Defeating the Lions

Stay Alert! Watch out for your great enemy the devil, he prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)

Satan is real, intelligent, cunning, and deceitful. The many names of Satan all picture him as evil. He is deceiving all of us, and we are not claiming the power of Christ to deliver us as we should. Satan is called a powerful lion. Satan and his demons like a pride of lions pounce on us their prey.  Lions hunt down, and claw at the defenseless one on all sides. Grabbing it by the neck and strangling it.

Satan and his demons like that pride of lions batter us unmeasurably on all sides and at our weakest points.  Satan does not just attack us in one area. He inundates our lives with distractions and problems. At other times, Satan even makes temptations look desirable.  We like Eve are tricked into believing wrong is right.

 What does the Bible tell us to do? It says we must not have so great a pride that we think we can resist Satan on our own.  James 4:6-8 says, “God opposes the proud, but favors the humble.” So we must humble ourselves, confess our pride and all our sin, and obey God’s Word.

 At times, our lives are so full of stress, frustrations, and problems that we give in to temptation. In, I Peter 5: 7-10, we learn to cast our anxieties on him, because he cares for us. We are also told that after we suffer a little while, Christ will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. We must have our minds under control and resist Satan by calling on the name of Jesus.  Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, and the scripture, to help us obtain the deliverance we desire.

Do you have those kinds of deep hurts that take away your ability to function? I have been there. I have lost a lot of close loved ones. My brother died this summer from complications from Parkinson’s disease. At present, I feel sad and lonely  Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will be with us in our sorrow. The Holy Spirit cries out to God for us even for our deepest heartaches even when we do not know what to pray.  “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. “ For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”  Romans 8:26

So if the devil is bombarding you with temptations to turn your back on the Lord. Please remember God has power over the devil. He is in control, and by using His Word, and rebuking Satan we can have victory.

Suffering Brings Hope

“but we rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Romans 5: 3-4

 I went to my younger brother’s house last weekend and saw maybe thirty butterflies landing on their butterfly bush. I am in awe of their exquisiteness. Butterflies go through a major alteration to become the beautiful creatures that we see floating all around us. As you probably know, butterflies go through four stages of development. First, an egg is laid on a plant which will provide food for the larvae or caterpillars.  Caterpillars will eat furiously until they outgrow their own skin. They shed their skin several times while they are increasing in size. When they are done growing, they form themselves into a pupa or chrysalis. It looks as if they are resting, but a tremendous transfiguration is going on inside.  From this chrysalis a magnificent butterfly emerges. To me this metamorphosis is like our salvation. We change inside and become a whole new person, a new creature in Christ.

 I can see parallels in our lives to a butterfly’s in other ways, too. As the caterpillar sheds its skin and grows, so we can allow God to use adversity to grow us. We gain patience through our trials, and through faith in Christ we can learn endurance. Our endurance will mold our character. Our character will be transformed, and we will have a new hope for the future.

 I have lost a spouse to death, and one to divorce. I was filled with anguish as I saw my mom’s life dwindle as Parkinson’s ravaged her body.  I have grappled with a depression which almost destroyed my life as I knew it.  I have recently been challenged by my older brother’s death. He had also wrestled with Parkinson’s for twenty years.

As each stage of my life unfolds, I have contended with my own doubts and fears. Through faith and God’s guidance, I have endured, and God has developed my character. I have a restored hope for the future. God’s love has poured into my heart through the Holy Spirit. I pray I will continue to be like the adult butterfly which reproduces new life.  I desire to see the conversion of many souls to a new hope in Christ.

True Fellowship with Him/ Poem

No longer a servant,

Now Jesus calls me a friend.

He will be with me till the end.

He shared His plan,

On this I can stand

I''m in the inner circle.

Jesus wants fellowship with me.

Oh, how incredible to be

No longer a servant,

But a true friend.

The Beauty of God's Presence

 
A glimmering, golden orb floated in the dark sky over the pulsing waves. A halo of light engulfed its brilliance. In the distance, a lighthouse blinked its lifesaving beacon. The charcoal pier reaching out across the horizon was outlined by lights. The shimmering gold shaft of light on the water reminded me of God's hand of love reaching down to touch my heart.

 While at the beach observing this spectacular display of beauty, I was reminded of how close I always feel to God in these moments. Recently I read John 15:15 "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

 You may wonder how I related this scripture to my view of the full moon reflected on the water, but to me it is all tied together. My life has been characterized by my asking God to bless everyone I know, and show me how to be His servant. But Jesus said I am no longer a servant who only does what the master says. I am called His friend, and I am part of the inner circle of fellowship with God and Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit working in me, I can know what message God wants me to hear and understand. I am being taught that I can speak to Jesus and not only tell Him to bless people, but to have a conversation with Him. A conversation means one person speaks and the other answers. It is a two way street. I am being made acutely aware of my need to draw away from the world and be alone in communion with God. As I gaze on the beauty of the sky and ocean, I am better able to feel His presence and hear His response.

