Establishing a Confident Heart (Hope Verse #1: Psalm 57:7)

In the next few months, I will be sharing verses that have brought me hope. Read why.

My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. 

No wonder I can sing your praises! Psalm 57:7

This is not the first verse that I had in mind for this hope challenge; however, it's the a verse that ended up being on my heart while I was writing this morning.

Sometimes I let my idea of the "picture-perfect" future completely rule my mind. Do you do that too? Lately I've been terrified of the mere thought of interviewing for jobs. I am not the workaholic type by preference and I am definitely not the independent type by nature. I'm not the kind of girl who feels comfortable moving off to a new city by herself, but that will happen in the way-too-near future.  

I don't know where I want to live or where I want to work-- but most of all I don't know where I'll actually end up living and working. I don't know if what will happen will be what I really want. 

Basically, I am not afraid that I won't get a job, but I fear that I won't like it. To be completely honest, being a 9-5 business professional was never how I envisioned my future. I knew it would happen one day, but I did not expect it to happen so soon! Wherever I am supposed to live is up to God. Perhaps I am supposed to be somewhere far away from my home.. or even my "home away from home." If that is the case, I need to be obedient.

Where is God calling you that you may not want to go? Maybe this isn't a job-related thing for you at all. Perhaps it's a short-term mission trip, a choice to end a relationship, or a step in vulnerability to try something new.

I feel like the very things that I do not want to do are the very things that I'm supposed to do. Sometimes God wants us to push ourselves through discomfort- meaning, God will let us be uncomfortable. That does not sound very nice, but it is the complete truth. How else can we be stretched and challenged? 

The unknown is scary; however, it should not hold us back. I do not know what my future holds; however, I do know that God will not let me fall. Fearing that the absolute worst case scenario will happen to me is like fearing that God does not completely have control of my life. What a shame it is to view God in that way.

Instead of letting fears take-over your mind, focus on who God really is. There are things that I may not be equipped to do, but I know that God will continue to equip me. In moments where I am doubtful, I know that I can be confident in my God. Truth be told, He has never taken me through something that I ended up resenting Him for. Once I start allowing my confidence to fall into His ability instead of my own, that fear that I have will be turned into joy (hence, "no wonder I can sing your praises.")

Ask God to help your heart be more confident in Him.

25 Scriptures for the Hopeless [Introduction]

I'll be the first to admit that hearing about the struggles of those in 3rd world countries does not really tug at my heart strings like it should. For that, I feel awful. I've even been to Africa, and at the time I came home without the desire to ever return.

Yesterday in convocation Vernon Brewer from World Help came back for his yearly visit. Hearing about the struggles of people in Iraq and Syria did not make me feel sad like it may have for some. Instead, I felt sick.

I am a 21 year old American girl who is pampered, fat, and distracted like the rest of America. My biggest concern right now is what I will be doing post-graduation. I'm not running for my life. I'm not searching for food or mourning over the loss of a loved one. 

I'm the typical American who will be in a bad mood because she ran out of her Girl Scouts Somoa coffee creamer and has to use soymilk instead (gross). I'm the girl who's anxious to get her highlights touched up since her roots are growing out. I'm the student who is complaining that she needs more free time so she can just watch Netflix and eat pizza rolls.

No wonder a lot of people in other countries think we Americans are absolutely ridiculous.

I've been through difficult situations before; however, I'm okay. I have a home that I can rest in. I have nutritious food to keep me healthy. I have a strong support system. Those are the basics, but I have all of the extras too. I have plenty of things to keep me busy and entertained. But there are people who do not even have a safe place to live. There I was... listening to someone advocate for those in need, and I did not care as much as I should have. How pathetic and selfish. I must not see the reality of what is happening right now in the Middle East.

Something that Brewer said that stuck with me is this, 

"The distinguishing mark of Christianity is hope." 

We have it so good here in America, but everyone everywhere needs hope. 

People always often say things like, "I know what I'm going through is not as big as others, but..." Honestly I want to stop them because what people go through may not be big in the whole scale of things, but it is big to them, and that is important.

I've been through my fair share of heartbreak, pain, and fear. The least I can do to help people is encourage them through what I've learned. Although I can pray for those stuck in the Iraq/Syria mess and I can donate to WorldHelp, I truly feel that those two things are not as much as I can give. There are people right here in America who are lost and broken, and those people are more in reach.

I've decided to share 25 verses that have brought me hope through my own difficult times. I will have 25 posts coming through in the next couple of months that will hopefully encourage you right where you're at. Stand by.. post number 1 will be up tomorrow!

