A little something to ponder...

I want to have a word with the younger ladies...and maybe a few older ones as well, if it is needed. I have been married for nearly 20 years, and it seems like it has taken many of those precious years for me to realize...it's not all about me.  You heard me right.  When it comes down to it, we are all extremely selfish creatures.  We want everything to go our way. We want what we want and we want it now!  Whether it's the perfect body, beautiful hair, the latest gadgets, our dream home, what the Jones' have, time alone, peace and quiet...You name it, we want it, and most of the time, we think we "deserve" it.  I want us all to stop and ponder...what is our role, our responsibility, in this life? Is it to keep up with the Jones'? Or constantly try and attain that youthful "beauty"?  

From the beginning of time, we (women) have struggled with the desire to have power. You may say, "I don't want to rule over any one."  That may not be the "power" you struggle with.  But what about the "power" to be a goddess?  To have the power over men, to sway their eyes (lust) to your body, to have them "worship" your beauty? No, you may not have the desire to rule over a nation, or "wear the pants" in your family, but what about the desires in your heart?  Are you longing to be a godly Christian wife and mother, or are you secretly wishing for that "perfect" body that you think can have power to turn men's hearts?  Or maybe it's another power you desire.  I don't know what it may be, but I do know, we MUST turn our hearts back to God...back to our homes and our families.

We have wasted too many precious years on ourselves.  We wonder why our homes are in shambles, why "christian" ladies want to focus so much attention on their outward appearance, and their hearts are full rebellion and bitterness.  Yes, I do agree that our society's main focus is on outward appearance, and it is harder in this day and age...we constantly feel as if we are in competition with our bodies...BUT, aren't we supposed to "come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the LORD"... To be in the world, but not of the world.  It's time we start focusing on our hearts...on the things that matter most in life.  One day we are going to wake up and realize that it is too late...we've spent all our life on worldly pursuits, and not focused on the things that REALLY matter.  What IS the chief end of man?  To glorify GOD and enjoy HIM forever!  We are falling for the exact same thing that Eve fell for in the garden...we want to be God, plain and simple.  We are to pursue righteousness, holiness, godliness, contentment.  Are we teaching our children to pursue these things, or are we teaching them to pursue their desires, their dreams, their wants, their lusts?  We need to examine our hearts, our motives.  Are they in accordance with scripture, or are they our own humanistic agenda?  God said if we obey him, he will bless us...if we disobey, he will curse us.  Which is it going to be?

Another area I see running unchecked is jealousy, and it is usually a bigger problem with women than men, and yes, I have struggled with it greatly in the past.  There is a time and a place for everything, and I do believe that there can be a time for righteous jealousy, but what I'm seeing is not and could never be labeled as "godly" jealousy.  It is flat out, "selfish distrust, because we want it all to be about me", jealousy.  What are we teaching our daughters?  Again, we have taken our focus off the prize (the high calling of Jesus Christ) and put the focus on ourselves.  I hate to be the one to break it to you, but jealousy is selfishness at it's core.  The Bible says plain and simple that it's as cruel as the grave.  Think about that for a minute.  To me that says that the person on the receiving end of a jealous wife might as well be put in the grave.  There is no escaping it...no matter what he does, he is never trusted.  Can you even imagine?  Again, we need a complete heart change.  Are our lives bringing glory to Jesus Christ or are we wanting it all for ourselves. When our lives on this earth are past, what will we be remembered for... Just something to ponder. 

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Lest we forget our first love...

I have several “favorite” verses in scripture and one of them happens to be Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”  I have to go back to that verse time and time again, and still yet, time and again I forget and get caught up in the busyness of life. It’s like a vicious cycle….we wander away even a day to do things “our” way and we have to be prodded back into the fold.  As another favorite verse says, {Proverbs 3:5-6} “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”  How many times do we fail to trust in the LORD and instead lean on our OWN understanding?  Why is it so hard for us to acknowledge him and let HIM direct our paths?  

