#3 The Lord Encamps Around Those Who Fear Him

April 5, 2011 One more day spent here at Training Center Yorktown, and the Lord truly blessed me with a fun time in training. During my time this morning with the Lord, I was soooooooo encouraged to read a verse from Psalm 34 saying that the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them. He is with me every moment…I am never alone! And He will deliver me. I may feel a hundred different things: fear, excitement, weakness, stress, pressure, joy, etc; but the Lord is always with me and with Him I shall do valiantly. We started out our training today with some physical training and team/leadership building games at the gym. Then we had more classes on leadership throughout the day. Now it is almost time to head to bed and get some sleep before tomorrow’s physical training test. As I close another day I am left truly amazed by the God whom I serve. He fills my heart with joy and cares so tenderly for His children. So I praise the Lord Jesus Christ for paying my sin penalty, for taking my place at the cross, and for giving me abundant life!! I do not deserve any of this, but this wonderful gift of grace is mine because of Jesus and His great love for sinners. And this is this is the message of good news I have to share. And I want to encourage all of you who also are saved by God’s amazing grace that this is the message God has called all of us to share. God has placed us in this world to encourage fellow Believers heavenward, to share the gospel and be an instrument to lead unbelievers to Christ, and for some we are the only bit of heaven they will ever know…so let us be spent today for what truly matters. Let us give these people in our lives HEAVEN on earth, showing them Christ’s love and kindness. Always remembering that the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them.

Always Be Ready!

"I am ready to burn out for God. I am ready to endure any hardship, if by any means I might save some. The longing of my heart is to make known my glorious Redeemer to those who have never heard."

-William Burns

Lost in the shadows of world missions is the story of William Burns. He is not remembered in history as a great preacher, a successful evangelist, a deep thinker, a passionate missionary, or a vibrant Christian, and although he was all of these things and more, most people do not even know who he was or what he did. Before all else, Burns was a man of prayer: persistent, persevering prayer. He spent long hours seeking the Lord in prayer. His ministry went forth as He pressed on, on his knees. The deep spring of spiritual wealth and passion that watered his ministry found its source from his precious Redeemer who had transformed Burn's life by His love. 

William Burns was born in Scotland during the year of 1815. God saved Burns early in his life and filled him with a great passion and burden for lost souls who needed to hear the Gospel. God used him as a tool in the Kilsyth Revival of 1839. Burns faithfulness to spend time with God in prayer marked his ministry and set his heart ablaze for God's glory. Scotland was turned upside down as a result of God's transforming work through a man who was committed to pray.

However Burns was not satisfied, and after laboring to proclaim the Gospel in Scotland, He decided to go as a missionary to China. A man asked Burns when he would be ready to leave for China, and his reply held no hesitancy at all:  "Now, I am ready to burn out for God. I am ready to endure any hardship, if by any means I might save some. The longing of my heart is to make known my glorious Redeemer to those who have never heard."

Burns worked alongside Hudson Taylor for a time, and they both greatly encouraged and spurred on by each others faith. Their ministry together was bathed in prayer. During days of public preaching as they declared the Gospel boldly, one would always be in constant prayer as the other preached, and then they would switch off. Taylor wrote in his journal of the impression Burns had on him, "Those happy months were an unspeakable joy and privilege to me. His love for the Word was delightful, and his holy, reverential life and constant communings with GOD made fellowship with him satisfying to the deep cravings of my heart."

Burns labored hard and relentlessly for the Lord in China. He went from town to town preaching the Gospel to all who would listen. At the age of fifty-three, Burns became terribly ill and died. His life on earth was over but his legacy and passion for the Lord echo on in history as we are spurred on today by his example.