Verse 1:  Psalm 57:7- Establishing a Confident Heart

The Art of Attaining Joy: The Focus and The Sacrifice

Since the start of the semester, I've been keeping myself pretty busy. Seventeen credit hours, two jobs, and contributing to ScryptWriter have taken a huge part of my focus in 2014. This year has been a battle with my schedule as I try to learn what works best for my needs. 

As a Christian, being intentional about setting aside time for God everyday is something I've always had to work on as life has a way of staying interesting. With different responsibilities thrown in my direction, I am called to manage my time in a way that will honor the Lord. Some days are harder than others. I hate to admit that sometimes I'd rather choose Breaking Bad season 3 over spending time in the bible.

We hear the common sermon about how joy is not a result of good things, but joy is a choice. I've heard it preached in many different settings. Halfway through the semester, I was on a mission to discover how to have a joyous mindset when I didn't feel like it was possible.

How do you choose joy when you're tired at the crack of dawn? How do you choose joy when you have to pay for car maintenance instead of new clothes? And how do you choose joy when all of your professors assign time-consuming projects in the same week? I couldn't always find the answer to these questions. Asking the Lord to change my mindset helped sometimes, but... not always. What I did not realize was that I was not meeting God half-way with this plead. 

How was I cheating myself of this joy, you may ask? Let me be clear that this post is not another "read your bible everyday" type of thing. I think that sermon is starting to get old as it's not really the solution we need to encourage us during our dry spells. Dear pastor, WE KNOW.

Though it is beneficial for us to engage our relational God on the daily, I'm not recommending that you do so in the way that you may assume. Just simply saying, "read your bible" isn't a full solution.

Instead, I'm asking you to sacrifice something. We can read our bibles everyday and not truly feel much different as our hearts may not be focused. I'm suggesting that you try something new and different with your time with God.

For me and my busy schedule, sleep is honestly the most valuable thing that I could think of. I've gotten past the point of feeling blah from missing TV time or skipping a meal because I was too tired to fix one. That happens so much that it hardly puts a little bullet in my mood anymore. But I do feel pained to wake up earlier than necessary.

Let me paint a picture of my sleeping habits and morning behavior.
First, no matter if I'm in bed early or late the night before, sleeping in until the latest possible minute is something that I have always done. This remains true on the weekends when I can sleep in for as long as I'd like.
Second, 9 times out of 10 I have to prepare myself to see people for a while before leaving my room in the morning. I can't just spring out of bed and head to the kitchen for breakfast. I have to wake up first. If I'm running late and need to get breakfast on, my poor roommates have to deal with anti-social Erika who doesn't really care to carry on a conversation. "Good morning" is all that I have to give. Anything more than that is draining. Mornings aren't normally my favorite.

5 Ways To Transform Yourself Into A Morning Person

But God has placed it on my heart to be up an hour or two earlier everyday to have my devotional time.

So instead of sleeping in, I get my morning coffee (and Girl Scouts Caramel and Coconut creamer), bible, and journal. After doing this for 2-3 weeks straight, I have noticed a change in my life. The more I seek God in times that I don't want to, the more joy he gives me that day for my obedience.

 After spending time with God, I'm suddenly a nicer and happier person. I talk to random people (so out of my introverted comfort zone), and I feel more positive throughout the day.  I care about people more than usual. I am going to be the least encouraging to others when I'm not taking care of my own needs. My "God need."

I believe that this blessing of joy from God is a direct result of sacrifice. Sleep may not be something too difficult for you to give up, but it sure is for me. I want to encourage you to give something up to teach yourself to place God at the top of your priorities. It is harder for God to use us when we are not training ourselves to keep him first. The very essence of choosing joy is choosing Jesus.

"For the joy of the Lord is your strength" Nehemiah 8:10

What is something that you can give up to show God that you're willing to put him above the things you value?

On the Bright Side...

This morning started off with two cups (oops) of a chilled mock-Pumpkin Spice latte that my sister made. I usually don't drink coffee everyday... or hardly at all. However, any kind of mixed Starbucks drink is perfection.

 I don't know what it is about mornings that make them so refreshing. Perhaps it is the quiet, stillness of their nature that is so divine. A time of uninterrupted reflection.

 Lately my mind has been learning the importance of positive thinking. We're always told to keep positive; however, I don't think we're always told why we should.

I am a very opinionated person, and I usually let my mind roam free to all possibilities. Not only do I do this in order to think of multiple scenarios, but I do this to protect myself in regards to people and their motives. 

