Faith…Finding Enduring Boldness in Times of Suffering

By Kyrsten N. and Rebekah T. 

“And now, compelled by the spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.”

~ Acts 20:22-24

Paul's situation was inevitable – prison and hardships had faced him before, and he knew the pain of suffering (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-29). But instead of shrinking from this trial, Paul charged into it with faith and complete sacrifice of his own will. How can we display this same confidence that is from the Holy Spirit? Romans 8:17 says,

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

If there is a time of suffering, then there is always going to be a time of renewal – when everything is new again and the glory of Christ rewards us for our endurance. If we hold onto our faith in the midst of the struggle, then we will come out with an even stronger, bolder faith.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8

So this faith must not be a faith in ourselves, but in God, for we can do nothing without his strength.

In the seasons of good times, we must also build each other up and be strengthened by the Word. This takes commitment.

“Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My father will honor the one who serves me.” ~ John 12:25-26

Service is important. When a trial comes and you feel flustered and bogged down by the weight of the world, try serving others. It will take the focus off of you and put it on God, which is the only way we can endure through the struggles we face. (See John 13:14-17.)

“Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in great conflict, full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” 

~ Hebrews 10:32-35

“Love eases pain, and when one loves God, one suffers for Him with joy and with courage...My pains and sufferings would be a paradise to me if I suffered them with God, and the greatest pleasures would be a hell if I enjoyed them without him. All my solace is to suffer something for him.” ~ Brother Lawrence

Thank you for sharing, Kyrsten and Rebekah! Blessings, Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

The Beauty of Older Women

We've been looking at lot at the topic of modesty in recent weeks. One of the sweetest aspects of modesty is that it showcases the inner beauty of the heart, which is most precious to God (1 Peter 3:4). I asked my friend Levi to reflect on why he thinks older women are beautiful and his answer reveals the significance of inner beauty. I hope you enjoy reading his thoughts!

Ever since I can remember, I have not seen beauty in clear skin, height, eye color, or hair color. Those things are nice, of course, but I have seen beauty in something else entirely. And I have seen that something in one broad group of women in particular: older Christian women. When I look at one of these dear sisters in the faith, I don’t see their wrinkles. I don’t see their scars from past surgeries. I don’t see their gray hair. And I definitely don’t notice the minute details of their nails or veins. I don’t even consider whether their clothes are beautiful. All I notice is that smile, and the matching twinkling eyes, and I see beauty. True, pure, godly beauty. Then my eyes start to notice the gray hair, the wrinkles, the clothes... And it all blends into the smile... to be beautiful. And that is why wrinkles and gray hair are endearing to me. Because of the smile that often follows.

Bio: My name is Levi. I'm a writer, musician, reader, teen, talker, and a doodling artist. I blog about living the Christian Faith and some things you could call self-improvement at levipierpont.wordpress.com.

Answers in John 15:1-17

John 15:1-17 is such a beautiful passage (one of my favorites) in which Jesus teaches us about growth. One of my friends sent me the following outline, where he saw Jesus answering his questions about fruit bearing throughout the passage. I hope you enjoy this unique way to read this section of Scripture and are encouraged as you seek to bear fruit and to grow in Christ! Blessings, Christina

1. How do we "bear fruit​"?

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

​2. How do we abide in Him?​
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

​3. How do we "abide in His love"?​

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

​4. Why should I want to abide?​
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

​5. ​Okay, I I have that settled. Now what is this commandment you're talking about?
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.

​6. What does being your friend mean?​
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

​7. How are we your friends and what are we to do now?
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

​"And that's it."

Levi Pierpont - https://levipierpont.wordpress.com

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

Encouragement in Purity From a Sister-in-Christ

As we near the end of our study on purity I am excited to share these beautiful thoughts from a dear friend of mine. Our precious sister-in-Christ shared much from her heart, so the ellipsis stand for sections where words have been removed for lack of space! I hope you will be blessed by her thoughts and deep longing to encourage you in purity and point you to Christ! From knowing her personally, I can tell you that she lives out the beautiful purity she writes about here, by God's grace in her life! May you be blessed. Christina 

'You can do it; you can keep yourself pure'. It's a message I have heard so many times....and for so long, I bought it.

…Purity for the sake of purity is not enough; no. It will never be enough. God's standard of purity is so high, so deep, so wide, and so majestic, that we can never reach, can never touch, can only begin to know what it really even is. We get glimpses of it when we read in Revelation John's description of Jesus in His purified form.

And I ask you, sisters in Christ, regardless of how pure you are, whether you wear a purity ring, whether you have studied books on purity, gone to seminars, have parents, mentors, and siblings that help you stay accountable, regardless of what you believe about kissing before marriage; could you truly stand before your God today and say that you are completely pure in every aspect of your life? I'm not just talking about chaste purity. I'm talking about every other aspect of your life that isn't about waiting for your spouse, like obeying your parents, having an awesome attitude 24/ 7, and every other area of our lives. Because it's not just that kind of purity to which God calls us. Could you stand before Him now, this moment, and say in your own strength,'I did it, God. I'm pure.'

