THC W2: Whom do you serve?

Week 1: Whom do you serve?
1 February 2010 through 7 February 2010

“You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Exodus 20:3

This is the first commandment, and we really don’t think about this enough. I feel like for this week, God is asking us to really pray and seek Him and ask if there is anything in our lives that we are putting before Him. Anything that we are focusing on more than God, we are making into a god with a lower case g. It doesn’t have to literally be another god such as Baal, but anything we are making an idol over Him.

“… do not go after other gods to serve them…”
Jeremiah 35:15

What are we spending our time on, is it something that glorifies the Lord such as taking care of our children, or something that is not edifying to the Lord like watching a questionable movie? Are we serving the Lord, or serving ourselves by taking pleasure in worldly things? I have been asking myself this a lot, just about little things, but God is using this refine me yet again.

So this week, take time and pray, maybe there is something that you are choosing to serve above the Lord, I will be seeking with you.

Dear Lord,
Thank You that You love us and desire to be number one in our lives, we pray that You would refine us further and reveal to us those things You would like to see gong out of our lives. Bless this week, Father, and let us live to tell others of Your love and mercy. Amen.

THC W1 Results

I have been reading through the end of Deuteronomy and the beginning of Joshua. I hope everyone else has been as blessed by the word this week as I have, here are just a few verses that popped out at me the last week.

“But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.”
Deuteronomy 30:14
That you may do it… it is so cool to me that the word is near to me so I may do it, the word of God brings such joy and comfort to my heart, and guides me every day! I couldn’t live without it!

“And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
Deut 31:8
God is ALWAYS there, He will ALWAYS be there! Don’t fear!

“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.”
Deut 32:4
Who are we to question His justice or His ways? He is perfect, we are not.

“An eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings.”
Deut 32:11
An amazing picture of God and His love for us!

“…but you shall meditate on it day and night… for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Joshua 1:8
The true key to having a successful life is to meditate and follow God’s word.

I pray that God has shown you amazing truths as well and you have taken hold of them for yourself, applying them to your personal life. I also pray you would continue to be blessed in reading the word every day.

Dear God,
Thank You for Your amazing word, how relevant it is in our lives, and you guide each step we take by it. Help us to remember to make time for You each day. Amen.

Please Pray

Hey everyone, I have some serious prayer requests for some other missionaries.

The first one is for Felicia Cady, she was born last week and was in critical condition until today because she inhaled meconium. For more information please check our their blog nickandrosemary.blogspot.com

The second is for Judah and Grace Billings (the twins of Paul and Melanie Billings) who are newborns, both in the hospital. I don't know the specific details, but I know that there is pneumonia and heart issues. Please pray for them!!

Thank you!

THC

Hey everyone, The Holiness Challenge is still on, sorry I didn't post yesterday, I currently have a stomach virus my husband lovingly passed on to me... hehehe. Please pray the girls don't get sick as well.

I am still doing the challenge, I am currently going through Deuteronomy (if you couldn't tell) and will post my notes on Sunday.

Keep reading!!

Be blessed,
Kristin

THC W1: The Revealed Word

The Holiness Challenge

We live in a world that has turned its back on the notion of holiness, but the truth is that we still serve a holy God, and are still called be set apart as a city on a hill. How can we do this if we are conforming the world? Please take this challenge with me as I seek to become more like Christ, and less like myself.

Week 1: The Revealed Word

25 January 2010 through 1 February 2010

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

Deuteronomy 29:29

Moses was reminding the people that they needed to remember God’s word and do the things He had instructed them to do. We get more insight into this verse by looking at another verse in the same chapter. “And so it may happen when he hears the words of the curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’…” verse 19. This verse is talking about the curse that would come upon the Israelites if they did not follow the Lord alone, as He instructed them in His covenant with them. There are so many people that say, “Oh, I will follow what my heart tells me to do, that is the natural thing, and it couldn’t be wrong.” But the bible tells us the contrary that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Why would we depend on our own hearts to lead us when they are so wicked and full of the sin that we are all born with. We have a wonderful way to hear from the Lord how to live our lives, and it is so easy for most of us to access that we take it for granted that in some places in the world, people risk their lives to attain a single page from it, yes the Bible.