 Through this conversation with God I am brought into the inner circle by Jesus. Only my sin can break the connection. I can learn what God is doing, and what He wants to do with my life. He has a purpose for me. I just have to wait and listen to His Word to find the reason He has me living in this world at this particular time, and with the specific circumstances I find myself facing.

 Each of us can enter in this holy communion with God. As Christians, we are all united with Christ and can have the tremendous joy of knowing God's will for our lives. We can look out at all the beauty of God's creation and know we are friends with Jesus. We are not just servants. We have been placed in the inner sanctum of God's presence. I pray we will all take advantage of this great and awesome privilege.

 

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The Miracle of New Life

We walked down a set of stairs to a small apartment. The room was dark, the walls were brick covered with plaster. Behind us was a shiny blue tarp. It may have covered a hole in the wall. A flat screen TV on a high stand was playing.

We were met with smiling, welcoming faces. Several family members, a young couple and a baby were occupying the room. The young mother took the baby out, but brought her back and let me hold her.

“Do you know this baby is a real miracle?” I asked everyone. “I’d like to tell you about the miracle of Jesus’s love for you.” I described how God is pure and holy. He cannot look on our sin. Our hearts are dark with sin, but God bestowed His love on us by sending His Son to die for us.

 I then went on to explain to them that in the Bible, Jesus told Nicodemus he needed to be born again. I used the pictures on the Evangecube to tell the story. When I showed them the picture of Jesus on the cross, I quoted John 3:16 and continued by relating the story of Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection. Pictured next is the cross spreading out as a bridge to heaven, and I explained to them Jesus provided that bridge.

 Next, I opened the cube to show Jesus reaching down to take our hand.  I clarified how we can be with Him in heaven instead of separated from God forever.

 I asked them if they would like to pray with me to accept Christ as their Savior.  All ten of them prayed with me. We left amazed at how God’s Spirit was touching the hearts and lives of everyone we met. They will now have a new life in Christ. “Thank you, Jesus, for letting me be a part of this miracle.”

 

God's Power Over Spiritualism

We were told Spiritualists lived in the home we were going to visit in Sao Paulo. Spiritualism is a system of belief or religious practice based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead especially through mediums.  I didn’t really know what to expect. Tom, my teammate, was going to present the evangecube plan of salvation.

The pastor, several members of the church, our interpreter, and Tom and I entered the kitchen. Several birds in cages mounted on the wall began to chirp. As Tom began presenting the gospel to the woman,  her mother, whose gray hair was twisted into a ball on top of her head, stormed up to the door from the hallway outside, and began to holler at us. I guess she was telling us to leave. Her daughter was embarrassed and hung her head and kind of laughed. Just as Tom began showing the cube, her brother came in. Their mother came back to the door and rebuked us loudly and rapidly. You could feel a spirit of darkness in the room. After the mother repeatedly shrieked at us, the pastor moved across the kitchen and gently led the mother out of the entrance way. I was standing behind Tom praying as hard as I could and rebuking Satan from the room. The birds quit twittering, and Tom was able to present the message of salvation. The young man and his sister both prayed to receive Christ as their Savior. We gave them a Portuguese New Testament. The brother said he could use it to show Catholics about Jesus’s love.

The pastor came back into the kitchen. He held the woman’s son and prayed for him, too. Then we all went down the walkway to a basement area, and the pastor prayed with sister and brother again. Our interpreter said he thought the pastor was talking to them about having a meeting at their house. When we left, I saw the mother standing against the wall. She was so quiet, I almost missed seeing her. As we walked back to the church, we talked about how the Holy Spirit had definitely worked at this home.

 

The Power of God's Love

The Holy Spirit is definitely at work in Brazil. Catholicism is the dominant religion, but the evangelical population is around 55 million or 25% of the population and is growing every day.

I just returned from a mission trip to Brazil. I am so thankful that I was able to be used by God. I felt like I was in a Spiritual cloud, and was just being an outside observer of the Holy Spirit at work.  My teammate, Tom Boorde, and I worked with two churches for ten days. We were part of the Friends of Good News Missions. Our team of 11 people was made up of Baptists from Greensboro and High Point, North Carolina and Tampa, Florida. It is the 25^th year of this ministry. We were given the privilege of aiding the pastors in the work they had started. Pastor Anderson is 35 and has been at his church for 5 months. He has taken over the leadership of an after school program for at risk students also.

Pastor Anderson and many of the young people of the church took us out to visit family and prospective members of the church. One of the families we visited will always have a special place in my heart. We entered the home and as we proceeded to sit down, we saw a person in the bedroom with an oxygen mask on his face. His sister told us he was her brother.  After her husband finished eating, all the family of twelve gathered around. Some were sitting on the couch and others standing in the doorway.  I started showing them the Evangecube. When I revealed the section about the resurrection of Jesus, I told them about my friend’s daughter passing away, and how she placed her ashes at the base of a waterfall. I shared with them how we felt when we came back to take a picture and saw butterflies around the ashes. I conveyed to them that now I always associate butterflies with the resurrection. When I asked them to pray and accept Jesus into their hearts and lives, all of them prayed. Afterwards I asked them to give us their names so we could pray for them. I also asked the sister if it would be alright to talk to her brother.

