Sunday, April 24, 2011

May it be Christ, only Christ...

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the picture I just placed at the top of my blog. It reminds me of Heaven and makes me more excited to go there. However, as I've been soberly contemplating, there are still many things that God's got to do with me before I'll be ready. The path ahead still has many curves, many surprises, and I'm in need of greater growth. The passage below by Hannah Whitall Smith has really gotten me thinking and praying... "Oh Lord, give me strength to LET GO...that it may be Christ and ONLY Christ seen in and thru me."

I pray this will be a challenge...to bring you to your knees, as it has been to me.

“You may have left much to follow Christ… you may have believed on him, and worked for Him, and loved Him, and yet may not be like Him. Allegiance you know, and confidence you know, but not yet union….There are two wills, two interests, two lives. You have not yet lost your own life that you may live only in His. Once it was I and not Christ; then it was I and Christ; perhaps now it is even Christ and I. But has it come yet to be Christ only, and not I at all?”

The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, p. 156-157

“No man can empty himself of self. We can only consent for Christ to accomplish the work. Then the language of the soul will be, Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, un-christlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul.”

Christ Object Lessons, p. 159


Friday, April 22, 2011

What is the GOSPEL?


The GOSPEL...the complete picture of what Christ has come to do for us!!! Please click on the link above and share...this is beautiful!

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the POWER of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." Rom 1:16

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Reflecting on my time on the Witness Stand...



"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meakness and fear..." I Pet 3:15

It was a beautiful spring afternoon in early April...the kind of afternoon you'd love to be out enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, or taking a hike around the lake. (Especially when staying at a beautiful lakeside camp in Northeast Georgia!) But for the 500+ attendees at ARME Bible Camp, they seemed to be interested in spending their afternoon on indoor activities....in fact, they were enjoying being on "trial." Yep, you heard right. For the second time this year, instead of doing the typical "Bible Questions and Answers" segment we do at our camps, we actually held our own "mock court trial" where our various Bible teachers (posing as Prosecuting attorneys seeking to condemn Christians) get up and ask the crowd tough questions regarding their beliefs and faith, expecting them to defend themselves from the Bible. Those brave enough to stand, with Bible in hand, come to the witness stand and share why they believe the way that they do. Some answer confidently...however, some arguments are weak and more witnesses are needed to come forward and testify.


"Whoseover shall confess me before men, him shall the son of man also confess before the angels of God. But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God." Luk 12:8

Some relish the challenge to defend their faith, but most of the crowd just enjoy watching. I have to admit I fit in the larger category. Honestly being put on the witness stand has been something I've wanted to avoid at all costs my entire life...even if only for play. I just don't feel confident when put on the spot. However, I guess that is no excuse. We know that in the future, we are going to have to testify for our faith...maybe even before kings and courts. Talk about intimidating! Yet we are encouraged in Luke 21:14-15, "Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth of wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist." (Obviously this is an area I need to grow in, but praise the Lord He promises to be with me and give me strength too!)


So this beautiful afternoon....here we all sat indoors....on "mock trial" for our faith. It was a very thought provoking activity (thus the reason we were doing it for our attendees)....but I wasn't too stressed as I knew everyone got to volunteer whether they went up to the witness stand or not. Since the bulk of my task as programming coordinator was over for the day, I was relaxed and enjoying the program, not too worried about anything in particular. Then they came to the last question of the "court session." The prosecutor, who happened to be Pastor Richard O'fill, looked down into the audience and right at me.... "You, Melody....this question is for you! Could you please come to the witness stand??" I shrunk into my seat....he couldn't possibly be speaking to me. What?? Why would he call me? I shook my head in protest. The audience laughed at my obvious discomfort. Oh no, what do I do?? There's not much hope of escape now. He spoke again, "Melody, come forward!" "Please don't make me come!" I pleaded, and everyone laughed again. My pleading was to no avail. The judge (our ARME President, Dave Steward) spoke firmly, "Melody, you are being summoned to the witness stand." Reluctantly I got up from my seat and walked forward. Unfortunately, it wasn't many steps for I'd been sitting on the front row. "Man, I thought! Why was I sitting on the front row?? I was too easy of a target..."

Then the prosecutor spoke. "Melody, since you are a representative of the ARME Bible Camp staff, I have a question for you. But first let me read you a verse...." And he proceeded to read. The verse was probably from Matt 6 (don't remember exactly, for I was very nervous) but it had something to do with fasting and how the hypocrites try to make it obvious to the world when they are fasting, but Jesus commanded his disciples to wash their face and put on clean clothes and NOT appear to fast - for the point is, the reward is not from men, but from God.

