Fear and Convenience

I have been reading in the book of Acts, currently I am at the point where Paul is in prison and is going from one man to another to be tried. At the end of chapter 24 Paul is telling Felix about faith in Jesus Christ and about righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come. Verse 25 says that Felix became afraid and made Paul leave. Felix also told Paul "when I find it convenient I will send for you."

These two things stuck out to me, 1. Felix was afraid and 2. It had to be convenient for him.

How many times do we (christians or not) become afraid about something that challenges us or that we don't fully understand. So many times when what we know to be right is challenged by a different way of thinking or a truth that was unknown to us we just shut it down. It is foreign to us and we are comfortable in what we already know.

This leads me to my second point, we're lazy. Our world has created a culture of comfort. I am just as subject to this as anyone else. I enjoy being comfortable. Who doesn't? Felix told Paul that when he found it convenient that he would send for him. How many times have you pushed away something or someone because it challenged your comfort zone? What all have you missed out on at the sake of being comfortable?

Felix was afraid and pushed away the person who had a word for him that could save his soul, his eternity. He was uncomfortable by what he was being told. He was uncomfortable having to examine his self, his heart. Felix missed out.

I do not want you to miss out. When you find yourself becoming afraid or uncomfortable because you're being challenged in any area, please take a moment to look at the truth. Step out of your comfort zone to look at all sides and examine them closely before you choose.

The thing about truth is that it's consistent. It never changes. Let the truth find it's way into your heart. Seek it out. Do not be deceived!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Today's Journal Entry

So last night I started reading the book of Mark. (that's where last nights entry Supernaturally Beautiful came from) In this first chapter there is so much good stuff going on I could blog about each scripture!! But I won;t do that to ya! You just need to go read it and let it speak to you!

I am going to talk to you about something that just shot chills all through me! It's  verses 16 - 20. This is where Jesus calls the disciples. The scriptures say that Jesus simply said 'Come, follow me'. Then these men just left everything to follow him. Every other time I've read this portion I've always been amazed at the faith and total abandonment of these men. I still am, but this morning it was something else that stuck out to me. If you notice there was no one else going and telling those men they needed to follow Jesus and here are 20 reasons why. It was Jesus who called them. Just as he calls you and I today.

You see there are people that I know who do not know Jesus. They know of him but are not following him. Where I struggle is that I want to go around telling them that they need to just give in and follow him and here are the reason's why. The scriptures say in John 6:44 (AMP) "No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day." 

This was a great reminder for me today and I hope it is for you too!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Supernaturally Beautiful

A little piece of my journal today!

Mark 1:4-6 MSG

John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of sins. People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life. John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey.

This dude wore camel hair and ate bugs! You know he wasn't pretty, with a diet of bugs and honey he was probably looking a little rough. Not to mention back then people were just dirty and John was more than likely abouve average on the dirty scale because he lived in the desert. Yet, people were still drawn to him... Why?

John had a beauty that was more powerfuk than any other! He was supernaturally beautiful. He had the Holy Spirit drawing people to him. John wasn't going into the big stadiums in the big cities. He was out where no one went, bur they came.

I want to have an inpact on the kingsom that is even greater than that! I want my beauty to be supernatural!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Remain in the Spirit

Numbers 9:22-23 NIV

Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the Lord ’s command they encamped, and at the Lord ’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord ’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

You see no matter how long the cloud stayed, they stayed. They were obeying in God's timing.

The Isrialites were more concerned about entertaining the Spirit of the Lord than they were about getting to where they needed to go.

Where does God have you? What circumstances are your cloud? Are you obeying in that place?

Remember God never learned it forsakes you. Maybe he is building your endurance do that you will succeed in your destiny. Maybe the testimony of what you're going through today will free someone else tomorrow.

So remain when and where God encamps you. Move when he tells you to go. That's how you remain in the presence of the Spirit.

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Declare Those Promises!

In Acts 18 God tells Paul not to worry and to keep on preaching his word because no one will be able to attack or harm him.

Previously Paul has had to leave juat about every place because the people have plotted against him.

As the story goes a group of Jews end up planning an attack on him. He is taken in to the court room and the trial begins. At this point how many of you are thinking 'wait a minute this isn't supposed to happen'? I was! I wonder what Paul was thinking, was he thinking 'Oh great, here we go again... So much for no one will attack or harm me...' Or were his thoughts more along the line of 'Seriously guys? You're wasting my time here. I've got the promise of God, the favor of the Lord!'?

Back to the story. The Jews do all of their talking and right before Paul was about to defend his case the judge tells the Jews that they're wasting his time. He tells them to work it out amongst themselves! Whoa!! Really?! Yes!! Paul didn't even have to say a word!

I think so many times in our lives we get a promise from God, even of we don't understand itat the time. Then here comes Satan, doing all he can do to make it seem like that very promise was nothing but a lie. At that point we give up. We doubt that we ever even heard from God. Then Satan wins. But I'm telling you right now, don't give up! Hold tight to that promise of God! When you're faced with that obstacle declare that promise over your life!!

I can't even count the number of times I've been in tears or angry or udderly confused and having to declare the promises anyway. It's not always easy, most of the time you're ever having to declare those promises it's because a mountain is blocking you from seeing them. Just don't give up! On the other side of that mountain is the victory God has for you!!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

A Mighty God of Days and Moments

24 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hand. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring'." Acts 17:24-28

There's a lot of really great things in these 4 verses, but I want us to focus on verse 26, From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

As I was reading this is the verse that jumped out at me. God made us and everything else, he didn't stop there. His plan is so great that he has orchestrated the time in which we will live, every single minute, and the places! Look at where you are right now, God put you there! This moment you have right now, God gave you. So are you using your moments in your places to do the something that God put you there for or are you calling your own shots?

That is the main thing that slapped me inbthe face: are we calling our own shots?! How many times do we think that we're in control of our days and of our lives? Where we live, what we do and everything else in between... The truth is we're not!

We have free will, but nothing we choose suprises God. He alrwady know the mistakes we're going to make today and he has a backup plan to direct back the way we need to go. So let's stop being so selfish and realize our every breath is ordained by a mighty and holy God! Let's realize the importance of our lives to him and do as his word says (v. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.) and reach out for him!

Have a great day!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

God in a Box

I am going through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan with a few ladies in a bible study group and oh wow! I've read this book before and I remember it blowing my mind, challenging me and ended up changing my relationship with Christ in a few areas. Here I am again, reading these God inspired words and my heart is totally and completely overwhelmed by God!

In the first chapter Francis quotes Psalms 102, "But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations... But you remain the same, and your years will never end."

When I read this I couldn't help but to worship God!! Then I could hear this voice (not audibly, but like how you hear your thoughts or your conscious) say 'I am still the same. I haven't changed and never will. I am still the same God who loved you and pursued you when you were at your very worst.' At that I realized that without knowing it, I had tried to put God in this box of rules. It was like once I was saved he webt from being this God who undeniably loves me no matter what mess I make to this God who said this is what you're supposed to do now that you're a Christian. Of course that was all my doing and the funny thing is you could've asked me and I would've told you how none of that is true and God is greater than any box we could ever even imagine and all of these things. Yet subconsciously I've been living in that.

So there is my awakening moment today. I hope this helps someone out there, if not it helped me!

Have a great day!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford