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The Fellowship of Communion

2009-11-12T22:25:00.005-05:00

The Passover meal celebrated the Lord’s deliverance of Israel out of Egypt’s bondage and from the plagues God sent on Egypt, including the death plague, which was halted for the Israelites by the blood of a lamb smeared on the doorposts of their homes.

Before the onset of the first Passover, God told Israel, “Every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household,” (Ex. 12:3b NKJV) and, after smearing the blood of the lamb on the doorposts, they were to roast it and eat it in anticipation of what the Lord was about to do.

For us as Christians, because each of us has taken a Lamb into our heart’s home, smearing His blood upon its doorposts, we are able to celebrate communion, commemorating our release as God’s people from bondage, the plagues of life, and the deliverance from the eternal curse of death.

In order for us to partake of Jesus’ life through the Lord’s Supper as a vital part of our Christian walk, we need to understand cleansing and commitment, for sharing in communion is more than just a religious ritual.

According to ancient, Hebrew traditions, if two joined in a covenant and ratified it with a meal, which included the breaking of bread and drinking of a cup of wine, it meant they were eating and drinking of each other.

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus said, “I assure you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But those who eat My flesh and drink My blood have eternal life, and I will raise them at the last day.” (John 6:53-54 NLT)

Today, we Christians don’t give enough serious thought to what we are doing when we participate in the Lord’s Supper. In order to have our hearts right before God to take part in communion, we must…

…first, get right with others. Jesus declared in His Sermon on the Mount, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” (Matt. 6:14 NLT)

We forget that forgiveness is not optional! No right relationship with God can prevail apart from forgiveness of others. If we do not forgive others, then what is the point of commemorating what Jesus died to do for us?

…then, get right with God. “But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matt. 6:15 NLT)

Therefore, we cannot engage in the bread of fellowship or the cup of covenant with an accumulation of unforgiveness in our hearts, as Paul warns us, “So if anyone eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily, that person is guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking from the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.” (1 Cor. 11:27-29 NLT)

We do not take communion to get right with God; we get right with others and God before we place that wafer on our tongue or lift that cup to our lips. Unfortunately, many Christians take communion all too lightly, not grasping the full intent of these verses.

…then, we seek communion at the Lord’s table. Partaking of the communion table is a physical testimony of a spiritual conversion, affirming that we have bound ourselves to Christ in covenant.

Paul said, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16 NKJV)

If we call it ‘communion,’ does that click in our finite minds what that means? The Greek word for it, ‘koinonia,’ means partnership, joint participation, fellowship, to share in common, intimacy, and so on.

Through communion, we take part in the sacrifice of Jesus’ body and His blood. In sharing the bread and the cup, we share in the intimacy of His fellowship, participating in the benefits of what He accomplished at the whipping post, in the judgment hall, on the cross, and through His resurrection.

What Paul said stands as relevant today as when he said it, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Cor. 11:26 NIV)

Oh, please, my Christian brothers and sisters, please see the crucial importance of having a right heart before God that you may share in the fellowship of the Lord’s Supper worthily.

I pray that, after reading this, you will never again enter into the Lord’s covenant meal the same as you did before. May this be life changing for each of you.

Set Apart

2009-11-11T22:45:00.005-05:00

I have another honor today of bringing you an interview with Jennifer Kennedy Dean, author of the new book Set Apart: A 6 Week Study of the Beatitudes. At the end of this post, leave a comment if you would like to be entered for a drawing to win the following items from Jennifer:

*A Set Apart Leader’s Kit (video and leader resources and a student book) retail $79.99
*A copy of Fueled by Faith (retail $19.99)
*Jennifer will have a live web event just for your group

* If you are a leader (small groups, book club, Bible Study, Women's Ministry), please note that you are--you will automatically be entered in the contest.
* If you are a member of one of these groups at your church or community, mention that you are a group member.

This is what has been said of this study…

Set Apart is a Bible Study that will challenge readers to grow in their walk and commitment to Christ. This workbook style text dissects both the Ten Commandments and The Beatitudes while providing deeper understanding of the correlation of both passages of scripture. Holiness, prayer, and obedience are the major themes of living this SET APART life.

We were made for holiness, and this core concept of the Beatitudes is accessed through a praying life—a life lived in the present-tense power of God. It is only when we continually pursue holiness that blessedness comes, and we discover the power and fulfillment of the promise of God.

Here’s Jennifer…

You are known for your extensive research and your fresh insights. Do you have a method for gleaning new concepts?

Of course, the truths are not new, but I think I sometimes am able to frame old truths in new ways. I always find that when I put the words of Jesus into their original Hebraic setting and experience the scene through the viewpoint of His real-time audience, some new little fragment of truth finds its way into my thinking.

I like to let the Scripture breathe. To let it sit in my heart until its full aroma has time to emerge. There’s the hard-core research, and then there’s the marinating. Turn your imagination loose and unfurl your curiosity, and listen to the living Word.

You have a series of Bible studies in the format of Set Apart, designed to be interactive. This series of studies has video series and leader's kits available. What is the advantage to this kind of format?

I try to produce a new Bible study with video series every year. I like the interactive format because I like to pull the reader into the scripture to experience the Word. I like to challenge the reader to interact with the thoughts and ideas and to take the time to absorb them and apply them, rather than just to read.

The other thing I like about this format is that it can be done by an individual, or as a group. In the video series, I like to be able to teach the main points of the material and set the learners up for a productive week of personal study. I love feeling like I get to be part of your Bible study group! The kits have lots of other resources for leading a small group in the study.

Several of your studies have theme songs that go with them, as Set Apart does. How do these songs come about?

I have developed a song-writing relationship with a talented musician named Roxanne Lingle. I write poems, we turn them into lyrics, Roxanne composes and arranges the music, and Roxanne records the songs.

For Set Apart, we have the theme song in the form of a music video, which is a new addition. In the leader’s kit, you have the audio track, accompaniment track, lead sheet, and the music video. The theme song becomes an important and worshipful part of the study experience.

Each chapter includes interactive questions for readers to answer, emphasizing God’s desire to reproduce the character and attitudes of Jesus in each Christian’s life. Along with the Bible study book, there is a Leader Kit that includes six DVD sessions and a CD with bonus material for small-group leaders.

If Jennifer has peaked your interest, you can find Set Apart and her other books at…

*Praying Life Foundation
*New Hope Publishers

You can also find Jennifer at her website www.prayinglife.org

Mission Possible, Spiritual Covering

2009-11-10T22:24:00.004-05:00

Today, I have another privilege of bringing to you an interview with Deborah MacCarragher, author of Mission Possible, Spiritual Covering. After reading Deborah’s interview, if you’d like to be entered in the drawing for her book, please leave a comment at the end of this post.

Tell us a little about your background.

I grew up in a Navy family and moved frequently as a child. I married my first husband right out of high school. That marriage ended in divorce four years later. I remarried in 1982 (to my current husband) and we’ll be married 28 years in January 2010. Seven years into our marriage, I gave my life to Jesus as Lord and Savior. My husband did not.

What inspired you to write this influential book?

I was involved with a local intercessory prayer group at the time and was prompted by God during prayer to write down what He was conveying to me about my husband and his salvation.

The book was quite literally written as I was inspired and without much effort on my part. I just typed on the computer as He led me to Bible verses and topics to write about. I remember writing down the names of seven chapters during prayer time on a tablet - just looking at them afterwards in awe. It was quite a moving experience.

What advice do you have for women who are married to non-believing husbands?

I think the most important advice is to have faith in Who God is and His sovereignty. We can’t “pre-package” our spouse’s conversion experience, and God will always do what will bring Him the most glory. We also have to remember that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. Our spouse (if unsaved) isn’t governed by God’s Spirit, so we have to release them from that accountability. We must have faith that rests in God and not in our own understanding.

What kind of reactions has the book generated thus far?

I have had great reaction to my little book. Some women love it because it is not lengthy, and they can read it quickly, yet refer back to it over and over again. One woman emailed me a testimony that she was nearly ready to leave her husband, but after reading the book, felt that God was leading her to give her marriage another try. That was very humbling and gratifying for me. I just want to help women see that there is an alternative to being miserable in an unequally yoked marriage.

What’s the main message that you’d like readers to take away from it?

I would love readers to discover that God has a plan for each marriage that is in spiritual disunity. It involves us, but it is always done HIS WAY! I want readers to know that it is a process that evolves over time, that we must not put God in a box but give Him room to move in our spouse’s life.
They need to know that, because we are not perfect and continue to sin, satan will harass us (women) and try to influence us to believe that our mission is not possible, but with God, all things are possible!

