This is life and death in front of us.

God is holding out His hand and asking for yours, "Can I have it?"
Paul, with his pride in his lineage and education stripped from him said "Yes,"and was used. George Muller with his truant childhood and debauched adulthood said "Yes,"and was used. D.L.Moody with an impoverished childhood and little education said "Yes,"and was used. Hudson Taylor with his, continual kicking of the gospel as a young adult said "Yes,"and was used.  Isabel Kuhn wandering in the antagonistic 'misty flats' said "Yes,"and was used. Darlene Deibler Rose as a common run of the mill girl said "Yes," and was used. Are you willing to say, "Yes." ?

Quotes from C.T. Studd

"God, I know I can hardly breath, and I can hardly walk, but God, send me."

• "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."

"Last June at the mouth of the Congo there awaited a thousand prospectors, traders, merchants and gold seekers, waiting to rush into these regions as soon as the government opened the door to them, for rumour declared that there is an abundance of gold. If such men hear so loudly the call of gold and obey it, can it be that the ears of Christ's soldiers are deaf to the call of God? Are gamblers for gold so many, and gamblers for God so few?"

"How could I spend the best years of my life in living for the honours of this world, when thousands of souls are perishing every day?"

"Too long have we been waiting for one another to begin! The time of waiting is past! The hour of God has struck! War is declared! In God's Holy Name let us arise and build! 'The God of Heaven, He will fight for us', as we for Him. We will not build on the sand, but on the bedrock of the sayings of Christ, and the gates and minions of hell shall not prevail against us. Should such men as we fear? Before the world, aye, before the sleepy, lukewarm, faithless, namby-pamby Christian world, we will dare to trust our God, we will venture our all for Him, we will live and we will die for Him, and we will do it with His joy unspeakable singing aloud in our hearts. We will a thousand times sooner die trusting only our God, than live trusting in man. And when we come to this position the battle is already won, and the end of the glorious campaign in sight. We will have the real Holiness of God, not the sickly stuff of talk and dainty words and pretty thoughts; we will have a Masculine Holiness, one of daring faith and works for Jesus Christ."

"The "romance" of a missionary is often made up of monotony and drudgery; there often is no glamour in it; it doesn't stir a man's spirit or blood. So don't come out to be a missionary as an experiment, it is useless and dangerous. Only come if you feel you would rather die than not come. Lord Wolsey was right: "A missionary ought to be a fanatic or he encumbers the ground." There are many trials and hardships. Disappointments are numerous and the time of learning the language is especially trying. Don't come if you want to make a great name or want to live long. Come if you feel there is no greater honour, after living for Christ, than to die for Him. That does the trick in the end. It's not the flash in the pan but the steady giving forth of light, it's shining on and on that we need out here. Our job is to make all hear the Word. God's job is to give penetration to His Word."

"I am getting desperately afraid of going to heaven for I have had the vision of the shame I shall suffer as I get my first glimpse of the Lord Jesus; His majesty, power and marvellous love for me, who treated Him so meanly and shabbily on earth, and acted as though I did Him a favour in serving Him! No wonder God shall have to wipe away the tears off all faces, for we shall be broken-hearted when we see the depth of His love and the shallowness of ours."

• 
  
• "Let us not glide through this world and then slip quietly into heaven, without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let us see to it that the devil will hold a thanksgiving service in hell, when he gets the news of our departure from the field of battle."

 

Standing in the Gap

Do not watch this is if you do not want to be challenged.

Are you ready to give your life to Christ?

"Here am I! Send me!"

A short thought for today:

Rose from the Brier

Before the winds that blow do cease,

Teach me to dwell within thy calm:

Before the pain has passed in peace,

Give me, my God to sing a psalm.

Let me not lose the chance to prove 

the fullness of enabling love.

oh love of God do this for me:

Maintain a constant victory.

~Amy Carmichael, Rose from Brier 1933 edition

Surrender Challenge [Day6]

^"44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.⁴⁵ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:⁴⁶ Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."    Matthew 13:44-46

I am supposed to seek for it as for buried treasure, like a pearl of great price, but what exactly am I pursuing, 'pressing' towards?

What does a human, Christ-like life look like?

What is personal holiness lived out?

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ¹³ distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”^[a] says the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;If he is thirsty, give him a drink;For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”^[b]21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."   Romans 12:9-21

Challenge #5

Memorize one 'personal holiness' verse to mediate on and do today.

Make an organized, daily plan to accomplish your 'personal holiness goal'
(from yesterday's challenge) for the month.

Ask God for His overarching vision for how you can serve Him with your life.
Ask specifics, God knows the answer. 

(Ideas to get you started:)

Among what people group, and age group?

 Sharing the gospel through what medium?

 Reaching what goal/accomplishment?

 Test it with scripture. Is this consistent with Scripture? 

God's Character? Will God get glory from this, or will I?

Ask God for today's step toward that goal. (Are there skills or other knowledge that I will need? Is there a character deficit I'll need to remedy?)