I have been convicted lately about this habit because it does not produce goodness. Philippians 4:8 has been on my mind this past week,. 

Be Evident

                                  "Let your gentleness be evident to all."

Philippians 4:5

Sometimes my human nature takes delight in putting people in their place. I don't exactly know why, but when appropriate I am guilty of handing out serious reality checks when others are out of line. When my bluntness is not done out of love and respect, this is not godly character at all.

I just finished an excellent book called “Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions” by Lysa TerKeurst. The title speaks for itself, but Lysa wrote a lot of biblical truths that will forever remain treasures for my soul. 

What to Expect When You're Expecting

Well readers, we won't be discussing pacifiers, diapers, bibs, and cribs in this post. Sorry for any disappointment. And no, I am not expecting. Y'all were probably preparing yourself for some juicy gossip. Am I mean?

Handling

   I believe that the Lord allows our world to be shaken up to remind us that we don't make the rules. It's not a cruel game. It's not a form of punishment. It's a way to renew our minds. A way to condition our strength. 

Think of this passage in John 9.

Chasing the Wind

Do you ever get so drained that you just stop and look back at everything you ever dreamed of... or wanted.... or deemed important... and you realize that these things aren't as important as you realized?

I feel like this happens to me all of the time, and perhaps in the peak of my breaking points. I look back in frustration at my present priorities or my perception of things, and suddenly Ecclesiastes is ringing in my ears. A lot of people find Ecclesiastes depressing. I enjoy reading it, and it brings me peace.

Today, as I was overwhelmed and frustrated, my mind wandered back to this verse: 

The Weight of Waiting

Emily Burger Designs

Confidence, Confidence

"For the Lord will be your confidence

    and will keep your foot from being caught." 

Proverbs 3:26

Admirable confidence is the blend of being kind, content, and determined. There are times in my life where I am one of these things or maybe two of them, but it is difficult to be all three without God.

The only times in my life where I am all three of these definitions is when I look to God for that strength- not myself. I know that His guidance will never fail me. So when I look to him, I know I will choose the right decisions by His direction. I know that I will be more willing to love others. I know that I will be content with what He has given me and not compare my blessings with what He has given others. 



Confidence is needed when...
   
 a. you're fearful
 b. you're doubtful or faithless
 c. you're self-demeaning
 d. you're not being challenged
 e. you're trying new things
 f. you're dealing with people
 g. you're relying on yourself

When I was in middle school and early high school, I definitely was not confident. Mostly because I was new and did not know anyone. I wasn't familiar with the flow of things. That age is just an awkward time for a lot of people... specifically girls and their over-bearing eyeliner. 

But once I knew who God was and how God made me, I became strong. I knew what I liked, I knew what I didn't, I knew my strengths, I knew my weaknesses, I knew what was right and wrong, I knew why my beliefs were important, and I didn't let peoples' opinions dictate my life. I knew what I stood for and I wasn't afraid to share it. I wasn't afraid of what people thought, but I was learning to appreciate them for their differences too. I knew I made mistakes and that it was okay to be imperfect. I also knew that God was still working in me (I didn't have it all figured out).

The confidence that was growing in me had nothing to do with the people I knew. Or the people that liked me. Or getting used to high school.   For all of those examples above..

I knew WHY all of these things stood true. THEN, I was confident. 

I knew why I was weak or strong. I knew why I liked or didn't like certain things. I knew why my beliefs were important. I knew why God loves me.

And now, petty things don't stand in my way. And I am independent from the emotional slavery that holds a lot of people back. 

We need to be filling our hearts and minds with His standards. That way, we know them and we know Him. As Paul says, we need to conduct ourselves as citizens of heaven (Phil1&3). Definitely one of my favorite ideas right now. It makes so much sense. I am not of this world. I was born in it, but I do not belong to it. So.. why act like it? 

Confidence is knowing who you are and not needing anyone's confirmation to be successful or satisfied. I am a citizen of Heaven, and I only need God's approval. However, confidence can turn into arrogance. And yes Christians, it is possible to be spiritually pompous. That's where it gets dangerous. Who's the glory going to?  Self reliance cannot be greater than reliance on God. Nor can praise. That sets you up for trouble.

Are you proud of your spiritual revelations?

Do you feel above others for your gifts (spiritual or natural)?

Are you complete by the praise you get from serving and giving?

Does your joy come from your excessive church involvement?

Even more obvious, are you thrilled by your name being known?

