TO HAVE A FAITH LIKE THAT

When was the last time that you share your Testimony of what God has done for you….(not just a simple “God has blessed me” kind of remark) but something that reflects your faith in the will of God no matter what the outcome was and only He can be glorified in it. Maybe, something has happened in your life that has blurred your spiritual vision and you think has hindered your faith. Have you been discouraged, disappointed in someone and somehow allowed God to become part of that equation? Maybe because of some disappointment in your life, you have used it as an excuse to walk away from God or God’s people because you have lowered your expectations of God so that you won’t be so disappointed the next time. Sweet friend, your doubting will continue to grow and take over your influence of God’s faithfulness to what you believe about Him and what you believe He has said, and if you are not careful at some point you will begin to murmur and complain and become your own stumbling block in overcoming your lack of faith and trust in the One that you once believed in and trusted. God never walks away, we are the ones that so quickly turn from Him, because we allow our disappointments to shadow over what God does and does not do for us when we should be saying to ourselves and others, “…Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this did not Job sin with his lips” Job 2:10. Our doubting God can turn to anger towards Him if not careful, and will eventually separate us from seeing the truth as it really is. If your faith can cast out your doubt, then what do you think that your doubt will cast out? Guard your faith and build it up by feeding it the Word of God, for it will be most useful to you during troublesome times that are sure to come! How is it that we can appear to have faith and yet unbelief in a situation. Often times we are not sure if that little bit of faith that we have is sufficient or not and feel like the man in Mark 9:24 when he told Jesus that he had faith, but He needed the Lord to help his unbelief. Sometimes, it is because we may know that God can do a thing, but we question if He will do it for us.

 

The fact that the father asked Jesus to help his unbelief, shows that while he knew that he had some faith, he wasn’t sure how much faith he had to have in his situation in order to get his son healed of demon possession. In desperation he casts any doubts or fears that he may have had upon Jesus and begged for mercy and help. Why did Jesus grant this man’s request? Did he not say that he had unbelief? The answer lies in the man’s own confession when he said that he believed. Jesus said in Mark 9:23 ”If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”. Jesus was not requiring some type of measurement of faith from the man, but simply, an "if thou wouldst believe" kind of faith.  We must recognize the power that Jesus offers and releases to us if and when we will simply, believe. Even the disciples wavered in their faith and the Lord rebuked them for it. They were not able to heal the young boy because of their own lack of faith. The light was not going off in their heads at that point that they, were trying to heal the boy in their own power and words.

 

That is the very reason that many of our own prayers are not answered, because we are praying within our own power over a situation with wrong motives. I hate to hear people tell other people something like, “you did not get your prayers answered because your faith was not strong enough”. I hate to disagree with them but, my Bible says there is only one kind of faith and that is the kind that you either have or you don’t have. The disciples learned this as well when one of them ask Jesus in Luke 17:5-6 “The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. Jesus never taught degrees of faith. On the contrary, Jesus taught that you either had faith or you didn’t. Jesus taught that the faith as a grain of mustard seed was more than sufficient to accomplish all that we might need or expect from God. It is fascinating to learn that the mustard seed is a tiny seed that produces one of the largest plants in the world. The black mustard plant in Israel grows to be over 12 feet tall. Jesus purposely chose to use the mustard seed as an illustration because of this very fact. Faith, no matter how small, will open the windows of Heaven and call forth the grace of God into our lives, if we will only surrender it in a child-like faith trust, that reaches out it's arms to Jesus and says, "Jesus, help me up where You are". To have a faith like that......

 

Loving you today sweet friend,

Bren 

MENTORING - Who's life are you personally affecting today for Christ?