Don't be afraid to be creative. God does call us to the mediocrity of the world's 'box.' 

Patience! God is not finished with you yet! 

My Attitude today is: 

Lord Jesus, here am I, thy little maid.

and here are my minutes
-humble tho they be.

I am determined to fill them to the fullest
with the work you set for me.

Here am I, to be shaped within your hands.
'pressing' to be molded into the image of your Son. 

Surrender Challenge [Day7]

I have been up for almost 26 hours straight with the birth of a baby,

 but I am writing today's challenge anyway 

because even if you have not participated in any other challenge this week, 

I beg you,

do today's. 

Girls, get on your face and pray.
Beg God to come close and show you a piece of Himself.
Beg Him to set you apart from the world for Himself.
He knows already, but tell Him how much you want Him.
He knows already, but tell Him that you don't desire Him because of what He will give you.
He knows already, but tell Him that you don't desire Him because of what you can get from Him,
but that you desire only Him.
Beg Him to give you the strength and persistence to pursue Him; hungry, eager.
Plead with Him to give you a Christianity that works.
Plead with Him to give you His heart; transform you.
Cry out to Him to show you how to seek Him.
Beg Him to allow you to live in His presence, and see His glory.
Beg Him to show you what that death on that tree has to do with you.
Cry out to Him to come and meet you, to let flesh die, self decrease, and Christ increase.

Lay yourself;
Your life, your desires for the future, your favorite things, your hobbies, your skills, the places you go,                                                               your words, your emotions, your good and bad habits, your secrets, your fears, your inadequacies and failures. Lay them with brokenness and willingness at His feet.

Oh God, teach me to be a BIBLE Christian!!!!

  

Surrender Challenge [Day5]

" I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1 

Stop.

Yes, I said stop.

Why are you seeking the Lord?
Not why he is, or she is; you. Think about it. Search yourself. Give yourself a concise answer.
Why do you want to be like Him?
Why do you want to serve Him?
Where is this desire coming from?

Romans 12:1, " I beseech you therefore, [Paul pleads with us, 'therefore,' because of the great salvation and promises of Romans chapters 1-11, because of everything up to this point; Here is what all reason is yelling for you to do:  "brethren, by the mercies of God, [that ye] present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

I'm glad to be saved.

Especially by grace through faith.

I am so happy to be free from condemnation.

I sing the mighty holiness, mighty justice, mighty love of God, that sent His Son to die in my place for my crime.

Oh joy, joy, joyous of joys! "God has made me alive to Himself! I can respond to Him, hear His still small voice, and be taught the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit!"

If I were a person given to jumping up and down, the statement, 'You are now dead to sin. You don't have to live in it any longer!' would make me take wings to my feet. As it is, it brings chills, and tears.

I don't understand exactly why or how.

But I'm grateful.

Grateful enough to pursue the holiness that God commands of every believer?

"¹⁵ but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”^{[a] 1 Peter 1:15-16}

"Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Timothy 2:22

"I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness." Romans 6:19

"But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life." Romans 6:22

"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1

" and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:24

"For God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness." 1 Thessalonians 4:7


This is our High calling of God, in Christ Jesus. This is the mark that we press for. 

It was out on the Scottish Highlands, high in the crags. Persecution from the Roman Catholic church and the infiltrating English was rampant. There, clambering alone through the rocky terrain was a father and son. Sweat mixing with the mist, the pair came to a halt with rock formations enclosing them on three sides. After telling his son to wait for him, the father climbed the rocks, using his height and the sheer strength of his arms. The son watched in awe, and bewilderment. He could not possibly go up the same way. At the top, the father pointed out a foothold high above the boy's head. "I want you to place your foot.. there." And the father stretched his hand down toward the boy. With a leap, the trusting son managed to grab hold of his father's hand, but was still unable to reach the foothold, much less the top. With ease, the father lifted the son up the rocks, his strength pulling the boy far above what the boy could have stretched to, or leaped for.

So it is with God. What He asks of us, is to 'press' toward it.

Challenge #5

Memorize one of the 'pursue holiness' verses to mediate on today.

Ask yourself: 
Am I 'pressing'?

Am I 'pressing,' all day long?

Am I truly giving Him 'excellence'?

Set two goals, one to accomplish today,
 and one for where you want to be at the end of this month.
Press toward it today with faith in the One who is pulling you there.
(ideas)
Find an accountability partner. 
Choose a role-model from Scripture or history. 
Sing, and give smiles, remember, "The joy of the Lord is my strength."
 And continue persistently, steadfastly in prayer.

My Attitude today is: 

Lord Jesus, here am I,thy little maid.

This is my best; my whole best,

and nothing but my best

-for You. 

For Your glory not mine.

Teach me to deflect praise from myself to it's rightful source.
Make me anxious to give Your glory to You!

Encouragement for the weary heart:

"A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray."
Isaiah 35:8

Surrender Challenge [Day4]

“I have asked you one thing. Just one. And that is that you seek me with everything you have. Every thought you have should about Me, connected to Me, and given My approval.