We all fall into these traps here and there. It is so like the devil to twist what is supposed to be good into something selfish. 

Remember:

"Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, 

but our sufficiency is from God." 

2 Corinthians 3:5

Here's another place where it gets tricky... just look at that verse... "our sufficiency is from God"... Then you ask, "Are spiritual gifts not from God? Are serving opportunities not from God?" Well, they are... but are they God? No. We mix that up sometimes. Another sneaky play on words is when someone says, "Oh no, do not give me the credit"... but they know that internally they want it. Facades are very detectable from other people as well. Through everything you do, remember Who it is for, and remember Who has helped you. Be genuine. I've heard people say, "my biggest struggle is caring/serving too much". Maybe that would be a great answer in a job interview. But, let's not play that card anymore.  

"Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. 

Never be wise in your own sight." 

Romans 12:16

Confidence is not lasting when we view it as a result of our works or our ideas. The enemy can twist the confidence that God wants us to have in Him... into confidence in our achievements by Him. I consider myself to be very confident and I feel that this is something that God has had to work on in me, not something I achieved for myself. It also wasn't something that I became acclimated to solely based on growing up. But my confidence grew when I started understanding and chasing after what truly matters, and not letting what does not matter hinder me.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." 

James 1:17

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things"

Colossians 3:2

So who are you, and why?

Why Judging Others is Stupid

Well, I can be the first to admit that I'm probably the most opinionated and blunt woman in the world. I try not to make judgmental opinions. But that often happens. The worst part about that? I naturally don't care if my bluntness bothers others. 

Also, I have a "someecards" account and a lot of my ideas come from opinions.. and often.. judging. OOPS.

Anyways, when we look at someone else and think "ope, they sure are blah blah blah".. Do you realize what we are doing?

We are comparing people to our own standards. And do you know what that does? That sneakily tricks us into thinking that we are as white as snow. Without fault. The better person. Self-righteous.

But you know what? Jesus never sinned, therefore He is the only one who truly is as white as snow. He is the standard. We are not. Not even close. He will judge fairly, but we will not.

So when judging people, I have made the excuses in the past, "well it helps me to remember what not to do!" or "it gives me a visual of what these people look like while they are doing what they are doing.. so I can keep myself checked".... uh huh...

Really though, judgment is a sneaky killer. It builds egos and honestly, develops false opinions.

So, now that this topic has been spoken of in multiple settings by multiple people, a reminder is always necessary. At least for me.


"For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:2

"Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37

What are you doing that pleases society but not God?

This is a loaded question. It requires lots of thinking. Because clearly, we do not notice these things that we do, and if we did notice we would be working to be obedient. :)

The other day I was thinking of the sins that I don't realize I do. If I were to have the idea in my head that I knew every time I sinned, that would infer that my human flesh was weak ONLY by choice and not by birth. That would suggest that I had some sort of control over my sin and that I was sinless because I had felt that I was making the right choices.

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8

Well, we sin by choice and we sin by birth. There are sins we know we do, and there are sins we don't know we do. This is another place where the Holy Spirit is needed.

Galatians got me thinking about this topic. 

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:6-7,10

What parts of the gospel do you have twisted? 

A very, very wise preacher from Knoxville, (one of my personal favorites, actually) advises Christians this: "Preach the gospel to yourself everyday" -Greg Pinkner

I mean really, if we are serious about answering God's call- why wouldn't we? The routine would be there to remind us that we are sinners (helps poke the selfish side of us) and would be fresh in our minds if it comes up in conversation with a non-believer.


I know that as time goes on, society will keep looking at Christians more and more negatively. "Oh, you don't agree with that? I'm not surprised." or "Sigh, you don't agree with anything that I agree with"

And honestly, the Christians who know the Word are going to be judged and scoffed at more than ever before. These Christians don't fall for the "comfort food" that people who limit God and don't know God.. pass out. "Christians are so strict", they'll say. 

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power." 2 Timothy 3:1-5a

I already see this in our society. I already see this in the church. I already see this in myself. But, by firm faith in the Holy Spirit's power we can overcome our fleshly desires. I think that if people can not recognize any of those above sins in themselves, they can at least recognize that every sin's root is "lovers of self". 

Now, when non-believers think "sins" are not so bad... what I want to ask them when I look at 2 Timothy.. or even the 10 Commandments...
What good comes from these actions? What benefits? 

Even if they do not believe in God. So you love money? Look what that will do to your family. So you are ungrateful? That will get you no where. The Devil makes everyone (saved or not saved) justify actions with ridiculous excuses. And because we are so self-focused.. internally minded... we miss that. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to see. 