The great Revivalist John Wesley had a General Rules for Methodist Fellowships that was released in 1743 and in it he stated, 'Watch over one another in love'. That was the key to his success in retaining those who were converted through one of the world’s greatest spiritual revivals. That key is called discipleship. The point is, that we are our brother’s keeper in some respect and the revived Christians of Wesley’s day understood that and had an innate understanding that they needed to care for one another, as did the early Christians of the New Testament. So basically what mentoring really is, is simply watching over one another because we love each other as Christ loves us. Most people seek out mentors to help them develop in some area of their life, that they feel need an extra hand in reaching the goals they have set for themselves, to maximize the grace of God in their lives. It requires a unique amount of trust on both the person who will mentor or disciple and the one who is being mentored or discipled. Finding the right person may take a few tries, but is well worth the effort once you do.
Mentoring or discipleship is taking place all around us and at all levels of industry, education, commerce and public life. Parents mentor their children. The journeyman mentors the apprentice and Coaches mentor their teams. Those who take their Christian discipleship and service seriously are seeing the value of having a mentor as a friend and adviser with whom they can share openly and to whom they can be accountable to. As the scripture instructs us, “Two are better than one” in Eccl. 4:9. Mentoring is a very significant role every Christian disciple can fulfill, irrespective of age or experience. It is not restricted to people who are giants in their faith, but as God’s Word tells us that all who are in Christ are to be disciples going into the world and declaring the gospel to all nations. That scripture does not stop at sharing salvation in Christ alone. It means to make disciples of Christ and that takes a little bit of time to do. The basic requirement of discipleship or being a Spiritual mentor is having a living, growing relationship with God and an ability to listen and respond sensitively, and to encourage. If this is true of you, you can be God’s agent in enriching another person’s life. All you need is to be available.
Women are natural mentors, because they usually find it easy to talk about deep issues with their friends. Even busy people can mentor if they make the choice to reach out and be a listening ear and be willing to provide a kind word of encouragement when needed. Folks that are housebound because of young families or a physical disability can mentor effectively by means of their phones, email or by inviting others to visit them, or simply send cards. Seniors who mentor often times find it very fulfilling as they are growing into their mature years and allows them to grow older as participants rather than spectators only! The bottom line is that we are all needy people and need someone to love on us.
I became a Christian in 1978 and started teaching a Youth Bible Study within 2 months after I was saved. I was so hungry for the Word of God in my life that I consumed it as much as I could. I enrolled in Bible College and soaked up as much as I could learn from my teachers/professors. I found within the pages of God’s Word the answers that I had been searching for all my life and felt a compulsion to share it with others and still do today. Throughout my adult life I have been blessed to have had contact with some great Christian influences that have helped disciple me along my way. I also have been allowed the great privilege of discipling a few folks myself and can personally testify to the life changing effects that good discipleship can have on someone’s life and walk in Christ. In thinking of you today sweet friend, I ask you this question, “Who’s life are you personally effecting today for Christ?”.
Maybe today, you need someone to affect your life for Christ. Either way, there must be discipling going on in you and around you if you are to be effective in your spiritual walk. Someone, needs you to take the time out of your busy schedule and show them how important they are to you and Jesus. Maybe you need to seek out a friend that will come along side you and help you grow and maximize the grace of God in your life. Do it today, don’t put it off! Make a difference!

Loving on you today,
Bren

WHEN YOUR DAUGHTER RETURNS

She is the apple of your eye. No matter how many other daughters you may have or what others may think or the judgment that she may bring on herself, because of her wrong choices, she still remains the apple of your eye, just as David was the apple of God’s eye, so your precious daughter is yours.

Today sweet friend, you may have a young daughter who is growing up and the world has a lot to say to her, and she is starting to listen. Even if she doesn’t know it right now, you know that she needs you more than ever. Redeem these days, for they are but vapors and they will disappear soon. What you pour into her life now, she will recall in the days as she is growing older and making adult choices. Some of the choices that she will make may very well be painful, but do not despair even when your heart tells you lies and blames you for her mistakes if and when she strays off course for a while. Stay true and faithful to her and God’s Word….for It never comes back void! It will accomplish, what it sets out to do. You will not have to fight hell or satan for her soul, Jesus has already taken care of that. What you must do however, is never, ever give up on her. For you, who are in Christ Jesus walk by faith (the substance of what you cannot see at the moment) not by your sight (what you see happening)!