Any final thoughts you’d like to share?

Just that I know how difficult it is to be married to a spouse who doesn’t share your love and devotion to the Lord Jesus. I, like many of my readers, get frustrated and disillusioned, but I know God has perfect timing and our best interests at heart overall. He wants our spouses to come to a saving knowledge of Him and embrace a future together that brings glory to Him.

How can our readers learn more about you and contact you directly?

They can visit me at...
*my website www.Godmissionpossible.com
*my blog page www.Godmissionpossible.blogspot.com
*or email me at deb@alabasterboxpublishing.com

Blush? What's That?

2009-11-07T22:18:00.006-05:00

Something has been bugging me. Well, out of the many things, I’ve been wondering about the lack of our ability to blush. Because I care about my brothers and sisters in Christ, I am very concerned about our sensitivity to sin.

When was the last time you saw anyone blush? When was the last time you blushed? I don’t remember the last time I blushed.

Ezra blushed. What caused the blood to rush to his face, giving him that crimson glow? In his remorse at the intermarriages of Israel’s priests and Levites with the surrounding Ites, he lamented, “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has mounted to the heavens.” (Ezra 9:6 Amp) Our iniquities, he said, not theirs.

But do we blush when we act in opposition to God’s Word? When we sin, do we grieve over what we have done, as James exhorts us, “Be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins].” (James 4:9 Amp)

After committing a sin, are we in anguish only that we got caught and have to face the consequences or that we have wounded the heart of the Father?

Are we ashamed before the holy God of the universe? Unfortunately, we have become so desensitized to unholiness that sin does not bother us much anymore and we act like the Israelites. God said of them to Jeremiah, “Are they ashamed when they do these disgusting things? No, not at all - they don’t even blush!” (Jer. 6:15 NLT)

Do we ever weep over our sins? David grieved over his sin, saying, “For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.” (Ps. 38:18 NKJV) He loved God and knew that, if sin remained in his heart, it would offend God and cut off his fellowship with Him. Therefore, he asked God, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Ps. 139:23-24 NLT)

Out of our deep love for the Lord and knowing what displeases Him, do we strive to remain so close to Him that any interference, any sin that separates us from Him, is automatically repulsive and avoided? Obeying God has better results than sinning!

But what about those “little sins”? To God, sin is sin, no one sin is considered bigger than another sin. However, we sometimes have it stuck in our finite minds that God has a blind spot when it comes to what we consider little sins. I think it’s the pile-up of the little sins that desensitizes our spirits.

We think little is okay, like nibbling on the forbidden fruit of a little cheating, a little white lie, a little stealing of pens or paper from the company or altering our time cards, a little flirting at work, a little dirty joke, a little gossip, a little peeking at this or winking at that.

We say to ourselves, “I’m not causing any harm. It’s just a little thing.” Or, “Just this once won’t hurt anybody.” Wanna bet? Look what happened because of sin’s one-time nibble in the garden; it spread condemnation to the whole world!

Just one bowing down to lust can ruin a life - or lives - forever. Just one night of sin can result in divorce, AIDS, pregnancy, drunk driving, or the death of a human life. Just one instance of gossip or confidence shared can sometimes rip apart long-time friendships or an entire family.

When we have Godly sorrow for sin, it “brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.” (2 Cor. 7:10a NIV) Do we say to the Father, “I am deeply sorry for what I have done”? (Ps. 38:18 NLT)

But how long does it take you to confess a sin? Thirty seconds? Thirty minutes? Thirty days? Thirty years? The moment you know you have done something against God’s Word, do you confess it only to rush out the door to do it again?

Because David desired to be rid of those sins prowling around in his heart that might escape his attention, he said to God, “But how can I ever know what sins are lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.” (Ps. 19:12 TLB)

However, he also wanted to be rid of his willful sins, for he said, “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.” (Ps. 19:13 NIV)

If we do not vigilantly guard our hearts against the tactics of the enemy, we leave ourselves wide open to all his assaults. To avoid this, Peter warns us, “Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.” (1 Peter 5:8 CEV)

Do you make yourself lion-bait by flirting around the fringe of the forbidden, causing impure thoughts, immoral desires, or inappropriate actions? Sin’s desire is to take you, to possess you, to gobble you up, bit by bit. The hollowness of hell’s hunger hankers to be filled with God’s dainty morsels - His children! If you hear its stomach growl, watch out!

Live in such a way that no blush ever tints your face!

The Blindfold

2009-11-03T22:23:00.004-05:00

Today, I share with you a story that I received as an email. I tried to find out the author but he or she remains anonymous. This story may be true or it may just be a legend. I found conflicting accounts. Either way, I hope you enjoy it.

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian young male’s Rite of Passage?

The youth’s father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him, and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.

During the night, the boy is naturally terrified. He hears all kinds of noises. The wind blows the grass. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. But he sits stoically, throughout the long night, never removing the blindfold.

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appears and he removes his blindfold. It is then that he discovers his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

Once the youth survives the night, he is a man. When he returns to his friends, he cannot tell them of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

Moral of the story: Just because you can’t see God, doesn’t mean He is not there.

We are never alone. When the howling of circumstances surrounds us and the darkness of afflictions blinds us, we can know that the light of the Son is upon us and that the Father watches over us, sitting on the stump beside us.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

I Want Something Better Than Jewels blog tour

2009-11-02T22:40:00.005-05:00

Today, I am proud to be a part of the blog tour for Linda Newton and her new devotional book I Want Something Better Than Jewels: 31 Days of Biblical Insight for a Woman Seeking God.

Linda and her husband, Bruce Newton, pastor Sierra Pines Church in Oakhurst, CA, where Linda has served as a counselor for the past 20 years. As a speaker, author, and counselor, she has a passion to lead ladies to a greater understanding of the abundant life available to them in Christ (John 10:10). You will laugh, learn, and leave feeling closer to the Lord!

Linda, your devotional is full of inspiring stories--one for every day of the month. What made you write a devotional book using stories?

I’ve always thought that stories were powerful. They can illustrate a point and offer an example many times better than just logical explanation alone. I wrote a few that were published in different Chicken Soup for the Soul books.

That’s when I got the idea to write stories like those chosen for Chicken Soup, colorful narratives to make the reader laugh and cry that would help to illustrate biblical concepts. I love how Jesus used stories to illuminate the ideas he was teaching, so I decided to follow the example of the best!

Your stories are authentic and you’re not afraid to laugh at yourself. Is it hard to be that vulnerable?

I try to stay transparent in my writing because I think readers need to see real people searching for solutions to real struggles, not people pretending to be perfect. If we can’t laugh at ourselves then who can we laugh at? I’ve got plenty of material!

Better Than Jewels has a story about how I accidentally brought bright purple shoes to a speaking engagement to wear with my pale pink and white outfit. I didn’t know the area well enough to find a store, so I slapped on the bright purple shoes and tried to make the best of it. I wrote that story to illustrate Proverbs 31. That’s my best attempt at being this wise and capable woman. The Lord keeps me on my knees, and usually I fall there!

Better Than Jewels contains everyday challenges of being a busy woman in today’s culture. It has insights in surviving the hair-flipping, door-slamming teen years. What mom doesn’t need a sense of humor when it comes to her parenting? If I can bring a smile to someone’s face as she starts her day, that will certainly bring a smile to mine.

What is one of your favorite stories from your book?

Practically every story I share with my readers is a favorite. There are so many about how God came through! One of my favorites, Dare to Dream, is how the Lord intervened to get me from the Deep South to college in California. After accepting Christ while I was in junior high, I started receiving info in the mail from Azusa Pacific College (now University). Right away, I knew that is where I wanted to be. Since my mom was a pretty hostile nonbeliever, I knew she would never go for it. So I prayed.

Two months before the end of my junior year, that little country church I attended in Tennessee hired a new pastor, a graduate from Azusa! Even though my mom had a major mother melt down and I had to go live with my dad in North Carolina, losing contact with my church in Tennessee, my old pastor still made it happen for me to fulfill my dream of attending Christian college in California.

It’s not just a book of stories. Can you tell us how each daily reading flows?

Each day starts with a verse from Proverbs and a brief scriptural insight into that verse, then a story to illustrate the concept presented in that scripture. My goal is for busy women to have a bite-size bit of instruction and inspiration to start each day.

I have talked to ladies who have known the Lord for decades and baby believers who have expressed appreciation for the insight they received into God’s Word from Better Than Jewels. They relate to the situations I present in my stories about “the Lord in the everyday.”

Remind us again about how to use of the Polish Your Jewels section at the end of each chapter?