So what sins slip behind your back? 

What in the Word have you over-looked? 

As you ask yourself these questions, ask God to convict you for the sneaky sins. As you notice them, you will only grow.

You Can Lose Your Salvation: Bible Evidence

This is a touchy subject. I am not going to write a lot of stuff about this topic. If anyone has any questions I would be happy to answer to the best of my ability. But throughout 2011 and 2012... every time I found a verse that spoke of the ability to lose salvation I would add it to my list of verses. These are the verses I have found. 


"Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." Mark 13:13

"On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness'." Matthew 7:22-23

"Repent, all of you who forget me,
    or I will tear you apart,
    and no one will help you." Psalm 50:22

"My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins" James 5:19-20


"Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. (*blaspheming reference) For we know the one who said,“I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:26-31

"And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.” But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. Hebrews 10:38-39

“I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven,  but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” Mark 3:28-29

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

*Remember that believe is an action. Therefore, you must continue believing to have eternal life. If I breathe just once in my life, I won't keep breathing and then live from that one breath of air.

"You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.  Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror." James 2:19







"If you can continue to live in sin and feel no conviction then you do not have the spirit of God in you" -Clayton King

Some Thoughts I Wish I Would've Remebered in the Past

     "Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil" James 3:16. 
-I like the saying that jealousy comes from counting someone else's blessings instead of your own. There have been times when I have seen someone's blessings, and I become selfish by being jealous that I was not "good enough to deserve such a benefit". Jealousy and selfishness are twins. 

    "But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy" James 3:17. 
-There is so much to aspire to be in this verse. Pure: good, clean, kind. Peaceful: mediator, calm, optimistic. Gentle: soft, soothing, honest nicety.  Friendly: welcoming, inviting, uplifting, investing, caring. Compassion that come from God's word must be the foundation to these attributes or they will not be sincere. Not judging, not lying, not self-seeking, not favoring.


   "And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself" James 3:6. 
-Choose words carefully, speak honestly, speak boldly, speak truthfully, speak kindly.

    "My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance" James 2:1 GNT
   "My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?" James 2:1 NLT
-When I read this verse before, I connected the word appearance with attire. Now, I connect appearance with conduct. It is difficult for me to have empathy for people who cry for attention. Because of people in my past, my first response is to avoid these people.. in that way they give me the least amount of trouble. A common thread between these people is that they are usually never satisfied and they tend to suck the life out of people they want the attention from. 
I know I favor "normal" people over these people who cry for attention.. I have had such bad experiences with people like this in my life that I have a habit of writing them off as crazy. Honestly, a lot of them have been. But, not all are. Crazy or not, favoring others over these people is still ungodly.

James has always been one of my favorite books of the bible. It's only five chapters, but it's deep. When I read James again, it always seems like there is something in James I have forgotten.

The Separation

Today i was reading in Acts and my brain focused on this passage:

"After some time Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.'  Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work."

*"Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated."     Acts 15:36-39


I don't remember where I heard this sermon before, but it has stayed with me. These two disciples Paul & Barnabas disagreed on something heavily. They probably argued about their different opinions as anyone else would. The scriptures don't say if their disagreement ended well for the friendship of these Christians or not, but the word sharp has got to mean something significant. Either way they chose to separate because obviously their disagreement was distracting enough to have an impact on more important things.

When you read more through this chapter and the next, you see documents of  what they are doing a part. However, this verse is awesome:

"So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day." Acts 16:5

CLEARLY, despite the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, good things came from their separation.  Why? Because they continued to put God first in their lives and not focus on petty opinions.

Barnabas could have focused on Paul's reasoning for not wanting to include John Mark, and he let that get in the way of his ministry. Who knows- maybe Barnabas thought that Paul was not being forgiving of John Mark for not finishing up his work. Maybe Barnabas thought Paul wasn't being "godly enough". 

On the opposite end, maybe Paul thought John Mark did not see the importance of their work in a way that would upset Paul and cause him to make poor decisions. Maybe Paul thought that John Mark was a bad influence on Barnabas. Maybe Paul thought John Mark's faith was on a different maturity level from other leaders and did not personally think he was ready.

There are all sorts of opinions and reasons that could go with this situation. However, they do not matter. The point is that there was no convincing Paul and there was no convincing Barnabas. Therefore, the wise decision was to depart. 

