

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. Heb. 12:14-15.

barmherzigkeit.

The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.
ps. 145:8

un-dragoned.

..."And I thought to myself, oh dear, how ever many skins have I got to take off? For I was longing to bathe my leg. So I scratched away for the third time and got off a third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good.
"Then the lion said - but I don't know if it spoke - 'You will have to let me undress you.' I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back and let him do it.
"The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know - if you've ever picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it IS such fun to see it coming away. ...
"Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off - just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt - and there it was lying on the grass; only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there I was as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me - I didn't like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on - and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why.

I'd turned into a boy again."

-Eustace Clarence Scrubb, after Aslan un-dragoned him in the land of Narnia, and changed him forevermore.
[The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis: pp. 115-116]


An apt description of redemption, is it not? Not by works of righteousness which we have done..


Titus 3:4-7
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

sacrifice.

"Night after night the Bishop and Dr. Bruce with their helpers went out and helped save men and women and children from the torture of physical privation. Vast quantities of food and clothing and large sums of money were donated by the churches, the charitable societies, the civic authorities and the benevolent associations.
But the personal touch of the Christian disciple was very hard to secure for personal work.
Where was the discipleship that was obeying the Master's command to go itself to the suffering and give itself with its gift in order to make the gift of value in time to come?
The Bishop found his heart sink within him as he faced this fact more than any other.

Men would give money who would not think of giving themselves.

And the money they gave did not represent any real sacrifice because they did not miss it. They gave what was the easiest to give, what hurt them the least.
Where did the sacrifice come in? Was this following Jesus? Was this going with Him all the way? He had been to members of his own aristocratic, splendidly wealthy congregations, and was appalled to find how few men and women of that luxurious class in the churches would really suffer any genuine inconvenience for the sake of suffering humanity.
Is charity the giving of worn-out garments? Is it a ten-dollar bill given to a paid visitor or secretary of some benevolent organization in the church? Shall the man never go and give his gift himself? Shall the woman never deny herself her reception or her party or her musicale, and go and actually touch, herself, the foul, sinful sore of diseased humanity as it festers in the great metropolis? Shall charity be conveniently and easily done through some organization? Is it possible to organize the affections so that love shall work disagreeable things by proxy?"
[Excerpt taken from Charles Sheldon, "In His Steps," pp. 211-212.]

For hereunto were ye called; because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow His steps.
1 Peter 2:21

priceless.

the look in a little boy's eyes when the greatness and holiness of God is explained via isaiah 6.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.
Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
And one cried to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!"

like a cut down tree.

it always makes me sad to see a big old tree cut down. i passed one today on my way home. all that was left was a gnarled old stump, and lots of branches lying around on the ground. it reminded me of the mighty king Nebuchadnezzar, in the book of Daniel, who had a dream about a mighty tree, reduced to but a stump. it was a picture of his life, and what would become of him, should he continue to lift up his heart in pride. i'm sure an even more disheartening sight than a cut down tree is a person whose life and ministry has been cut off, because they did not choose to surrender wholly unto God. may our lives, instead, be ever fruitful.

Thus says the LORD:
"Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the LORD.
For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,
And shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
In a salt land which is not inhabited.

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
And whose hope is the LORD.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

"The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.

Jeremiah 17:5-10