As a Christian counselor, I want to offer up ways to give the reader something to work on each day. Polish Your Jewels offers questions and suggestions to help you apply the principles presented in the scripture verse and illustrated by the story.

How can folks get Better Than Jewels: 31 Days of Insight for a Woman Seeking God?

Amazon has it and I offer a discount on my website when you purchase more than one book. Better Than Jewels is packaged in such a way as to make a thoughtful gift. I also know ladies who have used is as a small group study, discussing their take away from each story and working through the Polish Your Jewels section together.
~~~~

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about Linda’s book I Want Something Better Than Jewels: 31 Days of Biblical Insight for a Woman Seeking God. You can find Linda and her book on her site www.LindaNewtonSpeaks.com.

If You Heard a Voice Begging...

2009-10-29T21:55:00.006-04:00

If you heard a precious voice, one from another country, begging for Bibles and help for the lost, what would you do?

Many missionaries and servants of God have heard these precious calls for help and are trying to respond, ministries that have taken on the burden of caring for and giving to brothers and sisters in Christ.

I have come to know several people in the last few months who are basically working on their own, those who feel like lone voices in the wilderness:

* M300Ministries
* Surrender40
* @TweepleFund
* and Letters for the Lord Prison Ministry.

These are just a mere representation. These people share the same deep desire: to present salvation to the lost, seeing that they grow spiritually, and to meet the varied needs of those who lack, wherever in this country or around the world.

They hear those begging voices and try to respond. Some of these ministries have no one to champion them, no one to be their cheerleader. Therefore, they do not receive the funds that they so desperately need. These people give unselfishly of their time and, when others do not give financially, they reach deep into their own pockets to help alleviate the needs.

So, I’m here to cheer for them…
Go, work-ers! Go, work-ers! Go, work-ers!

I know the economy is the pits right now. It’s difficult for everyone. But giving even a small amount like $5 helps these ministries and so many others. Each rivulet of resource runs into another, which runs into another…until there is overflow!

We are very fortunate in this country, even when we have meager surroundings and limited resources. We are so much more blessed than two-thirds of the world, and yet, we whine when our new shoes pinch our feet!

The early church was very concerned about giving to those who preached the gospel and meeting the needs of those believers among them and in other cities.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “Right now you have plenty and can help them. Then at some other time they can share with you when you need it. In this way, everyone’s needs will be met.” (2 Cor. 8:14 NLT) That is how the Kingdom works. God wants us to be a channel, a pipeline, a distribution center. He does not want us to be a storage tank!

It is not the size of the gift that matters but the condition of the heart. We give out of what we have, whether a little or a lot, “For if the [eager] readiness to give is there, then it is acceptable and welcomed in proportion to what a person has, not what he does not have.” (2 Cor. 8:12 Amp)

In this sense, Jesus remarked of the widow’s two mites, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has thrown in more than all of those casting into the treasury. For all threw in out of that abounding to them, but she out of her poverty threw in all, as much as she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mark 12:43-44 Received Greek Text) She gave all she owned to the Lord.

Where have we placed our love? The disciple John said, “If someone who is supposed to be a Christian has money enough to live well, and sees a brother in need, and won’t help him - how can God’s love be within him?” (1 John 3:17 TLB)

Paul then urges us, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Gal. 6:10 NKJV)

I’m learning to be a better cheerleader. My hope is that you will be inspired to be a cheerleader as well in whatever way you can to help whatever ministries the Lord lays on your hearts. And may the Lord bless you!

With many drops in the bucket, it can overflow!

There's a Ram in the Thicket Just for Me!

2009-10-25T22:19:00.003-04:00

Last time, I asked… What is faith if it is not tested? And when it is tested, and we are found to be obedient, isn’t God always there, ready to rescue us and provide an answer?

One of the greatest faith tests and rescues in the Bible occurred in the life of Abraham. In his hour of intense testing, the Lord appeared and provided an answer.

Years after the fulfillment of God’s promise of a son, Abraham experienced a test that squeezed his faith to the max in the most frightening of all ways. God told Abraham to take his long-awaited, beloved son Isaac to the land of Moriah and to offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which God would tell him.

Gulp! Did Abraham run in the other direction or pretend he didn’t hear God? No! He listened to God’s instructions and obeyed. When Abraham, Isaac, and the servants reached the mount of God’s choosing, Abraham spoke out of the abundance of a faithful heart, for he told his servants at the bottom of the hill, (one of my favorite faith-filled verses), “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.” (Gen 22:5 NLT)

Up the hill of sacrifice they went to worship! Abraham’s faith started at the bottom of the hill while the rescue plan was yet to be unfurled. Once they reached the top, Abraham laid all on the altar, all that was valuable and precious to him, his only son, trusting that God would raise him up again.

In answer to Isaac’s question of the whereabouts of a lamb, Abraham said to Isaac, “God will see the lamb for Himself,” (Gen. 22:8 Mas) or “God will provide for Himself a lamb.” (Gen. 22:8 NKJV)

The Hebrew word for ‘provide’ means to see, appear, to present oneself, perceiving or ascertaining something apart from seeing it with one’s eyes, and so on. The English definition comes from the Latin ‘providere,’ which means before seeing, to take measures with due foresight, to get ready beforehand, and so on.

Abraham held his dagger high in the air, his hand quivering as the dagger glistened in the sun. Sweat poured down his forehead. He held his breath and heard, “Abraham! Abraham!” The Angel of the Lord commanded him to stay his hand of destruction.

Then, God said, “For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Gen. 22:12 NKJV)

Abraham raised his tear-filled eyes, turned and saw the sacrifice provided. God presented a ram of sacrificial replacement, a male sheep with its horns entangled in the bushes, as the foreshadowing of a crown of thorns upon the head of the Lamb of replacement.

Abraham then called that place “The-Lord-Will-Provide.” (Gen. 22:14 NKJV)

On our refrigerator is a marker board, an advertisement from some company. Some time ago, as financial woes hounded us, I wrote this on it:

Faith is not moved by what it sees. “There is a sound of abundance…” (1 Kings 18:41 NKJV) $…Elijah spoke it…prayed it…believed it…and after the drought, the rains came!!! Then, up in one corner, I wrote this: There’s a ram in the thicket!

When I wrote that, I made up a simple, little chorus to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands.” It goes like this:

There’s a ram in the thicket just for me,
There’s a ram in the thicket just for me,
There’s a ram in the thicket that’ll be just the ticket,
There’s a ram in the thicket just for me!

And there has been!

Abraham passed the faith test. His hill of sacrifice became his pinnacle of obedience and his summit of provision. All Abraham did, the Bible says, he did by faith, and the promises of God were thereby fulfilled.

* Has God asked you to sacrifice some “Isaac” in your life? Have you obeyed or held it tight?
* Do you have some hill of circumstance before you? Do you mount it with praise and worship?
* Do you have the same unfaltering, Abrahamic obedience and belief that God will work out your faith tests, even when you see no way of escape?

God provided the lamb of rescue for Abraham. And He will do it for you.

Tested Faith

2009-10-21T22:58:00.003-04:00

“For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” (James 1:3-4 NLT)

What is faith if it is not tested? But do we look at trials as building our spiritual muscles?

Peter said, “Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer. Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine. Even gold, which can be destroyed, is tested by fire; and so your faith, which is much more precious than gold, must also be tested so that it may endure.” (1 Peter 1:6-7a GNB)

Three of the things God chose to conceal deep within the bowels of the earth…

* gold,
* coal,
* and diamonds.

In order for these to be useful…

* gold must be purified through a fiery furnace to remove all impurities, drawing off the dross, that its worth be revealed...

* coal must be crushed and burned to release its power and energy…

* diamonds must suffer the cleaving of the jeweler’s sharp chisel and the friction of the polishing wheel to release their greatest beauty.

The crucible of fiery trials tests our faith, bringing to the surface and discarding the dross of sin. The crushing of circumstances presses upon us to express the remains of self and achieve God’s purpose, infusing us with His power and energy. The cleaving blows of afflictions chisel away at the crusty layers of our hearts’ hardness, while the friction of irritations sands down the rough edges.

“Their purpose is to prove that your faith is genuine” and to leave behind the pure essence of spiritual maturity.

An old Chinese proverb says, “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” God knows the worth, the power, and the beauty hidden deep within our hearts and only that which is contrary to our comfort releases the precious qualities within us.

Peter exhorts us, “Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you.” (1 Peter 1:12 Amp)

After everything had been ripped from Job’s heart and his hands, in reply to his wife’s “advice” to curse God and die, he said, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10b NKJV)

How will we know the strength and extent of our faith if it is not tested? Untried faith is worthless. Is God’s power revealed in our good health or when we have money in the bank? Trials forge our witness, declaring what God has done in our circumstances. If we have no trials, how can we tell others what God is capable of doing?

All trials have a purpose; it is up to us to find out what it is and to grow because of them.

God knows the worth, the power, and the beauty hidden deep within your heart and only what is contrary to your comfort will sometimes release those precious, spiritual qualities within you.

May the Lord bless you with tested faith!

Come Home, It's Suppertime!

2009-10-17T22:54:00.004-04:00

When I was growing up, my mother used a bell to call me home for dinner. This is when kids played outside until the very last minute of sunlight and air conditioning existed mainly as a bright idea. But when I heard that bell ring, it meant come home, now! It’s suppertime! Time to join the family around the dinner table.

Twice in my childhood, my family lived with my paternal grandparents on their farm, which was self-supporting. We had everything from our own dairy to turkeys and everything in between. I fondly remember sitting at the dinner table with them. Because of all the animals and the fresh food from the gardens, I loved living with there with them, especially because of my sweet Granny. I still shed tears because I miss her, even after fifty years separation.

John the Revelator wrote, “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” (Rev. 19:9 NKJV) I was invited and I RSVPed so I know I’ll be there. Will you?

In my spirit, I imagine hearing the sound of that heavenly dinner bell ringing out and the call, “Come Home; it’s suppertime.”

I imagine that great, heavenly feast and sitting down at the family supper table with Abraham, David, and Paul. Or even better, my mom, dad, and grandparents. Better still, sitting next to Jesus. Woo-hoo!

With each passing day, I miss my precious Mom, Dad, and grandparents more and more. I long to sit at the dinner table with them again. And I know I will. They’re waiting for me.

Do you yearn for that heavenly banquet…to sit down with those gathered around the greatest supper table of all time?

Tune your spiritual ears to listen for that dinner-bell-call to come home!

If you love Southern Gospel, and even if you don’t, I hope you will listen to Come Home, It’s Suppertime by the Gaither group…

If the Master rings the bell tonight, will you be ready to go Home?

Guest Interview...Michelle Sutton

2009-10-16T23:10:00.015-04:00

I have another privilege today to bring you an interview with Michelle Sutton, author of…

*It’s Not About Him

*It’s Not About Me

* and just recently released Danger at the Door

Michelle won the SORMAG’s (Shades of Romance Magazine) Reader’s Choice Award for 2009 as the Featured Author of the Year.

Michelle, can you tell us a little about your background?

My background in writing is that I started writing inspirational fiction in August of 2003. Never wrote a word before. Never liked writing at all before.

What makes your inspirational romances different from the other ones on the market?

All romances must have a HEA (happily ever after) otherwise they are just love stories (think Nick Sparks) and Christian, or Inspirational romances have a spiritual theme as well. I can’t imagine writing something with no spiritual arc at all.

Name the one item in your closet that is a constant favorite - the one that always gets worn even though you might have something newer or better?

I have favorite jeans and they are the stretchy kind that let you overeat without cutting into your tummy. Ahh…comfort.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I don’t really have a favorite author. I have many favorites. I read almost 100 books last year. Most were inspirational and most were fiction. Maybe two or three books fell outside that genre. I love to read historical romance (inspirational), women’s fiction, and regular romance. I just hate a boring story.

On days when you are bone tired, but know you must get at least a few pages done, how do you motivate yourself to get going?

I read a book instead. If I don’t have “the muse” then it’s wasted time for me to try to write.

What is the best piece of writing advice you didn't take at first, but then realized it made a lot of sense?

Be ready to work hard because selling the book once it is written is much harder than writing it.

Humans tend to be creatures of habit. Which habits do you have that you like, and which ones would you like to change or get rid of?

I have a habit of despising Mondays (I have to go to my day job) and I should probably try to be more chipper about it. But honestly, I would rather be reading great books or writing some.

No interview of a writer would be complete without this question: what is your favorite comfort food?

Chocolate, of course!
~~~