So as my story comes to a close, here is my charge: Let us follow in his steps being completely spent for our precious Redeemer. Let us remember that Burns was not a great man who did great things, but rather that he served a great God who does great things. To follow in his steps, we must begin on our knee. We must start in prayer, continue in prayer, and end in prayer. Prayer must suround our every move, it  must be the very air we breath. For in prayer we are looking to God to fill our every need. But we must not be so easily distracted from this pursuit; we must wait and wrestle with the Lord just as Jacob wrestled with the angel. Burns longed for believers to know the same sweet fellowship that he had with the Lord, "Oh, how is it that the Lord's own people have so little perseverance? How is it that when they do enter into their place of prayer to be alone, they are so easily persuaded to be turned away empty; instead of wrestling with God to pour out His Spirit, they retire from the secret place without the answer, and submit to it as being God's will."

Burns was always ready to do whatever the Lord called him to do because he persevered in prayer. Let us also be faithful to pray and spend our time seeking the Lord. O may God use us to turn the world upside down as we live our lives with Him in constant prayer.

One Life

One Life
December 5, 2010



I find that all too often, which is almost all of the time, we spend our lives in a fantasy world of our own making; as though we were building castles in the sands of time only to find that they will all too soon be swept away once the tides of reality come in. Life is only a vapor and it will soon fade away like the last rays of the sun before it finally sets below the horizon and is hidden from sight and darkness falls. We only have but one life to live on this earth, and it will soon be over.


So as I think over this reality, that God has placed me here on this earth for such a short time to declare His praise and live for Him, I charge my soul in the sight of God:


Put off all wickedness, and put on Christ. Cease complaining, arguing, speaking worthlessness, and belittling others to make myself look good; and instead give thanks to God, live at peace with others, set a guard over your mouth and say things that point to Jesus and encourage those who listen.


Run hard for the goal. Fix your eyes on Jesus, O Soul, and think of your true HOME, which is not this earth. Set your thoughts on heaven where Jesus is and be filled with eager excitement and joyful expectation of the day when you will finally be home with Christ.


Testify to the Gospel of God’s grace with all boldness and gentleness. Share the hope that Jesus has given you and do not hesitate to be an ambassador of our mighty Savior. Soul do not cower in fear but remember the Jesus is always with You and that He is your greatest Treasure. Acknowledge Christ before men and He will acknowledge you before His Father in heaven.


Life every second in the shadow of the cross, relying fully on the grace that was given you from God to enter into His presence with sure confidence because of the atoning work of Jesus Christ. He has ransomed you, He has cleansed you, He has put His robes of righteousness on you and now you are hidden in Christ. O Soul, live today with this close to your heart so that joy overspills from your life.

David Brainerd

DAVID BRAINARD

"It is impossible for any rational creature to be happy without acting all for God. God Himself could not make him happy any other way... There is nothing in the world worth living for but doing good and finishing God's work, doing the work that Christ did. I see nothing else in the world that can yield any satisfaction besides living to God, pleasing Him, and doing his whole will."

"Here am I, send me; send me to the ends of the earth; send me to the rough, the savage pagans of the wilderness; send me from all that is called comfort on earth; send me even to death itself, if it be but in Thy service, and to promote Thy kingdom."

"My desires seem especially to be after weanedness from the world, perfect deadness to it, and that I may be crucified to all its allurements. My soul desires to feel itself more of a pilgrim and a stranger here below, that nothing may divert me from pressing through the lonely desert, till I arrive at my Father's house."

Oh, that I could spend every moment of my life to God's glory!"

"I have received my all from God. Oh, that I could return my all to God."

"It is sweet to be nothing and less than nothing that Christ may be all in all."

"All my desire was the conversion of the heathen... I declare, now I am dying, I would not have spent my life otherwise for the whole world."

Quotes to Inspire

"People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives ... and when the bubble has burst, they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted."
-- Nate Saint, missionary martyr



“Would that God would make hell so real to us that we cannot rest; Heaven so real that we must have men there.” – Hudson Taylor




"I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light"
-- John Keith Falconer



"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell."
 -- C.T. Studd



“God had only one Son and he made that Son a missionary.”
 -- David Livingston



"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose"
-- Jim Elliot


"God isn't looking for people of great faith, but for individuals ready to follow Him"
-- Hudson Taylor


 
When James Calvert went out as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the ship captain tried to turn him back, saying, "You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages." To that, Calvert replied, "We died before we came here."