Ecclesiastes 2:11 says, “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.”  We try to do everything according to OUR works, OUR way.  Instead of allowing God to rule, we want to rule.  There is nothing new under the sun.  We are like our first parents, Adam and Eve, we want things OUR way {or is that the Burger King way?}  We are sinners from our mother’s womb.  Thank the LORD we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous, who has interceded on our behalf!  The LORD wants us to be faithful in season and out of season.  When it’s popular and when it’s not popular.  Our trust should ALWAYS be in Him.  Not in our selves.  We will fail every time.  Did I say that loud enough?  I said EVERY time.  Plain and simple.  We might as well fess up right now and admit that we are weak, puny, filthy beings worthy of hell.  Because that is what we are.  It is ONLY through Christ that we are made free.  He is our strength.  He is our righteousness.  He is our life.  My husbands favorite verse is Philippians 4:13 which says,  “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  It needs to be seared into our minds…HE is our strength.  And without him we would be nothing!  

As Psalm 40:17 says, “I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make not tarrying, O my God.”  Years ago when I came across that verse, it struck me to the very core of my being.  The LORD, the maker of Heaven and Earth, the Almighty….He thinks about me!  Little o’ stinkin’, rottin’ me….it was also very sobering to say the least.  But as I said before, there is hope.  We don’t have to be downcast and think that all is lost.  The scripture is full of promises from our Heavenly Father declaring his love for us.  “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” -Psalm 42:11  And again in Psalm 48:14, “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.”   I can only speak for myself, but I personally don’t want to be like the church in Revelation that forgot their first love.  I want to praise him and bring him glory each and every day of my life.  And when I do forget….Please, just give me a good swift kick in the pants!

I’ll leave you with a few more verses to ponder, including one of my all-time favorites, Lamentations 3:22-23 “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”

-Psalm 91:2

“Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.  Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.  And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.  Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.  Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.  For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.”  -Psalms 37:3-9

Are you a Hollywood Christian?

You don't have to tell me twice that American Christians are falling away from the truth of God's Word at an alarming rate...I already know it.   It is becoming quite obvious that we live in a society that is made up of what I call "Hollywood Christians".  It is so watered down that anybody and everybody can be a "Christian" and still live a Hollywood lifestyle.  Forget living a holy, consecrated life set apart for the glory of God, we want to "have our cake and eat it too" lifestyle and "who are you to judge me"?  It is apparent in the new movie Soul Surfer which is being raved about and supported by so many of these "Christians".  Why does it seem that Christians are some of the easiest people to dumb down?  You would think we were a bunch of sheep or something  :)

Stacy McDonald wrote a good review {Part 1 and Part 2} of the movie on her blog, Your Sacred Calling.   It is encouraging to know there are still some out there willing to take a stand for truth and righteousness.  You can also listen to a radio broadcast from my husband, Pastor James Brown, on the subject as well entitled Soul Seducers.  May we endeavor to live our lives to the glory of God ALONE, and not so that we can fit in with the Hollywood crowd.

Our God IS Great!

We watched a video by Louie Giglio last night during our devotions called How Great is our God.  We had seen another version of it several years ago and it was simply amazing!  It will leave you in awe at the Grandeur of our God and His infinite BIG-ness!  I hope you enjoy!

An Amazing and All-Powerful God!

By Grace Brown

We have an Amazing-all-powerful God! His wonderful works never cease to amaze me, in all that he does in my life, or in the things around me. I look out my window and see the amazing handiwork that he has created, I see the joy and love in my family, and my friends. God has blessed me with so much!

He has blessed EVERYONE with so much! But unfortunately, people don't realize it. Instead of giving praise to God for the things that they have, they are complaining, and begging for something new, something different in their lives. They can't be content with what they have!

But we need too! God is so good to his children, but do people praise him for it? In a lot of cases, no! Its very sad. God should get ALL the praise and glory, no matter what the day may bring, no matter what you have. You need to praise God, you need to love him, you need to be content with what you have.

I praise God for his wonderful mercy and love. Without him I could do nothing, and without him I AM nothing! I thank him for this wonderful day he has given me, and for all the days after.

"No matter what the day may bring, always be ready to greet it with a smile."

THAT is my motto. Its a good one to follow, though sometimes very hard to follow, but so very true. We DO need to greet the days with a smile, trusting in God and doing his will throughout the day... no matter what the day may bring.

Thank you Lord for your wondrous works, for your many blessings, for this wonderful day!