The Challenge for this week:

Read your Bible every day. Pick a book and start reading through it. Each day start off from the point where you ended the day before. If you like, as an extra assignment, go ahead and journal what the Lord shows you and write down the verses that really speak to you. If you feel like you have finished the chapter and still haven’t heard anything from the Lord, pray, ask Him to show you what He wants you to see in this chapter, and read it again. On of my husband’s mentors put it this way, “A successful devotional time is when after you are finished, you are standing alone with Jesus.”

Dear God,

Please go before us each day as we seek to know You better by reading Your word. We pray that You would speak to us and show us Your will for our lives. Thank You for who You are, and that You loved us first so that we would love You. Amen.

A challenge...

I am setting up a holiness challenge for myself and anyone else who wants to participate. I am going to send out emails, and also post them on this blog. If you want the emails because you don't check the blog much, email me spencers.abroad@gmail.com

There are going to be 30 one week challenges. I am currently working on them and will post the first one starting when we get back to Vajta in the next week or so.

I am really excited to see how the Lord will use this :)

The Rock of Salvation

“The God of my rock; in him will I trust: [he is] my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me...”

2 Samuel 22:3

Jesus is our rock. Today I was thinking back to before we became missionaries, when Travis was in the Police Academy. Something happened that we weren’t expecting and I was afraid of what would happen because our future was very unsure. At any time for a number of reasons, Travis could fail out of the academy and we wouldn’t have any income. I was pregnant. I did not understand why God would allow me to become pregnant during such a difficult time. I knew He had been nudging my spirit that it was time to try again for another little one, but I thought it was bad timing, so I was being disobedient. But I got pregnant anyway. I hadn’t told Travis yet, when one day I started to experience intense pain about 10 minutes apart. I was 7 weeks pregnant and I was having a miscarriage. Instead of going into the hospital, I passed the baby at home, because I didn’t want a D&C and I remember thinking that it was my fault for not celebrating the pregnancy right away. But I know my Heavenly Father doesn’t operate that way, and this morning as I was thinking about the miscarriage, I couldn’t help but look at my 6 month old daughter, Kati, and think about how good God is, and how He blesses us. God did give us another child, just as He said He was going to, and she is such a blessing! She brings such joy to my heart day after day. And she also brings joy to the rest of the family, especially her big sister Ksena. When I told Travis about the miscarriage, he grieved with me, and we prayed, thanking the Lord that He is in control and that He is the one that heals our hearts. He did heal our hearts, and three months later we were pregnant again with Kati. When I found out I was pregnant, Travis was being hospitalized and diagnosed with UC, but that is another blog entirely. Even though it was a time of sickness and a different kind of grief that comes with being diagnosed with a chronic illness, we were still able to celebrate the fact that Kati was growing inside of me. I don’t know if we would have been able to celebrate in those circumstances if it hadn’t been for our previous loss. Now I am able to relate to many more women about an extremely difficult life experience, and if I can be there for just one, then it was worth it.

Thank You Lord, that You are the One that heals our hearts when they are broken, and that You always fulfill Your promises to us, even when it is in a way we did not expect. Amen.

Am I trusting Him?

"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD."
Isaiah 55:8

Am I trusting God?

Today Travis and I got into an argument over whether I should make tuna fish for lunch for me and Ksena, for some reason Travis’ stomach has been really finicky lately so he hasn’t been eating certain things. But the argument wasn’t really about tuna, it was about frustration. Sometimes it is so hard to trust in God, and as you trust in Him, you get frustrated. I know I do! I find myself asking, “Why did you do it this way, Lord? Don’t You know, we needed it done this way.” Or something like that. But His ways are not my ways, and sometimes it seems like I am never going to learn this truth. But He is faithful. How many times have I watched Him provide at the last minute. And I know it’s because if He provided earlier I might not give Him credit for the whole thing. There is a Caedmon’s Call song, “Shifting Sand,” that I listen to quite often that I think sums up this thought.