"Someone asked, will the heathen who have never heard the Gospel be saved? It is more a question with me whether we -- who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not -- can be saved."
 -- Charles Spurgeon



God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on him."
-- Hudson Taylor, missionary to China



How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

In a believer's ear;
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
~John Newton



To be able to lead others, a man must be willing to go forward alone.

- Harry Truman

 
Never . . . Never . . . Never . . . Never Give up!

- Winston Churchill

Living Strategically for the Glory of God-Part One: Living on Purpose

"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.”
--
Romans 1:8

I think it is safe to say that we have all at some point in our lives made the excuse that, “Sometimes life just happens!” Time seems to speed up, our schedules seem to fill up, and before you know it all we can do is hold on as our busy lives seem to unfold like a giant, roller coaster ride. I find that this happens to me quite often, in that I get so busy with life that I do not truly live life to the full. I believe in Jesus Christ that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin, rose from the grave, and now is seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding for me; but is my life truly being transformed by what I believe or is it just another thing that I add to my already busy life? How am I acting out my faith, and how do I glorify God by the way I live? I do not glorify God when I am not living for Him and pointing to Him, and it is just as true that I do not glorify God when I just “let my life happen.”

Everything is not always so cut and dry, this I know for a fact; but even amid life’s business, we should never let it determine how we live and who we live for. Sometimes life can be busy, and I have felt the pressure of a busy life. The past couple months have seemed extremely busy for me, between mess cooking for two weeks---which entailed 14 hour days, 7 days a week, plus two hours of class, and homework every week day---and three weeks of double watches---which entailed 8 hours of watch a day, anywhere from 2-6 hours of regular work a day, my classes, and homework. Life can get busy, and we have two choices we can make: We can either get dragged along with our busy schedules and watch our lives pass us by as life happens, or we can begin the discipline of “living on purpose”. Our choice will not necessarily change what our schedules look like all the time, but it will change the way we look and act as we carry out our schedules.

Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome and told them that he thanked God that their faith was being told all over the world. This does not just happen on accident; such a testimony is only established when we live our lives purposefully for the glory of God. I am greatly burdened for the Christians in my generation, because I meet a great deal of “Christians” but I do not see how their faith has impacted the way they live their lives. We are selfish Christians, captivated by the “American Dream”, mastered by our lusts, slaves to our wallets, exhausted from the fake Christianity we profess, and quite satisfied with making Christ a part of our lives so that we can have the assurance that we will not go to hell when we die. We are Christians who have fallen in love with comfort, embraced security, surrendered to the reality of this world,  renounced any sort of risk taking for the Kingdom of God (especially if it will hurt our bank accounts or cut into our “me“ time), and settled for an “American Christianity”. We would rather be spectators in the crowds of this world rather than join the “extreme Christians”---the Jesus’ Freaks---in the arena who fight the battle of faith to the death. We have become Christless Christians---perhaps we are not Christians at all for to be a Christian is to be a follower of Christ and if we are not following Christ than surely we are not Christians. We are in the hands of an angry God who hates us with a righteous and holy hatred (I am sure your Sunday school teacher never told you that one!). Yes, He does offer mercy and grace to those who believe in Him that Jesus is Redeemer and Lord, and that those who are true lovers of Christ are held by Grace. However those who only know the truth but do nothing about it have no such assurance, for even Satan knows and believes that Jesus is God and came to earth as the Savior of the world, and he revolts in anger.

Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission, once said, “There is a needs-be for us to give ourselves for the life of the world. An easy, non-self-denying life will never be one of power. Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing. There are not two Christs---an easy-going one for easy-going Christians, and a suffering, toiling one for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are you willing to abide in Him, and thus to bear much fruit.” This is the cross-roads of life that we all come to where we must chose whom we will serve. We cannot chose Christ while refusing to take up our crosses and follow after Him---you cannot have one without the other.

Oh what I write, I am not just writing to others, but it is a message so dear and fresh in my own heart for it is a message that God continues to challenge me with as I live out my life. My heart stings from conviction as I think over these truths I now wish to share. So I lift up my voice and I take a stand to challenge Christians to live strategically for the glory of God. Strategy should not just be used by the missionary in a foreign land, a military commander on the battle field, or a corporate executive in the business world; but in order for us to live out each day for God’s glory, we must be living purposefully, planning carefully, strategizing effectively, praying fervently, and living momentarily in the shadow of the cross of Christ. Life will just happen if we let it, that is why we must decide right now to live on purpose for the glory of God.


To the Cross I Cling
Living on purpose for the glory of God is definitely not an easy thing to do, which is why I think it is good to remind ourselves of the verses from Hebrews 12:1-3: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning it’s shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you do not grow weary and lose heart.” From these verses we can conclude that if we are not fixing our hearts and minds upon Christ and what He endured for us at the cross, we will become discouraged, worn out Christians. If we are to live our lives strategically for the glory of God, we must first be fixed upon the cross of Christ. We must be rooted in the Gospel, which is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16); a message that must not just be preached to unbelievers, but to believers too!

A good question to ask ourselves is, do we preach the gospel? Do we ever share our faith; and the reason for the hope we have? I find myself getting discouraged when I realize how little I share the gospel with others, but then I realize that I hardly ever share the gospel with myself! How can I preach a message I hardly know, and how can I hardly know a message that has completely turned the world upside down? The first step to living on purpose and glorifying God in every area of our lives is to preach the gospel to ourselves. Think about Christ’s great sacrifice for you that He would die and bear the Father’s wrath for your sin, know His love which is better than life, rejoice that now you have peace with God because of the Lord Jesus Christ. This should be a daily discipline of joy that we eagerly carry out in our lives. We must cling to the cross of Christ---we must live each day centered on the cross---or we will give up and quit. Why do we linger so far from the cross? Why do we hesitate to preach the gospel to ourselves? We are in a spiritual battle, and our enemy is strong, but the One whom we serve is stronger. The Lord Jesus Christ is our stronghold and He is our deliverer. When we are weak and weary He is strong, when we cannot stand He causes us to stand, when we are afraid He is by our side, in Him we are more than conquerors. So cling to the cross---live life on purpose by knowing God’s great love for you that He sent His Son to die in your place.

A Daily Battle
As you cling to the cross and begin the discipline of “Living on Purpose” also keep in mind that it is a battle you must fight daily. Even as I write this, I find the struggle to live purposefully for God’s glory more fierce than ever, which causes me to turn to God, begging Him for help and mercy. I do not want to waste my life, but rather I want to be spent completely and fully for God that He might be glorified in me.

Remember that you will grow weary and lose heart if you do not consider Jesus Christ and the great work He has accomplished on our behalf. He died that we might live, He took our punishment that we might share in His glory, He was raised from the dead that we might be made right with God, and He lives that we might also live. We must fix our gaze on Him so that we do not give up when the way is hard and the road is tough. We must rely on His strength to persevere through the difficulties that lay ahead that He gives us to exercise our spiritual muscles. Press on as you daily battle sin and choose to live purposefully for God.

Blown Away!

Well, it has been quite a while since I last posted anything. Life has been busy and filled with lots of good challenges. I have been mess cooking the past two weeks, which can be draining. The Lord is ever faithful in sustaining me and upholding me through His Word and through cross-centered music. I have come to love the song by Aaron Shust, "My Savior and My God." I  would listen to that as I washed dishes and cleaned tables. God has greatly encouraged my heart with His love throughout the past several weeks...when I feel down and discouraged, He brings the Gospel to my mind. "Christ has died for me, He has made a way that I can have peace with God, I am clothed in His righteousness, and in Him I hide!" Preaching the Gospel to myself is a definite must to keep my eyes focused on the cross. I do have some fellow Believers here on the boat, but most of them do not think about the cross and live discouraged lives. It is only by God's grace that He has taught me that the Gospel is not just for unbelievers but for Believers!