She took us into the bedroom, we watched her strain her back to pick her brother up and put him in the chair. He could not move or speak, and she said he had been bed ridden for five years.  When she got him in the chair, she pulled him forward to stretch his legs. He began to boohoo like a child. It broke my heart. I began to tell him of God’s love by showing him the cube. I told him one day he could be in heaven where there would be no more pain or sorrow. I asked him to bow his head and to pray after me, I looked to see if he was praying, and he was making a gurgling sound in his throat. I know in my heart he accepted Jesus as his Savior. He started crying again, and my teammate, Tom, told him in heaven there would be no more tears. The sister gave me a big bear hug, and we all left with hearts full with the precious power of God’s love.

Humbleness

   “…Don’t think you are better than you really are…” Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”… Be patient in trouble and keep on praying.” “Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!” Romans 12: 3, 11, 12, 16

 

I am getting ready to go on my mission trip to Brazil. We are reading scriptures every day to prepare us. We read Romans 12 to remind us we should be working together as a team. I will be paired with a pastor, an interpreter, and my teammate, Tom Boorde, who has been to seminary. We will be going to do evangelist work. From what I’ve learned we will be leaving our hotel from 1pm to 3pm and may not return until midnight. I am a morning person so this will be hard for me.  I am not lazy, and I am usually very enthusiastic when serving the Lord. I get so excited sometimes I talk before I should. I went out with my church evangelist team. I was paired with a couple from our church. Before he could tell the lady about Jesus, I jumped in and told her why were there and asked her if she had a church home. My Aunt Ann said I move to a different rhythm. So I need to match my rhythm to that of my fellow laborers for Christ.

 

Tom called me and prayed for our trip and the people of Brazil. He said we will pray every day before we go out. I believe as He does that we must saturate our evangelist efforts with prayer. I pray I will work in harmony with him and with the people we meet. I don’t want to be too proud when dealing with them.  I guess I think I have the best approach to leading people to a personal relationship with Jesus. 

 

I am asking people to pray for me that I will keep my mouth shut when I am supposed and let the Holy Spirit do His work. I am supposed to be praying while my teammate is presenting the gospel.   We are trying to bring hope to the people of Brazil. I want to be totally dependent on the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to convict the lost of their sin. Lord, please help me to wait patiently and humbly for you to work in the heart’s and lives of the people of Brazil.

 

Poem -Rooted in Christ

 

 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”  John 15: 1-2

 

Pruned

Disciplined, cleansed

Cutting, tuning, refining

Tried, challenged, grafted, formed

Clinging, abiding, bearing

Produce, Render

Fruitful

Sweet Hour of Prayer

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. “(Romans 8: 26)

An old song, “Sweet Hour of Prayer”, came to my mind this morning. Do we take time for that sweet hour? Some days I do and some not. We can only abide in Him if we communicate with Him. How can we be strengthened and produce fruit without that intimate time at His feet? How can we make it through the day without Him?

The scripture says to cast all our care upon Him. No matter what we face, that hour of prayer can elevate us to heavenly realms and draw us away from the pain of this world.  We can feel that peace and comfort flow over our being. We must not only pray in spirit, but also totally reign in our thoughts. “What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also…” (I Corinthians 14: 15).

The Holy Spirit prays for us when we do not know what to say. When we groan in our hearts and cannot go forward any more we can turn it over to Him to let Him carry our deepest heartaches to God’s throne. What comes to mind when I think of this is the times in my life when I could not form the words to pray. After my daughter was born, she cried all the time. I had postpartum depression. I felt like my blood was racing through my body at ninety miles an hour. My thoughts were not coherent. Here was my new, precious gift from God, but I did not know how to help her stop crying. I had no idea of what was causing her to scream out. I could not nurse her without her starting to wail again as soon as she finished nursing. I called my pastor and told him I didn’t know what to do. He stopped right then and prayed for me on the phone. Countless times during her first six months, I had to plead with God for relief and comfort.

God did send family and friends to help me and in time His nearness made a difference.  I am not good with babies even now. I want them to be able to tell me what is hurting them. I do know, however, that our prayers from the depths of our souls reach God, and He comes and carries us in His arms when we can’t go it on our own.

Prayer is like our journaling with God. We talk to Him as our dearest friend, and He replies to us if we stop our anxious thoughts, wait, and listen for His sweet voice.  We all must crave that “Sweet Hour of Prayer”.

 

 

Perseverance Brings Hope

“…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope.” Romans 5: 3

Perseverance is continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties failure or opposition.   

