Daring Devotion to Christ

     Beep, beep, beep...... slap.  Time to get up?  It's so early...oh right, quiet time. Try to get up. Flop Maybe I could try just reading my Bible right here.  Pry your eyes open until....they close again.  One hour later you wake up with a jolt, you fell asleep while attempting to be spiritual.
back in bed. 
      Has this ever happened to you before because it's happened to me um...more than once. It's not that I am trying to fall asleep while reading my Bible it just happens.  Now that's not an excuse.  God has often convicted my heart and along the way He has also given we some pointers on how to dive into His Word and prayer instead falling into it as I get an extra hour of sleep. 
      Setting aside time to seek the Lord through prayer and reading His Word is SO IMPORTANT.  His Word is Living Water, the bread of life, truth in a world of lies, the light to our path, a source of our sanctification and encouragement, useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness and so much more.  Jesus Christ in the Word of God in the flesh!  Not only that but prayer is the open door through which we can enter the throne of grace and communicate with the God of the universe.  Isn't that awesome??!!!!  We have the opportunity to bring even the littlest requests to God and He promises to hear and respond.  Time spent at the feet of Jesus is never wasted and will yield an eternal reward.  Don't put it off. 

Set A Time and Keep It

Corrie ten Boom says it so well:

Don't pray when you feel like it.  Have an appointment with

the Lord, and keep it. 

      We devote uninterrupted time to all kinds of things, whether it is school work or talking to friends.  But why don't we have that same kind of commitment in our approach to Christ and seeking Him?  Many of us have had those days when we lay in bed at night and suddenly realize we haven't read one verse or communed with the Father all day!  Instead of addressing this reality with a nonchalant attitude, let us seek to redeem the time.  One of the best ways to do this is to make time with the Lord the top priority of our lives and schedule everything else around that.  

      I would really encourage you to have time that is set apart in your day to devote to prayer and getting in the Word.  If you have a calender, schedule it in just like you would do if you had an important meeting or appointment to get to.   For me, the morning works best.   Recently, I have had to fight the challenge of faithfully keeping my time with God during the day guarded.  It seems like life starts and doesn't really stop until late at night.  Elisabeth Elliot also gives helpful insight:

"It is best to commune with  God before you commune with people.   
Your attitude toward them will arise out of your life in Him.  
Offering to God the first hour of the day is a token of consecration
 of all of our time." 

Guard it

      Whether you decide to get up at 6 am or or stay up an extra hour at night, I want to exhort you to guard that time.  It will be easy to compromise by sleeping in, texting a friend,  putting it off because you are in the middle of a game with family, have this really important school project you need to finish or a bazillion other things.  We live in a world where we are experts at being distracted and making excuses.  Just like you wouldn't miss an appointment with the president or step out in the middle to call your best buddy, don't treat your time with God lightly.  Here are so ways to help limit or remove distractions: 

• Remove all devices from the premise (includes phones, computers, ipods or anything that might beep or ring at you:)
• Have a notepad handly.  If something you need to remember comes to mind, write it down and lay it aside. 
• Have a water bottle handy.  If you like to pray out loud, you might get thirsty. 
• Shut your self in a closet.  I'm serious.  Find a tucked away, small, enclosed space where you can find peace and quite away from the hussle and bussle of everyday business.  
• Anything that is distracting you, remove it. 
• Remember what is most important. (prioritize) 

     While you might need to remove some things that would cause distraction, here are some things you might consider as tools, helping to make your time focused and effective.

• Your Bible.  The one with a front and back cover and lots of pages in between. Although many people have the Bible on their devices, you need to be familiar with your copy of God's Word.
•  A highlighter or pen or underlining or making a verse or jotting down thoughts as you read.
• A prayer journal.
• A list of prayer request or praises.  Note: It can be extremely helpful to write down what you want to pray about.  It helps keep your mind focused and on track.
• Peaceful music. For some people it is helpful to have music playing while praying or reading.  I have found this great podcast called Music to Pray By.  You can also access it on itunes.  

Comfort or Conformity?

     When you get on your knees to pray, you have just entered a battle.  Paul Washer says that the devil trembles when even the weakest Christian starts to pray.  This battle is a spiritual one and it is one that must be fought.  But it is also a battle that will cost you.  One of the greatest temptations you will face when you start to engage combat is compromising for comforts sake.  Don't take the path that is easier.  Are you willing to live for comfort at the cost of conformity to Christ or are you among the few that says, no matter what it costs me whether it be time, resources, sleep, fun or my very sweat and blood, I am willing to give it all to Him.  Your success at fighting the battles in the world through evangelism, counseling, serving or standing strong against temptation will be dependent on how much you sought the Lord.  It's hard to serve a Captain you don't communicate with and you don't seek instruction from.  It's going to be hard.  But stand strong. 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might."

