Are we Christians hospitable?

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Hospitality vs Entertainment

God commands us to be hospitable. I began to learn this way back in 1977 when I was feeling sorry for myself because we had not been invited to anyone's home after the first welcoming Sunday in Franklin, La. In May, 1976.  Every Sunday we went home sad because we'd not been invited again! Suddenly one day my good husband said "I have an idea- let's start inviting people home after church, and quit feeling sorry for ourselves." Thus began many years of having simple ( red beans and rice!) and some not so simple ( beef roasts, which I have not yet perfected in the oven!) menus for Sunday guests from our churches. What a Godsend- literally. When we focus on what we want, we are feeding the "I" monster, and when we focus on making others happy, God makes us happy. As I read in my father's biography a couple of weeks ago, "We serve a happy God!" Our most Hospitable God.

Become like a little child- Matthew 18:1-4

"By what right do we become a “royal priesthood”? By the right of the Atonement. Are we prepared to leave ourselves resolutely alone and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual grubbing on the inside to see whether we are what we ought to be generates a self-centered, morbid type of Christianity, not the robust, simple life of the child of God. 

In regard to prayer, we are apt to be apologetic and apathetic, complex and confused; yet what a splendid audacity a child has, and that is what our Lord taught us to have. "

Reflection Question: With whom, or in what situation, do I need to become less self-centered and more God-centered? 

Quotations taken from My Utmost for His Highest and Christian Discipline, vol. 2, © Discovery House Publishers

The above came from my Youversion devotional by Oswald Chambers. I often "feel like" a little child in my wanting fun, or not wanting to have responsibility, or wanting others to be sympathetic with my problems, but Christ spoke of the simplicity and trust and dependence of a little child coming to his father to ask. I pray that I will learn what we all used to be like- trusting, dependent, hopeful, and completely confident that my Father in Heaven is ready for me at any time to ask audaciously...We need not be afraid to ask!

"Must we always comment on life?"

In 1951, at the age of 24, my Dad had just read For Whom the Bell Tolls by E. Hemingway and was impressed with the amusement of the people in just experiencing life- that they drew no conclusions, pointed out no morals, but simply stated things as they are. He said in his journal-"must we always comment on life? Can it not simply be lived in the reality of Christ's terms of contact with the Father, with Joy and peace, fear and love, full to the fingertips in their turn, without incessant drawing of lessons and making of rules? I do not know. Only I know that my own life is full. It is time to die, for I have had all that a young man can have, at least all this young man can have. If there were no further issue from my training, it would be well. The training has been good, and to the glory of God. I am ready to meet Jesus. Failure means nothing now, only that it taught me life. Success is meaningless, only that it gave me farther experience in using the great gift of God, LIFE. And Life, I love Thee. Not because thou art long, or because Thou hast done great things for me, but, simply because I have thee from God."

1000 Gifts

I've been convicted that it IS important to write down everything you're thankful for. I have not read the book by Ann Voskamp but it has been highly recommended by several, so I'm beginning my list....will you start one too?

In every moment His presence is real, if we would just look up and say "ThankYou."

Billy Graham's devotional for today

This is SO TRUE!  

"Christians are to enjoy life and enjoy one another. When children see no joy in their home, no joy in your Christianity, they will not be attracted by it. When they see you excited about going to a ball game, or watching television, and then dragging around to do spiritual things, they will soon get the idea that Christianity does not mean much to you. Your attitude will rub off. My wife says that the best way to get a child to eat his food is to see his parents enjoying theirs. Our children will not be attracted to Christ if we make Him seem dull.

Daily Prayer

May I live so close to You, Jesus, that those around me will see Your joy."

Suffering, Failing, and Success

“Suffering and success go together. If you are succeeding without suffering, it is because others before you have suffered; if you are suffering without succeeding, it is that others after you may succeed.” -- from Edward Judson, Adoniram's father 

We've often felt like failures, suffering our own mistakes , and seeing our children suffer for our own sins....but "Thanks be to God who always leads  us in triumph through our Lord Jesus Christ!" And His power is perfected in our weakness, as we fall upon Him for help and mercy.

If we had no suffering, we wouldn't need God, and we wouldn't see how He can do abundantly above all that we ask or think. He delights in showing His mercy by doing the impossible for His children. I read this morning, Oswald Chambers' idea on prayer- 

"If our Father knows what we need before we ask, why ask? The point of prayer is not in order to get answers from God; prayer is perfect and complete oneness with God. If we pray because we want answers, we will get huffed with God. The answers come every time, but not always in the way we expect, and our spiritual huff shows a refusal to identify ourselves with our Lord in prayer. 
Children of God never pray to be conscious that God answers prayer, because they are so restfully certain that God always does answer prayer."