Now that I am no longer mess cooking, I will be working back in Navigation. I am also taking two classes that keep me busy with homework and projects. I am doing well, though even if I don't have lots of down time...it helps make the patrol go faster. I miss all of you back home, and it encourages me greatly knowing that you are lifting me up in your prayers.

I suppose if I were to sum up the past several months and even the past two years, the lessons God has taught me all seem to derive from the book of Philippians. The joy we have as followers of Christ is not based off of circumstances and feelings, but off of Him. Situations, people, pain, suffering, and even sin can never take away that which is most imoprtant to me---Jesus! Oh how I love Him...sometimes I feel like I could explode with the joy in knowing Him...and to think I have only tasted but a small bit of it. I am comforted by the fact that I am not HOME yet! Someday I will be with Jesus...and I will see Him face to face. My faith will be turned to sight. What a wonderful day that will be! My fellow Coasties cannot comprehend my joy nor the reason I am so happy when I tell them why...because I know Jesus and He fills me with joy. It is a mystery to them, but not to me. How could I be anything but joyful in knowing and being known by the Almighty God who has saved me. Believers who do not think and rejoice in the Gospel daily will be robbed of joy, drained of strength, and conformed to the word around them. We must fight for joy...true, lasting joy in Jesus. Sometimes God's presence seems far away...maybe even gone...but we must not trust our feelings. When God's presence seems far away cling to His promises.

So here I am clinging to the promises of God, amazed by His love, and filled with joy in knowing Him. I am saved by grace and I no longer live but Jesus Christ lives in me. I am not home yet, but someday soon I will be with Jesus and until then I want to live life with all I have got for His glory. O that I may be spent and used up for Him and make it to my heavenly home all used up, spilled out, and worn out from serving Jesus...and yes, smiling as I cross the finish line.

Laying Down Our Lives

March 11, 2010

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our Brothers.”
--
1 John 3:16

Jesus’ loved us to the end, giving up His life in order that we might have life---abundant life. Now as His followers we must walk in His footsteps and live a life of love. We are to love each other as Christ has loved us; not looking to our own interests, but to the interests of others. I suppose it might be a distant thought in all of our minds that perhaps if the opportunity ever presented itself (which we are positive it never would), we would certainly lay down our lives for a fellow Believer. I am left with a question that nags at my soul. What am I doing today? Yes, maybe someday I might be in a position to physically lay down my life for a fellow Believer, but how am I “laying my life down” for my Brothers today?

Am I pouring my heart out in prayer for my fellow Believers? Do I help and serve at church? Do I bear the burdens of my fellow Christians? Do I reach out to Believers who are hurting, struggling, and weary? Am I interested in the lives of others? Do I sacrifice anything/everything in order to serve my Brothers and Sisters in Christ?

Am I laying my life down for my fellow Believers?

Midgett Adventures~ #36 Turning the World Upside Down

March 11, 2010

I am struck by what half-hearted people we are today. We are either living in anticipation of tomorrow or trapped revisiting yesterday; never do we seem to live completely in the present. We idolize our weekends and dread work days. We spend our free time sleeping, watching TV, playing on the computer, or doing other mindless activities. We avoid difficulties and challenges like the plague, seeking comfort, security, and ease in our daily lives. We daydream about retirement, but never seem to daydream about heaven. We buy animals and then regret buying them; we purchase items and then grow tired of them; we plan extravagant vacations and then bicker during them; we make commitments and then go back on them; we start serving in church and then become burned out from serving; we go to college and only do enough homework to get by; we look for friends that will gratify our needs; and we do almost everything in our lives to please ourselves and that keeps us from exerting too much energy in the process.

However this is all superfluous when we dig deeper and find out what the root cause of our half-heartedness is. Is it not accurate to say that our daily lives are so half-hearted because our daily walk with the Lord is half-hearted? I think so. We were created for a purpose and that purpose is to glorify God with our lives. We do this by enjoying Him and making much of Him by the way we live. So many Christians today are living self-centered lives instead of living cross-centered lives. We do not live wholeheartedly unto the Lord, hence the reason why we are such half-hearted creatures. God is not our greatest treasure and pleasure in life---no wonder we are such pitiful, wimpy people. What is our problem? We have forgotten what is real. We think that this life offers us the things that will make us happy, all the while not realizing that this life is but a vapor that will soon be past. Our view of God is distorted by our sin.

