Do Not Covet

Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. (Luke 12:15)

We don't like to think of ourselves as covetous people!!! It's not a pleasant thought, but the fact of the matter is, that we walk around every day saying "If so n' so has this thing, why can't I have it too?" At least I do! I find myself wrapped up in material things so much that I forget the glory of God...I forget to see him for who he is! Is his glory and his presence really worth trading in for material things? I think one of our greatest downfallings is that we put ourselves in boxes and beg God for earthly treasure. God wants us to rise above our selfishness to his brilliance so that he can give us eternal treasure which will last for eternity! The world tells us that our life purpose relies on what we own. The real truth however is that the kingdom of God is within us. Our purpose lies in furthering that kingdom and in doing everything we possibly can for our Savior...to keep that Kingdom pure, clean, spotless, for the Master's use! It was only a few weeks ago that God was showing me all of this...

"Lord, I know I've been here three times. I'm grateful for all you've done so far. Now I want you to show me the little things...the blind spots in my life...that are holding me back from your greatness." God must have laughed at my obliviousness. "Hannah, you are still holding onto some BIG things. How can I deal with the little ones?" I protested for several days. Clothes, music, email, cell phones, friends, all of it had to go on God's alter. Sure, I had said I had "surrendered all" but God knew the bigger picture. I was not living a life totally sold out for him. I was placing my desire for the things of the world above my hunger and thirst for Jesus Christ.
It is often painful to deal with things that we hold onto for so long. It is hard to say "Lord, you were right, I was wrong." Most of all, it is hard to go home and tell your mom and dad that you were wrong and they were right!!!!! However, it is necessary. What is more worth it...The presence of God, or the presence of earthly things? What is more important? Getting your way, or leaving the choice up to God? My story is not the only one. America's teenagers live off of this method of thinking. "How much can I get to fit into society???" It is the big world-wide question. Think on it. It's silly!

In the clip below by Eric Ludy, he explains how Jesus Christ has set out a banquet for us...but we hesitate to partake in that...why? Because we are afraid to leave behind the things that we'll have to give up for Jesus Christ. Take a few minuets and watch this and realize that God's glory, his presence, his banquet, is worth more than any earthly possession ever will be to us!



Think on these things.
Love you all!

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Honor Marriage

"For this cause shall a man leave
father and mother, and shall
cleave to his wife: and they twain
shall be one flesh?.... What therefore
God hath joined together, let no man
put asunder."
Matthew 19:5-6


When we (I) as a single young person look at this Command, we sometimes think, this is not for me. As I was studying this Command the Lord showed me this verse;
"She will do him good and not
evil all the days of her life."
Proverbs 31:12
It does not say, when you get married, but All the days of her (his) life. That means, that we should be preparing ourselves for that one person that God has for us.

Another way that the Lord showed me how to apply this Command as a young person is to Him. How do I apply Honor Marriage to my relationship with God? Doesn't the Bible give us Jesus' relationship with the church ( all believers), as an example on how we are to treat our spouse? "Submitting yourselves one to
another in the fear of God.
Wives submit yourselves unto
your own husbands, as unto
the Lord. For the husband is
the head of the wife, even as
Christ is the head of the church:
and he is the saviour of the body.
Therefore as the church is subject
unto Christ, so let the wives be to
their own husbands in every thing.
Husbands, love your wives even as
Christ also loved the church, and
gave himself for it; That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of the water by the word.
That he might present it to himself
a glorious church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing; but
that it should be holy and without
blemish." Ephesians 5:21-27
Wow! What an example we have to follow!
May God bless each and everyone of us to be pure and blameless before Him!
Jordin

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Honor Your Parents

My heart was heavy for a friend of mine as I heard the news about her husband's death. A newly married young woman in her early 20's now found herself in a position she never desired: a mother of a bright young boy but widow of a man who committed suicide. I was serving at IBLP's headquarters when I heard the sad news, and after explaining the situation to Mr. Gothard, was surprised when he said, "Rejoice!" Rejoice... rejoice when my dear friend is suffering? "Rejoice," he counseled, "that God's Word is being proven to be true." Ephesians 6:2 and 3 say,

"Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."

Indeed, God's Word was being proven to be true. As much as my heart went out to my friend, I also recognized that she had not honored her parents, but had, in fact, rebelled against their authority and counsel, and married this man against their wishes. The blessing of God can not rest on one who has rejected the very ones God has provided to protect her.- it would be unjust for God to cause to prosper one who has thrust himself outside of the umbrella of authority and into the whelms of the world!

There is hope for someone in this situation, though. God

is merciful, and will forgive anyone

who is repentant and aligns their life back into harmony with the principles that have been laid out in the Bible. Mary Magdalene, the Prodigal Son and Jonah are all examples of this.

We can not look at every trial someone goes through and assume it is because they have not honored their parents-- John 16:33 says, "In the world ye shall have tribulation:". It is good, rather, to examine our own lives, as often our trials are brought on by our own foolishness; foolishness that could have been avoided had we had embraced the Scriptures. It is an incredible blessing to have a mother and father to help us lead a God-honoring life and avoid the pitfalls of one void of understanding. I am deeply thankful that my parents have chosen the route of homeschooling in order to protect and shelter me from harming influences, and who seek the Lord on my behalf. Parents that I have the privilege of going to with a transparent heart when I am struggling, that I might benefit from their wisdom and protection. God will lead through parents, even though they are imperfect.