So, if we're suffering, can we become one with Him, who cried out to His Father, "not my will but Thine be done, Father?" If He doesn't answer our prayer the way we want, will we get disappointed or "huffed" with Him? He knows what is best for us and understands all our circumstances. He knows the end from the beginning and He will bring glory to Himself if we can say with all our hearts, 'Your way is BEST, Father.' He will make our way successful by our acceptance of the suffering He has allowed, and if that perfect will is to conform us to the image of Christ, must we not gladly be perfected in Him?

Am I willing to be sanctified by many little deaths, many "chances to die," so that His life may be seen in me? I recommend my mother's book A Chance to Die, a biography of Amy Carmichael.

Family-June 14-22, 2014

God gathers us in and we often scatter. I'm so thankful to have most of our family visiting this week! From 2 yr old Jennifer, a grandchild, to our oldest son, Walter. He brings about the gathering and I pray we can always encourage being together!

On Jim Elliot, by his wife, Elisabeth

I just started rereading Shadow of the Almighty, the biography of my Dad, and I'd like to put this paragraph in as a challenge to those of us who call ourselves Christians:

"When Jim was twenty years old he prayed, "Lord make my way prosperous, not that I achieve high station, but that my life may be an exhibit to the value of knowing God." His life was that to me, who shared it more intimately than any other.  Was it extraordinary?  I offer these pages so that the reader may decide for himself.  If his answer is yes- if he finds herein the "stamp of Christ," and decides that this is extraordinary-- what shall we say of the state of Christendom?"
                                                                    from the end of the preface

From the first page of the preface:

"Some who pick up this book may make  no claim to know God. Others may make the claim but be victims of the self-delusion that John ("the disciple whom Jesus loved" from one of his  letters in the Bible) observes. Yet others may know Him, and obey Him, but wonder sometimes at the value of this knowledge and this obedience.  I think that this book will have something to say to all three.  If those in the first category want to know God, they may perhaps learn how.  Those in the second group may find that they are missing a great deal by not backing their claims with action.  And those in the third category may be encouraged to pursue their course. "

There are many times when I am overwhelmed and humbled by the fact of being the daughter of these two extraordinary Christians.  There are other times when I am "proud" in the simplest sense of the word, that I was born of them, and that I have some of their characteristics- sense of adventure and fun, a desire to do what's right, a sense of humor. But as I have often felt, when comparing myself to them( I know that is not wise!) and their accomplishments, I am struck with the lack of consistency and diligence, the lack of the will of steel in my own personality, that has kept me from accomplishing what I thought I "ought" to accomplish.  God made me who I am, and did  He not want to teach me what obedience to His will is, throughout my life, and have I not taken steps of self-discipline, in "fits and starts", later to castigate and berate myself, because I've "not done those things that I ought to have done?"  Yes, it takes a whole life time to do those things He wants us to do, and it takes daily repentance from our dead works, in order that His work of life may transform us. May He conform each of us to the image of Christ, and may we imitate those saints that we read about, or from, as Paul told his churches to imitate him, as he imitated Christ.  May the chastisement of the Spirit comfort us, as we know He is at work, "reshuffling our categories" as my mother used to say, and working in us that which is pleasing in our Father's sight.  May we be mold-able and pliable in His hands, willing to be convicted by the Spirit of Truth, as well as convinced of His help in changing our bad habits and tendencies.  He equips those who want to do His will with His powerful enabling....our lives becoming exhibits to the value of knowing Him....Praise be to Him! Romans 15:13

"The Garden of Sparkling Delight"

I have just finished reading an ebook on my Ipad, that was disturbing, and unfortunately is about a very real problem in today's world.  It is written by my daughter's mother in law in England and her pen name is Deborah Varen. I would recommend this book-"The Garden of Sparkling Delight" to anyone above the age of 16 because of its excellent story line, and its realistic look at the horrendous sex trafficking business. Though most of the book centers on 2 girls who are sold into a brothel in Brazil, the redemptive feature, is that a couple go to Brazil to do a year's work at a hospital, and discover one of the girls, and in the end help both of them. The couple is blessed by being able to help them, and the girls are brought to an understanding that there are people in the world who want to help them, and are committed to fighting the problem.  I pray that this will not only raise awareness, but it will bring more support to the foundations that are fighting this issue around the world.  I have a young friend who worked several years in India with the International Justice system to get the crime rings stopped, and I was so impressed that she went there as a single woman, because of her commitment to God and His righteousness. May God be glorified through this work, and may thousands of girls be rescued from sex trafficking. In turn, may they help others who have been caught in the same trap that they were. 
The author's blogsite is http://debvaren.blogspot.co.uk.Amazon kindle books

Gateway to Joy being aired again!

My mother's radio program which was a weekday 15 minute program for 12 years on Back to the Bible networks, is now going to be aired again on Bible Broadcasting Networks, starting April 14, 2014.

It will. Be on at 11:15 Monday through Fridays.  

So many people have told me they miss it, so I'm glad it will be aired again, and am hoping that new people will here her too.