You can find Michelle on her website…

…on her blog…

…and you can find Michelle’s books at Amazon.

If I Have Chosen to be God's Servant...

2009-10-12T22:45:00.004-04:00

“It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.” (Matt. 10:25 NKJV)

One of my devotionals the other day kindled some self-introspection, as usual, and caused me to ask myself some questions. Then, I had an occurrence in my life. You know, one of those experiences that the Lord allows to drive home a point? Well, it did! Here’s what I asked myself…

If I have given the Lord my life, allowing Him to be my Salvation, my Guide, my Rescuer, my source of Power, my Victory, my Freedom, my Listener, my Promise, my Protection, my Forgiveness, my Peace, my Comfort, my Joy, my Praise, my Provision, my Healer, my Teacher, my Rest, my Righteousness, my Shepherd, my Life…

…then…

* will I serve Him every day?
* will I strive to remain obedient?
* will I surrender all into His care?
* will I trust that His will and purpose are best?
* will I dare to believe His Word and promise and apply it to my life?
* will I know all things, yes, all things, come to me as sifted through His loving fingertips?

The opening verse uses the word ‘enough.’ It also means sufficient and content. So, how sufficient do I consider my life in my Master’s hands? How content am I to have Him manage my day?

If all the moments of my everyday life are filtered through His care, then how can I not receive every situation, every hurt, every interruption in my day as being of His keeping, of His nod of approval? How can I not serve Him gladly and say, “Yes, Lord, Your will be done”?

How can I not smile and say “thank You” to the One guiding me, the One Who loves me more than anyone else, the One Who watches over me, the One Who takes all my moments and 8:28s them?

As Romans 8:28 says, if I love God and am called according to His purpose, then “all things work together for good.” The Greek word for ‘working together’ is ‘sunergeo,’ which, in part, means to labor together as partners, co-operate, co-worker, assist by putting forth power together, and so on.

‘Sunergeo’ is the basis for our English word ‘synergy,’ which is a combined action or functioning, a combined action of two or more agents, when taken together, having a total affect that is greater than the sum of the individual effects.

The first definition of ‘synergism’ listed in The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1966, gives this awesome definition: the doctrine that the human will cooperates with the Holy Ghost in the work of regeneration. Thank you, Random House!

In other words, all things co-operate together, as co-partners in labor for good. So, if I have chosen to be God’s servant, what is my attitude at what He allows to come my way? Do I work together with Him to bring good results?

As a servant…

* do I still praise the Lord if persecution comes my way?
* do my words speak of peace and joy or anger and bitterness?
* do I complain when something negative interrupts my peace?
* does my day’s work glorify the Lord if I rebel at His commands?
* do I serve my Master poorly by grumbling under my breath at His requests?
* am I perfected in His image if I do not have a positive attitude, no matter what the circumstances?

If I desire to be like my Master, trials and tribulations, heartache and pain, grief and suffering will come my way. Is my attitude toward them synergistic with His?

If “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever He wants,” (Luke 1:38 TLB) will I hear those awesome and long-awaited words from my Master, “Well done, good and faithful servant…Come and share your Master’s happiness!” (Matt. 25:23 NIV)

When God Turned Out the Lights...guest post by Cecil Murphey

2009-10-11T23:05:00.006-04:00

Wandering Around in the Dark?
Wondering Where God is?
Take a tour with Cec Murphey

I am so honored to be a part of today’s blog tour for Cecil Murphey. I know you will enjoy reading what he has to say. One name will be selected from this post to go into a drawing on October 22 for a gift basket, which includes When God Turned Off the Lights, 1 book light, 1 LED nightlight, 1 LED flashlight, and select dark chocolate, and can be seen on the bottom of this post. To enter, be sure to leave a comment at the end of the post.

About the Author: Award-winning writer Cecil Murphey is the author or co-author of more than 100 books, including the “New York Times” bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper) and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (with Dr. Ben Carson). He’s also the author of When Someone You Love Has Cancer and Christmas Miracles, both 2009 releases. Murphey’s books have sold millions and have brought hope and encouragement to countless people around the world.

What to Do When the Lights Go Out by Cec Murphey

If you sincerely desire to follow Jesus Christ, life won’t always be easy. Many times the Bible promises victory, and you may need to remind yourself that there can be no victory without struggling and overcoming obstacles.

In my book, I used the image of God turning out the lights because that was how I perceived the situation. I felt as if I walked in darkness for 18 months. We all interact differently with God, and my experience won’t be the same as yours. Even so, most serious Christians have times when God seems to turn away or stops listening. And we feel alone.

