Things I'm Thankful For

A cozy corner in the morning

 

 

A warm fireplace

 

  

Blooms on my hibiscus

  

 

 

Buds on my hibiscus

  

 

  

A God who loves me

Prayer For Contentment

Dear Lord,
Teach me true contentment.  Teach me to be so fully satisfied in you that I am content in myself, content in my things, and content in my situation.  Teach me to trust you, knowing that everything that I desire, really may not meet my needs.  Help me to seek first Your Kingdom, and You’ll provide for me.”  Teach me to live simply.  “To be content with what I own, and generous in giving.  And when I cling to what I have, please wrest it quickly from my grasp.” May I live as though You are enough for me.   “If you take it all, this You’ve given, still me heart will sing for You” because “I am Yours.”

Amen

More On Christ’s Return

As I was talking with my parents one night the topic of Christ’s return came up.  During the conversation my mom made a comment stating how great it would be for Christ to return that week.  I responded by pointing to Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:14 (as I referred to in my previous post Come Lord Jesus, Come) and saying I don’t think He will be returning this week.  My dad jumped in the conversation and said, I am not so sure about that, there are a lot of theologians out there that think Christ could return anytime.  Although I don’t disagree with my dad (Christ could return anytime, it just depends on what Jesus meant by “the whole world” and “the nations” in Matthew 24:14) I do think that God’s purposes on earth have not yet been accomplished; and thus I think Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:14 have yet to be completed. 

One of the reasons I think this is found in Revelation 7:9-10:

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”

 

My Testimony

I had to write out my testimony for a class I am taking at Church.  So since it is all written out I thought I might as well share it on here as well.  It's the condensed version, but it will do.

I have been extremely blessed in my spiritual walk.  Ever since I can remember I have been a follower of Christ.  Literally, my first memory is asking Jesus into my life.  On February 18, 1991, when I was 2 years old, I accepted Christ’s invitation to become my savior.  As a 2 year old, I can’t say that my life was noticeably changed as a result of accepting Christ, but I can say that my life wouldn’t be the same if I hadn’t.

I have attended New Covenant my whole life and have grown up in a home where Christ was modeled.  Even before I was old enough to fully understand the gospel, God used my family and New Covenant to speak to me and draw me to Himself.  I accepted Christ on a Wednesday night after my older brother came home from Awanas.  I remember laying in my mom’s room reading books before bed, my brother on her left and myself on her right.  Then I remember my brother wanting to ask Jesus into his heart, so my mom prayed with him and then we all sang “Come into my heart, come into my heart, come into my heart Lord Jesus.  Come in today.  Come in to stay.  Come into my heart Lord Jesus.”  After my brother accepted Christ I remember wanting to accept Christ too.  So my mom prayed with me and we all sang “Come Into My Heart” again.

This is the testimony I shared when I was baptized in 5^th grade.  Afterwards my mom asked me if that was really how I remembered accepting Christ, because that was not how she remembered it.  She told me that she prayed with Jordan on the night that I remember (although he does not remember this night at all) and that she prayed with me about 6 months later.  She said one night as she was tucking me into bed I seemed sad.  When she asked me what was wrong I replied that I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart like Jordan did.  That may be the night she remembers praying with me, however it was the first night, on February 18^th, that I truly said yes to God (even though on that night my mom had no idea I was even listening to her and Jordan’s conversation).

It still amazes me that God sought me out at such a young age and I am grateful that He has blessed me with knowing Him.  Since I first asked Jesus into my life I have steadily grown in my relationship with Him.  He has given me a love for reading His word and has used it to influence me in countless ways.  Without Christ in my life I wouldn’t have the confidence, peace, or contentment that He has instilled in me.

Come Lord Jesus, Come

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”  - Revelation 22:20

I couldn’t have said it better myself:

“Come, Lord Jesus!”

Amen, Let it be so (and let it be soon)!

Note: As I mentioned in the note after my post Unashamed! it is important to take the words of Matthew 24:14 into account when anticipating the return of Christ.  No one knows the day or the hour, but Jesus Himself promised that He will not return until all the nations hear (and Jesus’ promises are dependable).  I hear many people anticipate Christ’s coming but they don’t live in such a way as to bring Him back.  If He long for His return, we will long for His name to be known and worshiped by all peoples.  What a glorious day that will be, when all the nations praise His Holy and Worthy name!

All This Time, by Britt Nicole

Recently God has used the song All This Time by Britt Nicole to really speak to me.  This year I have been studying Genesis as part of a women’s Bible study, and because of that a certain line in Nicole’s song has stuck out to me.  In the second verse Nicole sings “You’re the God who sees, the God who rescued me.”  This part of the song brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.  The part of Genesis that I think of when I hear this line is when Hagar is in the desert running away from Sarai because she is being mistreated.  In Genesis 16 God meets her and  tells her to go back to Sarai and submit to her (16:9); but He also blesses her and tells her that through her son her descendents will increase and become too numerous to count (16:10).  Hagar replies “You are the God who sees me” (16:13). 

I Believe, I Believe, by Tommy Walker

To listen to this song via You Tube click here

God Desires Splendor From Every Nation

"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.  The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.  On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.  The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.  Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”  - Revelation 21:22-27

This reminds me of a quote by Steven C. Hawthorne, “God yearns for a unique outpouring of love, righteousness wisdom and worship from every people.”  Isn’t it great to know that someday God will get just what He so desires and deserves?  Miriam Adeney expresses God’s desire for worship by saying He desires the “sanctified best” of every nation, and in these verses we see that “the glory and honor of the nations will be brought” to the eternal kingdom of God.  How marvelous and exciting that day will be!  I cannot wait for it to come.

Dear Lord,

I pray for workers to raise up and go to the harvest (Matthew 9:38) so that every nation might know of Your name and splendor and so that Your return might come soon (Matthew 24:14 states Christ won’t return until all the nations hear of His story).  I pray that the day You are worshiped by every nation will come quickly so that You can finally be worshipped by all of Your creation.

Amen

Open the Eyes of the Blind, the Ears of the Deaf, and the Hearts of the Proud

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”  - Revelation 3:17

Dear Lord,

This is true for so many people today.  I ask that You would work in ways that I can’t and open the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf, and the hearts of the proud.  May those who are currently blind, deaf and hardened realize just how “pitiful” they are and through the power of Your resurrection may they become fully alive and righteous in You.

Amen, let it be so.