"I have a dream"

Today was the last day of my History class. And we were talking... well, the Professor was talking and I was thinking, about racism. He was talking about how he believed racism still exhists today in America, but that we so far have come a long way towards being truly an integrated society.

He showed us tons of images of black Americans who were beaten hung and even burned alive after the Civil War. They were horrific images. And I can hardly think of them now without getting sick. The absolute cruelty and gross injustice is enough to make me literally sick. What must those people have been thinking who were standing all around. Granted maybe most didn't take part in the actual lynching but they were there! They were watching.

And God pricked my heart to the core about Abortion. It is the present day form of racism, and even worse than what happened to the black Americans (even anything could be worse). When I think of the numerous "methods" of abortion, they are worse than the hanging and the burning alive. And yet those being aborted have no way to defend themselves nor to speak for their freedom. The people who are aborted cannot march on Washington as the black Americans did in 1963.

America, as God has judged you for slavary so will He judge you for abortion. As we once denied a different race human rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" so have we denied our own races the right to LIFE, let alone liberty and hapiness.

I asked myself as I saw those grotesque images of the black Americans being burned alive, how could such a thing happen? In those days people convinced themselves that black people were not only another race but another species intirely that lacked a soul. The Germans too were convinced that Jews were without soul as well. This idea of souless bodies allowed every type of cruelty, maltreatment and ultimately murder of human beings. Today Americans have convinced themselves that a child in the womb has not a soul, and every type of cruelty, maltreatment and ultimately murder has befallen that child who is left without protection or even a voice with which to protest.

So what does this have to do with me? By Gods grace and mercy, I have never committed abortion. I have told people how I feel about the subject and I have gone on LIFE walks. I have heard that the sins of a country are a picture of the Christians in that country. The sin of abortion would be murder, or hatred. It would also be the sin of idol worship, or of valueing the world, temporal things, etc, more than we value the Creator. Both of these sins I can see in my life and it is time to wage war against these sins. How I do this?

Repentance, concluding that God is right and I am wrong, turning from my wrong ways. Repent from these sins and draw close to the Lord through obedience and faith in His Word. The fruit of this I am convinced will be the abolition of abortion. For when God is God in the lives of saints, real love rules not hatred. A love willing to rebuke wickedness at all costs and embrace righteousness at all costs. And also God's Lordship brings humilty and breaks apart selfish idolatry. His Lorship will cause saints to surrender their own plans, loves, and desires for the work and glory of God.

"Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs will I carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.
To whom will you liken me and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike?
Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weight out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their sholders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place.
If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble.
Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,' calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.
Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness; I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory." -Isaiah 46:3-13

Pics

These are some of the pictures I drew recently... I will put some captions on this sometime when I don't have a test for which to study. :-) Happy Sunday all!

Am I a Soldier?

My least favorite class this semester has been history class... but I must say that I have learned far more than I expected to in this class. My professor doesn't give his three hour lectures on how bad the church is anymore, instead he plugs in three hour PBS documentaries on early American History. There are times I confess I have almost fell asleep, and I know that is really rude, so I started to practice drawing on the subjects that we are learning about. That helped me focus a lot better on the subject matter (believe it or not. i am becoming quite the multi-tasker)... and I get to spend three hours a week drawing.

Besides learning how to make the eyes on a head look more realistic I am also learning other things. Last week we were studying the Civil War and one person who was famous really stuck out to me.

General "Stonewall" Jackson really caught my attention. I always knew that he was a devout man but not much more than that. God has used Jackson's testimony to teach me about being a soldier of the Lord.

Jackson was not well loved by his soldiers, but they were loyal to him because he won battles. He was an extremely strict disciplinarian. One of his officers said, "Jackson would have a man shot at the drop of a hat, and usually he drops the hat." He also believed that you didn't "fight" your enemy you "crushed" your enemy. He was an observer of the Sabbath. While Jackson would fight battles on a Sunday he would "observe" the Sabbath on another day of the week. :-) Jackson was nicknamed "Stonewall" because he stood like a stone wall before his enemies and the most fearsome of circumstances. His men reported that he had absolutely no fear of death. This fact about Jackson struck me the most.