Perhaps it’s like the time the Israelites cried out to God for many years because of the Egyptian oppression. “God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise...and knew it was time to act” (Exodus 2:24 NLT). God hadn’t forgotten, of course, but from their perspective, that’s how it must have seemed. It may seem like that to you if you’re going through your own form of darkness.

Here are a few suggestions to help you:

1. Ask God this simple question: “Have I knocked out the lights by my failures? Have I sinned against you?” After you ask the question, listen. Give God the opportunity to speak to you.

2. Don’t see this as divine punishment (unless God shows you it is), but consider the silence an act of divine love to move you forward. This is God’s method to teach you and stretch you.

3. Avoid asking why. You don’t need reasons and explanations--and you probably won’t get them anyway. Instead, remind yourself that this temporary darkness is to prepare you for greater light.

4. Say as little as possible to your friends. Most friends will want to “fix” you or heal you and they can’t. They may offer advice (often not helpful) or make you feel worse (“Are you sure everything is right between you and God?”).

5. Stay with the “means of grace.” That is, don’t neglect worship with other believers even if you feel empty. Read your Bible even if you can’t find anything meaningful.
I chose to read Lamentations and Psalms (several times, especially Lamentations) because they expressed some of the pain and despair I felt.

6. If you don’t have a daily prayer time, start one. Perhaps something as short as three minutes--and do it daily. Talk honestly to God. It’s all right to get angry. (Read the Psalms if you’re hesitant.)

7. Remind yourself, “I am in God’s hands. This is where I belong and I’ll stay in the blackout until I’m ready to move forward.”

8. Pray these words daily: “But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults” (Psalm 19:12 TNIV). Some versions say “secret sins.” These are failures and sins of which you may not yet be aware. One of the purposes of your darkness may be to bring those hidden problems to light.

9. Ask God, “What do you want me to learn from this experience?” You may not get an answer, but it’s still a good question. Continue to ask--even after the lights go back on again. If you’re open, you will learn more about yourself and also about God.

10. As you receive “light” about yourself while walking in darkness, remind yourself, God has always known and still loves me.
~~~

You can find Cec at his site, The Man Behind the Words.

When God Turned Off the Lights can be purchased at Amazon.

The Breath of the Almighty

2009-10-07T22:56:00.003-04:00

Explosive creative power! Light. Water. Firmament of heaven. Earth and planets. Nourishment. Wildlife.

And then…

God “formed the man out of the dust of the ground.” (Gen. 2:7 Masoretic Text) The Hebrew word used here for ‘formed’ is ‘yatsar,’ a potter’s term that means to squeeze into shape, mold into a form as a potter sculpting, individuals at conception, frame, and so on.

The word for ‘ground’ is ‘adamah,’ which also means soil as for building, husbandman, husbandry, and so on. It comes from the word ‘'adam,’ meaning to show blood in the face, turn rosy or flush, ruddy, reddened, and so on.

From this word comes another word ‘'adam,’ which is the word for man, mankind, human being, common sort, or of low degree.

From this last definition comes ‘'Adam,’ as a proper name. Adam’s name reflected his standing, a man of low degree from the redness of earth’s clay. Out of the womb of the ‘adamah,’ the soil of building, God shaped the ‘'adam.’

God fashioned man, as if drawing near to form him with His own hands out of the earth, as a potter in total absorption with his clay, taking time to sculpt him. This evokes the image of Jehovah having a personal relationship with man as His special creation, as a hands-on project.

I imagine the Potter taking His time with His most prized possession, and through His Word, molded here, patted there, adding more in this spot, a little less in that spot. Can’t you just imagine that, when God finished, Adam looked like one of Michelangelo’s statues or like the image of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?

Created with no life yet, man received another touch from the Creator. The Spirit of God hovered over him and “blew into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2:7 Masoretic Text)

‘Breath’ in Hebrew means a puff, wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, soul, spirit, and so on. That breath of God, that divine inspiration infused man, supplying him with the vital breath of His likeness.

I can imagine God whispering in Adam’s ear, “I am your Life, the very breath of your soul,” and Adam sitting up, saying, as Job did, “The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33:4 NKJV)

What God commanded Ezekiel in his vision to prophesy over the dry bones in the valley sounds as if God could have pronounced it over Adam, “Behold, I will cause breath and spirit to enter you, and you shall live; and I will lay sinews upon you and bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin, and I will put breath and spirit in you, and you [dry bones] shall live; and you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord.” (Ezek. 37:5-6 Amp)

Just as God gave mankind His breath of physical life, so He endows us with the breath of the Spirit, placing His Eternal Life within us through His Son. As “He Himself gives life and breath to everything,” (Acts 17:25a TLB) “the soul of every living thing is in the hand of God, and the breath of all mankind,” (Job 12:10 TLB) and it is “the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.” (Job 32:8 NIV)

God created us and His purpose was to have an eternal relationship with His creations. Paul said, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17 NIV) Therefore, the only way for us to have that everlasting relationship with the Father is to allow the Holy Spirit to infuse us with that vital breath of His likeness, His divine inspiration, His Eternal breath of Life.

Have you allowed the Almighty to breathe Life into your spirit? Can you say as Job, “The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life”?

May you know that precious breath of Eternal Life as He infuses it into your body, soul, and spirit.

The Gift of a New Day...guest poster

2009-10-06T22:19:00.007-04:00

I’m privileged to entice you to sit back and enjoy a great post today by my guest-friend blogger, K. M. (Katie) Weiland, author of the new book Behold the Dawn. If you’d like to have your name put in the pool for the drawing of the book, just leave a comment at the end of the post. Here are Katie’s insights…

The dedication of my recently released medieval novel Behold the Dawn reads in part, “To my beloved Savior, who has given us a fresh beginning in each new day. May we always have the strength to reach out and grasp that perfect gift.”

When I began writing this novel five years ago, I had no idea how much the story would teach me about my own life and my walk with the Lord. Perhaps not so ironically, the theme of Behold the Dawn—that each new day holds the opportunity to redeem yesterday’s mistakes and begin afresh—was a lesson I faced on an almost hourly basis during the writing of this book.

When we are born anew into the Spirit, we are given a clean slate, a brand new life, cleansed of all our mistakes and sins, both deliberate and accidental. But as the years slip by, it’s so easy to forget the beauty of that snow-white gift in the face of our continuing blunders.

When we are saved by the blood of Christ, we are released from the weight of our own defiance and stupidity—but we aren’t transformed into perfect beings who will never again sully ourselves with a mistake. Speaking for myself, mistakes are an hourly occurrence.

When I pause at night before bed to say one last prayer and look back over my progress (or lack thereof) during the day, there is inevitably something I regret. Some thoughtless word, some deliberate act of selfishness, some weakness in the face of temptation. I look at what I have to offer my Lord at the end of my day, and I am ashamed at its tarnished paltriness. Heartsick that, once again, I failed to do better, I hand one more day over to Him and fall into bed.

And what do I get in exchange for my pitiful little offering? I get the indescribable gift of a New Day.

In the 1985 movie adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, Anne Shirley (Megan Follows) comments, “Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.” Is there not an indescribable wonder in that? When I began writing Behold the Dawn, I knew I would be telling a story of redemption. I knew I wanted to tell the story of the world-weary knight Marcus Annan, who had spent most of his life broken beneath the weight of both the mistakes in his past and those continuing in his present.

What I didn’t know was that this story would necessarily lead me to articulate the beautiful truth that to have our lives redeemed by our submission to the Lord means that every single one of our days must also be redeemed.

We aren’t just given one shot at starting over. We’re given the endless gift of a million dawns, a million new days, a million chances to put the past behind us and begin anew. Even with the power of Christ in our lives, we will never live in perfection this side of eternity. But we can gladly relinquish the burden of each day’s mistakes. We can surrender them, throw them into the wastebasket like so many crumpled pieces of paper, and try again tomorrow.

My heart overflows with the joy of that knowledge, and I am so grateful and humbled that the Lord let me share this beautiful truth in my fiction. Although my representation of such an immense topic as redemption and grace must necessarily be flawed, I hope readers will be able to see past the dross and take away a few flakes of the gold at the story’s heart.

And perhaps Marcus Annan and company will leave their impact on their lives, as they most definitely have on mine.

I hope you’ve been blessed by my friend Katie’s post. If you’d like to check out her website, you’ll find her at Wordplay or at AuthorCulture.

If you’d like to purchase her book, here’s the link to Amazon.

"I Still Lead"

2009-10-02T22:23:00.006-04:00

I share with you a word, or rather words, from the Lord...

“O, Lord…lead me in a plain and even path.” (Ps. 27:11 Amp)

“Remember all that I have done for those in the past? You have read how I led Moses and parted the sea making a path for My loved ones to follow; how I led Abraham to become the father of many nations; how I led David, Isaac and Paul, My disciples and all the others. You have heard of the many people I still lead today, who tell how I have told them what to say and what to do and where to go.

“These people are no more special to Me than you are. But they all have one thing in common - a yielded will, a humbleness that wants to do My will more than anything else. And that is what I wish for you to have.

“I want you to be led by My Spirit. Sometimes a child of Mine, whose priorities are not of My making and whose ears are filled with the noise of the world, will not sit still long enough to hear Me. I want you to sit still before Me so that My Spirit can whisper many wonders to you.

“I cannot lead you if you are not on My path. If you leave My path to follow your own will, you will find the hurts of life. There will always be hurts on My path, too, but you will not find My complete guidance when you go your own way. You must walk all the way with Me. My way is smoother. My load is lighter. Your load becomes heavy only when you try to carry it alone or when you don’t realize you have taken on too much for your shoulders to bare. You must let Me carry it.

“I am answering your prayers - all is in answer to your prayers. But you must believe that I am taking care of all things in your life.

“I have led others in the past. Do you not think I would lead you? I have, I do, and I will, just allow Me to do so.

“My Spirit is ever ready to guide and direct you. Just keep the listening ear open and uncluttered from any other voices. My Voice is all you need to hear. Mine is the only True Voice. I love you. Just trust Me to do the very best for you and for those whom you love and care for.

“I have much to teach you. Keep your heart open to My words and let them be absorbed into your life and being. Be a reflection of Me. You are My Mirror to the world - a hurting world that needs love. Will you not care for them as I do? They are your brothers and sisters. Love your family. Pray much for them. Love them for Me.

“I will use you to speak for Me. Be ever ready. You will never know when I need to use you, when I need to give someone a loving, comforting word. There are many out there who are hurting, as you have hurt. Together, we will soothe and comfort and ease the pain of many. Follow Me. I know the Way. And it leads to Life Itself.”

Sacred Friendships Blog Tour

2009-10-02T10:05:00.006-04:00

It is my pleasure to bring you an interview with Bob Kellemen and Susan Ellis, co-authors of Sacred Friendships. If you would like to be in the drawing for a copy of their book, please leave a comment at the end of this post.

What’s the “big idea” behind Sacred Friendships? What would you like readers to take away from it?

Far too often we build our models of ministry by ignoring over half the Christian world—women. The big idea of Sacred Friendships is to give voice to the voiceless by celebrating the legacy of Christian women and by applying that legacy to our ministries today.

We want readers, men and women, to learn from godly women of the faith how to be powerful spiritual friends. Readers will be enriched by the powerful stories of the heroic sisters of the Spirit to apply proven ways to help people find healing hope in the midst of deep pain. They’ll be empowered to help people to find God’s grace for their sins and God’s strength for their journey.

With all that’s going on in the world, why this book now? What’s unique about Sacred Friendships?

There are a few scattered books out there on the history of women in the church. There are a few books out there on women counseling women. Sacred Friendships is not just a history book. It’s not just a counseling/spiritual friendship book. Frankly, there’s not another book out there that applies the history of the legacy of godly women to life and ministry today.

Sacred Friendships is especially vital in our world today. We are so disconnected from one another. We sit by our computers . . . alone. We send quick text messages . . . without any depth.

People are hungry for profound relationships, for meaningful connections. But they have few examples showing how to connect to others in practical ways. Sacred Friendships provides over 50 concrete models that teach us how to be real and raw, how to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth, how to be a . . . sacred friend.

Who should read Sacred Friendships?

I love this question. First, anyone who loves riveting stories of victory snatched from the jaws of defeat should read Sacred Friendships. Susan and I like to think of our roles as “story-tellers”—we share stories from the lives of over 50 remarkable Christian women. If you like a good, true story, read Sacred Friendships.

Second, people might assume that Sacred Friendships is a book only for women. Not true. Susan and I like to say that Sacred Friendships is a gift to women and a gift from women.

As a gift to women, Sacred Friendships puts to rest the lie of Satan that women in church history have been second-class spiritual citizens! Just one example: the famous Church Fathers were mentored by the lesser-known but incredibly gifted Church Mothers.

Sacred Friendships encourages and empowers women to realize that as bearers of God’s image they have equal worth, dignity, value, and giftedness as men have. Women young and mature need the message told by these stories—because the world surely is not the place to turn for validation of worth in Christ.

As a gift from women, Sacred Friendships is for men and women—it’s for anyone who learns best by example. Men and women can read Sacred Friendships and glean life-changing skills to empathize with hurting people, to encouraging people with Christ’s sure hope, to exhort people by speaking the truth in love, and to equip people to tap into Christ’s resurrection power.

How can people get in touch with you and how can they learn more about your ministry and about Sacred Friendships?

To learn more about RPM Ministries, please visit www.rpmministries.org.

I can be contacted by email at: rpm.ministries@gmail.com

A free sample chapter of Sacred Friendships is available at RPM Books.

Sacred Friendships is on sale at 40% off for $12.99 at RPM Ministries.
~~~~~

May the Lord bless your work, Bob and Susan!

The Faith Builder

2009-09-28T23:08:00.002-04:00

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:2a, “Looking to the Author and Finisher of our faith, Jesus.” (The Received Greek Text)

The dictionary tells us that an author is an originator or creator, as of a theory or plan. So, let’s see what the Greek words tell us.

* The word ‘looking’ means to consider attentively, to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something.

* ‘Author’ also means captain, prince, chief leader, one that takes the lead in anything and thus affords an example, furnishing the first cause or occasion, a predecessor in a matter, originating, beginning, or founder.

Therefore, the Amplified expands the verse this way, “Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection].” (Heb. 12:2 Amp)

When a heart receives eternal salvation by accepting the sacrifice of Christ’s blood, righteousness is imparted into each heart, along with the seedling of faith. In order for that seedling to blossom and grow, it needs watering and, well, er, fertilizer.

What does the Bible say about the process through which faith grows?

James said, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NLT)

* From the opening verse, the word ‘Finisher’ also means consummator, perfecter, completer, One who has in his own person raised faith to its perfection and so set before us the highest example of faith.

If Jesus is the Leader, Source, and Example of our faith, do we allow Him to put His finishing touches on our faith? Do we go through the testing trials of life with our eyes of faith on Him or on the afflictions?

Have you ever read Hebrews 11? I love that chapter. Of all the tribulations and heartaches that mankind has endured, this chapter tells me that, no matter what happens in life, I can make it. And so can you.

So, from the faith displayed in one suffering, it is built up and performed in the next circumstance. And so we live, as Paul tells us, “The just shall live by faith.” (Rom. 1:17b NKJV)

Does Jesus have say to us as He did to the disciples, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25b NKJV) Are our eyes turned toward Him? Reminds me of the old hymn Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus…

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.” Amen!

May your eyes behold the glorious face of your Saviour, as His light dims the harshness of your afflictions, and may you know that the Lord is the Author and Finisher of your faith.

Blog Tour for A Slow Burn

2009-09-27T22:12:00.006-04:00

I am so happy to be a part of the book blog tour for Mary DeMuth, author of A Slow Burn. Please enjoy your time with Mary…

What would you say to someone who wants to become a published author?

Here’s the analogy you need to memorize and internalize: Beginning the publishing journey is like wearing a sweatshirt and toting a sack lunch at the base of Mount Everest, thinking, Hmm, this should be a breeze!

In addition: know you are called. Know you have talent. Know you’re full of tenacity. All three things will help you succeed along the journey.

Another idea is hang out at The Writing Spa and its corresponding blog WannabePublished. I tackle nearly every question a new writer would have. I offer weekly free critiques and I have guest authors cameo there. I evaluate the saleabilty of a book idea. Hop on by at http://www.thewritingspa.com.

Where are you headed next?

I hope I see that I get to continue this writing dream—writing for the sheer joy of it, and also receiving compensation (a nice writerly dream!). I also pray that if things take off, I’ll keep my head on straight and constantly strive to point to the truly Famous One, Jesus.

I sense that more public speaking is in the future as well.

Here's a little snippet about the book...

She touched Daisy’s shoulder. So cold. So hard. So unlike Daisy.

Yet so much like herself it made Emory shudder.

