Memorial Day 2013

Today is the day set aside in our nation that we get to take a moment and thank our soldiers and appreciate those who lost their lives while serving our country. The USA has been so very blessed these 237 years. Our founding fathers went through a lot and sacrificed so much so that we might have freedom. I appreciate every man and woman who are still doing their best to defend the rights we have. America is obviously not what it used to be, but we can pray that our freedom and justice for all will remain for a very long time.
Here is a chapter in Psalms that I found appropriate for today. May God continue to bless this great nation. May We the People continue to give Him the glory for it all!
"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!" (Psalm 67)
No matter how many soldiers we may have striving to defend our freedom, we must always remember that it is our Heavenly Father who, after all, is the One who blesses us and grants us with victory and peace.
"Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies." (Psalm 60:11-12)
God bless America!
~Courtney

Modesty: An Attitude of Love

For a while now, I've been wanting to write to the ladies about modesty. It's kind of a big deal and a huge study once you try and get the information to talk about it, but I'm going to try to write on this topic in as little words as possible, but with several passages from the Bible.

     First off, I'd like to say that although immodesty/modesty is obviously a physical issue, having to do with what you wear and how you wear it, it is not completely about that. Modesty is mainly an issue of attitude. The way you present yourself says a lot about who you are as a person. The way you present yourself physically says a lot about your character and outlook on life. It says a lot about your own self-esteem, but most importantly, is says a lot about your love for others, in particular your brothers in Christ.

     When we dress immodestly, we are sending a message to fellow Christians and the world that we don't really care what people think of us. We are saying it doesn't matter that we might be distracting to someone or causing a man to stumble -- we just selfishly dress in a way that pleases ourselves, and might say it's not our fault, but theirs for lusting after us.

     But this isn't completely true. Sure, the men need to guard their eyes and hearts and not think bad things, but have you been to town lately, or turned on your TV, or looked at a catalog that came to your mailbox recently? Immodesty is everywhere! The guys have got it tough enough. I don't think we girls who claim to be Christ followers need to be contributing in any way to that sort of thing. We need to make an effort (no matter how hard you may have to look for modest clothes), to be an encouragement and not a distraction to the men around us.

     We need to realize that once we have put on Christ in baptism, that we are no longer our own, but God's, by purchase. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and  you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." 

     Once we have put on Christ, we are His and in Him, and have no right to dress inappropriately to draw attention to ourselves. "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." (Galatians 5:24-25) "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

     We need to look out for the best for not only ourselves, but those around us. What we wear may make us feel good, but it's not helping those around us to grow closer to the Lord and remain focused on Him. "Let no one seek his own, but each other's well-being." (1 Corinthians 10:24) "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others. Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:3-5) "Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)

     "In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which  is proper for women professing godliness, with good works." (1 Timothy 2:9-10)

     Again, modesty is not only physical. It's an attitude, looking out for others in the way you behave and the way you present yourself. "Do not let your adornment be merely outward -- arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel -- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." (1 Peter 3:3-4) This doesn't mean we can't dress up and look pretty; it just means that the outside is not what matters, but rather to be ladylike and pleasing to God.

     No one said it's going to be easy, but doing what is right will never go out of style. We need to lead by example, even if we're one of the very few who are doing what's right. "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12) "Be diligent to present yourself approved of God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

     "And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it." (2 John 5-6)

   Have a blessed day!

   ~Courtney
   

He Still Loves Us

Isaiah 40 is a beautiful chapter that tells of the Creator's wondrous power and authority over all things. We are nothing in comparison to Him, we are so small and weak next to Him, and He has no logical reason to care for us in the least bit.

...And yet He does. He still cares, even when we don't care for Him. He still helps us up, when He knows we will just fall time and time again. He still watches over us, even when He knows there are times when we choose not to see Him. He still leads the way for us, even when we let go of His guiding hand sometimes. And He still loves us more than any other created being, even when we are ungrateful, ruthless, and selfish and won't love Him back in the way He so deserves.

That is the kind of God we are so fortunate to have. That is the kind of God we should ever so willingly desire and strive to serve each and every day of our lives. That is the God I long to someday meet face to face and fall down at His feet and worship forever and ever. "Oh, what a day of rejoicing that will be!"

“'To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?' says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing. 'Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.'" (Isaiah 40:25-26,28-31)

Have a blessed day!

~Courtney

Wait

 

Being patient can be hard. Sometimes it can be very hard to wait for an answer from God. But we know that when we wait patiently and hopefully for His reply to our diligent prayers, the answer is always more perfect and more beautiful than we could have ever imagined.
        Here is a poem that tells how precious our waiting time is and how we can learn from it and grow closer to God while we wait for His will to be done:

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried; 
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied. 
I pleaded and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Wait." 

"Wait? You say 'wait'?" my indignant reply. 
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why! 
Is your hand shortened? Or have You not heard? 
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming Your Word. 