That morning during our service I had asked the crowd how many participated in the all night prayer room...most had raised their hands. So Prosecutor O'fill wanted to know "Why I had encouraged people to raise their hands. Shouldn't their good works be kept in private??"


My head was swimming..... "What kind of a question is this?" (I am rarely nervous on stage, for I have gotten use to speaking and being up front...but this was different! My thoughts were going in slow motion and I couldn't formulate them into words.) I'm sure my pause was only seconds... but the Judge spoke up. (I think he was feeling sorry for me since I had no choice but to come forward, when everyone else had chosen to come forward!) "Melody, I have an answer to the question, do you want me to answer?" "Sure...." I responded in relief. I don't remember what verse he gave, but he shared something to the effect about our actions and testimonies being an encouragement and witness to the fellow saints. The prosecutor looked at him with questioning eyes... "Ummm....Judge Steward! Don't you know the law? Since when do you answer for a defendant?" Judge Steward just shrugged. Then the prosecutor's gaze softened. "Yes he's right! Melody - the verse I was looking for comes from Rev 12:11, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death." We share not to boast of our works but to be a testimony and encouragement to others...

Prosecutor Pastor O'fill returned to his seat and I gratefully returned to mine. Of course AFTERWARDS, I thought of a couple verses I could have shared.... but the trial was over! The court case was closed.

Later as I was thinking about it, the spiritual significance of what had happened hit me... The Judge had spoken for me. Think about it! And that's exactly what Christ has done for us. In Isa 33:22 it says, "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King, He will save us." It is His law that we stand guilty before...we have broken His commandments. However, as it says in I John 2:1, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ." HE is our judge...but He also stands in our place. He spreads His robe of righteousness over us to hide our sins.... "I will be their God in truth and in righteousness." Zech 8:8. Another favorite of mine, "For thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isa 41:10

You see, many of us probably fear being on the witness stand at the final judgement just like I have feared being on the witness stand here in a court of law. But really, if we know our God and King, what is there to fear? He stands as our advocate...He stands in our place! We must just yield the witness stand to Him. It's when we cling and hold on, trying in our own strength to defend our righteousness (which is actually just filthy rags according to Isa 64:6) that we will be in trouble. We cannot defend ourselves. We cannot do enough good to clear all the wrong. We are condemned, we are doomed....except for our savior and advocate Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord. "In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom 5:8 He is our advocate.

So...although it was painful (well, maybe I'm over dramatizing a bit), it was a good lesson for me to get called to the witness stand that day. For one because I need to learn to stand for Christ, even when I don't know all the answers...and what better place than to do it now, when there's still room to make mistakes without being whisked off to prison. And for two, I need to remember that when the final judgement day comes around, it's not about me anyway! As long as I've confessed my sins and surrendered my heart to Him, as long as I've allowed Him to live in and thru me, He will be the one covering for me at the final trial - He will stand in my place. I don't know about you, but that brings a lot of peace and encouragement to my heart.

"And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: This is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Isa 25:9

Monday, April 18, 2011

God's Way is Perfect...learning to Surrender!




"God's Way is Perfect"


After a busy Spring of ministry with ARME, being on the road constantly (largely the "wrong side" of the road, I might add), flying back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean twice, seeing the North Pole (from 7 miles high), traveling through 6 countries, helping teach and lead United Prayer before more people than I can count, seeing countless miracles and transformed lives, being in another best friend's wedding, and living out of a suitcase from one stop to the next...I'd say these last four months have about held enough excitement to last many years. I love adventure, I love traveling...and I especially love watching people fall in love with the Lord.


Looking back even 10 years I would not have imagined the great things God would be doing in my life today. The ministry that God has called me and my teammates to with ARME is truly one of the most fulfilling adventures I could have ever hoped for. And the relationship that I've found in Him is even more wonderful than the "perfect Valentine." But even Jesus counseled His disciples to come apart and "rest awhile." So finally, after four months of traveling and full time ministry, I've returned home. Home sweet Oregon home. Yes, it's nice to be back in my own little apartment and it's nice to once again be sleeping in my own bed!"