 

Odds are that if your daughter is purposefully rejecting her upbringing in some form or fashion, then the way that she will spend her time will probably be heartbreaking and cause you disappointment in her. Nevertheless, find the value in her that Jesus sees and encourage her in humility and in love to the best of your ability. The Lord will take care of the rest. You just remember back to the days when you coached her T-ball team, went to her school plays, possibly homeschooled her and attended her soccer games when she was in High School, pouring your best into her life and know that there are still some things that you can do even now that she is in her twenties or maybe thirties, to show her that you are still wanting to invest into her life, because you care for her. To find those ways you need only to look to the scriptures where there, you will find what Jesus did as He spent time with many wayward people that He encountered even though He wasn’t even related to them, and imitate Him by being the kind of parent who will love her and let God be her judge and the Holy Spirit convict her heart, drawing her back to Him. Encourage her and never stop praying that one day as God fallows her heart and makes it tender, to receive His word through your love, that she will begin to seek God’s glory instead her own. When you read something in the scriptures that encourages you and helps you in a situation, pass it on to her. Write it down and send it to her. The best exhortation that you can give her is sharing positive examples of Christ’s joy in your own life. Don’t stress out and doubt yourself when you are trying to get the word of God into her heart, because each one of them is singularly powerful if given in your own brokenness. Just send them out one after another, and let the cumulative effect of your satisfaction and worship in God gather up in her inbox awaiting her to open and find them. God’s word is never proclaimed in vain, nor does it return void.

Remember, the real problem is that she does not see Jesus clearly, therefore you must help her see Him by living the kind of life that He would have you live and by doing so, will show her Christ. It is not a simple or immediate process, but the sins in her life that distress you and want to destroy her will only begin to fade away when they see Jesus as He actually is. For every unbelieving or wayward child, the details will be different. Each one will require parents to reach out in unique ways. What is not acceptable, however, is not reaching out to them at all. Because, the deepest concern is not your child’s actions and how she is living, but her heart condition! So don’t expect her to fall in love with God’s laws as a requirement for repentance and restoration. She must first see her sin as God sees her sin and then only will she be able to understand why God ask of her what He will.  If she has any inkling at all to be with you, it is God giving you a chance to love her back to Jesus. Treat her in a way that makes this clear. She probably knows, especially if she was raised in a Christian home, that what she’s doing is wrong and her conscience will lead her to God in the time that it will take. So never give her a timeline to come to Christ. That shall be between her and Christ; for she definitely knows how you feel and think about those things and doesn’t need them pointed out to her every time you speak with her. She needs to see how you are going to react to her evil. Your gentle forbearance and sorrowful hope will show her that you really do trust Jesus to bring her to repentance. Her conscience can condemn her by itself, it needs no other help. Mom and Dad ought only to stand kindly and firmly, always living in the hope that their wayward child is on their way home. Then like the prodigal father in the Bible, when your daughter returns, there will be time for rejoicing and partying.

