Lord, Make Me a Healthy Christian

A healthy Christian is one of the liveliest creatures on earth. When he is at work you may hear him sing. He cannot help it; do not blame him for a little noise. Let him sing, and laugh till he cries. Sometimes he cannot help it; he will burst if his soul may not have vent. When he begins to talk about his Lord his eyes flash fire. Some people hint that he is out of his mind; but those who know best assure us that he was never before so sane as now. Of course, the world thinks religion is such poor stuff that nobody could grow excited about it. To my mind, cold religion is the nastiest dish ever brought to table. True godliness is served up hot. Newness of life means a soul aglow with love to God, and therefore earnest, zealous, happy. Let the believing man have space for his larger life, swing for his grander joy. Nay, do not gag him; let him sing his new song. If any man out of heaven has a right to be happy, it is the man who lives in newness of life. Come, beloved, I want you to go home to-day with the resolve that the newness of life shall be more apparent in your walk. Do not live the old life over again. Why should you? What good would come of it? -Charles Spurgeon, "Christ's Resurrection and Our Newness of Life"

Verse of the Week

He Is Faithful

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." -Isaiah 43:2

Sometimes God doesn't take us over the water, or pull us out of the fire; sometimes He takes us through it. It, at times, feels unbareable. But He is so much bigger than my problems. His strength and mercy is enough when I let Him take me through.

I recently listened to a sermon called "As Always, So Now Also" by Pastor Randy Cox. God truly blessed me with that sermon. (You can listen to it at thecrowncollege.com/chapel_archive/) The first thing the pastor said was "You cannot plan a better course for you life than what God has already planned."

Psalm 30:5b "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning"

There is nothing that compares to the good and acceptable and perfect will of God!

I hope you have a blessed week.

-Ashlin

P.S. Summer is my busiest season so I hope you don't expect to many posts until Autumn. ;-)

Tend Your Garden

In the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. (Mark 1:35)


Janie's Garden by Erin O'Donnell

Janie's got a hidden garden
She's been tending it for years
And when the world gets too oppressive
She hides away in there

Janie's got a sanctuary
Where she can speak her every need
And when she's longing for reflection
She falls down to her knees

Nobody knows
Nobody sees
The place where she meets her God in secret
But everyone knows
And everyone sees her life
And Janie's garden looks like paradise

When Janie walks outside her garden
She can still see clearly in
And when she looses her perspective
She talks to God again

Nobody knows
Nobody sees
The place where she meets her God in secret
But everyone knows
And everyone sees her life
And Janie's garden looks like paradise

Jesus is my Hiding Place; He preserves me from trouble and surrounds me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7 )

Success Through Persistance

1 Kings 18:41-45, "Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’” Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel."

Success is certain when the Lord has promised it. Although you may have pleaded month after month without evidence of response, it is not possible that the Lord should be deaf when His people are serious about a matter that concerns His glory. The prophet on the top of Carmel continued to wrestle with God and never for a moment gave way to the fear that he would not be suited for Jehovah's courts. Six times the servant returned, but on each occasion no word was spoken but "Go again."

We must not dream of unbelief but hold to our faith even to seventy times seven. Faith sends expectant hope to look from Carmel's peak, and if nothing is seen, she sends again and again. So far from being crushed by repeated disappointment, faith is quickened to plead more fervently with her God. She is humbled but not crushed: Her groans are deeper, and her sighings more vehement, but she never relaxes her hold or stays her hand. It would be more agreeable to flesh and blood to have a speedy answer, but believing souls have learned to be submissive and to find it good to wait for as well as upon the Lord. Delayed answers often set the heart searching itself and so lead to contrition and spiritual reformation: Deadly blows are then struck at our corruption, and the sinful images are cleansed. The great danger is that men should faint and miss the blessing.

Reader, do not fall into that sin, but continue to watch and pray. At last the little cloud was seen, the sure forerunner of torrents of rain; and even so with you, the token for good will surely be given, and you will rise as a prevailing prince to enjoy the mercy you have sought. Elijah was a man with passions just like us: His power with God did not lie in his own merits. If his believing prayer availed so much, why not yours? Plead the precious blood with unceasing persistence, and it will be with you according to your desire.
- Charles Spurgeon

If you have time to listen to a sermon a have a great sermon for you. It is called As In the Ancient Days by Eric Ludy. This is an encouraging, convicting message that I strongly encourage you to watch!

Verse of the Week

Surpassing All My Understanding!

Wow. I don't know how, or what to write, but I feel like I need to express this joy, this amazing inner peace. It's like a great light trying to shine out, like a beautiful song trying to burst through, or a dance -deep inside of me- ready to leap into action!

"Remember surrender; remember the rest? Remember the weight lifting off of you chest, and realizing it's not up to you and it never was..." -Sara Groves

"Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who covers Thyself with light as with a garment: who stretches out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds His chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh His angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. He watereth the hills from His chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of Thy works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. O LORD, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom Thou hast made to play therein. These wait all upon Thee; that Thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That Thou givest them they gather: Thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good. The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works. He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: He touches the hills, and they smoke. I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD."
(Psalm 104:5,10,13,14,21,24-28,31-34)

It is so wonderful to know that He is sovereign! When I realize that God has a plan for me, He has a reason for all this that is too high for me to grasp... it makes me smile.

I have been pretty busy with VBS for the last couple of days. I have been praying for the students I would have for VBS as soon as I knew I would be teaching a class; and it has just been so wonderful knowing that God choose these (two) students just for me.