My question is if we found out that this moment---right now---is the very last moment we have to live, how would we live it? Would it make a difference in our lives if we only had one more moment to live? Perhaps we would realize what is truly important and throw ourselves wholeheartedly in living out that last moment?

God has challenged me to live each moment as if it was my last moment. I know I need this challenge because I find it so easy to slip into the wrong thinking that I am going to be on this earth forever. When I think this way, I do not live fully for the Lord because I think I have time and can wait until later to serve Him, I’ll start spending more time with Him when I am not working on this project, or I’ll go to church when I am older. I place God off to the side, all the while the few moments I have on this earth quickly speed away.

Lovers of Christ, we must realize and come to grips with the fact that we are dying people, living in a dying world that has no hope. We have hope in Jesus Christ and we must be sharing the hope we have with those around us! In a whisper all that we see will fade away and the opportunities God has given us here on this earth to share His love will be past. Do not live in the future and do not dwell in the past, but live fully in the present, making much of Christ with everything that is in you.

So I will live as a dying person, I will take each breath as though I were taking my dying breath, I will work as though I will never work again, I will sing to the Lord as though I will never sing to Him another song on this earth, I will pray as though I am praying my last prayer on earth, and I will live wholeheartedly for the Lord with the moments God has given me. Will I fail? Yes, but God will remain faithful.

Remember we will never live fully unless we live as dying people, throwing ourselves wholeheartedly into the work of the Lord.

So will you too live as dying people? Will you fight sin as if you’ll never fight it again, will you run hard toward the goal as a runner who is running his last lap? Pastors will you preach as though you will never preach again? Missionaries will you serve and proclaim Christ as though you will never do so again on this earth? Children will you obey your parents as though you will never have the chance to obey them again? Parents will you love your children, hold them, care for them, talk to them as though you will never do so again in this world? Teachers will you teach as though you will never teach again? Christians will speak as though you are speaking your last words? If this characterized our lives as Believers, would the world not be turned upside down in complete and utter shock and confusion, resulting in an awe for the God we serve who has given us such a living hope?

Midgett Adventures~ #27 The Missing Link

February 19, 2010

The Missing Link

Of late Hudson Taylor’s life, but more specifically his day-by-day walk with the Lord has challenged me greatly. This man who gave himself for the lost souls of China was dedicated to his God in a way not many Christians are today. He was a cross-bearing man who “counted all things as loss, compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord” (Philippians 3:7). I also want to follow Hudson’s example and be completely and wholeheartedly committed to my God and serving Him. I want to take up my cross and follow Jesus and that is the daily battle I face as a warrior of the faith and soldier of the cross.

This leads me to wonder why there are so few Believers who also long to be like Hudson and live for God as He did. I have felt so confused because I see plenty of professing Believers who can talk up a storm about God and sound so sincere and genuine and in part they are, but then I watch them live their lives and things do not match up. It is as though God gets Sunday (just the morning mind you) and as long as He gets His hour or two at church then the rest of the week is theirs. Why do so many claim Christ as their Savior but so few obey Him as their Lord? And what has happened to cross-bearing men and women who will give all willingly, eagerly, and happily for the sake of Jesus’ name?

So I have been contemplating and mulling over these questions for the past several weeks, but today I believe I have an answer though perhaps just in part. I started a new book, which is actually an old one that I read back when I was thirteen---Knowing God by J. I. Packer. Oh, how it is full of rich teaching and instruction for Lovers of Christ! In it, I believe I have found my answer to why so many professing Believers who seem to be genuine Christians live such powerless lives and have so little passion for God’s glory. Packer starts his book by delving into the topic of knowing God and makes the quick distinction that there is a difference between knowing about God and actually knowing God. I believe that Christians today know a lot about God, but they do not know God. They fill their minds with knowledge but their hearts are empty of true fellowship with the Almighty One.