In a message by Chip Ingram, he told of a man whom he met who had been married sixty some years. His wife was an invalid, and he took care of her all the time. He only took out time to play golf for a couple hours a week.  Chip asked him how he could do this. He said it was because he loved her so much. He wanted to show her how thankful he is for all she had done for him. That is perseverance in suffering.

God does that same for us. We usually think it is so awful to suffer, but suffering helps us learn to be steadfast in our love for God. We develop character, and this brings us hope. We know God is teaching us to depend on Him even when everything is dark.  The hope we have is the knowledge that we have heaven to look forward to. I read of a woman who approached the leader of a stroke retreat and said she was glad he had a stroke. She said if he hadn’t had the stroke these retreats would never have gotten started. 

I can’t say that I was rejoicing when my mom was suffering from Parkinson’s disease. I was told that I had a victim mentality. I was determined to make sure she had the best care. I was so upset she was over medicated.  The side effects of her medicines made me hurt for her and angry that she couldn’t get help. She loved chocolate, and I wanted her to be able to enjoy it even if she couldn’t swallow that well. It was so hard for me to see any joy in the situation. But when she couldn’t swallow anymore she just quit talking, closed her eyes, and after two weeks she went to be with Jesus. I know God’s love gave me peace, and I am left with the hope that I will see her someday.

What trials are you going through today? Prayer is the sword that helps us keep alert with all perseverance to make supplication for all the saints and for ourselves. Paul told Timothy to pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. (I Timothy 6:11)

I have learned from my experiences that God can give you hope and joy again if you have faith in Him, and His power to teach you and develop your character. God has restored my joy. My mom is not here with me now, but I have precious memories of my mother’s love for me. Also my grandson was God’s gift to me and gave me my smile back. I have hope, and I also desire to tell others what God can do for them. I feel my character has been developed. God has shown me it is a sin not to allow Him to teach me endurance and hope through my trials. May we all learn to persevere and receive the hope God has for us.

Just Be a Branch

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5

In our discussion of abiding in Christ in my Bible study class, I was asked what abide means to me.  Abiding in Christ, the vine, means to me that we rest in Him, and lean against His strength. He wraps His loving arms around us, and we are filled with His love. Then we can become the conduit that passes life and love from God, the vinedresser, through Jesus to others. We permit that vital life- giving salvation to flow from Christ to nonbelievers. Then we as the branches are able to produce abundant fruit. We can demonstrate the love of Jesus as it encircles our hearts and spread it to the lost.

Only if we are joined to our Lord and Master can we produce that fruit. Ii is the singular purpose of the branch; to bear fruit.  My pastor illustrated this perfectly when he told us how he broke a grapevine his mother had told him not to touch. He stuffed the branch in with the other branches. He thought no one would know, but It soon turned brown and withered away. If we are not joined with Jesus and do not seek His purpose, we will not produce abundant fruit.   If we do not depend on Him, we will lose our ability to be an integral part of God’s plan. I know I do not always wait patiently for Christ to work in my life. I want to give God permission to show me where I am lacking so that I may confess my sins Then I can be a fully, functional producer of fruit for His kingdom.

As a branch, I pray I will permit God to prune me into a fruit- bearing vital soul winner.  By submitting to God’s strength flowing through me, I can become more like Jesus. Let me be loving, forgiving, faithful, and kind as you are, Lord. May I be a branch that holds tight to you and produces fruit while being in total and absolute dependence on You and your Word.

Jesus provides the sap, strength, and life to us as the branches. Let’s look today at our lives and beg God to renew our craving to be the kind of branch who abides in and is used totally by Christ for His purpose.

Miracles from Heaven

“Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles...” Psalm 105: 5

Albert Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” This quote was at the end of the movie “Miracles from Heaven.” It was a miracle that Anna, the young girl whose intestines would not function, fell inside a tree and was healed. A butterfly floats from her body up to heaven, and there are butterflies all around her. The butterfly doesn’t look real, but I do believe God uses butterflies to represent the miracle of new life with Him.

In fact, I have seen this in my world. When my friend Teresa's daughter died, we took her ashes to a waterfall, and she scattered them beside the falls. We went to the car to get the camera to take pictures to help Teresa remember this heartrending time in her life. When we came  backto the site, we saw butterflies floating around the ashes. Teresa said she was comforted by this miracle which confirmed for her that her daughter would be in heaven.

Another friend also told me they took his father-in-law’s ashes about a mile out to sea, and a butterfly followed them all the way. When they put the ashes in the water, the butterfly was gone. These miracles do give us a hope of heaven, and the resurrection.

  I believe I’ll go with Einstein’s thought that we can see everything as a miracle. I have a picture frame with miracle written on it in sliver. In the photo, my mom, my daughter, and my grandson are together. A new baby and three generations of love are a true miracle to me. God has performed miracles in my life every day and not just through seeing butterflies. I know He has protected me from harm, and from the power of Satan.

