The Preaching of the Cross...

Christian, Are You Refusing God?

by Tim Conway

Go Labor On...

On Sunday, as one of the church brothers was showing us pictures from their family's recent trip to Liberia, I kept feeling God strongly calling my name in the tasks His wisdom has assigned me. Here in America, we seem to have this mind set that mission work is 'over there in that foreign land' and while I appreciate people moving over there to evangelize and disciple others, I have been sobered and pressed to fully embrace the call of God to work in the country He has called me to: America.

Being a missionary is simply being a witness that Jesus lives. It is simply carrying out the Great Commission with compassion and love for people who, like me, have a soul that will spend eternity in heaven with God or in hell, the lake of fire.

Being a missionary (personally for me) means that what every task His wisdom assigns me, I am committed to fulfilling cheerfully. It means that I have a vision for kingdom work and simplify  my life in order to have time, energy and resources  to work the work of Him who called me to do His bidding.

I won't have time for combative arguments (endless geneologies) with 'brothers in the faith' who do not wholeheartedly walk in the simplicity that is in Christ...I don't have time to sit around in mindless/purposeless
activity. There are daughters and a son to teach and love. I don't have time to pine aimlessly over the imperfections of sinful living that have touched my life. Jesus came to restore me unto Himself, and that includes making me new from my own sinfulness and the sins that others committed that hurt and would have destroyed me. There are spiritual daughters to counsel as an older woman teaching the younger. There is the household of faith to do good to. There are people who need to hear the old, old story...perhaps in a way they have never heard it before. There are prayers to be made for all men...

Where has He called you? Do you know? For me, besides being a mother to many, my family and I
currently have mostly  been called to relate to a certain religious community where once in a while, after being gazed at as fools or written off as rebels (good for sanctification!), we find a seeking heart who knows that hearts are not changed by making the religion a god.

Mission work is grueling in whatever station we are called. Yes, in America we live a 'cushy' life compared to many parts of the world, but as a missionary in America, I dare not fall into the trap of loving things more than God and the people I am called to witness to. Simple living frees my heart and life for kingdom living and working.

Mission work requires a death to myself, a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ. I like what Amy Carmichael had to say about this:


"Amy Carmichael once received a letter from a zealous young lady who thought God might be calling her to be a missionary. "What is missionary life like?" She asked Amy. 
To which Amy replied, "Missionary life is simply a chance to die."

What are YOU doing about the place of mission He has called you to today? Have you set your affections on things above? Do you take seriously this one little life on earth we are given? 

Ray Comfort shared this story on Facebook and I found myself musing over it for awhile:

"I was riding my bike home today, when a young man asked me if I knew the location of “the 92 bus.” I didn’t, but I stopped to speak with him because I could direct him to somewhere better than where the bus would take him.

The name of this 16 year-old was Vince, and because I believe in relationship evangelism (building a relationship before you witness to someone) I spoke with him for another 15-20 seconds, and then said, “Vince. I have a question for you. Do you think there’s an afterlife?” He didn’t, so I said, “If Heaven does exist, are you going there? Are you a good person”? He said he was (“kind of”), so we went through the Ten Commandments, the reality of Judgment Day, the existence of Hell, into the cross and necessity of repentance and faith in Jesus.

I thanked him for listening to me and gave him a Starbuck’s gift card (I carry a few gift cards with me and usually give them to people who listen—a card is worth a thousand words because it’s an evident token of love). As I started to leave he asked, “Did God tell you to stop and talk to me today?” I don’t hear voices, but God did tell me to talk to Vince via the Great Commission (see Mark 16:15), so I said, “Yes and no.” He seemed happy with that. Please pray for Vince."

There are tears. There are many heart breaking moments. But there is also JOY in knowing the Savior and presenting Him to any who will seek and know Him. There are rewarding moments when a soul turns to Him and offers Him herself. That is the great blessing in being a missionary...We get to present Jesus to a dying world.

I Gave My Life For Thee

The God of the Bible...(3)

...is holy.

He cannot sin.

 He is the very soure of truth 

and righteousness. 

There is no shadow

 in Him.

 God's very nature

 is good. 

God makes 

no mistakes 

and can do 

no wrong.

Voddie Baucham

"Family Driven Faith"

The Pure Word...

In Psalms and Hymns...

Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee

An oft-prayed hymn for me the past few years.

There truly is no other help I know

but God...

I honestly would not want to 

stretch my hands to 

anyone else.

Thanksgiving on Thursday...

It's Smarter to Travel in Groups

I saw this video clip today, and I sure had a

'revelation' on life as I watched it and laughed over it

with my children, niece and nephew.

It reminded me of Proverbs 11:4

"Where no counsel is, the people fall;

but in the multitude of counsellors

there is safety."