I know I could not.

Marriage to a good, excellent, Godly young man is something I have always desired. And if you're any bit the romantic that I am, pushing it aside enough with self talk like 'You can do it; you can be pure', becomes rather discouraging! And then with all of that, to know that we will one day stand before The Lord, who is purer than the purest purity we can ever imagine, and answer to Him in this just as for every other area, is daunting. As girls, the physical aspect of purity is not so much the danger as is saving yourself emotionally for that one man God has for you. For me, it's always been wanting a Prince Charming with whom I can share my heart.

Thankfully I had (still do have :) amazing parents and family, and God has always been faithful in giving His Spirit for the strength in keeping this emotional (and of course physical) purity. Even in that, I feel that as a romantic, my own mind and heart constantly wanted that relationship. But there was more to it than that.

For years, I had this notion that IF I was good, THEN The Lord would honor me in the way of getting married! So, the more I was trying to stay away from the opposite gender and showed God that I could do this purity thing, the closer I would be to Him rewarding me in this area.

As a teen, my intentions were genuine; I thought that if I tried really hard, I could be pure enough that God would give me my future husband. So it became a game with God; the more I put effort into purity, the more God must give me that man! If got to the point where I wouldn't even talk to guys because I wanted God to think I was being good so He would grant this to me.

But God is not a God that plays games with His children like that....and neither does He like being played! And the problem was that I started being dishonest with God. I was literally telling Jesus, the Creator of all things who willingly took my place on the Cross, that I was ok with this singleness thing. Truthfully? Nothing was farther from the truth. I was NOT ok with it. Not only that; I was beginning to resent God because even though I was doing everything within MY power to be pure, no Prince Charming was on the horizon. Not even a good boy my age!

… I actually got to the point where I was crying out to God saying the thing I thought a pure young lady could never say:

'God, I can't do this anymore.' It wasn't the purity aspect that was bothering me. I thought God was letting me down. 'Here I have been so pure before You, Jesus. I have never said, done, or touched anything You commanded me not to!' And it was true. I hadn't. I had been chaste and pure. 'So why don't You honor Your Word?'

…I wasn't ready to trust. Actually, I even told Him, 'I can't honestly tell You that I do.'

I walked away from that time more troubled than anything else and went on with life.

Mothers who really love Jesus are treasures. Truly. One night a few weeks later, we were talking, as we often do. I told her I was really lonely and expected to hear what I have read and been told all my life and always submitted to in the past, but was growing more restless to do more recently. 'Wait'.

But that wasn't what she said. Instead, she told me something I'm never going to forget.

'God puts this desire in young people so that they GET MARRIED. He's allowing you to feel lonely, because there's a young man out there who's also feeling lonely, and the Lord is going to bring you together while you are lonely. He's not putting you to the test because He wants to. He's got someone for you. Pray for it to happen, and trust that the God that cares for you and loves you will answer you.'

She had no idea how much I needed to hear that! And I am doing that, sisters. Of course, this definitely does NOT mean that a guy will ever be my all in all. But God CANNOT COME into the depths of the heart to BE your All in All, if there is any area where you do not trust Him with something so near and dear to your heart.

A few days later, on my drive to work, the Holy Spirit spoke again, and I'd like to encourage all you single ladies in this:

'What my God says, my God also does. What my God does, He doesn't stop doing it until He's finished. And when my God is finished....there is NO turning back!'

It remains to be seen how this will play out. But ever since I have prayed to God and been honest with Him about it, He He has shown me the joy of His presence in a very real way.

So, be pure, but don't do it to BE pure. Do it because you love The Lord...and don't do it on your own. God really cares about those desires of the heart; He created them. Your God may have you wait, and if He does, He is God. Who can say different? But in that waiting, be honest with Him. Talk to Him about what is going on in you. Not that our walk with the Lord is about us; it's not. But He cares. And in that care, just like a loving parent, He wants to know what's going on with His child even in the middle of His denial of your desire. He may say 'wait' or 'no', but He also wants you to cry and lean on HIS shoulder. If you are not depending on the Lord in this area, you may stay pure, but when you do meet a guy, you may just be so desperate because you think you have been pure enough and deserve it, that the point will be more 'oh; someone is interested; I'm saying yes to this!' Rather than 'this guy really loves The Lord. I can honor, respect, obey, love, and follow this man as unto The Lord.' Whether you are eighteen or twenty four, what you are waiting for is the same thing, if you really love Jesus. And find a sister in The Lord to encourage in this issue. As you encourage, you will also feel the joy of The Lord in this area! Besides, she needs it, too!

...A good married friend's mom once said something in my hearing that deeply affected me.

'Those that stay pure are God's bride, to be presented to Him, in purity. That's Who you're waiting for when you're single!'