 We can see miracles everywhere if we would just take the time to look at all the wonders God has put before us. Just the beauty of a tree or the tiniest creature in the sea, typify the splendor of God s miraculous creation. Not only that, but if we are observant enough and open our spiritual eyes, we can see how God sends special circumstances in our lives that answer our prayers in inexplicable ways. The transforming power of God changing a life of sin to one of service for Him is one of the greatest miracles of all. Let’s open our hearts and view the circumstances of life as the true miracles they are.

Transformed Mind

“and put off your old self, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self. Ephesians 4:22-24a

Do you ever wish you could put off your old self? The Bible in Ephesians 4 speaks of walking in humility, gentleness, patience, love, and unity of Spirit. The whole chapter speaks of putting on the new life. Do any of us read this chapter without feeling guilty? I know, personally,I cannot be transformed without the Lord’s help.

I have been listening to Chip Ingram on the radio. He says we transform in the cocoon and grow into the butterfly of a new character.  I have learned methods from his messages to reshape my thoughts. We all know to pray, study the Word, and attend church, but this is not always enough to alter our manner of thinking.  One other way he suggests we can change is through community.  I have requested my friends and family to hold me accountable for my actions. I have asked them to be honest with me, because I don’t think we can always see our faults. I hope my friends will speak the truth in love so God can transform my mind.  I am praying God will help me to be more open to people and not put up walls. I have a deep desire to have that community who will hold me accountable and love me as I am. I. I heard in one study that we should give God permission to show us our sins.  This, to me, is to be open to the conviction He revels.

Only through the power of the Holy Spirit and following Christ’s example in faith can we hope to change. Our minds, where we make our decisions, are the place to start adapting our lifestyles to God’s desires. By the grace of God, and through trusting Him we can accomplish this undertaking. In our study, The Call to Follow Christ, an evaluation at the end of the lessons caused me to revise certain areas of my life.  My main need is to work on is a “Quiet Time with God”. I don’t stop long enough to let God speak to me. I don’t read the Bible and take notes, and evaluate how this applies to my life. I want to learn a new scripture every week this year, and I need to be more discerning about God’s purpose for my life. We all, I think, jump into new endeavors without always asking God if this is in keeping with His plan for us. Sometimes, we also have no discernment in how to be the best witness and example to other people.

God can equip us to begin transforming our minds. We can walk in a manner worthy of our calling. Let’s pray for each other and ask God to alter our lives to have that butterfly character

Hope of Heaven

At Easter, we think of the resurrection, and all it portends. Jesus said he would prepare a place for us and come again to receive us. The older I get the more I look forward to going to heaven. Life is hard, and it is not always fair. We see our loved ones suffer and see our world falling apart. Just thinking about heaven makes all that seem insignificant when we think about the place God has prepared for us. I do not think we really comprehend what that means, because we are so caught up in our day to day trials.

I am teaching the Karen from Burma this Sunday. Since it is Easter, I want to remind them of the resurrection, but I also want to help them know with the resurrection of Jesus, we can have the hope of heaven. We will be singing the song Heaven Came Down. It conveys the truth that we will surely have a place in heaven. Oh What a Day That Will Be is also one of my favorite songs. My mom and I used to sing it together. I would climb up in the bed with her when she was suffering from issues related to Parkinson’s, know one day she would be with Jesus. It will be marvelous to be in heaven with her and to dwell their with God.  He will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more dread of our enemy, Death. The Holy City will be glowing with the glory of God. The most magnificent part of heaven will be when we look into our Savior's face as He welcomes us into heaven.

It is incomprehensible to think of this golden city and know God will be the temple of heaven. What wonder will fill us at the dazzling light given off by Jesus.  Just think, we will see this indescribable city sparkling with the brilliance of the jewels adorning the walls. The river of life flows through the city, and the tree of life’s leaves will heal all the nations. We will reign forever and ever with Jesus.   

I do not know about you, but I feel warmth flowing over my heart when I think of what God has in store for us.  The hope of heaven may have been presented to you many times, but I do not think we live our lives pondering what is coming one day. Being able to participate in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will be a time of rejoicing. I pray I have helped you know that whatever you are going through, it dims with the knowledge of a new heaven and new earth where we can live forever. My heart smiles even when life is trying to take it away. May your Easter be filled with joy as you let your thoughts linger on the Hope of Heaven.

A God Thing

 “…pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”  James 5: 16b (Transformation Study Bible)

Last Saturday, I had one of those situations come up that can only be called a “God thing.” I have had them before, but this one is still on my heart. I was cleaning the house, and I heard a text coming in on my phone. I looked at it and saw an instant message from Mary Odom. She was the Guidance Counselor at the school where I first taught. She had been there for us when Donnie died. She came over to my sister-in-law’s and talked to Donelle and told her journaling might help. She later led the ESL training that I use to work with people at church who want to learn English.  Mary was also instrumental in me going to the Literacy Missions Conference and getting more ideas for working with ESL. She always wanted me to work with Internationals through the Piedmont Baptist International Fellowship, too. If it hadn’t been for Mary, I would never have done it. I have been a Friend Family for Internationals for several years now, and have met some wonderful people.