Burying her grief, Emory Chance is determined to find her daughter Daisy’s murderer-a man she saw in a flicker of a vision. But when the investigation hits every dead end, her despair escalates. As questions surrounding Daisy’s death continue to mount, Emory’s safety is shattered by the pursuit of a stranger, and she can’t shake the sickening fear that her own choices contributed to Daisy’s disappearance. Will she ever experience the peace her heart longs for?

The second book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, this suspenseful novel is about courageous love, the burden of regret, and bonds that never break. It is about the beauty and the pain of telling the truth. Most of all, it is about the power of forgiveness and what remains when shame no longer holds us captive.

If Mary isn’t sewing, taking pictures, in the kitchen cooking, or in the garden, you can find her on one of her sites…

* http://marydemuth.com
* http://www.relevantblog.blogspot.com
* http://www.wannabepublished.blogspot.com
* http://www.thewritingspa.com

For a book trailer on A Slow Burn, click here.

A Slow Burn can be purchased at Amazon.

Three Kneelers

2009-09-23T22:39:00.003-04:00

I once read the story of a woman’s dream in which she saw three women as they knelt to pray. I have often thought about this woman’s dream, being in the position of each of the pray-ers. I’ll try to retell it. See if one of the kneelers reminds you of anyone.

In the dream, as the women knelt, the Lord appeared and began walking toward them. Drawing near the first one, He bent down to her in tender care, smiling and speaking to her in phrases of sweet love.

As He approached the next one, He merely placed His hand upon her bowed head, giving her a loving look of approval.

And the third one? He quickly passed by her, never offering a word of encouragement or a touch of care.

In her dream, the woman thought to herself, “By His gestures, the Lord must have dearly loved the first kneeler. The second one, He merely patted her with acceptance but none of the recognitions that He gave the first one. But the third kneeler…did she do something to grieve Him that He spoke not a word or give her a passing look? What made the difference between them?”

As she pondered the actions of the Lord, He came and stood beside her, saying, “Oh, my sweet child. You have so misjudged Me and My actions. The first kneeling woman needs all My love and attention every moment, for without it, she would fail.

“The faith of the second kneeler is greater and her love is fuller, so I know she will trust Me no matter what comes her way.

“The one whom I seemed to neglect has faith and love of the choicest and most precious quality. Her intimate knowledge and trust of Me is so solid that she needs no words nor looks, no outward expression of My approval.

“The varying circumstances that I allow in her life do not impede her way. She trusts Me when all outward stresses bring discouragement and frustration, when all the agonies of life attack her sensibilities, attempting to cause her to rebel. She knows that I work My eternal purposes in her and all that she does not understand now, she will later. I am training her for My highest and holiest principals.

“My silence does not mean lack of love, for my love knows no bounds; it is not confined by mere words of approval nor expressions of acceptance. My silence goes beyond the human heart and mind to comprehend. In my finite reasoning, My intentions are perfect, for each child of Mine, that each may learn, in response to My love, to love and trust Me with all his or her heart, without any outward encouragement to bring it forth.”

Are you, precious child of God, going through some crushing blow, or heartbreaking sorrow, or bitter disappointment? In your prayers, are you looking for a word from your Beloved, a tender pat on the head, a look of approval, or longing to hear some sweet phrases of encouragement?

“The silences of Jesus are as eloquent as His speech and may be a sign, not of His disapproval, but of His approval and of a deep purpose of blessing for you.”

What if He answers you not a word? Which kneeler’s position will be yours?

Suckers!

2009-09-19T22:58:00.005-04:00

Suckers! No, not the kind you lick or those people that are easily duped or cheated.

These are tree suckers. What is a tree sucker?

Gardeners explain that a sucker is an effort by a tree to grow more branches out of its trunk or roots, especially if it is under stress. However, suckers are not good for the tree, or any other plant that develops them. Therefore, it is necessary to control the suckers for the health of the tree.

Controlling suckers…

Gardeners advise that it is better to try to prevent a tree sucker than to have to deal with its removal. Suckers threaten the tree’s health.

Some trees have shallow roots and others develop roots near the surface due to difficult growing conditions. This makes them more prone to suckering.

While suckers grow on non-grafted trees, they also will grow when two trees are spliced or grafted together. Gardening experts say that the top of the tree is happy, but the lower half of the tree is under some stress and is trying to reproduce itself.

Experts give some tips to help with sucker control…

Keep plants in good health. Many times, tree roots start to grow suckers when under stress, which can be caused by drought, over-watering, disease, or pests.

Remove quickly. A tree sucker will sap the energy and life away from the healthier and more desirable branches on top, so quick removal is necessary.

Prune regularly. Pruning plants encourages more growth but not all growth is good. One gardening site said, “Suckers (branches growing from the base of the tree)…are never going to bear fruit.”

Let’s apply this personally, to our spiritual lives.

So, what causes the suckers in your life? What things drain the best of God’s Life out of you? What sucks the love, adoration, and worship of the Lord out of you?

* riches?
* power?
* friends?
* your job?
* addictions?
* your family?
* unrepented sin?
* doubt or worry?
* anger or hatred?
* poor self-image?
* unforgiveness or bitterness?
* depression or negative thinking?
* too many things listed on your calendar?

Are any of these suckers ruining your spiritual health, choking out the potential growth from the nutrients and nourishment of the Word of God? Do you notice that there are suckers in your life, or do they go unnoticed until you are in a spiritually unhealthy state?

Let’s apply the tips we learned for sucker control…

Keep spirits in good health. Many times, life suckers grow when under stress, like when we go through trials that leave us spiritually parched, diseased, or when “pests” attack us.

Remove the life sucker quickly. Before a life sucker has the chance to sap the strength and energy away from the health of our spirits, we need to spend time in prayer, asking the Lord to show us those areas that are draining us of His presence.

Prune your spirit regularly. We need to give ourselves regular checkups and prune away those extraneous life suckers. There will never be any spiritual fruit in our lives if suckers are allowed to remain.

Jesus said, “I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 Amp)

When we allow the sucker branches of circumstances, busy schedules, jobs, self-interests, people, worries, doubts, or unforgiveness to deplete us of our relationship with the Lord and cut off our vital union with Him, how will our spirits be nourished? Paul said, “Let your roots grow down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him,” (Colossians 2:7a TLB).

What sucks the Life out of you?

She Did What She Could

2009-09-18T22:07:00.004-04:00

Today, I bring you Elisa Morgan. She is a nationally recognized speaker and the author of more than fifteen books, including the best–selling What Every Mom Needs and Mom's Devotional Bible.

Elisa has served as CEO of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International since 1989. She is also the publisher of MomSense and FullFill magazines and is a frequent contributor to Christianity Today.

Elisa is married to Evan (vice president of strategic development for RBC Ministries, known internationally for Our Daily Bread, and founder of christiancourses.com). They have two grown children and one grandchild and live in Centennial, Colorado.

In Elisa’s own words, she talks about her latest book She Did What She Could…

Most of us care. We really do. We care about poverty and injustice, about orphans and the sick. And yet, weighed down by the everyday load of bringing home a paycheck, putting food on the table, and taking care of our family demands, we question our ability to make a difference. Bombarded by one celebrity help-the-world-athon after another, we shrug our shoulders in futility and do absolutely nothing.

Enter SDWSC (She Did What She Could). Based on the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume in Mark 14, SDWSC provides overwhelmed, yet service-seeking, significance-starved readers a realistic response to the seemingly unmeetable needs around us.

Five letters. Unthinkable power.

Most of us care. We really do. We care about poverty and injustice, about orphans and the sick. And yet, weighed down by the everyday tasks of bringing home a paycheck, putting food on the table, and shuttling kids around, we question our ability to make a difference. Bombarded by one celebrity help-the-world-athon after another, we shrug our shoulders in futility and do absolutely nothing.

But what if we did . . .

Something?
Just one thing.

The thing that matters more than anything else in that one solitary moment.

What if we did just that? What if?