The boundaries here did not mean that Barnabas hated Paul or that Paul hated John Mark. The boundaries did not mean that Paul and Barnabas would never speak again or be friends (I'm unsure of what happens next in the story... perhaps if i find out i'll blog about it). The boundaries just show that both of these Christians recognized that they had different opinions and emotions that they would not allow to taint their testimonies.

"Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster" Proverbs 17:19

There are times when boundaries are pretty necessary. People who do not have them are only hurting themselves. I think as Christians we sometimes think that if we separate from a friend or disagree with another believer, that we are sinning or being unkind. That's definitely not true. Our attitude towards those we disagree with has got to be controlled. When we disagree with someone so deeply that it hurts us and affects us, separation is a wise idea. However, treating that person like they don't exist or like we don't care about them is wrong. We need to be real with people. We need to be kind to people. And we need to respect ourselves.

Why Shouldn't We?

Last week I was finishing up my reading in Mark, and a certain few verses have been stuck in my mind ever since. This is when Jesus rose from the dead, right before he was going back to heaven. Mark 16:15-16 is the great commission. However, in verses 17-18, Jesus said,

"These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: 

They will cast out demons in my name, 

and they will speak in new languages. 

They will be able to handle snakes with safety, 

and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. 

They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed."

I read these promises, and realized that many Christians, including myself, seem to forget about just how powerful the Holy  Spirit is, who is living in those who are following God. 

Do I really believe that I can cast out demons in Jesus's name?

Am I certain that I can handle snakes and drink anything poisonous without being harmed?

I want to live a life that is so empowered by the Holy Spirit, that I become careless about the judgments and criticism of this world.  I never want to get caught up in the stupidity of this temporary life again. I don't want to lose sight of the ability I have through the Holy Spirit. 

Tonight my mentor and I started talking about what the Holy Spirit can do through Christians who allow Him to work. 

Jen brought up a verse that has been on her heart lately, 

"I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms." 

Ephesians 1:19-20

When we allow the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we allow the same power that conquered death to work in us!!!

Why don't we remember that or believe that? It's so powerful.

I'm sure that once we have seen the Spirit work in our lives in such a powerful way, we'll never forget or let go of it.

A couple years ago I was limping because my knee was in pain. I was at "church camp" and all the walking did not help one bit. During worship that night, I felt a nudge from God to pray over my knee. When I prayed I said, "In the name of Jesus, please heal my knee so walking is not painful." Well guess what? As soon as I was done praying my knee was better, and walking didn't hurt anymore. I will always remember the power of that prayer and the faith that I had in that moment. 

The problem with this story is that it was a couple years ago. I don't want to ever again have to say that the last time the Spirit miraculously moved in my prayers was "years" ago. 

How can I change that? I think that the first step is to pray for more faith and discernment in my life. I think another thing I have to do is pray every morning for the Spirit to fill my heart and mold it into God's will, not mine. 

I think sometimes, I can be afraid to let God move. That sounds odd because most people are excited for Him to work. I'm not saying that I don't want him to perform miracles. I think sometimes I get in the habit of being afraid that he won't. You know, sometimes God has other plans in mind. 

That night when my knee was healed, that was in His will. Maybe, sometime if I am praying for something else, God will not answer it. So what? I should not be afraid of His Will being done. I shouldn't be afraid that I look "naive" if I believed He would but  then He didn't. 

**My prayer life should not be about believing that God will do something a certain way... it's about believing that HE CAN and HE IS ABLE, but with that being said, in the end, I only want what He wants for me because His ways are perfect. His ideas are far beyond what I can comprehend. (Psalm 23).

**" 'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the LORD. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.' " Isaiah 55:8

It is time for some change. I have known that the Holy Spirit can perform miracles through me. I've seen it in my own life and others' lives for years. Now, it is time to embrace the Spirit's power more in my life.


God has given everyone the same purpose in life but with little tweeks in the end to fit them. 
What I mean by that is.... we're all called to share the Good news of Jesus Christ and lift His name high. However, we have different callings in order to share Jesus. For me, I feel a pull to some type of girls or women's ministry in my life. My best friend feels a call to nursing and counseling. People are always called to be disciples, but God brings His people to different and unique plans that fit them personally .


With that being said, In order to go and make disciples of ALL nations, we have to be disciples of Christ first.


As a Christ follower, I need to embrace and believe in every part of the living Bible.
"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." Hebrews 4:12


I want the power of the Holy Spirit to be alive and evident in me. It's time to have full-fledged faith in the Power of God. I hope you will too. 


"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 1 Tim 1:7



If anyone has any comments or ideas.. please share!