Let me go back to the “God thing”. I saw on my phone that Mary wanted to know if I had heard the good news. She had just gotten $100,000 from a Federal Government Lottery. She told me that when they delivered her money, she saw my name on the list. She asked me if I had heard about it. I figured, since it was Mary, I could believe it. She gave me a link, and an official picture of the administrator came up on it. The administrator sent me a list of questions to answer and a picture of the document showing my name on the list of winners. I was supposed to win $150,000. I was getting really excited. I fell for the whole con and filled out the info. I even sent Mary a text telling her we should get together to celebrate. Then a text came from this lady, Angela, saying I would have to agree to pay for the cashier’s handling of the money. The fee was $900 some dollars and some cents. That is when I finally caught on to the scam.

I called Mary and sure enough it was a scam. But here’s where the “God thing” comes in. I explained to Mary what had happened. She said it was a shame, but through this bad thing, God had used my call to help her. She said her husband’s 90^th birthday party was that afternoon, and she didn’t know if she had the strength to go through the day. She has is use a walker now and is weak. She said he has dementia, and she wasn’t sure if it would be one of his good days or not. She was also feeling like she doesn’t have a ministry for God anymore. I told her how much she had meant to me and had helped me.  I also reminded her that she could pray for all of us.  I prayed for her, and I started crying while I was praying. I prayed for God to give her strength and help her feel His comfort.  She said she was so glad I called, and she knew it was God who had led me to get in touch with her.

So you see, good can come out of bad, but don’t trust anybody who asks you for money in a text without checking with them first. Also, like I have learned in my lessons from The Call to Follow Christ, when someone asks you to pray for them stop and pray on the spot.

Butterfly Restoration-Poem

"He restoreth my soul..." Psalms 23:3

Suspended upside down with no daylight,

And with no hope in sight,

No way to get out of my plight

My life was far from right.

I lived in the darkest of my night.

 

Doors opened me to God’s might,

To give me strength for the fight;

His love came to me as light.

My wings spread out for flight.

The beauty of His world so bright,

Was an intricate pattern of delight.

 

Rising in my expectations;

Lifting my heart to new aspirations.

 

Giving me new optimism,

I am totally free of my dark prison,

And God has given me a new commission.

 

 

 

 

Never Forsaken

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations… teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  and, lo, I am with you alway…” Matthew 28: 19-20

God has shown me He is with me in my deepest, darkest hours. After two years of dealing with divorce lawyers, I was totally devastated. I didn’t want to be divorced. I didn’t believe in divorce, but I had no choice in the matter. I felt so all alone. A black blanket of despair dropped over me. I had a nervous breakdown. After being hospitalized, and God showing the doctor the right medicine to give me, I got my smile back. However, I had no self-confidence. What was my purpose now? What could I do? I was a retired teacher, but I couldn’t even take care of my grandson. The pressure was too much.

We have a Christian Day Care at my church. God put it on my heart to ask them if I could read to the children in the Day Care. The director thought it was a great idea. My daughter said it would be good for me. I agreed it could help build my confidence, and I knew it was something I could do, since I have my Master’s in Reading.

I‘ve been reading to the children and singing Christian children’s songs with them for at least five years. It warms my heart every time I go into the room and see their little faces. They show me their boo boos and tell me about their new shoes.  The other day one little boy, who goes to my church, showed me a picture of him holding his new baby sister. After we sing, I get hugs from everyone. That makes my day and makes me feel all warm inside. I’ve even been to their graduation, and they gave me flowers.

I started praying for Those in Harm’s Way, in our church Prayer Room. The coordinator wanted me not to read about all the sicknesses since I had been so depressed. So I pray for those in the military or the police force.  Getting close to God in the Prayer Room and talking to the people who have made the prayer requests has brought me closer to God.

I also teach ESL at church. We have a tutoring program on Monday nights, and I help teach the parents who struggle with English. I have drawn so close to them that we have become like family. One lady who was Russian and older (she later died), was faithful and always tried so hard to pronounce and understand English. She loved taking word cards and arranging them into sentences. I came to love her and still miss her. I work with mostly Spanish speaking ladies now. They have cooked tamales that I have purchased, and have brought me Christmas presents. I teach the SS class for the Karen from Burma, who have a church within our church, once a month. They are precious people.

I have met students from all over the world by being a Friend Family for the Piedmont Baptist International Fellowship. They practice their English with me, and I try to show them the love of Christ. Now, I am also the director of our church Women’s Missionary Union, and I have been on mission trips to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Guatemala. I plan to go on another mission trip to Brazil this May.