Loving on you today,

Bren

YOUR EGO IS NOT YOUR AMIGO

satan will offer your ego the world. he will tell you and tempt you to desire the things of this world that is sure to have no eternal value or importance. He will even lead you to neglect friends and family in order to get them; and when you do, he will be there to whisper in your ear after you have been forsaken by them, that you are worthless and unloved and assure you that you will never achieve your heart’s desire unless you do things the way that he will deceive you to do them. he is great at telling you on a day that you need encouragement the most, that you are not good enough, nor perfect or beautiful enough, and he loves to cuddle with you in the lap of leisure, leading you away from hearing the truth, by saying things like "oh you owe it to yourself", "look how hard you work and all that you do", "you can worship God anywhere, any place", you don't have to spend your off time in some church somewhere, with a bunch of hypocrites, God understands", "Besides, you’re not half as bad as most of them are!" “Forget them, you and God have your own thing going” he will say to you. You see satan does most of his speaking to you through your low self-esteem or through your ego. That is why you cannot trust it!  Because no matter what you may think of yourself, your ego is not your amigo. Your ego is simply a false image of who you really are. It is a mask that thrives on approval wanting control and sustained by some type of power source, but it lives in fear of, reality. It is happing to folks all around us. We all experience it and that is why we can see it in others. People trying to project an image of someone that they want others to think they are, in hopes to win their friendship and give them the respect that they long to have.

Sweet friend, can I tell you something from my own experience about God? You can try everything and every wrong way, of fulfilling your desires by getting more of what you believe the abundant life is and offers you. You can subscribe to every notable magazine, website, blogs and even Facebook, where there are plenty of so called friends that will stroke your ego and say what you want to hear, and for a while, it will alleviate your guilt, only to return with a God-given purpose to stir you away from those wrong choices in your ungodly lifestyle. There is an abundance of information and friends that will help satan to build your fleshly ego and for a while, tell you how awesome you are. But, I can promise you this, that your peace and happiness will be short lived if those are the places that you are getting your ego stroked and seeking your guidance from.  For eventually, in the desert of your soul, surrounded by all the abundance of the world, at some point you will discover, that the things that you are seeking are things that are rooted in your flesh; and there is no good thing that comes from your flesh. When you downsize your life to where you can see clearly that your desires are misplaced and need to be divine desires and not worldly desires, you will find a spiritual shift that reveals a great truth to you; and that truth is knowing that Jesus is sufficient because He alone is enough. That in Him, is all that your heart seeks. satan tempted Eve in the garden by saying to her the same thing that he is saying to you, “surely God does not mean that you will surely die if you disobey and not listen to Him”. You, like Eve must decide what voice you will listen to, what source you will rely on as you seek God in your life. Even though you may not know it; it is God that you are seeking in everything that you are doing to find and have happiness in your life. It is God that you seek, ultimately!

 

Not everyone will head godly advice. However, they will be forced in eternity and confronted with what they did with the Truth that God had sent their way, to lead them to Him. But because of their own inclinations they chose to see God or even ignore God in their own way, on their own terms, they will find sooner or later, that their sin or what they call “a fun lifestyle” will only last for a season, then they will be held accountable for it. Romans 12:2  tell us "… do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." The only way that you will ever be able to see things God way and understand why He ask the things that He ask of you, is to renew your mind by knowing what God has to say about something in His word. He is not so far that He cannot redeem you out of what you are in right now, nor is His Son not eager to forgive and restore you to a place that you were created to be. They are waiting, your sin debts have been paid, go!                            

Loving on you today,

Bren
 

 

WORTHY TO REPEAT

I love a good “Quote”, and as I run across them, I oftentimes will write them down or jot them down in my phone! They can be a little bite-size chunk of wisdom, or a gentle decadent breeze from an unknown wind. Sometimes they provide me a glimpse, into the mind of a real genius. But, most times they plant a simple thought or seed of an idea that will prompt me to consider something of importance in my life, that I may have overlooked elsewhere. They also help me to extend my vision and even re-invent myself, in how I view the world around me. But more times than not, I will run across a quote, that becomes therapeutic to me, as they become a miniature story or even a reminder from God, concerning a work that He may be doing in my life. Often times, little quotes and sayings will help to alleviate the worries and stresses that tend to accumulate in my heart and mind. I even love the fact that the scriptures are broken down into small verses to help me easily recall and remember the Words of the Living God, that I love. It must be grand to come up with such profound statements, that jar the mind to stop and give thought, to consider, concerning something. Since my early days of learning to write a complete sentence, I have piddled around with writing songs, poetry, stories, news’s paper articles, Bible Studies, devotions and other things. Yet, it is the smallest of quotes with the biggest impact or punch, that I love the most, yet I have the hardest time myself, condensing my own words into. So whenever I run across a statement that attracts my attention, and causes me to pause, I know that it is worthy enough to repeat and pass along to others. Today, I want to share a few of them.

