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!

Read more...

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

Read more...

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."

Read more...

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!!!

Read more...

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!

Read more...

Watch and Pray II - What I Learned

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Have you ever told yourself "Tomorrow, I will do better!" I have. It seems that it is the story of my life. It seems to be an ever present shadow that makes someone feel like an utter failure...mostly because it rarely and maybe never works! Jesus tells his disciples on his last night with them, "The spirit is willing, but your flesh is weak!" Our spirits want to do the right thing. Trouble is, our flesh is too weak to carry it out. That is the reason we try so hard to "do better" and end up making a bigger mess of our day than the previous one was.

There has to be something bigger to worshiping God, than vowing in our flesh to do better in the days to come. There has to be a bigger purpose, a larger life calling, a more meaningful theme to life!!! It took me a long time to get this. It took me a long time to realize, "I can't do it on my own." Maybe we have turned back to God, and are living a life that we think is pleasing him, and yet, if we are the pilot of our plane, if we are the captain of our ship, the driver of our car, wreckage is just around the corner. So what does all of this have to do with Watching and Praying?

We are a people of common sense. What makes sense to us is often what we do. Rather, Jesus tells his disciples to seek the wisdom of God for their lives. He tells them that man looks on the outside but God sees the heart. Common sense breeds drug addicts, alcoholics, and broken marriages. It leads people to choose the only human fix to life's problems. A drunkard cannot say to God, "Well Lord, you have to understand, I was depressed and I didn't know what else to do to drown out my troubles!" Human shortcuts rarely match God's best in blessings. They are rather, a direct result of a lack of prayer, the absence of watching for where God is working and what he is doing in our life. In the context of this passage, Jesus is preparing to be crucified. His disciples are tired. What is the logical thing to do? You can't prevent the death of Christ. Why not sleep so you don't have to think about what is about to happen? It will de-stress you, refresh you, and help you avoid thinking about the problems that will arise in the morning. Jesus urged them to use that tiring time to get to know the heart of God the Father. To get acquainted with the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, so that when his physical body no longer walked the earth, they would have someone to turn to. Someone who they knew was there.

We are the new generation ladies. We have the opportunity to show a watching world what it looks like to watch and pray, and wait for the answers which come from God. When a loved one dies, we have the opportunity to show them that God's grace is sufficient. We can show them that there is joy because our loved one is with Jesus. When our parents have rules we think are too hard to bear, we have the opportunity to show the world that submission is the key to true freedom. We have the choice to obey, or suffer the consequences. It all goes back to waiting on the Lord. As we wait for him to speak, we wait on him as a waiter waits on a table. As we wait for our purpose and our calling, we busy ourselves glorifying God. We busy ourselves watching and praying, all the time knowing that God has a perfect plan and a perfect time to reveal that plan to us.

Right now, I am only hours away from flying to Chicago for another Journey. I already know what I WANT to do. I already know what I WANT to happen. I know what I think is best. But am I watching and praying for God's best? Am I fully yielded so that if my way is not his way, I can cheerfully respond? My heart wants to impact other girls for Christ. But what if God wants me to be the student and allow other girls to impact me? My heart wants God to deal with precise issues. But what if he wants to reveal something I don't want revealed? I want to be able to spend time with certain people, but what if God wants me to minister to a total stranger? Life is full of the choice to do things our way or God's way. Prayer is a key issue here. You WANT to bite back at someone who has hurt you. You WANT to send an argumentative email. You WANT to tell your parents how unreasonable you think they're being...yet, in the midst of the biggest storms, Jesus is there, calling us in almost a whisper, and asking us to obey. What is that calling? That calling in essence is an invitation to enter into the joy of the Lord. Obedience brings joy that never would have been revealed. It is like a flower that suddenly blooms when given the proper sunlight, but never would have opened without it.

Remember today as you go about your daily tasks, that you are being watched by God, by your younger siblings, by the world! You have a message. A precious story that has not yet been completed, but which has started to take glorious form. A story to tell to the nations! With God on your side, with a yielded heart and an obedient mind, you have the power to turn hearts, to free prisoners, to loose captives. Isaiah 61:1-3 sums it up beautifully.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek: he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable ear of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified!"

How little we have to give, but how much the Lord can give us if we share with others! Ladies, remember that your family is your first mission field. Love them, pour your heart into them, however difficult that may be. Strive to make your goals God-honoring, authority honoring, and honest. Strive to make your siblings your best friends. It is the little things that show them you care. If you knew how bad your little brother wanted to take a walk with you...or how badly your sister wants to share a cup of tea with you...you would be surprised. it is sometimes shocking how small of a thing can mean SO much in their lives. Use that to begin your journey, to seek, to watch, and to pray. Prepare, because you do not know when the day or the hour comes when the Son of God will again come to earth!

Read more...

Watch & Pray

Alertness is exercising my physical and spiritual senses to recognize the dangers that could diminish the resources entrusted to me.

As a Christian, we have many things of value that if we do not exercise the character quality of alertness, may be stolen from us.

What Must We Protect?

1. Our time: Time is a valuable asset that attracts many robbers. (See Ephesians 5:16.)
2. Our health: Energy and vitality will be dissipated through immoral living. (See Proverbs 5:11.)
3. Our purity: Evil men and women prey upon the unsuspecting and defile the strength and wealth of their purity. (See Proverbs 6:26.)
4. Our fellowship with God: "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God." (See Isaiah 59:2.)
5. Our family and friends: Beware of whisperers, for they separate chief friends. (See Proverbs 16:28.)
6. Our good name: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold." (See Proverbs 22:1.)
7. Our money and possessions: "A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches." (See Proverbs 11:16.)
8. Our eternal rewards: "Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (See Revelation 3:11.)

(taken from The Power for True Success)

Especially youth, who are today in a culture that seems to revolve around idolizing those few precious years, are extremely vulnerable to the temptations and vices of the world around them. Whether it be false prophets, bad company, rebellion or youthful lust, we are candidates to the strongest of temptations because as young people, we have the strength and stamina to carry out the work of Christ with energy and enthusiasm that we may never have again! Satan knows not only how shaping these years can be but how powerful they can be. What we are attempting to build, we can count on him attempting to tear down; what we are trying to protect, he is trying to destroy; what we are trying to save, he is trying to steal!

Ephesians 5:15 says, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise." Adults and youth alike, we must "guard our heart[s] with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life". Watch and pray! Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41)

Read more...