God has kept His promise and has never left me or forsaken me. He has allowed me to be part of His Great Commission. Thank you, Lord, for loving me, and always being with me.

Revival of Hope-Poem

 

“…If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  John 7: 37-38

My aspirations are thwarted.

My thirsty heart pants for deliverance.

Hope commences as a trickle of living water.

 A bubbling brook of awareness rises from the wilderness of pain.

My soul is filled with downpours of God’s favor.

He sends rivers of living water into my heart,

Gushing over my parched being,

Surging to life-quickening joy.

Promises from His Word cascade from His throne,

Filling me with the awareness of His sufficient grace

Blessed with the hope of the Lord

Jesus, the living water, has calmed my fears

Now, still waters spread across my emotions.

My spirit is revived,

 

Renewed, refreshed.

Meaningful Prayer

 

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Do not be like them for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:7-8

In recent years, I have felt there was something lacking in my prayer life, because I did not stop and listen to God while I was praying.  I read the Bible, said my morning prayers, and then went on about my day. We are having Discipleship classes at church, and one chapter deals with having a Quiet Time with God.  Through these lessons God has convicted me of not listening to what He has to say.  I learned the ACTS acronym for prayer a long time ago. A is for Adoration, C for Confession, T for Thanksgiving, and S for Supplication.  When I went to Guatemala on a mission trip this summer, I taught a lesson on prayer at a Women’s Retreat. It included not only adoration, but recognizing the power of God, and petitioning Him for protection from danger and particularly protection from temptation.

I have been a Christian for a long time, but I know I have not shown enough awe of God’s power or prayed enough for protection from sin. I have prayed every day, but it seems, lately, I have realized my prayers have been more about the Ask, Seek, and Knock in Matt. 7:7. I went to God in prayer asking Him to bless everyone, and to give me what I thought I needed. I was asking, but not in the right way. My conversations with God have been mostly one-sided.  When we are young we learn to pray God bless everyone, and please give us what we want.  But now it is time for us to get closer to God in our prayer lives. It is our obligation not only to pray for friends and family, but for our pastors, missionaries, our country, and persecuted Christians around the world. We should also pray for God to give us discernment and opportunities to witness and serve.

Do we really sit still, listen, and know that He is God? (Ps. 46:10) First, it is essential to spend time in prayer, preferably in the morning, but God hears us anytime night or day.  We need to wait for that still small voice in the sound of a “low whisper” as Elijah did. Secondly, our adoration of God usually consists of saying how awesome you are God, but we also need to make it a time of worship and praise.  We should add our gratitude for what He has done for us, and His power over all circumstances in our lives, and the lives of those we love.

We all know we should confess our sins, but do we really objectively look at our lives to see where God wants to change and grow us.  I heard in a Bible study that we should give God permission to show us our sins. It is time as Billy Graham has said to express sorrow over what we have said, thought, or done that is not pleasing to God. Then we must believe He has forgiven us in order to remove any barriers in our communication with Him. Lastly, we need to apply what we are learning. God wants us to share our heart with Him, and He wants to share His heart with us. Journaling is one way to record what God has revealed to us.

Lord, may our prayers be uplifted in a manner acceptable to you.  Let our petitions be given in a humble manner. Lord, we give Your Holy Spirit permission to convict us, and we confess our sin and pray you will cleanse us of all our unrighteousness.  In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Renewed Love

 

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”  I Thess. 5: 11

We all love to receive cards, myself included.  I had never had a hobby, but a lady in our SS class asked several of us if we wanted to learn how to make hand-made cards. It has been several years now, and God has transformed my way of thinking about myself as a creative artist. I can now construct a card and write verses in it to inspire and build up others.  In other words, cards are a new way of conveying hope to those in need of encouragement.

At our last card-making class our instructor bought a cake with Happy Stamping 2016 on it. She said she wanted us to pray over our ministry of making and sending cards. One of the women in the class related how she knew of a woman who died at 90 years of age. The minister at her funeral asked for anyone who had received a card from her to raise their hands. Hands went up all over the room. We all agreed we can leave a lasting impression with our cards, too. By assembling these cards, we can fulfill Paul’s admonishment in I Thessalonians 5:11. 

Christmas cards are ones we may keep out for the whole month of December or save them for years. Christmas cards help us remember that God loved us and sent His Son as a baby to later die for our sins. They remind us Jesus is the light of the World, and He was the one worshipped by shepherds and wise men alike. 

Birthday cards let us know someone remembers us on our special day. Someone takes the time to make a card just for us. My daughter always picks just the right card with verses that fit the personality and special characteristics of the receiver. In my case, she knows how to pick a card that makes me feel like the best mom on earth, and the greatest example of a Christian. She adds her own special note which always brings tears of joy to my eyes.