S•D•W•S•C

Five letters that have the power to change your life, free your spirit, and transform your world!

~~~~

She Did What She Could can be purchased at…

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

If you would like to have a chance to win Elisa’s book, please leave a comment on this post.

How Are You Dressed?

2009-09-15T22:26:00.004-04:00

Each day you walk out your door into the elements of the outside world, you dress appropriately, right?

…shorts in the heat of summer
…sweater or jacket in the cool fall
…boots and heavy coat in the cold and snow of winter
…umbrella in the spring rain

You wouldn’t think of going out naked, well, I hope you wouldn’t anyway. You need appropriate covering.

And when you dress, especially for church, a party, or a wedding, you put on the appropriate garments, the best, clean clothes you have, right?

What about a bride? Would you consider her appropriately dressed for her grand day of aisle-walking if she were dressed as a frog, or Ronald McDonald, or perhaps in a nun’s habit? Silly, huh?

How about if her beautiful, pristine bridal gown were covered in mud or big blotches of stains? Would she be appropriately dressed? Would she want to greet her beloved in that condition? Heavens, no! A bride is immaculately dressed in the proper wedding attire, looking her absolute best for her bridegroom on their wedding day.

The Bible says, “Be prepared – all dressed and ready.” (Luke 12:35 TLB) While this is great advice for the flesh, it is even more appropriate and of utmost importance for the spirit.

Is the Bride of Christ dressed in her bridal finery and ready for Her day of divine marriage?

That’s you! If you are a Christian, you are part of the Bride of Christ. So, how will you be dressed? How will you appear to your Beloved when He comes for you? Will you have a mopey face, hair covered in the ashes of doubt and worry, breath smelling of negative words, and be wearing a ratty, old wedding gown of self-pity, ripped and full of the stains and dirt of the world?

What muddies or stains the Bride’s pristine garment? Doubt, worry, unbelief, strife, unforgiveness, murmuring, complaining, hypocrisy, bitterness, judging, gossip, speaking against others, lying, adultery, fornication, idolatry, hatred, selfish ambitions, envy, stealing, cheating, filthy language, covetousness, pride, impure thoughts and lust, internet porn, other addictions, or anything else that grieves the Holy Spirit?

Have these things diverted Her focus from Her Bridegroom? Has She forgotten to think about Her behavior and how it reflects on His Name and on His Home? Has She forgotten that the One Who created Her is joined to Her in the holy oneness of the covenant of divine marriage? God said, “Who are you…that you should forget the Lord your Maker? …For your Maker is your Husband.” (Is. 51:12,13, 54:5 Amp)

When the Father gives the Bridegroom the go-ahead to snatch away His Bride, you will not be afforded the luxury of having time to take a shower, change your clothes, or even look back and say goodbye. This will be an instant come-as-you-are party. Will your robe of betrothal be unspotted and ready for you to meet your Bridegroom?

So, if you knew tomorrow was your last day on earth, how would it affect your behavior today? Are you, as they say, good to go? Are you “a bride beautifully dressed for her husband,” (Rev. 21:2 NIV) adorned with a smile on your face, joy in your heart, songs of worship and praise on your lips, and dressed in a pure, white garment of holy betrothal?

I want to be good to go. I want to keep my divine wedding gown cleansed and ready, because I anxiously await my Bridegroom’s appearance, to see Him for myself, to see the One John the Revelator saw, the One “dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around His chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance…When I saw Him, I fell down at His feet like a dead man.” (Rev. 1: 13-16 NIV, 1:17 GNB)

In that day, I shall look upon Him, and my “eyes will see the King in His beauty,” (Is. 33:17a NKJV) and I shall fall down at His feet and worship Him.

“Behold, the bridegroom cometh!” (Matt. 25:6b KJV)

How will you be dressed?

Extreme Home Makeover

2009-09-14T22:03:00.006-04:00

Today, I have another pleasurable presentation for you. I’m sure most of you, at one time or another, have watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I remember watching the episode with the Woodhouses. I have just started reading Kimberley Woodhouse’s book Welcome Home: Our Family’s Journey to Extreme Joy.

I look forward to reading such chapters as: Trial by Fire, Joy in the Darkness, and When the World Falls Apart…Don’t Quit. Here’s a little about Kim…

Kimberley Woodhouse is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 600 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family's story have garnered national media attention for many years, but most recently her family was chosen for ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, and Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER.

Welcome Home: Our Family’s Journey to Extreme Joy, released from Tyndale House Publishers September 1. In addition to her non-fiction, she also writes romantic suspense and children’s books. Kimberley lives, writes, and homeschools in Colorado with her husband and two children in their truly “extreme” home.

Overwhelming trials . . . met with overcoming joy.

Kayla Woodhouse is not your typical twelve-year-old. Due to a rare medical disorder, she feels no pain, doesn’t sweat, and needs protective cooling gear just to go outside. With her restrictive lifestyle, countless hospitalizations, including brain surgery, and the resulting mountain of hospital bills, what’s a family to do?

How the Woodhouse family has faced seemingly impossible challenges is a story that has captured the hearts of America.

Now Kayla’s mom, Kimberley, takes readers behind the cameras to reveal their family’s journey as never before told. From medical sleuthing to cross-country moves, from freak fires to battles with insurance companies, Welcome Home proves that truth really is stranger than fiction. This candid life story reveals both success and failure and demonstrates how, even during tough circumstances, to shift your life from heartbreak to extreme joy.

You can find Kim at her website: www.kimberleywoodhouse.com

Kim’s book can be purchased at…

Focus on the Family
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Parable Books
Amazon

Wooden Picks?

2009-09-12T10:14:00.006-04:00

The other day, my husband, who plays the guitar, came across a site for guitar picks that are made of wood. Wooden picks, I thought? As he described the special wood that is used, I was intrigued and looked it up. The tree is called lignum vitae. I thought it was so interesting that I decided to share it with you. Here is what I found:

The tree’s wood was originally used and, in some cases, still used for…

* mallet heads
* axles
* bowling balls
* chisel handles
* other objects for absorbing great stress
* beer barrels
* propeller bushings, hydro bearings, ship bearings, saw blocks, other underwater applications for destroyers, submarines, mine sweepers, polar class icebreakers, and other large ship and unique products.

It is also used for medicinal purposes. Early in the 16th century, an explorer to the Caribbean heard about the tree and learned from the inhabitants that the tree contained curative properties for treating most ailments.

In recent times, scientists have found that two of the resin’s most active ingredients are effective as anti-inflammatory agents, local stimulants, and laxatives. The resin or balm also promotes circulation.

The resin is doubly useful for non-medicinal purposes and has one highly recognizable use. When it is mixed with an alcohol solution and sprayed on a surface, the mixture turns blue, revealing invisible blood traces by making it glow in the dark. This is the Luminol we see used as a forensic tool by the police and other investigators on television programs.

The lignum vitae tree, also called guaiac, has other very unique qualities, such as…

* it is highly durable
* if it burns, oil bubbles out
* it is slow-growing, broadleaf evergreen
* it is one of the hardest and heaviest woods
* it is exceptionally resistance to moisture and fungal attack
* it has a rich supply of fats and resins making the objects made from it contain natural lubricants and nearly impervious to water
* it offers extraordinary long life in what it produces.

The tree…

* is aromatic
* has no thorns
* is a strong structure
* is propagated by seed
* has a very showy trunk
* does not attract wildlife
* has no invasive potential
* is pest and disease resistance
* has blue flowers followed by golden fruit
* tolerates full sun or partial shade in a wide variety of soils
* its buds are heart-shaped and inside are the seeds of life and when it breaks open, it yields a red fruit.

Why do I bring you all this? For this very interesting point…lignum vitae is Latin for long life and has the name “tree of life.” I find that amazing!

Jesus is as our Tree of Life. This is what I see…

* He lubricates us with His oil of joy.
* He is Evergreen, giving us Eternal Life.
* He provides the golden fruit of the Spirit.
* His blood and grace are our precious balm.
* His Life is propagated by the seeds we sow.
* He is curative; His healing virtue flows through us.
* He brings extraordinary long life in what He produces.
* He gives us a rich supply of God’s grace and blessings.
* He bears the scars of the thorns that no longer surround Him.
* He is aromatic when the fragrance of His name is poured out.
* He keeps us hardened in order to withstand the storms of life.
* He makes us impervious to the penetrating waters of circumstances.
* He assists our growth, planting us in a wide variety of the soils of life.
* He is our strong structure, our high tower, our shelter from the enemy.
* He is our restorative oil of the Holy Spirit that life’s fiery trials attempt to destroy us.
* He sustains us to resist the infestuous pest and cures the venomous bite of the serpent.
* His balm produces the circulation in our spiritual veins necessary for living everyday life.
* He keeps us resistant to the spread of the spiritual fungi that attempt to attach to our spirits.
* He helps us tolerate the winds of adversity, the heat of the full sun in trials, and the shade of isolation.
* He is our anti-inflammatory agent, acting to reduce the inflammation of our hearts through pain and anger.
* Within His heart was that Seed of Life. When broken open, it yielded the scarlet fruit of salvation.

The Lord is the Tree of Life to us and “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (Rev. 2:7 NKJV) Jesus said, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” (John 10:28 NKJV)

May you know all the precious qualities of Jesus as the Tree of Life. What other qualities do you, my precious readers, see in Jesus?