"My future and all to which I relate 
Hangs in the balance, and You tell me to wait? 
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign, 
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign. 

"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe, 
We need but to ask, and we shall receive. 
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry: 
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply." 

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate, 
As my Master replied again, "Wait." 
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut, 
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?" 

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine, 
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign. 
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun. 
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run. 

"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be. 
 You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me. 
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint. 
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint. 

"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair; 
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there. 
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me 
When darkness and silence are all you can see. 

"You'd never experience the fullness of love 
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove. 
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start, 
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart. 

"The glow of my comfort late into the night, 
The faith that I give when you walk without sight. 
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask 
From an infinite God who makes what you have last. 

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee, 
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee. 
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true, 
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you. 

"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see 
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know Me. 
And though oft My answers seem terribly late, 
My most precious answer of all is still . . . Wait."

--Author Unknown 

Have a blessed day!

~Courtney

Stand Strong!

In a world that seems to pull Christians down and accuse us of being intolerant and prejeduce, while at the same time they drag our God's words through the mud, it can be quite disappointing at times. We often wonder why a God would let such things happen to good people in this once wonderful nation. He blessed us, but now this country isn't doing her fair share of blessing Him and giving Him the glory for all He has done for us. Just like the good Father that He is, we know there will be consequences for what the wicked people have done, and we know that although there are still good people in the world, we may still be part of the punishments that are yet to come.

Yeah... that sounded pretty depressing, didn't it? Well, I just want to say a few things today that might be a little encouragement to you. Sure, I'm afraid of what God might do to the people who disobey Him, but I have no reason to doubt that He will take care of His people. No matter what the evil people around us try to do to Christians, we shoudln't lose heart. Being tested makes us stronger. This is good training for us, a wonderful opportunity to prove our courage and love for Christ.

"Therefore we do not lose heart, even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exeeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1)

"And he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

Like Joshua and the children of Isreal, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, we also need to stand strong, especially when in hot water and put to the test:

"And the people said to Joshua, 'The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!" (Joshua 24:24)

"If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." (Daniel 3:17-18)

We are the light of the world, and we should never be ashamed of that! I love this verse: "For we are to God the frangrance of Christ among those who are being saved among those who are perishing." (Romans 1:16)

We must remember never to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, no matter the cost.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. ...Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." (1 Corinthians 15:58; 16:13)

"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." (2 Timothy 2:3)

And if we remain strong, we can boldly say, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

My thoughts may have been a bit jumbled today, but I hope you got my main point. Even if you're the last person on earth who stands for God's word and His truth, don't be afraid. Don't worry, because He will always be with you, no matter what.

Have a wonderful day!

~Courtney

By His Stripes We Are Healed

There is a passage I read every Sunday morning during the Lord's Supper in order to prepare my mind and keep my focus on what it's about. Isaiah 53 tells the prophecy about the sacrifice and sufferings Jesus was going to go through for the world, for us. Here are the first nine verses:


1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrow; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgement, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked-- but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.


Verses four and five are what really grab my attention. If you put "me"/"I" in the places where it says "we"/"our," it becomes more personal:
     Surely He has borne MY griefs and carried MY sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for MY transgressions, He was bruised for MY iniquities; the chastisement for MY peace was upon Him, and by His wounds I am healed!

His love for us is amazing! There is no greater love than that.  

Because He died, I don't have to; because He lives, I can!

"My chains are gone, I've been set free! My God, my Savior, has ransomed me; and like a flood His mercy rains unending love, amazing grace!"

"He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our sins; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him. And by His wounds, by His wounds we are healed."

I hope you have a blessed rest of the week!

~Courtney

Resolutions for 2013

Happy New Year!

Today is the beginning of a new year, oftentimes thought of as a new beginning. Everyday granted us is another chance to begin anew, but the start of a new year is always encouraging to become the person we weren't last year.

Many people make New Year's resolutions lists, and try to succeed in completing their goals, whether they are things they want to do, people they want to meet or get to know better, or improve their lives more than before. I always make a list, and although I may not accomplish everything I had intended to, I can say that each year I have grown closer to the Lord and some very wonderful Christian friends. I've been beyond blessed this past year, and am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to make new lasting friendships.

Last night (or early this morning, rather), I made a list of things I want to improve on in the coming year. I may make alternations or additions, but you'll get the gist of it. This is what I wrote down:

• Pray more
• Grow closer to God
• Become a servant as Christ was
• Encourage others more
• Have more faith in God's timing
• Become the kind of woman my future husband needs in a wife
• Always be a good example to those around me, especially my younger siblings and cousins
• No gossiping
• Smile more, sing more, be happier
• Eat healthier
• Use my talents/gifts for God's glory only

I am resolved no longer to linger,
Charmed by the world's delight,
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.

I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.
I will hasten, hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.
(Palmer Hartsough)

 What are some of your resolutions?