Some of my favorite cards to make are Valentine Cards.  This year I made several cards. One had many layers of cardstock, a heart in the center, and a white lacy edge at the bottom with a pink satin ribbon and bow. We always think of Valentine’s Day being just for our sweethearts, but I think it is a good time to be reminded of God’s love and care for us. My cards this year include this inscription:

 II Coro. 13: 14 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you…” 

Praying you will recall

That at the heart

Of the matter

Is the love of

God for us all.

 

I’m praying God will put on your heart the desire to use your talents to express His love to everyone you know.  May you bring hope and renewal to all.

A Living Hope

A Living Hope

Teaching is a gift God has given me. The Bible says in I Coro. 12: 28 “And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers…” I do feel called by God to be a teacher.  I taught Bible stories as a summer missionary for Child Evangelism and led children to Christ using the Wordless Book.  Also while I was in high school, I taught children on Sunday nights.  Right after I got married, my husband and I taught the teenage Sunday school class. We had a good group of teens who wanted to learn the Word. One humorous event I remember is one girl called Habakkuk, “Habuga”. She later, learned to say it correctly and came to a saving knowledge of Christ.

 I have always loved to teach and have wanted to motivate students to apply the Word of God to their lives. I taught third through six grade girls for many years. We made the disciples out of toilet tissue tubes and a replica of the temple which came with our SS materials.  I loved those girls and took great pleasure in helping them grow as Christians. My daughter was in my class, and her dad came in some mornings. Those were special times. After my husband died, I changed churches and did not teach for a while. I did teach Vacation Bible School eventually. I remember one girl asking me why I loved Jesus. I told her He is my best friend.  When my former Guidance Counselor asked me to take her class on ESL, I developed an interest in helping people learn English using an ESL book of Mark. I relished working with my two students.  Irena and I became close friends, and she even fixed me Lithuanian meals.

Now I teach VBS in the summers. I always make sure I ask the children if they have Jesus in their hearts. I pray the Holy Spirit will work in their lives. We have a tutoring program at our church. I started to teach an ESL class for the parents of the students who needed help with their homework. I met Lupe and her family through the program, and I have known them now for six years.  I am the adopted grandmother of the family of four children. I take two of them bowling in the summer and to VBS.  Andres, the youngest, asked Jesus to come into his heart when he prayed with me this Christmas while his family was at my house.

Now, I am still teaching the Monday night ESL and one Sunday a month I teach the Karen from Burma. They are precious people who love the Lord. When they pray in their language, I don’t know the words, but I feel God’s presence.

 In Guatemala this past summer, the Women’s Missionary Union held a women’s retreat for the Guatemalan ladies from churches in the area. I taught a lesson on prayer and on Ruth. The ladies touched my life, because they prayed earnest prayers out loud and from the heart. We prayed for several of the ladies who were struggling. We encircled one K’iche’ woman and raised our voices in prayer for her. I know God answers prayer, because of this inspiring example of its power.

 I also had the privilege of doing the last lesson of VBS in Spanish at an Evangelical church in the Dominican Republic.  I asked the children to raise their hands if they wanted to follow Jesus.  About fifteen came up and prayed with me. After I went outside the church, a boy touched me on the arm and put his hand on his heart to let me know he had accepted Christ as his Savior.

How does all this fit in with my theme of butterfly hope and renewal?  God has given me hope that one day I will see many of the ones I have taught in heaven.  Praise God!  I thank Him for allowing me to see these treasured souls come to know Jesus as Lord.

I Peter 1: 3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope…”

 

Hope in Deep Despair

       May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the           Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

     I thought I had no hope when my husband, Donnie, died of a heart attack at age forty. I felt like someone had taken their fist and rammed it into my chest. My heart was actually broken. I was left to take care of all the responsibility of the finances and our daughter, Donelle. I was teaching school at the time. Donnie died in November, and I went back to work in January. We had been staying with his sister, Betty, but I had to go back home and  return to work. My nerves were shot though. When I had commons duty, I would massage my hands, because my palms were aching.
     I was like the butterfly chrysalis. I was hanging down like a small sack looking like there was no life left in me and no sign of hope. But just like the butterfly, there was a metamorphosis going on inside of my heart. God transformed my life from the inside out.
    God gave  me a purpose and through it a hope for the future. He had sent me a daughter, Donelle, who reminded me of her dad. I needed to be there for her and show her that God still loved us. We went to church regularly and Donelle was active in the youth group.  I attended all her basketball games. The Holy Spirit was there to comfort and guide us into a new life. We have always been close and now we are more friends than mother and daughter.
     The greatest tragedy of my life occurred twenty four years ago.  At the time, I could not see God working, but He was there wrapping His loving arms around me.
     Even if hope, joy, and peace seem illusive  in our lives, the Holy Spirit has a way of using circumstances to grow us and alter our outlook completely. When we are in the dark pit, we cannot see it, but we are slowly being made more Christ-like  and come away a stronger Christian. We can have joy and peace even when we can see no light in our situation. May we all abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.