Loving on you today,
Bren
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Labor to grow better under all your afflictions, lest your afflictions grow worse, lest God mingle them with more darkness, bitterness and terror. John Owen

God sweetens outward pain with inward peace. Thomas Watson

Not to be afflicted is a sign of weakness; for, therefore God imposed no more on me, because he sees I can bear no more. Joseph Hall

When we grow careless of keeping our souls, then God recovers our taste of good things again by sharp crosses. Richard Sibbes

The winter prepares the earth for the spring, so do afflictions sanctified prepare the soul for glory. Richard Sibbes

“I wonder how many people I’ve looked at all my life and never seen.” John Steinbeck

Before you talk, listen. Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try.” Ernest Hemingway

HAVE YOU CROSSED THE LINE?

If we like the prophet Hosea would experience our pain similar to what God experiences His pain, we would be much quicker to turn back when we sin. Life for the person who turns their back on God is often characterized by guilt and dissatisfaction. But the true born again believer who has been living in a lifestyle of backsliding in sin, knows deep down that their spiritual unfaithfulness will ultimately take its toll and they are simply buying their time, enjoying their sin for a season. The prophet Hosea well understood the pain and heartache of backsliding. But he also knew of the grace and mercy of being restored from such a place for those who would seek it, for he wrote in Hosea 14:4  “I (God) will heal their backsliding.” God’s people had continued to backslide and hurt God. In order for the man that God had choose to mediate His message to his people, his bizarre task would be to take to himself a wayward wife that would be an unfaithful spouse. Which in turn, brought Hosea similar pain to what God was feeling towards an unfaithful Israel. Hosea made it clear in the last chapters of his book that despite the pain that God’s people had caused Him, He still promised healing, forgiveness and fruitfulness if they would return to Him. ”I will heal their backsliding.” He said, “I will love them freely…those who dwell under His shadow shall return”. Hosea 14:4-7.

Restoration waits for us, when we seek it with remorse and brokenness. God did not leave Israel His treasured people, in exile, alone. The prophet Ezekiel tells us that God made Himself to be a sanctuary and refuge for His people as they were suffering from the consequences of their wrong choices. When life is falling apart around you because of wrong choices; realize that sin always cuts you off from the very strength and provision you may need to get your through your troubled times. God’s people were sent into a foreign and wayward country because of their sin. The prodigal son in the New Testament sinned, as he decided in his heart that he was going to leave the presence of his father to seek the wayward life in the foreign country. How deeply the parallel runs between those two. Remember this, that our sin will always lead us to a foreign place away from God. Yet, God is never so far that He will not hear a broken and contrite heart, ready to repent and be restore into His presence; where God Himself removes the old heart of stone that was vile and detestable towards Him and replaces it with a heart of flesh that longs to follow after Him in obedience. Ezekiel 11:16-20 As the God of mercy and grace offered Israel forgiveness and restoration, even so today He offers you and I, and all who truly are repentant if we would be broken and willing to change I John 1:9. Do you feel like you have crossed a line with God? Have you been making spiritually poor choices lately sweet friend that have caused you to slip away from the Lord into the back country far away from God? It’s not too late to make a fresh start! Turn to Jesus the One who died to bring you out!