I just had to think of all the people

who have counselled me in my

short little lifetime...

Yes, it's true. Not all the counsel we are given

is of God or useable,

BUT... I wonder what would have happened

to me had I not been willing to be taught.

From a small girl in my father's house,

my mother taught me all she knew about 

keeping house well.

I regret the many days that my pride

hindered me from learning and having 

a willingness to understand what she

was teaching me.

Today I am so thankful that I was taught

how to keep a tidy home,

make home cooked meals,

grow my own food,

and practice hospitality.

I think of my father, who had (and still has)

a passion for Christian Day schools,

with Bible-based curriculum so that I would

have a God-centered education.

I was thinking how proud and self-sufficient we have become

in this generation...throwing off the restrictions of

many rules and traditions.

Granted, some rules and traditions are seriously out of whack

when honestly looking at the Word of God,

but I wonder...do we really value the people of God

like He intends that He should?

I am so very blessed by the godly counselors I have 

been given over the years. I have not always heard

easy-on-the-flesh things, but I so very thankful for

my godly husband and women of God who were sent

to me to teach me and warn me and encourage me in

the strait and narrow way.

Independent pride gets us into trouble...

We'll surely be eaten by the whale, the sea gull or

the anteater if we refuse to counsel with God's people

when He provides them for us.

Today...

I am thankful for the multitude of counselors,

and my heart is broken into many pieces

over those who have perverted this precious gift

that God has given,

whether by giving faulty worldly counsel 

mixed with other religions and voices,

or by idolizing power and religion

(I have seen both and want none of it!).

Neither one represents the true Christ

in His simplicity and splendor.

Let us value the truly godly counsellors

we have been given.

We can be sure that traveling in groups

with God's people is a safe and

advisable thing to do...

It takes humility always,

and grace,

but there is peace and blessing

in that kind of living.

If any of you readers are one of the

'counsellors' God brought to me 

over the years,

I give a shout out to you

and THANK YOU

from the bottom of my heart

for sharing your heart and

God's heart with me.

Loneliness...

“Most of 

the world’s 

great souls 

have been lonely.

 Loneliness seems to be 

one price 

the saint 

must pay

 for his saintliness. 

The truly spiritual man

 is indeed something 

of an oddity.

 He lives not

 for himself

 but to promote the interests

 of Another.

 He seeks to persuade

 people

 to give all 

to his Lord 

and asks no portion or share for himself. 

He delights not 

to be honored 

but to see his Saviour 

glorified 

in the eyes 

of men. 

His joy is to see

 his Lord promoted 

and himself neglected.

 He finds few who 

care to talk 

about that which 

is the supreme object

 of his interest, 

so he is often

 silent and preoccupied 

in the midst of 

noisy religious shoptalk.”

- A.W. Tozer

Now We See Thru a Glass Darkly...

"During Corrie’s presentations to audiences, she would often hold the back side of a piece of embroidery (pictured), with hundreds of tangled threads hanging from it. Many wondered if she was holding up the wrong side by mistake. As she held up the messy side of the embroidery she would ask, 

“Does God always grant us what we ask for in prayer? Not always. Sometimes He says, ‘No.’ That is becauseGod knows what we do not know. God knows all. Look at this piece of embroidery. The wrong side is chaos. But look at the beautiful picture on the other side – the right side.”

Triumphantly she flipped the cloth over and revealed an elaborately embroidered crown – symbolizing our crown of eternal life. The crown was intricately stitched, and had threads of many colors, including gold, silver and pearls.

“We see now the wrong side, God sees His side all the time. One day we shall see the embroidery from His side, and thank Him for every answered and unanswered prayer.”

the Corrie Ten Boom Museum

The Tunnel...

Recently I was privileged to drive on a mountainous stretch of 

the Pennsylvania turnpike that requires the use of tunnels

through the mountainside at several different places.

As I drove through a tunnel, I thought of how like the

 Christian life it is at times.

We enter places many times that are like tunnels,

we have to go on faith that we will come out of it

sometime, and that we will be alright when we are

through!

There was a center stripe down the middle of the tunnel,

clearly marking the two lanes and pointing the way out.

I thought of this being like the Bible.

As long as we use the Word as God intended it,

it marks a clear path for us to follow.

The tunnel itself I thought of being like Jesus,

providing a way to get through the mountain

of ourselves that we were helpless to navigate

on our own and come out right.

Along the walls, there were 'bumper guards',
and there were signs instructing me
to remove my sunglasses,
and turn on headlights...

 I thought of these being like Holy Spirit warnings.

If I don't heed them, I will most certainly run amiss,

and create a mess that will affect myself and others.