So the next time you're about to say, 'I'm staying pure for my future husband', or 'Because it's a rule at my house', say instead, 'I'm staying pure to be presented a Holy Bride to The Lord God when He returns'.

Because it's true. Purity in all forms is for the Glory of God, not just to make a good sweet Christian marriage testimony.

Fellow sisters in Christ, this is profound:

You CAN'T be pure. You CAN'T be good in your own strength. That is self- help, and it doesn't work even when you try your hardest. It just builds resentment. You CAN commit your way to The Lord (Psalm 34:5), and you CAN do everything not to get a future spouse, but to obtain the Glory of The Lord here on earth. And in doing that, you WILL find the Lord faithful in giving you the right tools to get to that altar of promise, (and faithful in GETTING you to that altar!!!) to be presented to that man of God for whom you have kept yourself. But it WON'T be because you kept yourself. It WILL be because your heart was on The Lord, and He gave you both the strength to say no, and the courage to take the steps right to that man, and to saying 'yes'!

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE ONLY AREA OF LIFE WHERE THIS APPLIES! God sent His Son to die to give us strength to be presented a pure bride in EVERY area of life, whether it's keeping ourselves for the right man, or mowing the lawn joyfully when asked (or when not asked ;) We CAN'T do this Christianity walk correctly in our own strength, and in looking to a how to book to teach us, we'll fail miserably. We will succeed only when it's NOT our success that we're dependent upon. We are successful when we look to and rely on THE LORD!

And if you do yearn in your heart for a man of God today, don't read a book about what you should do; talk to God about it!...

Yes, I very much desire a man of God in my life, and yes I desire it sooner than later. But I know better now than to subscribe to a method of purity as my guide. Rather, I will look to The Lord my God. And in His strength I will keep this purity, with which I will someday be presented unto Jesus, a clean bride, not for my own efforts, but for His leading and love. And in that, to my future husband :)

...Sisters of purity, we are such because we have something girls of the world don't have; FAITH. It takes faith to trust God for something so important as meeting the right one! And I believe that I, just as you sisters, will meet that one! And in our wait, let us turn to God for our sustenance before trying to be a living testimony to the world. Because He died so that we wouldn't HAVE to depend on our strength.

It will show!

Love,
A fellow sister in Christ Jesus Christ

Psalm 18:4

Photo Credit and Word Art: Sarah S.

Psalm 46:10

Photo Credit and Word Art: Sarah S.

Philippians 2:8

Photo Credit and Word Art: Sarah S.

Anna is Thankful For...

Week One
1: A loving Daddy who cares for my heart.
2: For a healthy family
3: Homemade Chexmix
4: Imagination.
5: Good Books
6: My little brother and his big eyes!
7:Warm tea

Week Two

1. Flowers

2. C.S. Lewis
3. Colored Pencils
4. Smiles
5. My grandparents
6. Laughter
7. Snow

Week Three
1. A warm house
2. Mom's Peppermint Fudge
3. God and his steadfast love
4. God and his mercy
5. Creativity
6. Christmas
7. A church family as awesome as mine!

Week Four
1. Friends who make me laugh.
2. For the fact that we can worship Jesus freely
3. Matters of Her Heart for doing this thankfulness challenge!
4. Mashed Potatoes
5. Guns
6. My own personal Bible
7. Warm clothing
8. Awesome Grandparents who encourage me to do my best in everything

Thanks for sharing, Anna, and blessings to you! Christina

Soli Deo Gloria ~ To God Alone Be the Glory!

The Brightness of His Glory ~ Alyssa H.

Hi Friends! Alyssa H. recently shared some sweet insights from God's Word which she was encouraged by at her church. I hope you enjoy reading what she learned from the book of Hebrews. Love in Christ, Christina

The Brightness of His Glory

Heb. 1:3 KJV ~ “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

God manifested His glory to Moses (Exodus 33-34), Saul (when name changed to Paul in Acts 9), and other people. We don’t fully understand the brightness of His glory (Rom. 11:33-36). Ask Him to open the riches of His glory to us (Col. 1:15-17).

Light reveals what we wouldn’t otherwise see. We often approach God, pointing out our most obvious sins. But then the brightness of His glory comes and we see ALL the sins, darkness of our soul. We are left without excuse and need to repent of our sin, asking Him to cleanse our heart. David wrote, “Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance” (Ps. 90:8). May we pray with a broken and contrite heart as David did, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin…Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight…Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow…Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me…Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Ps. 51:1-2,4,7,10,12).

In verse 3, “brightness” means “light” or “splendor”; “image” means “character”. Christ is the express image = an exact copy, representation, of God the Father. Jesus said to Philip, “He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father” (Jn. 14:8-9).

Jesus always says who He is. Who do we say that He is? Who is Christ to you and me today? Do you and I believe He is God, or just another being? For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6).

Colossians 2:6-7

 Special thanks to Alyssa H.