Since being back, I've been doing lots of thinking...thinking about the secret to learning to balance the million things that seem to be constantly pressing for my attention, and how to cultivate and maintain the deep walk with God that alone can sustain me. Even though my journey with God is amazing, it doesn't mean the enemy is silent. He is constantly seeking to hedge up my way and pull me down, get me to compromise, or simply convince me that I can stand in my own strength. More and more I realize that "what" God has called each of us to is actually no small task - it's a supernatural existence...a life poured out in absolute surrender to Him, in servant-hearted love and devotion to our families, and in whole hearted commitment to our unique ministry. Many ask me, "How do you maintain...how do you keep on going without one thing or the other suffering?" Again, I'm reminded of what my friend Eric once said... "What God has called us to, we cannot do... at least in our own strength. And if we try, we will fail! This life can only be accomplished in Him. It truly is a supernatural existence."

"With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God, all things are possible." Mark 10:27

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." II Pet 1:4

So, once again...I feel my need to dedicate my life to Him...I look to Him to renew, to strengthen, and to equip me for the task ahead...and I ask that He will continue to teach me how to be faithful...not just to ARME, not just to a specific task, but to all those that He brings across my path, and to all those that I love and hold dear. My desire is that I would not just "survive" and not just "manage" (as it seems that many do who maintain such a busy life) but that I would live in excellence for His glory in all areas of my life. Surrender doesn't just happen once...it must take place again and again. And each day...He should take us deeper! And that's what He's doing with me. I find it hard to imagine sometimes, after experiencing so much joy and beauty that there could actually be MORE. But there always is. Serving God is not just about surviving from one trial to the next...it's about living a life more abundant...a life fulfilled in Him.

As I was cleaning out some papers in my closet a couple days ago, I happened across a poem I wrote a number of years ago... I thought I'd share it that it may be an encouragement to others. :-) It's about surrender, even through trials and pain and unanswered questions. And believe it or not, I've had a few through the years. Yet through all of these times, I've always seen God's perfect hand and His love...guiding and providing. And my life now is a testimony to the fact, that His way truly is perfect. No, I still don't know the end of my story and there are probably still unexpected bends in my road, and I do have trials and challenges, but I couldn't be happier or more fulfilled learning to daily abide in Him. As you read, you will see that there are many hidden stories behind each line...above all though, hopefully you will be encouraged to hold on and trust Him no matter what you may be going through, because truly when we surrender to Him, His way is perfect....and all things work together for good when we let go and trust Him.
(Smile smile, Melody's a poet, and I bet most of you did not even know it!)


Thursday, April 14, 2011

Behind the scenes at ARME Cohutta...


Just a sneak peak at our past ARME that we hosted at Cohutta Conference Center in Crandall GA this past weekend. Have lots more pictures coming, but these are a few that include behind the scenes shots. Our team arrived at Cohutta four days before our event began, so we had lots of time to plan, pray, organize, pray, and plan some more. We even got in a little fun - some hikes around the lake, zip lining etc. The camp was a huge success, praise the Lord! We had over 500 in attendance on Sabbath and were over capacity...and the testimonies Sabbath evening were some of the most powerful I've heard yet. Praise God. My African Papa, Pastor Ratsara, came and spent Sabbath with us and that was a huge treat for all of us. He seemed to have such a good time, he didn't want to leave. The united prayer continues to be a powerful and driving force behind it all. Over 150 people took part in the all night prayer room. Amazing...

God is good...all the time...God is good! More updates to come...

Friday, April 01, 2011

New Life...and a New Spring.


After just returning from a couple weeks in Bangladesh (yep - I've been there since I returned from Africa - to see this experience, click HERE), I must say that being back at home in Arkansas has literally been a breath of fresh air. Here we are...MILES out in the middle of nowhere...miles away from traffic, pollution, noise....miles away from the chaos of the modern world. And while the world outside is in turmoil....disaster still in progress in Japan...and there is much pain and suffering all around, God has given us a haven, a place of peace in the midst of the storm. I'm so grateful for this peaceful haven...for this place in the country that I grew up in...and for the place I can return.

My heart aches for those in Japan...and for those I left behind in Bangladesh...it's very obvious that this world cannot last much longer. But I'm grateful for the brief moments, whether through the tenderness of a friend, through the love of family, reading a promise, or the simple love song of a morning song-bird...I'm grateful for these brief moments that remind me of God's love, and that though this world is fading...He's preparing a better one above!

One of my favorite verses that I often think of during the springtime is II Cor 5:17 - "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away! Behold all things are become new."

Praise the Lord....Spring is a sign of NEW LIFE and that one day soon in Heaven, He will make ALL THINGS NEW!!!!! I love the spring....and I'm soooo thankful for His patience and mercy and that He has given me another day to live and praise Him. Many are not so fortunate.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, neither crying, neither shall there be any more pain...for the former things are passed away." Rev 21:4

In Heaven Spring will never fade...