Ephesian 6:10

     Dear sister, the biggest key to having successful time in God's Word is your heart.  Do you know Him and how much He is worthy of your time, thoughts and attention?  Do you desire Him and seek after Him as the pearl or great price?  Or is God's Word stale and times of prayer boring?  I want to encourage you, "draw near to God and He will draw near to you." (James 4:8)  Seeking the Lord is hard work and there are time when we don't feel like doing it or like our prayers are doing anything.  Don't base your life and devotion to Christ on feeling but rather on faith.  And how do you walk by faith in this area of your life?  You pursue Him faithfully.  

 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 

Wednesdays in the Word: Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean

on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge

Him, and He will make straight your paths. 

Thankfulness: A way of Life

"It is always possible to be thankful for what is given, rather than resentful 

over what is withheld. One or the other becomes a way of life." 

- Elizabeth Elliot -

A True Hero

     When we think of heroes and heroines we often think of those who display superhuman power, exhibit fearless courage in the face of life and death situations and save countless innocent lives.  While Marvel has created many animated heroes, God has raised up real men and women who, through the supernatural aid of Christ, have impacted this world more than Superman ever could.  One of those unsung heroes is Elisabeth Elliot. 

     Like so many greats of the faith, Elisabeth's life started with humble beginnings.  Born to missionary parents who served in Belguim, Elisabeth made her entrance into the world on December
21, 1926.  She was one of six children with one sister and four brothers.
     When the time came to go to college she decided to study classical Greek which would allow her to work as a Bible translator.  It was during her college years attending Wheaton, that she met Jim Elliot, a handsome young man with a contagious smile.  Upon meeting him, it didn't take long for Elisabeth to note his love for the Lord and his passion to serve Him wholeheartedly.  After getting to know each other, it soon became apparent to Jim that if he was to marry, Elisabeth would be his bride.  The key word in that sentence is if.  Because of Jim's desire to walk in complete obedience to Christ to the disregard of his own will or plans, his proposal to Elizabeth was unusual.  He loved Elisabeth but he knew that God was calling him to singleness.  For how long, he did not know but what he did know was that He must obey. 
      During the proceeding five years, God showed himself faithful to both Elisabeth and Jim and in His timing He brought them together.  After years of study and prayerfully seeking the Lord individually, God lead both of them to serve Him in Ecuador.  In 1953, Elisabeth Howard and Jim Elliot were married, no longer to serve the Lord as singles but now as a married couple.
      When Jim learned about a hostile native tribe in Ecuador, who had not been reached, his interest was peaked.  Again, Jim felt the the call of
God on his heart and decided he must work to bring the gospel to these people.  Along with four other men, a plan was birthed.  This plan would lead to the murder of all five men of God who willingly and freely dedicated their lives to the Lord for His service.  In January 1956, when Jim and Elisabeth's daughter, Valerie, was 10 months old, Elisabeth's husband went to be with his Savior.
     We often wonder why when it seems like the plans of the righteous are thwarted.  This incident could have left 28 year old Elisabeth bitter at God, but instead she simply chose to trust her Lord.  Along with the other women who were widowed,  her response was this:

"We just felt that God was in the whole thing, and there wasn’t anything that 

had happened that was not in the Providence of God.”

      

     With what seemed like a closed door, Elisabeth, along with her daughter, returned to her work with the Quichua Indians for two years.  During this time she met two Auca women whom she saw as her key to unlocking the closed door that kept her from returning the hate of the men who killed her husband and fellow missionaries with the love of Christ and the gospel.  Elisabeth was able to return to the Auca tribe and sow the seeds of the gospel on the ground that had been prepared through her husband's shed blood.  God has done great things and the savage is now her kinsman.  

Elizabeth with Valerie and some Indian women

     After serving the tribe for two years, she returned to her work with the Quichua tribe and remained there until 1963 when she returned to the U.S.   But her ministry didn't stop upon setting her feet on American soil.  

      Elisabeth continued to walk in obedience to the Savior she loved as she lived a life that was tethered to the truth.  Both through her writing and radio program, Gateway to Joy, Elisabeth has and continues to impact the lives of many.  She has written 20 books and her radio program aired for 13 years and was a predecessor to Revive Our Hearts.  God has used this woman, who was completely yielded to Him, greatly.  