God, as gracious as He is, has given me faith this week to surrender, and because of that I have been seeing how, the facts that I've had to change the weeks lessons and only had two very introverted children have been planned out perfectly by God. I can't explain it, but if each thing this week had not happened how and when it did, it just wouldn't have been right.

The Lord has put verses and answers in my mouth to give to these kid's questions, and I can really see them opening up! And it is so exciting.

All I can say: God is so good! His way is perfect! Oh, if only I would learn how high above my way His way is. He has turned my anxiety into a peace that surpasses all understanding!

Psalm 37:4,5, "Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass."

(If you have made it down here, I commend you, because my mind is going 100 miles an hour right now and I have know idea how random this post may be.) I guess what I'm saying is trust, obey, and be thankful; because He has a treasure in store, because His way is better than yours, and because there is not a chance you can see ahead and find out what peace, joy, and fulfilment it will bring to serve where and how God has lead you to work.

As I was learning/teaching in VBS, without the shield of faith all of the devils fiery darts would have harmed Joseph and Job and you. But when we simply trust that He allowed this for a reason we can grow -completely unaffected by the devils fiery darts.

Oh, I am so thankful for the love He gives!

Adopted by the Heavenly Father,
Ashlin

P.S. If you feel lead to pray for Jacob or Julia, my two VBS students, that would be greatly appreciated. Jacob started out closed and seemingly unresponsive, but now he has opened up so much he would rather learn more from the Bible than play a game! I can really see God working, but I would still like prayer. Thank you! ♥

What I Read Today

I was reading the devotional for today in Charle Spergeon's Morning & Evening Devotional.

I found it convicting and encourageing and I thought I would share it with you all:

Morning

"Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting."
Daniel 5:27

It is well frequently to weigh ourselves in the scale of God's Word. You will find it a holy exercise to read some psalm of David, and, as you meditate upon each verse, to ask yourself, "Can I say this? Have I felt as David felt? Has my heart ever been broken on account of sin, as his was when he penned his penitential psalms? Has my soul been full of true confidence in the hour of difficulty as his was when he sang of God's mercies in the cave of Adullam, or in the holds of Engedi? Do I take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord?" Then turn to the life of Christ, and as you read, ask yourselves how far you are conformed to his likeness. Endeavour to discover whether you have the meekness, the humility, the lovely spirit which he constantly inculcated and displayed. Take, then, the epistles, and see whether you can go with the apostle in what he said of his experience. Have you ever cried out as he did--"O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Have you ever felt his self-abasement? Have you seemed to yourself the chief of sinners, and less than the least of all saints? Have you known anything of his devotion? Could you join with him and say, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain"? If we thus read God's Word as a test of our spiritual condition, we shall have good reason to stop many a time and say, "Lord, I feel I have never yet been here, O bring me here! give me true penitence, such as this I read of. Give me real faith; give me warmer zeal; inflame me with more fervent love; grant me the grace of meekness; make me more like Jesus. Let me no longer be found wanting,' when weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, lest I be found wanting in the scales of judgment." "Judge yourselves that ye be not judged."

I also like the way he ended the evening devotional. "Such is the believer's priveledge -a present salvation; such is the evidence that he is called to it -a holy life."

Jesus I am Resting, Resting

I have been pretty busy these last few weeks. I have been trying my best to not get irritated over the fact that the schedule I've had has not been kept -even in the slightest...

But I believe that my God has reason for everything that happens. And I am so thankful that He allows "bad" things in my life.

I recently read something by Joseph M. Stowell: "Busyness creates a flat and dull sort of Christian that can begin to turn our hearts cold and even sour if we are not careful."

I have been busy with "good" things. I've been helping my young cousin and another younger friend with memorizing verses for the Bible Bee. I have been prepping for teaching a VBS class. I've been doing a lot of praying for myself and the children I'll be working with during VBS because I'm helping at a very small (very poor) church. That means I'll probably be the only teacher for the 5th and 6th graders! Plus I was told that they get a lot of children from the surrounding neighborhoods. I've been busy visiting my grandma and helping her around the house. I've even been busy praying. (I have been getting new prayer requests from friends and family almost every day.)

To top it all off I just got over the flu and now I'm sick with a fever and a sore throat...

But I have faith that "God works all things together for good to those who love Him".

I need Him. Desperately. Oh, how I need Him! And if God uses illness to remind me to be still, and know that He is God, then I say "Thank You, Lord Jesus, for my aching throat!"

If He wills to teach me that He is sovereign and I must fully rely on Him by turn my plan upside down. As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so am I in His hand.

"I need thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain...

I need thee every hour; teach me thy will;
and thy rich promises in me fulfill.
...O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee."
-Annie S. Hawks

Through all of this I hear Jesus say,
"Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong?" Ezekiel 22:14
"I, the LORD, am with you as a mighty, awesome One." Jeremiah 20:11
"I will show you the path of life; In My presence is fullness of joy; at My right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11
"Delight yourself in the Me, and I shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Me, trust also in Me, and I shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:4,5
"I preserve the simple; you were brought low, and I saved you. Return to your rest, for I, the LORD, have dealt bountifully with you. For I have delivered your soul from death, your eyes from tears, and your feet from falling." Psalm 116:6-8
"Come to Me... and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. Malachi 1:2



Thank You, Jesus, for using sickness, a messed up schedule, and all the other "bad stuff" that comes into my life to teach (and re-teach) me a lesson.


Ever lift Thy face upon me,
As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth's dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father's glory,
Sunshine of my Father's face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with Thy grace

In His Love,
Ashlin

P.S. One of the things the Lord used to teach me was through this post on rest. I hope you check it out.

Verse of the Week