All along the ceiling of these tunnels,
there are lights, providing a way
to see through what otherwise would be
total darkness.
I thought of life.
God never lets us sit in the dark.
Always, if we follow Jesus,
and walk in obedience to the 'signs',
we have enough light for the step ahead of us.



Some of these tunnels are fairly long,
long enough that upon entering,
you cannot see the end,
and have to drive in faith that
there is an exit.

So it is in life.
We cannot see the end.
We have to just walk by faith,
and not by sight.

Let us walk in the light of His presence...
For in that light, we can never go astray.

"For ye were sometimes darkness;
but now are ye light in the Lord;
walk as children of the light."

Eph. 5:8

The God of the Bible...(2)

...is personal.

The God of the Bible is not a force or an idea; He is a person.

 The God of the Bible is rational, relational, communicative, and emotional. 

The God of the Bible speaks to and through His prophets, 

He calls His people to Himself, He redeems lost sinners and 

judges the unrepentant.

Voddie Baucham

"Family Driven Faith"

The Pure Word...

In Psalms and Hymns...

Rainbow

by the Harmony Quartet

Thank God for the rainbow,

the Cross of Jesus Christ...

Temporal or Eternal?

"Many Christians live
 and work in this world,
as if their
Christianity
was a low priority in life,

and this world
and its pleasures were
more important;

when indeed
 the things of this world
are fleeting

and Christianity
is the one thing

we need the most."

John Bunyan

"While we look not
at the things which are seen,
but at the things
 which are not seen:

 for the things which are seen
 are temporal;
but the things
which are not seen are eternal."

2 Cor. 4:18

Put God on Display...

During the sermon at our wedding, the pastor admonished us to put God on display in our home. Those words have echoed in my heart many days in the short 18 years we  have enjoyed married life.

How do we put God on display in our homes? I think it can only really happen consistently and truly when He is our everything. There is no possible way that He can be displayed if we are yelling at our loved ones, living selfishly and not seeking true values. It just isn't possible. Oh, it may appear so for a good, long while (I have been shocked by the brokenness coming from some of the godliest-appearing homes), but eventually the facade will have to come down and we will be left standing naked and ashamed.

"Put God on display in your home", he said. What beautiful words. And I find my heart responding to them with a hearty and deep-seated YES.

I will die to "me" so that in me He can dwell and bring glory to the Father. I have committed my whole life to this, because this is the only thing that really matters: that He should be seen in me fully and wholly.

Loving God with our all will be the sure way to put Him on display, because thoughts and heart contents become words and actions. If we love Him with our whole heart, soul, strength and mind, He will certainly be on display in our lives and in our homes. We won't have to struggle and strain to do it. It will happen.

I aim to put God on display in my home. I want the Fruit of the Spirit to come pouring out of my life, a sign of the 'life more abundantly' that Jesus came to give me.

For me, this means I have to live purposefully. This means that I need to say no to many extra activities calling my name outside my doors. Because I am not able to do everything. I have to pick and choose what will help me stay home and live a life that gives me time to put God on display in my home. (more on this subject in another post, as God directs...)

Let's go forth and put God on display in our lives and in our homes. Then churches will be stable products of such homes...and lives will be transformed...and communities will be drawn to the light of Life, Jesus Christ.

Love and blessings,
Marcia

Take the Name of Jesus With You

Forgiveness...

“Forgiveness

 does not mean one forgets 

(as in, has the ability 

to remember no more) 

the offense,

 but that in spite of the memory, 

one erases the debt.” 

 
― Voddie T. Baucham Jr.,

  Joseph and the Gospel of Many Colors: Reading an Old Story in a New Way

The Pure Word...

In Psalms and Hymns...

This is My Word

Recently, as I sat in the presence of the Lord

as a group of Bible School students sang this song,

my heart wept

(and I think my eyes did a little, too!)

as I heard this song.

God means what He says.

His Word will NOT return 

empty.

What more do I need to know,

in the face of staggering

disappointments and

puzzling situations?

I will be faithful, brave and true

to the One whose

Word endures forever.

Running from Complacency...

"I am living

 in the midst of the uncertainty and risk,

 amid things that can

 and do bring physical destruction, because

 I am running from things that 

can destroy my soul: complacency, comfort, ignorance.

I am much more terrified of living 

a comfortable life in a 

self-serving society and failing to follow Jesus then I am of any illness or tragedy."

Katie Davis, 

when people asked her if she is afraid to live in Uganda.

When I saw these words on a friend's Facebook post recently,

I did some reminiscing...

When I first was born again,

and the scales fell from my eyes,

I was alarmed at the much complacency and self-service

I saw in the people around me, and I was terrified of

how closely it lapped at my own heels,

like a darkness pulling at me to constantly

get me to succumb to its icy clutches.

