A great visual of the Gospel - pass it along :)

Be of Good Cheer!

At 6:35 am, this morning, my dad burst open my door and turned the light on. He exclaimed that my car had been stolen. He asked, "Did you lock your car last night?" I said, "Yes, dad, I always lock my car." Then He hurried back upstairs to look for the car again. I just lay in my bad, still recovering from being so immediately awoken from deep sleep. I started to think through the scenario. I first was reminded of the message given to the High Schoolers at church last night. Part of the message was about difficulties, from the later part of Acts 11. I remembered something that I had written down that the High School pastor, Zack, said:
 "Difficulty is far more useful than what we would choose for ourselves."

Last night, the message reminded me of a powerful verse God spoke to me a while back: "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes"- Psalm 119:71. I realized that God prepared me last night for a test of faith this morning. I really need my car. Then I started thinking of what was in my car that was valuable. My textbooks were on my back seat and my Old Testament Survey notebook. That is unfortunate, but I guess I can share books with my friends; I will just have to  pay the extra fee for the textbook I rented. Surprisingly, I was able to remain calm and simply  pray that God would make it all okay. Maybe the insurance will replace the car? The grace of God gave me peace as I prayed. Soon my dad hurried back to my room and asked where my sister was ... She wasn't in her bed. Though she had not gone all season, this random morning she went to early morning swim practice. And took my car to go at 5 am. I couldn't think of how God would answer my prayer, but He did so quickly. My car wasn't stolen after all! I praised Him. I believe that maybe God was testing me to see if I would initially panic or trust that He is provider and in control.

For Christians, it is not a question of if difficulties will come, but when and to what extent they will happen. But God will never give us more than we can handle. For me this morning, the perceived difficulty was a false alarm. But, sometimes real "nightmares" do come true in our lives (things much more difficult than a car getting stolen).  One of my favorite verses is Job 23:10 "But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." In my past nightmare come true experiences, I sometimes could not see anything at all. Verses like Job 23:10 may sometimes be all that can be relied on: having to trust that God knows that way that I take, even though I do not; having to trust that God has only a good outcome in store, though the pain is ripping your heart. God's purpose is to make you more like Jesus. "Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, As do stripes the inner depths of the heart" - Prov.20:30. During the times of difficulty, as Zack put it, the pain feels like pieces of your heart are being ripped away. In that process, God is cleansing away evil. Though I do not rejoice in the painful things, I rejoice in how they bring about a deeper love for Jesus. Nothing compares to knowing Jesus. Time passed will show us again that often, "Difficulty is far more useful than what we would choose for ourselves." 

If today a difficulty comes your way, how will you respond? Here is a story about when the disciples panicked. Even though Jesus is in the boat with the disciples, they dramatically cry out that they are dying! And trust me, I too have dramatically cried out to God, "Save me, I am dying!"
"Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We are perishing!' But He said to them, 'Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?'
The He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, 'Who can this be, that even the winds and sea obey Him?'"- Matt. 8:25-27.

The tempest came upon the disciples, "suddenly." Be encouraged today that even when the sudden tempests come upon your day, that God commands the winds and the waves, and they obey Him. This same God is commanding the creation around you. He is with you and for you.

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world"- John 16:33

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."- Acts 4:12

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"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."- John 3:16

Pray for those who have chosen to follow Jesus at the Harvest Crusade, that they will be discipled. Pray that they will stay in the love of God.

"And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."- Acts 2:38.

*Praising God that He is mighty to save*

*There is hope for the hurting*

"Joy Comes in the Morning"

The morning air burns away the steamy August clouds, bringing in the fragrance of late summer. "God remembered Noah," and at such a sight I remember these powerful words. I know God remembers me.
The water in the streets is plated with sunlight, like paths of gold. This morning is perfect. The lovely clouds are shrouding the sun for just a little longer, so I can catch this view and sit on the balcony.

"But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day" - Proverbs 4:18.