"O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever." Psalm 107:1

          _______________________________________________________________________

Grace is the second oldest daughter of James and Sonya Brown, and sister to 7.  She likes to take care of her baby sister, read, cook, play mandolin, blog... just to name a few.  You can read more about her on her blog, Graceful Maiden.

We are more than conquerors

Charles Spurgeon's Morning Devotion for June 2.

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.". - Galatians 5:17

In every believer's heart there is a constant struggle between the old nature and the new. The old nature is very active, and loses no opportunity of plying all the weapons of its deadly armoury against newborn grace; while on the other hand, the new nature is ever on the watch to resist and destroy its enemy. Grace within us will employ prayer, and faith, and hope, and love, to cast out the evil; it takes unto it the "whole armour of God," and wrestles earnestly. These two opposing natures will never cease to struggle so long as we are in this world.

The battle of "Christian" with "Apollyon" lasted three hours, but the battle of Christian with himself lasted all the way from the Wicket Gate in the river Jordan. The enemy is so securely entrenched within us that he can never be driven out while we are in this body: but although we are closely beset, and often in sore conflict, we have an Almighty helper, even Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, who is ever with us, and who assures us that we shall eventually come off more than conquerors through Him. With such assistance the new-born nature is more than a match for its foes.

Are you fighting with the adversary to-day? Are Satan, the world, and the flesh, all against you? Be not discouraged nor dismayed. Fight on! For God Himself is with you; Jehovah Nissi is your banner, and Jehovah Rophi is the healer of your wounds. Fear not, you shall overcome, for who can defeat Omnipotence? Fight on, "looking unto Jesus"; and though long and stern be the conflict, sweet will be the victory, and glorious the promised reward.

"From strength to strength go on;

Wrestle, and fight, and pray,

Tread all the powers of darkness down,

And win the well-fought day."

Mercy

"It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:22-23

The word for today is Mercy.  What does it mean?  I looked it up in the 1913 Webster edition, and  I found this meaning,  Forbearance to inflict harm under circumstances of provocation, when one has the power to inflict it.  This definition sums it up to me.  God has all power and authority and though we provoke Him, He withholds His punishment from us and grants to us mercy when we least deserve it.  We deserve the worst torments of Hell, yet it is of His mercies that we are not consumed, AND they are new every morning!  What a wonderful promise we have in this scripture!  Everyday is a new day, we can start fresh and new.  If we failed to bring Him glory yesterday, then begin TODAY.  His faithfulness is great and He is compassionate towards His children.  I am so glad He had mercy on me!

"But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." - Psalm 86:15 

"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him." - Psalm 103:8, 11

Contentment

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." -  1Ti 6:6

How many times have you wished for this, or wanted that?  Many times as a mother, we may have wished our children were like so and so's children, or that our husbands were more like "her" husband, yet by doing so we are breaking the 10th commandment, thou shalt not covet.   Paul warns us as well to be content, no matter what our lot in life.  Read on to hear Charles Spurgeon's words of encouragement on contentment.

“I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.” ~ Phil. 4:11

These words show us that contentment is not a natural propensity of man. “Ill weeds grow apace.” Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. We need not sow thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are indigenous to earth: and so, we need not teach men to complain; they complain fast enough without any education. But the precious things of the earth must be cultivated. If we would have wheat, we must plough and sow; if we want flowers, there must be the garden, and all the gardener’s care. Now, contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would have it, it must be cultivated; it will not grow in us by nature; it is the new nature alone that can produce it, and even then we must be specially careful and watchful that we maintain and cultivate the grace which God has sown in us. Paul says, “I have learned ... to be content;” as much as to say, he did not know how at one time. It cost him some pains to attain to the mystery of that great truth. No doubt he sometimes thought he had learned, and then broke down. And when at last he had attained unto it, and could say, “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content,” he was an old, grey-headed man, upon the borders of the grave—a poor prisoner shut up in Nero’s dungeon at Rome. We might well be willing to endure Paul’s infirmities, and share the cold dungeon with him, if we too might by any means attain unto his good degree. Do not indulge the notion that you can be contented with learning, or learn without discipline. It is not a power that may be exercised naturally, but a science to be acquired gradually. We know this from experience. Brother, hush that murmur, natural though it be, and continue a diligent pupil in the College of Content.  taken from Charles Spurgeon Morning Devotion 2/16