Soon enough, we may be responsible for the rearing up of our own children. How do we want them to respond to our counsel? Are we responding that way to our own parents? Proverbs 10:1 says, "A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother." The responsibilities only increase as a man or woman gets older. Why, then, would we add to the burden our parents bear by erring from the way that is right?

III John 1:4 says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." I believe every Christian parent could add a hearty amen to this verse! Let us strive to make a "glad father" by obeying the first commandment with promise:

"Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."

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Hear God's Voice

This seems perhaps like a funny command. "Hear God's voice? He doesn't talk out loud!", some of you might say. True, we often don't have the privilege of hearing God's voice in the same way Isaiah did:

"Also, I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" (Is 6:8)

Actually, we have the priviledge of hearing God's voice through our spirits. Through Christ's death on the cross, we have free and unlimited access to the holy of holies...God's dwelling place. Unlike Isaiah who had to experience the voice of the Lord FOR the people, each one of us can individually experience the voice of God and hear his message for our lives. How???

Not too long ago, I was praying and I suddenly remembered hearing someone say, "Prayer is not talking to God or at God. Prayer is talking WITH God." My mind reeled. "Oh dear...will he really say something to little insignificant me?" I wondered. I was half afraid...no, I was completely afraid that he would not say anything if I were silent before him. Isn't that just like us a believers? We want to take the step of faith and yet we are too faithless to do it?! Somehow I missed that verse in James 4:8

"Draw nigh to God and he will draw night to you."

Faith is throwing both arms up and saying "God, I believe you. Take me. I am yours...faith is in essence, a very important aspect of surrender. One does not give themselves fully to something or someone unless they have faith...TRUST in that thing! God has been demanding trust from me lately in a very real and sometimes uncomfortable way. It is causing me to hear him clearly though. We will not hear the voice of the Lord for the little things we want answers for until we trust him in the big things he demands we know.

Anyways, back to my faith experience...I got down on my knees and I decided to just be quiet. Don't you laugh when you think of God telling you to just shut up a second so he can get a word in edge wise? I do...I think God has a sense of humor, but I also think it disappoints him when we're so wrapped up in our struggles that we won't let him take a moment to give us the answers. We want to hear God's opinion, but we're too busy talking to let him tell us what it is.

"Bow down thine ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge." (Proverbs 22:17)

God gets tired of our whining. He wants to help us get over it fully and completely!!! As I quieted myself before the Lord, he did speak. At first, it was soft, not so audible to my soul, but then it came quickly like a rushing wind. "You were created for greater works! You must trust me to know what is best for you!" I was shocked. Why? I should expect this of the God who wants a relationship with me...yet my faithlessness had made that impossible. Girls...you will never know the power of the voice of God until you stop to listen to it. It is not loud or glamorous...it is instead filled with a glory that steals in and fills all the cracks, and then takes over your life if you let it. I would challenge you. Get alone with God...let his glory cover you and overflow you. Be silent and watch the fireworks as the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart and soul. He is greater than you know...if you just take the time to get to know him!!!

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Be A Servant

Be A Servant
"But we preach Christ crucified"
1 Cor. 1:22

*Crucified (4717)~to impale on the cross; to extinguish passion or selfishness

With humble gratefulness I sit here on the evening of Good Friday. I remember the goodness of God. His Son, in servant hood of the finest quality lived and died on my behalf and yours. We've been fully reconciled to God through the crucifixion of Jesus. No longer angry with anyone, His goodness compels, it leads us to repentance. What a gift! What a God! What a Saviour! I believe!
*Believe(4100) ~to have faith, put in trust with, commit
Along with you, my heart is committed to the truth and longs to know this Servant King.

Every path walked in Christ will be one of servant hood.

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, or things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:5-11

The humble, meek Lord Jesus poured out in love His life-giving flow, His blood. Is that loving, life-giving stream channelling through me unhindered?

Selfish ambitions block Love's celestial flow through my heart.

What do I need to remove from my life in order to be more profitable to the ones I serve?

But dearest ones, it must be that we first understand the deep, abiding, unhindered love of God for us, before we even attempt to do this mighty, privileged work of serving the kingdom of heaven. Otherwise fleshly overtones pronounce our work to be for us, for results, for praise of men.

"From Me thy fruit is found." Hosea 14:8

Raised to help out (even take over when needed), to be 2nd mothers for the siblings, to say right, to do right, you and I might sometimes rely on this routine of works to keep us "doing", as if in some way to impress or perform for our "rightness" before God. What bondage! "Cumbered about with many things", anyone?! Let us love, live, and serve in joy for the righteousness Christ Jesus bought us with His precious blood rather than serving to "master mind" for merit. Serving- it is a matter of the HEART!

I bless each of you in the name of the Lord Jesus with joy in serving your neighbors and with the peace of knowing Jesus as He is.

"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time."

Special thanks to Kayla for her amazing shots of the path and water at Bon Falls!

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