“My faith is like shifting sand,

changed by every wave.

My faith is like shifting sand,

so I’ll stand on grace.”

Thank You for Your grace Lord! Amen.

8 days left...

I can't believe that our time in Poland is already going to be coming to a close. To me, it wasn't long enough. I love being here and being in the midst of full time ministry again, but it is a lot of work. Worship went well yesterday. I am finally starting to be able to sing and play while singing in Polish, too bad it took me almost until we left. Spending time with the Kula's has been amazing! Travis also got an opportunity to teach a few times. We are trying to figure out what to put in our newsletter because there is just too much stuff to say and we try to keep our letters relatively short (relative to I don't know what).

I am excited to go see everyone at the bible college, but I am looking forward to this part of lives being finished at the end of this semester and moving towards the next step, wherever that may be.

I'm starting to make a list of things I need to do in the states before our furlough is over. So far I have:
Compile all of my receipts from my cookbooks so I don't have to bring all of them with us.
Get a nativity set that the girls can't break.
Figure out what family traditions we want to do so we can get the things we need to do them, i.e. a celebration plate to use on birthdays and anniversaries and stuff like that. Maybe a trip to color me mine for a $20 plate, lol.
Clothes for the girls... we need to find someone that has girls older than us that wants to give us clothes.
Get all of the papers done for power of attorney.

False teaching celebrities

“But that prophet or dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God…” Deuteronomy 13:5

“The only thing that can save you is a living faith in our living Lord Jesus Christ. To trust in anything else is to build your house on the sand. The one who leads you to do that is a false prophet. In those days, such a man was to be killed. In our day, he might become a celebrity.” Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith is right. Today it is unpopular to follow God. I can’t help but think of two famous brothers, Alec and Stephen Baldwin. Even though Alec has an extremely successful acting career, it is plain to see that he is miserable. Things keep coming up about his estranged relationship with his ex wife and their battle over their daughter. Then you look at Stephen Baldwin and his career is not going so well. He has been in a few reality TV shows and some independent “spiritual” themed films. Well, to me, Stephen is the more successful of the two. When it comes to life, Stephen is succeeding more than Alec, and I would point to the main difference being Jesus Christ. When I was younger I watched Bio Dome (I’m not recommending you go out and watch it, it’s been a while but I’m sure there is offensive language, and some of the female characters should definitely be wearing more clothes) and when I think of Stephen in that film, it is hard to believe the man after God’s heart that he has become. I’m sure that Stephen has told his older brother about Christ, but Alec isn’t interested. Now, I’m not saying that Stephen is perfect or anything like that. He’s still a man in his fallen state as we are all, but to me he seems to be genuinely trying to follow Christ.

But just as Pastor Chuck says, those who lead people away from God achieve celebrity status these days. Be careful whom you let into your home. I used to watch Oprah (I was giving her the benefit of the doubt, even though I knew she was not a Christian, I thought her topics were in mostly pretty neutral) and then when she went on that whole thing about how God is in all of us and we are god (NO!) with Eckhart Tolle’s book. I couldn’t stand it anymore. She is promoting her own made up religion where she is a god, and she is trying to convince you that you are a god as well. Back in Moses’ time, that was not tolerated as it is today. We need to hold ourselves to the same standards, not by stoning people because we are free from the law in Jesus Christ, but by keep apostates, or false teachers, out of our lives. We need to put our foot down about who we allow to influence our families. What are our children watching and reading? Is it something edifying or is it leading them in a deceitful direction? What are we watching? What are we reading? What kind of example are we setting?

Dear Father, please protect us from false teachers and help us to keep them and their teachings out of our houses and lives. We love You and thank You that You have given us the truth. Amen.