Every desire should be for Me first above all else. You should be hungry for the things I love. Every activity you do should be with the conscientious knowledge that you are doing it to please me, because I’m right here with you.

Where is your passion and love for Me?

Show it by doing the things I love!”

Am I giving all that I have for Jesus Christ and serving Him to the very best of my ability every day? 

“I wish Thy way.
 But when in me myself would rise
 And long for something otherwise
 Then, Holy One, take sword and spear
 And slay.” 
― Amy Wilson-Carmichael

Let this be thy whole endeavour, this thy prayer, this thy desire,--that thou mayest be stripped of all selfishness, and with entire simplicity follow Jesus only. 

― Thomas a Kempis

The degree of blessing enjoyed by any man will correspond exactly with the completeness of God's victory over him. 
― A.W. Tozer

Today, even amongst Christians, there can be found much of that spirit that wants to give as little as possible to the Lord, and yet to get as much as possible from Him. The prevailing thought today is of being used, as though that were the one thing that mattered. That my little rubber band should be stretched to the very limit seems all important. But this is not the Lord's mind. The Lord wants us to be used, yes; but what He is after is that we pour all we have, ourselves, to Him, and if that be all, that is enough. 

― Watchman Nee

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 
1 Corinthians 10:31

 ^"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." 
Colossians 3:17

Challenge #4

Memorize one of the Colossians verses

Ask yourself: Am I doing it with all my might?

Am I doing this with His attitude?

Am I doing this to His perfection?

Am I doing this to please Him alone?

My Attitude today is: 

Lord Jesus, here am I, thy little maid,

This is my best, for You. 

Whatever You ask me to do, 

Whenever You ask me to do it,

Wherever You ask me to do it,

Forever. 

For Your glory.

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" 

Colossians 3:23

Surrender Challenge [Day3]

^"2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2

"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him:" Colossians 3:9-10 

^"But ye have not so learned Christ;

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Ephesians 4:20-24


What is conforming to this world?
          Having the same goals and pursuits as the non-christian, being un-Christ-like, not differentiable from the non-christian.

How do I become Christ-like, different?
          By renewing my mind

How can I 'renew my mind' ? 
          It is 'renewed [by the] knowledge...of Him that created him.'

Where do I find knowledge of God?
          His Word

What do I do with the knowledge from His Word?
          Take action on it! "... Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

"I want to serve the Lord Jesus wholeheartedly, unabashedly, with every single thing I do all day long every day!"

Challenge 3

When I am tempted I will chose to STOP and PRAY that God would give me grace to do what is right, MEMORIZE a portion of Scripture which tells me what is right in my situation and THINK ABOUT IT and how it applies to my life as I go throughout the rest of the day.

Tonight, everyone post a scripture that God gave you today!

Surrender Challenge [Day2]

"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, 

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice." 

This is what we are after, totally and wholly God's and His alone. 

What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?

How do you become a 'living sacrifice'?

How do you stay a living sacrifice?

Romans 6:13 "Neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin: but yield yourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."

Colossians 3:5 "Mortify therefore your members which are on the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry."

2 Corinthians 5:15 "And that he died for all, that they which live should not from now on live to themselves, but to him which died for them, and rose again."

1 Peter 2:24 "Who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, might live for righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed." 1 Peter 4:2 "That he no longer should live in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God."

Romans 8:13 "For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live."

1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Merriam-Webster Definition of sacrifice: The surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher claim. 

John Piper: 

"The offering of our bodies is not the offering of our bodily looks but our bodily behavior." "God wants visible, lived-out, bodily evidence that our lives are his. Just as worshippers in the Old Testament denied themselves some earthly treasure (a sheep, a goat, a bull), and carried their sacrifices to the altar of blood and fire, so we deny ourselves some earthly treasure or ease or comfort, and carry ourselves—our bodies—for Christ's sake to the places and the relationships and the crises in this world."  "A life of visible, lived-out, physical actions of mercy might result in the death of a believer. It's a lifestyle."  "Let every act of your body in living be an act of worship. That is, let every act of your living body be a demonstration that God is your treasure. Let every act of your living body show that Christ is more precious to you than anything else. Let every act of your living body be a death to all that dishonors Christ." “Present a living holy body to God” means give your members—your eyes, your tongue, your hands and feet—give your body to do righteousness, not sin. A body is holy not because of what it looks like, or what shape it's in, but because of what it does."  "When the lips join the heart in praise to God, the body becomes a holy, living sacrifice."

My operational definition of a 'living sacrifice."
"A person who has given everything that he has to God, and is willing to allow God to use every ear, eye, hand, thought, action, attitude, and motive to the praise and glory of God."

CHALLENGE #2

Ask yourself: Is God pleased with what I am doing,

when I am doing it,

how I am doing it,

 and the reason why I am doing it?

Ask God: to remind you, and keep you.

My Attitude today is: I am doing this to serve you my King. 

"May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart

 [and my every action] be pleasing in your sight!"