Jackson's testimony of his devotion to the Lord (even when it wasn't convenient, or attractive), the way in which he fought (not toying with the enemey but destroying it) and his lack of fear of death really encouraged and challenged me. Through this class the Lord has really opened my eyes to some sins that I had not really considered before taking this class. There have been times at work when it wasn't convenient to tell people about what the Lord was doing in my life through difficult circumstances about which they asked. Also in dealing with sin that the Lord has pointed out to me, I noticed that I have been almost toying with it in the way I "fight" it. I have not been putting my sin to death with "crushing" blows. Lastly, and one of the most convicting, I have feared death, not physical death, but death to myself, death to my life, my plans, my way. I have feared and not trusted the Lord. Jackson's testimony reminded me that there is no fear in giving ones life to the Lord and to His service. He will care for me, but I must surrender to Him and bow my will to His supreme authority. Oh for grace to trust Him more. He has given me grace to be an obedient and good soldier, now I must seize it.

All through my class I remembered that song "Am I a Soldier of the Cross." And throughout this week I will continue to remember this song and this question. Am I truly siding with the Lord, and fighting with Him and not against Him? Am I being a good soldier of the Cross?

Jackson's testimony was so good to hear. Once again, thank You God for this history class and this history professor! It has been an EXCELLENT semester... one of the best yet.

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth... Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our heart with [our] hands unto God in the heavens." Lamentations 3:21-41

I am expecting some harsh critizism from you, my friends, for drawing in class instead of taking notes. So please don't dissapoint me!

Hope you have a wonderful week! God bless you guys!

In Christ Alone Will I Glory

In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I’ve been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I’ll overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
For only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need
And now I seek no greater honor in just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses to the glory of my Lord

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

In Christ alone will I glory! Studying John 18 and 19. It was amazing to see Pilate struggle so much to show the Jews that he was on their side. He knew who Christ was, but he was afraid of the crowd and afraid of losing his position of "power". Our Lord will be victorious in this battle between good and evil. And there is no fear of man for God created man. There is no fear of losing our positions because our glory is not found here on earth, but it is found in Christ alone! I can trust Him fully!

I love the line in this song, "I seek no other honor than just to know Him more. And count my gains but losses to the glory of the Lord." It is such an honor to know the Lord more and more! That coupled with "losses" that bring the Savior glory are sufficient blessings to make me a truly happy woman!

Living for Jesus

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 " For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this; that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those that live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."

We were saved from HAVING to live for ourselves. That really goes against the grain of my natural thinking. But the truth from the Word of God is that living for Him is not only better than living for ourselves, but living for ourselves is something that we have/had to be rescued from... as in, it is a really bad thing. :-)

Matthew 10:39 "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it

BEAUTIFUL DAY!

Today is the eve of the rising of our Christ! It is a wonderful day full hope and expectation of things to come. It is the eve of the consumation of the hope we have in the Father. It is the day from which our salvation comes.

I love Easter best of all the holidays, and I love it more and more every year. This morning I was listening to John Piper's sermon to professors who work at seminaries. I have listened to it several times and it always cuts me to the heart with conviction, in the most painful and yet effective way. :-) Pastor Piper speaks of the single most important thing that students must learn and it is this: "To know God better than I know anything else, and to delight in God more than I delight in anything else."

This Easter I am praying this for all my friends, for all my family, and for myself... I might just pray this for my enemies too. :-) This is one of the most exciting Easter's I have ever had, for I know that God will work mightily in behalf of His people and for His glory in this year of our Lord, and Savior!

Let us study to know Him and labour to enjoy Him more than anything in this world! Amen!

Happy Easter!

Firm Foundation

"Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great." - Psalm 18:5

"By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee." - Psalm 71:6

"Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand." -Romans 14:4

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." -2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I understand these verses so much better! His strength is made perfect in my huge and multiple weaknesses, and I finally know how firm this Foundation really is! It is unmovable; He will not let me fall into the hands of the Enemy. If I am put in the fire, so to speak, continually for the rest of my days, I will not be consumed for the Lord is with me and He cannot be consumed... He isn't combustable. LOL! It is a great day to know Him and be known by Him.

May you too know the Lord's strength and power in your life, and may you enjoy Him all the more!