Kate Gosselin's new hair

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

- Matthew 11:28

Today on Yahoo there was a whole thread devoted to Kate's new hair style. Every time I read a story about Kate Gosselin I get sad, more than that, my heart breaks. When I was pregnant with Kati, I got a book for Christmas from my Grandma Pat that I had wanted to read, yes Kate’s book “Multiple Blessings.” It was such a good book for me to read as I was pregnant with my second child and getting ready to move to another country about seven weeks after giving birth. I needed to read a book where God provided for the impossible, and Kate’s repeated entries noting God’s faithful provision inspired me. Not too long ago, when all of the trouble starting coming out between Jon and Kate, Regis Philbin asked Kate why she didn’t just stop doing the show and work on her marriage. Kudos to Regis, a long time happily married man. It amazes me how someone who isn’t saved could have more wisdom about marriage than someone like Kate, who professes Christianity. Why not Kate? Well, she responded that the T.V. show was how they provided for their family. Sigh. That response still makes me cringe and if you have read her book you can understand why. Kate gives numerous examples of how God provided for all of their needs, one time receiving a check for the exact amount they needed from an anonymous donor the very day they needed it. Why won’t you still let God provide? He is faithful, and He will. They are now divorced. I don’t know the exact details of what happened between them. Each of them claims that the other had an affair, but there can be reconciliation from that. I have seen many examples of successful reconciliation after an affair, including my parents. If Christ has forgiven us, how can we not forgive each other? But Kate and Jon now seem to be hopelessly backslidden, with Jon teaching Yoga on some health network. But I am still going to pray for them because I know that at any time they can turn their hearts back to the Lord. And for their children’s sake I am praying that God would bring them each back to Him and in that, back together. I also pray that God would shield those kids and they would remember the truth that their parents used to teach them. In the first few seasons of “Jon and Kate plus 8” you can see the verses taped all over the house. Oh Heavenly Father, keep your word in their hearts and bound on their hands. Amen.

Struggling through...

"Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand..."
- Deuteronomy 11:18


"that... you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience..."
- 1 Timothy 1:18-19


Last night I was praying with Travis, like we do every night, and I was laying down my frustrations before the Lord.


"Oh Lord, please help me to sing in Polish, I can't do it by myself! You know how hard it is for me, I just feel like I can't do this Lord, please help!"


If you speak one language and have ever led worship in another language, you know my frustration. Especially Polish with the many "sh" and "ch" sounds thrown together and 16 letter words like zmartwychwstanie.


But as I was reading during my devo time God pointed out to me that I just needed the will to try again, just one more time, and as I sat down I was finally able to sing "Oczyść Serce Me" or "Refiner's Fire" without my tongue freezing up and confusing my fingers at the same time. Usually when I come to a tongue twisting configuration my fingers will mess up chords as well. But I was able to get through the song for the first time without stopping... although my pronunciation on some words was questionable.


Hopefully things will go well at the Bible Study tonight. Travis is supposed to teach, and he's ready to teach, but he's been sick the last two days. Right now he's sleeping, along with the girls (their daily nap) and hence, why I have time to write on the blog.


God help Travis to feel better and guide my fingers and my mouth as I lead worship in Polish. Amen.

Letting go...

“But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children.”

Psalm 103:17

Yesterday my daily devotional book talked about letting go. Today we had a visitor and one of the things we talked about was how sad it is when someone that you know, that is a dear brother or sister in the Lord walks away from the Lord and you have to cut back on the relationship, because to keep the same relationship doesn’t make sense, since they are no longer the same person, and everything you had in common in the Lord is gone (at least for the time being). I was talking about it with Travis and I said, “I’m so sad for such and such… they are so sad when they talk about that person.” And he said, “Well it is sad. You get sad whenever we talk about certain people.” And I do! I have been having such a hard time lately letting go of a certain friendship that I feel like I have been mourning over for years. I heard the small still voice inside of me asking, “Why are you afraid to let this go? What are you holding onto, your heartbreak? Don’t you think that I am sad about this too, but won’t you give it over to Me and let Me heal your heart? I still love that person too. Keep praying, but stop mourning and let go.” So that is what I’m going to try to do.

New Blog Direction

I decided I’m going to update this once and while just for my own sake, and for family and close friends back in the States that miss my ramblings. Since we don’t include that much personal reflection and family stuff in our newsletters, but I’m not going to use it as a ministry platform anymore, just as a personal blog.