my Vision, my Delight.

I remember late one night in January 2011, I began to pray for God’s vision upon my life – for His plans, His ways and just for Him to use me as an instrument. I thought of just a few countries I would love to be the hands and feet of Jesus in. Haiti, Nicaragua, and India were three countries  He inplanted in my heart. I made a Missions Scrapbook just for those specific three countries. Our of those three countries, God had given me the priviledge to go to Haiti. I went to Cuba instead of Nicaragua and here I am four weeks away from departing to India! All the Glory to God for His timing! Earlier this week, I stumbled upon the Scrapbook that I had misplaced. I looked through it and God just allowed my heart to delight in Him all the more. His plan will remain no matter the trails and the endurance we may need to face  for God to fulfill His promises!!!! Sweet Jesus – my Vision, my Delight.

This was the Scripture on the first page of the Scrapbook – –

The Just Live by Faith – Habbakuk 2:2-4

² Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.

⁴ “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.

Despite all the trials I have undertaken these past months, I know my God has been mentally, physically, and spiritually preparing my steps for the harvesting that is yet to occur. He has encouraged me through His sweet words Galatians 6:8-9 “but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”  As followers of Christ, we can easily call it quits and give up, BUT God continues to pour His love as a seal upon our hearts – to keep going, to keep running – the race isn’t over yet! Work.Reap.Harvest. We have a full time on going job for the Kingdom of God – His mission – for more souls to enter in a covenant relationship through Jesus Christ, in eternal glory!

on these Scriptures. Let it sink on the bottom of your soul as an anchor.

Prayer for Spiritual Strength – Ephesians 3:14-21

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ascend the Hill – Be Thou My Vision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jEuPIahKSw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, put first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

Oh, God, be my everything, be my delight
Be, Jesus, my glory My soul’s satisfied
Oh, God, be my everything, be my delight
Be, Jesus, my glory My soul’s satisfied

My Jesus, you satisfy
My Jesus, you satisfy

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Oh, God, be my everything, be my delight
Be, Jesus, my glory My soul’s satisfied.

in His grace,

Esther Victoria

Miss Mumble Grumbles.

We are always quick to pull the “Matthew 7:1-7” card and spot the sins of others, rather than spotting our own first. Or on my behalf, I’m quick to pull the “Ephesians 4:29” card out on serveral people, yet do not pull it out on myself. After completely reading the entire book of Soul Detox by Craig Groeschel,  I can say I was able to self-examine my heart and actions on a different dimension. The book took on a different approach where it actually challanged you to detox the shady areas of your soul. Some chapters consisted of Anger, Dirty Mouth, Resentment, Bitterness, Concealed Sins, Legalism, you name it – all issues dealing with the depravity of our hearts is in there. I recommend you read it! Nonetheless, about two months ago, I was going to write a blog on “For a Fresh Clean Feeling: It’s Time to Clean Your Mouth.” In all truth, my purpose for writing it was so certain individuals could read it and figure out that their mouths were a bit dirty. In other words, as an example, I was throwing  the Matthew 7:1-7 card. My intentions were obviously wrong. The Holy Spirit convicted me. I was broken and asked for forgiveness so I never ended up writing the blog.

You see God has a funny way of working. In the past three weeks, I have caught myself being “Miss Mumble Grumbles”. To be open and honest with you all, coming clean, I have been complaining alot. I have been stubborn. I caught myself grumbling to others. I have been a wreck! When needs aren’t met and you begin to question God with “Why?” bla bla bla – you have therefore now taken your eyes off of Christ and have put yourself on some sort of pedestal of “Self-Exaltation” –  like if this was all about you to begin with. I began to see a pattern of selfishness and having an “I want it this way” kind of attitude. Around others,  outwardly, I was masking it, putting a smile on my face. The reality of it was, inwardly, I was displaying someone completely different. I was pretty much acting like the Pharisees in Matthew 23:25-26. So hypocritical of me! Eek!!

This week God had just been pointing me to Scripture after Scripture on this topic. Let me take you to a few of them. Turn with me to the following:

Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing,”

James 3:8-11 ” But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  ⁹ With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?”

Matthew 18:11 “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

Ephesians 4:29-31 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.  ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.”

Romans 3:13 ““Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips;”

God knew my heart and intentions. He knew that I was not trusting Him for whatever the reason. I remember crying my heart out to Abba and just asking Him to cleanse me with the blood of Jesus. I wanted to cling closer to His heart and His will. I did not want to linger in this mess no more.  A few nights ago, I was listening to a sermon by Pastor Ed Taylor, from Calvary Chapel California. As I sat there in the car parked in front of my house, I was praying and asking God to reveal Himself all the more through this sermon. Sure enough, the message was on Stubborness. Pastor Ed quoted the Scripture verse in 1 Samuel 15:22-23 NKJV (emphasis mine) – So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. ²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” Think about that for a moment, stubbordness is as iniquity and idolatry. Ouch! Stubborness becomes a form of idoltry because of your attitude. It leads to grumbling and complaining – which means lack of contentment ending in lack of trust.

John MacArthur  stated in a sermon once, “The more you grow in sanctification and maturity in Christ, the more you see the weight of your sin.” Sanctification is a process that ever follower of Christ will go through in order to strive for holiness and righteouness. Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit has lifted me off my burdens. I am no longer in the mud pile of stubborness/complaining. It’s like where I last left off back in July – being content. I know God allowed this for a reason. India is just around the corner. He is preparing my mouth – in when to speak and in when to keep silent. He has thus showed me the importance of trusting Him in all things. He has thus showed me that kindness shall be on my toungue. Proverbs 31:26 says, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” This is a life vere for me.  He has thus showed me the essesence of drawing back to Him when a certain trial comes about. He has thus showed me clearly the issues with my sins. He has thus showed me through His word that He will deliver. He is faithful. He is.

To the reader, I encourage you to do a self-examination, soul detox style. Where are you when it comes to being stubborn, complaining, or for just having corrupt talk? Is it edifying others? Is it defiling others? Breaking or building others? Your faith with be demonstrated by your speech. Ask God to show you where you stand in this area. 🙂

Colossians 4:5-6 “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.  ⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

James 1:19-20 “So then,my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;  ²⁰ for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Psalm 39:1 I said, “I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me.”

John 6:43-47 “⁴³ Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. ⁴⁴ No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— ⁴⁶ not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. ⁴⁷ Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”

References:

www.biblegateway.com

Pastor Ed Taylor – http://www.calvaryaurora.org/multimedia/message-archives/preacher/pastor-ed-taylor/

Pastor Craig Groeschel – Soul Detox Sermon Series  – http://www.lifechurch.tv/watch/soul-detox/1

to purchase book: http://www.christianbook.com/soul-detox-clean-living-contaminated-world/craig-groeschel/9780310333685/pd/333685

Pastor John MacArthur – www.gty.org

in His grace,

Esther Victoria