How little we think God is that we fit Him into the mold we want Him to be instead of trembling in His presence that He would even draw near to us. For surely that is what it is, not that we are drawing near to God, but that He has come to us and befriended us. Oh, let us stop knowing Christ through other peoples experiences and actually know Him ourselves---daily walking with the Lord as we spend time pouring over His Word and treasuring it in our hearts (yes there is a difference between reading and treasuring), momentarily lifting our souls up to God in humble prayer, exalting His name on high, and rejoicing in who He is.

So this is my challenge for all Believers, a challenge I have first of all been challenged with myself, know your God and do not just know about Him. Do not let a day go by that you are not in the presence of the LORD. He is always with us---His presence, He has promised us---but are we living our lives with Him?

Midgett Adventures~ #25 The Cross

February 18, 2010

“There is a needs-be for us to give ourselves for the life of the world. An easy, non-self-denying life will never be one of power. Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing. There are not two Christs---an easy-going one for easy-going Christians, and a suffering, toiling one for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are you willing to abide in Him, and thus to bear much fruit.”
--Hudson Taylor

Why is it that when it comes to receiving salvation and blessings from the Lord that we are pushing and shoving our way to get first in line; and yet, when the same Lord who bestows us with such gifts calls us to suffer and count the cost for following after Him we drag our feet and look for a way out? We are a society who has mastered the art of making excuses and justifying our actions. We would much rather serve a Jesus of our own making. This is why our lives are so empty and so powerless as Believers because we call on Jesus as Savior, but refuse to submit to Him as Lord.

Hudson Taylor hit the nail on the head by saying there is not two Christs. If we want lives that reflect the Lord and are bearing much fruit we must take up our cross’ and follow after Jesus down a road filled with suffering and toil. There is no such thing as an ordinary Christian and an extraordinary Christian. You either take up your cross and follow Jesus or you don’t. You cannot be Christ’s disciple unless you deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow Him---there is no other way. Salvation is free but it will cost you everything in this life, but you will gain the riches that are in Christ Jesus that far outweigh anything you could gain on this earth.

Let Hudson’s words sink deep into your soul and pierce through your heart. Do not just brush them aside and think that you will have time to go over it later. Now is the time to act and choose whom you shall serve. As for me, I will serve the Lord---taking up my cross, I will follow Him down suffering’s road. I know my strength will fail, but He will not fail me; my love will sputter, but His love will burn strong; and my faith will dwindle, but He will remain ever faithful---so I press on trusting Him to keep me close to His heart.

Midgett Advenutres~ #24 Know Christ

February 16, 2010

The past couple days I have thoroughly enjoyed rereading Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret. The book truly challenges and encourages my heart as it causes me to think deeply about my walk with the Lord. Hudson was a man who knew his God and loved Him. Christ was most precious to his heart, which is why he spent his life serving the Lord in China, enduring suffering and trials that I have never even imagined undergoing. His passion was fueled by God’s great love and faithfulness in saving sinners and bringing them into His awesome presence to know Him. Hudson’s life was real and full of spiritual blessing because his eyes were fixed upon that which is unseen.

How much I think we miss as we live our lives upon this earth grasping for all we can fit in our hands yet caring so little for what is truly important. We are content to make Christ a part of our lives, but we do not realize that He is not content to being just another trophy on our wall---He must be our life. All our energy, strength, time, passion, and zeal must be used to glorify His name. Our hearts are so often empty and wanting because we do not turn to the Lover of our soul to fill them. Instead we search for joy in all the wrong things and all the wrong places when Christ stands by calling to our hearts to find rest in Him. We shrug Him off though with excuses: I’ll get more serious about my faith when I am older, I just want to have fun, Jesus is boring, etc. We buy into Satan’s lies and step farther and farther away from the Cross.

I plead and urge you, my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, not to linger any longer from His presence. You are missing the very best and your lives are becoming empty because you are pursuing that which is empty. Oh, run after Christ! Treasure Him and know Him! He is the only One who can satisfy your hearts.