Loving on you today,

Bren

LIVING WITH REGRETS

Regrets come in a long list and while they are not always the case, they are often times the result of sin in our life. Maybe you have been divorced or have had to file for bankruptcy because you mismanaged your resources out of fleshly decisions or no longer speak to your children or a family member because of an unresolved dispute. If this is the case, it is almost assuredly the result of some wrong choice made by someone sowing a seed of sin.  Maybe it is not even your sin but the sin of someone that has left you with regrets.  We must acknowledge that this is a fallen world and we all mess up all the time.  Romans 3:10 says, "There is no one righteous, not even one."  This verse is one of many that shows us that we all mess up from time to time.  Even when we try in our best efforts to do good, we fall short and cannot always achieve in doing so. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 7 where he seems to have a discussion with himself and seems frustrated with the fact that even when he tried to do the right or good thing, he simply failed to do it.  We all fall short, all the time.  And because we often times fall short, we will face difficult consequences from those short comings.  There is a penalty for our sin.  Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Death does not have to be the end. God not only gives eternal life, but He gives us abundant life as we are obeying Him.

What those verses in Romans show us is that we are simply all messed up; fallen created beings.  Because we fall short, we will have hard times in this life and often regrets from those shortcomings.  We handle our regrets by doing what God tells us to do in the scriptures.  One place to find answers and comfort is found in the book of Psalms.  Those 150 chapters are filled with broken and contrite hearts crying out to God with often times laments and asking God for His help.  The writers of Scripture do not try to cover up or act like they have it all together, but simply cry out to God for help in their personal lives, letting the chips fall where they may.  Looking to the Psalms gives us the reassurance that what God did for David, He will do for us as we work through our problems or regrets staying humble, obedient and open minded to the will of God in our lives.  Inquire of the Lord for yourself. For he is not so far, that He will not hear the prayer of His saints when they cry out to Him in brokenness. Psalm 4:1 says, "Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God, Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer." We may not know the exact circumstances of this Psalm but the principle is clear.  We have a God who hears our every prayer.  We have a God that is righteous and cares about our every care and distress.  We have a God who shows us mercy even when we don't deserve it.  The rest of that Psalm reveals how God is patient with us, even when we stray and run after things other than Him.

The God of the Bible is the one true God that loves us and cares for our every care and hurt.  He does not delight in seeing us go through hardship or pain but often times, that is where we grow in Him.  We often grow spiritually through hardships and trials  according to James Chapter 1.  We must learn how to live each moment reliant fully on God alone.  We should model our prayers and our life like the writers of Scripture as they are not afraid to tell God what is on their hearts, nor tell of the great mistakes that they have made. God can handle our thoughts and our prayers, He is bigger than we can conceive.  For we all will have things happen in our life that we wish were different, that is why they are called regrets.  But those regrets should never be allowed to control us or keep us bound by their sinful power.  Nor should we allow our regrets to smother our Christian witness. In one of the memorable stories that Jesus told  shortly before He was to be betrayed and crucified, Jesus told His disciples that all of the 12 disciples would fall away and deny him. Peter strongly opposed Jesus and tried to correct Him by saying "even if all the others fall away, I won't".  Jesus told Peter that he, would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed and of course it happened just as Jesus had said. Do you think that Peter regretted this?  Absolutely, he did!  However, after Jesus restored Peter on the beach shore in John 21, he was able to move on and continue to serve the Lord. As a matter of fact, it was after Peter had been restored that he serve the Lord in a greater way than ever before.  While Peter never forgot his sin of denial he chose not to dwell on it and be defeated by it. He realized that the only way that he could move forward was to allow God's forgiveness to be his covering for his wrongdoing. Like Peter, we may never forget our own personal regrets in life, but how we respond to them will be the determining factor of the victory that we receive. We should all come to a similar realization that the life that God wants for us is not a life filled with dwelling on our regrets and sin but by living a victorious life.  The God that we serve has power over sin and death and He is the One that will day by day give us victory over them as well.  Today, pray to God like the writers of the Psalms and allow Him to lift the burden that you need taken away and give Him the glory for great thing he has done. Praise Him til the hurt goes away!

Loving on you today,

Bren