     As for family life, Elisabeth raised Valerie and was joined in marriage to Addison Leitch until he passed away in 1973 due to cancer.  I guess she was just such a good catch that upon swimming back into the singles pool it didn't take long for her to get hitched again, this time to Lars Gren making her name really Elisabeth Howard Elliot Leitch Gren.  

     After years of dedicated service to Jesus Christ, Elisabeth finally got to meet Him face to face this past Sunday, June 14th.  I am sure she heard the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."  While we mourn the loss of a soldier we rejoice in the addition of a witness. She is a true hero of the faith.  She has gone before. May we follow in the steps of her example.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

(Glory to God alone!)

Who's On Your Throne?

Self is a tight lock.  I see many decent sinners who are in spiritual prison

because their self is on the throne of their hearts, and Jesus is on the 

cross.  What liberation comes when Jesus cleanses their hearts with 

His blood and comes to the throne, and self goes on the cross!

- Corrie ten Boom

Born to be a Leader, Called to be a Follower

Not what God has in mind

    The world is looking for leaders.  They search for those who will save us from our political woes, introduce new ideas to aid in a promising future or lead the way in a landslide of  immorality and temporary pleasure.
   The Christian culture is also looking for leaders. Youth pastors, conference speakers and big name authors all frantically seek to raise up a generation of young people who will rise above the norm (by living a moral life, giving us the hope that Christianity might again become attractive and draw the general populous to "the church".)  If you are between the age of 15-25, the world and your Christian patriarchs offer to you the challenge of rising to leadership. However, the question I want to present to you is not will you rise to the call? but will you follow Christ?
     Like it often does, Christ's call upon your life diverges greatly from the message of the masses.

    

"And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself 

and take up his cross daily and follow me."

- Luke 9:23 -

      "Follow me" is the most repeated phrase in all of the gospels.  When Jesus calls people to Himself, He isn't asking them to becomes political leaders, societal reformers or the Olympic star of their day.  God's kingdom isn't built upon the principle that the person with the biggest fan club wins.  In essence, what Christ is saying in this verse is, "I am the Lord.  I am the Leader.  Will you follow me?"   The gospel message isn't a message of self promotion but rather one of self demotion as we follow Christ no matter what he cost.

     I find it surprising that Paul, the "super apostle" if you will, never called himself a leader.  If anyone had the right to claim this title it should have been him but instead he gives himself the titles of bond-servant, slave, nothing and prisoner for Christ Jesus.  It seems to me that Paul followed Christ's command in Matthew 23:11, which states:

"And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.  Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ."

The greek word for instructor can also be translated teacher, master or leader.  Even in Paul's humble introductions he reminders his readers that there is only one Leader and Teacher.  At the core of Paul's life was Christ and it was his greatest joy to point others to the Leader he followed.  Paul was an effective "leader" because he was a submitted follower.
  

"Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk 

according to the example you have in us."

Philippians 3:17

    When we set our sights on being a leader, we have misplaced our aim.  Frustration, disappointment or pride and arrogance are often the reward we bring home from the hunt when we attempt in our own power or strength to be the leader that only Christ can be.  Our aim must be on following Christ with absolute abandon and surrender.  Some may cheer and others may ridicule but isn't it enough to live for the applaud of our King?  

"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, 

leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps."

1 Peter 2:21 

       One of my life verses is 1 Timothy 4:12:

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an 

example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

     This verse does not say "lead the believers" or "tell the believers what to do" but rather, Paul commands young Timothy to set them an example.  In God's kingdom the greatest is the servant (Matthew 23:11), the humble is exalted (Matthew 23:12) and favor is given to the lowly (Proverbs 3:34).   "He must increase but I must decrease" (John 3:30).  As you follow Christ's example you will also set an example for those around you.  It is up to God to determine who and how many will be effected by your example.  In "exampleship" Christ is the focus, He determines the effectiveness and in the end, God gets all the glory.  So I encourage you, look to the example you have in Christ and follow Him.  Only when we follow hard after Christ will the example we set be worth following because ultimately it won't be us that others follow but Christ as our lives point to Him.   

Coming Back Soon...

I will be taking a little excursion over the next few days as my mom and I head off to Colorado.  Unfortunately I ran out of time to write a blog post but I will be back next week! 
Keep pursuing the goal,
Kayla

Kindling for a Full Life

"God, I pray thee, light these idle sticks of my life, that they may burn for thee.

Consume my life, my God, for it is thine.  I seek not a long life

but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus. 

- Jim Elliott -