Midgett Adventures~ #22 Follow Christ

February 14, 2010

“In these days of easy going Christianity, is it not well to remind ourselves that it really does cost to be a man or woman whom God can use? One cannot obtain a Christlike character for nothing; one cannot do a Christlike work save at a great price.”

--Hudson Taylor

Taylor’s words burn within my soul and resound within my heart as I wholeheartedly agree with his convictions, which he wrote down so many years ago. The truth they held in his time is also the same today as I fear many Believers live halfhearted lives, enamored with the things of this world and willing to delay total commitment to Christ until they are older and have had their fun. Do not delay and wait to serve Christ until you are older; do not fall into such a mentality for surely you will continue to push it off and be ensnared by worldly treasures. Only Christ will satisfy the heart; only Christ will fill the void in our lives.

But do not think you can come to Him halfheartedly and be filled. Do not think you can come into His glorious, awesome presence, bringing the earthly things you so fiercely cling to. God will fill your heart, He will satisfy your soul, He will make you a new creation, but you must come to Him empty and broken. You cannot serve both God and whatever else you are clinging to of this world. If you want true joy, you must turn away from fleshly pleasure. Yes, salvation is free, but it will cost you everything…perhaps such a statement seems contradictory but it is true.

Those who have tasted of the cost can testify to the pain and hardship Believers will face as they follow Christ, but they will also tell you of the incomprehensible joy and delight they receive from following after Christ forsaking all for the sake of His name. You will give up temporary pleasure but gain eternal joy by forsaking all to follow Jesus. To such a life, we have been called, to serve Christ and give up all. We are warriors of the faith…let us not back down from such a noble and glorious calling.

Midgett Adventures~ #19 Line Handling & Heart Handling

February 10, 2010

We moored up to Cherry Point, Canada again today to offload trash and sewage. I got a lot of practice with the lines today. I was secondary heave line thrower---one of the BM2s was the primary. We were having a hard time making it to the dock so when they gave the order for us to put over line two; we were still a good ways off with the wind against us. He threw his over but it did not make it---so I threw mine over but it did not make. We quickly pulled both heaving lines back in and made them up. He threw his and it made it but the people on the pier did not grab it in time and the wind rolled it right off again. So I threw mine over and roped the mirror of a truck! Next, I filled in as bit man for line one, making up the line on the bits into figure eights. I sure had fun even though it was a little stressful at the moment.

I began reading in Acts this morning. The joy and encouragement I receive from God’s Word is beyond words. He strengthens me for each new moment and reminds me that He is always at my side. He has me and He is not letting go! I have also been encouraged by a book I am rereading, “Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret”. Awesome book! It definitely is a must read kind of book.

Today I was thinking about all the things I am looking forward to when we arrive back in Seattle. I think a trip to Seattle’s Best would be amazing. Sit down with a nice tall cup of coffee, free wi-fi, face book, and get caught up on some blogging. Sounds good and I cannot wait! Yet I am so thankful that the Lord has given me the opportunity to be underway. I have been learning so much practically on the job as well as spiritually. God’s Word has become so much more precious to me these past several weeks, and I truly have been forced to rely upon Him in new ways. All the crutches I lean on for support have been knocked down. I do not have my Seattle’s Best to retreat to, my phone does not work so I cannot call home, I am stuck on this boat without a place to escape to, I do not have wi-fi. God has taken me back down to the basics…meaning that all I have to turn to for comfort and strength and help is His Word, which is the only true source of comfort and strength there is! And what amazing help and comfort I receive as I read the Bible! My soul is refreshed and replenished.

My challenge to myself, to all who read this blog, and to Believers everywhere is this: do not lose your first love! Do not get so busy with life that you forget how precious Jesus is, do not get so busy serving Christ that you forget to spend time with Christ, do not fix your eyes on earthly treasure when Jesus is the greatest treasure, and do not lose sight of the One who gave His all so that we can know Him. My prayer is that God does whatever it takes to make me like Jesus. He is my all, my treasure, my greatest good. I will and must be spent in this life for I am not my own. May I be completely and thoroughly spent for Jesus; poured out and broken for my Lord.