Dawn is alighting all about me, and with each moment the day is getting brighter. There is such perfect peace in this meadow valley today. The sun rays are now pouring through the clouds and onto the hills beneath them - like Heaven reaching for earth in Jesus Christ.

This last weekend I went to the Harvest Crusade with the High School group from church. First we did some evangelism the day before and in the morning. The whole weekend was an amazing blessing, as we fellowshiped as a family and went out proclaiming the Gospel. This Good News is that you can trust in Jesus' work on the cross to save you. A Savior has been sent to die on the cross for sins, and to rise again three days later, rescuing men and women from sin and death.   Jesus came to ransom men and women for God.

“And they sang a new song, saying:

You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.”- Revelation 5:9-10

At the Harvest Crusade, we tasted a small idea of Heaven, as our countrymen and women filled a stadium of worship unto God. For King and Country came to lead thousands of people to worship. They decided on naming the band, For King and Counrty, because that was the battle cry of the British before they went into battle (The band is Australian, once a colony of Britain). But their battle cry is for King (Jesus), and Country (Heaven, the people of God). They pointed to us, when they said country; I loved that idea of profound love and service to God's Country. Here is a song that they played. Truly there is no greater joy than to be with God's people, to invite others into Heaven's Country, and to worship Jesus.

The Devo I read today and must share

Joined in God by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
	"As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Cor. 6:10). Sorrow was beautiful, but her beauty was the beauty of the moonlight shining through the leafy branches of the trees in the wood, and making little pools of silver here and there on the soft green moss below. When Sorrow sang, her notes were like the low sweet call of the nightingale, and in her eyes was the unexpectant gaze of one who has ceased to look for coming gladness. She could weep in tender sympathy with those who weep, but to rejoice with those who rejoice was unknown to her. Joy was beautiful, too, but his was the radiant beauty of the summer morning. His eyes still held the glad laughter of childhood, and his hair had the glint of the sunshine's kiss. When Joy sang his voice soared upward as the lark's, and his step was the step of a conqueror who has never known defeat. He could rejoice with all who rejoice, but to weep with those who weep was unknown to him. "But we can never be united," said Sorrow wistfully. "No, never." And Joy's eyes shadowed as he spoke. "My path lies through the sunlit meadows, the sweetest roses bloom for my gathering, and the blackbirds and thrushes await my coming to pour forth their most joyous lays." "My path," said Sorrow, turning slowly away, "leads through the darkening woods, with moon-flowers only shall my hands be filled. Yet the sweetest of all earth-songs--the love song of the night--shall be mine; farewell, Joy, farewell." Even as she spoke they became conscious of a form standing beside them; dimly seen, but of a Kingly Presence, and a great and holy awe stole over them as they sank on their knees before Him. "I see Him as the King of Joy," whispered Sorrow, "for on His Head are many crowns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great victory. Before Him all my sorrow is melting away into deathless love and gladness, and I give myself to Him forever." "Nay, Sorrow," said Joy softly, "but I see Him as the King of Sorrow, and the crown on His head is a crown of thorns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great agony. I, too, give myself to Him forever, for sorrow with Him must be sweeter than any joy that I have known." "Then we are one in Him," they cried in gladness, "for none but He could unite Joy and Sorrow." Hand in hand they passed out into the world to follow Him through storm and sunshine, in the bleakness of winter cold and the warmth of summer gladness, "as sorrowful yet always rejoicing." "Should Sorrow lay her hand upon thy shoulder, And walk with thee in silence on life's way, While Joy, thy bright companion once, grown colder, Becomes to thee more distant day by day? Shrink not from the companionship of Sorrow, She is the messenger of God to thee; And thou wilt thank Him in His great tomorrow For what thou knowest not now, thou then shalt see; She is God's angel, clad in weeds of night, With 'whom we walk by faith and not by sight.'"

All I know of the future is that I will be with Jesus