I set my face like flint against it.

And have continued to steadily refuse to 

let myself live that way.

It has cost me big time...

but I don't care.

I only live here on this earth once.

After that, eternity.

Why not make the hours count?

Why not do something worthwhile with life,

something more worthwhile than what 

my sinful flesh would do?

I recently was privileged to be in the company

of some new fellow-believing friends.

I learned later that this humble, happy family

has been the brunt of much misunderstanding for their

quiet purposefulness in living simply and unencumbered

by the rush and bustle of society.

They chose to turn away from many things that even

churched people are embracing in droves these days,

and have calmly and quietly chosen to live their

lives in sober watching for the Lord's return.

Their joy touched me.

I was so blessed to see the wife and mother,

an older, godly woman setting a humble example for

others to follow.

Are you making your days count

for the Kingdom?

Thanksgiving on Thursday...

...everyone should have a sister.

My sister and I in a recent rendevouz in OH

Today I want to share the story of how I got my sister. 

It's an amazing  story, and if I 'wax eloquent' today, please bear with me. 

I am completely overwhelmed with the gift God has given me.

There once was a couple who adopted many children.

 Having both grown up in homes that opened their homes in summer 

to children from New York City thru the Fresh Air program, 

they decided to follow suit.

 One girl in particular came at the tender age of 6, 

and continued coming to our home

until she aged out of the program at age 12. 

Her mama often would send her on school breaks, too... 

That home was my parental home.

I grew up knowing very much the foster sibling world.

I don't remember her much from those years (she is 5 years older than me).

 I remember her from pictures and stories, 

but there are not many memories of doing things together 

(I think I was the pesty little sister back in those days!)

Fast forward 20ish years.

 I had gone through 'crushing distresses' and also had been gloriously saved from 

eternal destruction by the blood of the Lamb, praise GOD. 

I had become a mother of 2 beautiful girls, and she was the mother of 2 children as well. 

She had been out of our lives for all those years, until one day, 

she found a card from my parents, and her family decided to visit my folks. 

In that time, I was in desperate need of a big sister to disciple me and to teach me 

to observe all things that Jesus had commanded. 

So He sent me Bettina, the "Fresh Air" sister from years before 

who had in our years of separation,
found God and salvation and was allowing Him to radically transform
 her own life  into one that honors Jesus Christ. 

Her heart was wide open for the ministry God had for her: Me. 

Yes, I was a very needy, broken little sister in great need of some teaching and loving. 

This sister has tirelessly led me through thick and thin...summer and winter seasons...

always presenting the Gospel and the Way of eternal life to me.

 She has let me be who I  am while at the same time

 'provoking me to love and to good works', not content to let me stay unchanged.

cookies our daughters made together recently

This wonderful lady has prayed with me from afar over 

the awesome invention we know as the telephone. 

She has been an example to me in many, many areas of life, including 

being  joyful in life in the midst of her own incompleted dreams. 

I have been encouraged many a day by the largeness of  her faith,

in a God who is bigger than this mad, wild world we call home.

I have been taught by her example of obedience in everything

she hears her Lord asking of her.

wonderful plant strong food I enjoy on a daily basis

In a time when I was struggling

with a serious sickness and disease,

this 'pioneer' sister of mine helped me to learn

the ills of the Standard American Diet,

and the blessings and benefits of  eating whole foods.

She has kept me learning and growing

and following what I know in that department.

I think I am well today,  thanks in part to 

her efforts and example,

and always, of course, thanks to the Healer of healers.

How I have been the privileged recipient of such a precious gift 

can only be answered in one word:

 GOD.

Only God knew,

 30 odd years ago when a single mother needed a place to

 provide a safe experience for her daughter,

 that one day her daughter would turn around and rescue a woman
who was broken and bleeding,
a little sister from years before,
 from  being sucked into certain doom forever. 

GOD knew that one day, 

we would be sisters in the truest sense of the word...

because of Jesus

by the power of Jesus

for the glory of Jesus

our daughters...

 I am totally grateful for this gift and soberly consider where

 I would be

 if this dear lady would have been too wrapped up in her own 

struggles and self 

to see the ministry 

God 

was giving her.

So today, I bow my  heart, with tears flowing from my eyes

 and I thank the God of heaven for doing what only He can do.

And I say...

friends, be who you must be

 in HIM. 

There is work 

He has for you to do. (preaching to

 myself here).

"God setteth the 

solitary in families: 

he bringeth out those which are bound 

with chains: 

but the rebellious dwell in a dry land."

Psalm 68:6

I am so glad that I heeded the counsel of this sister

God sent to grow me into someone more

like Jesus...

I know that I enjoy the benefits of heart peace

and the leading of God in my life

because of it.

The Butterfly and the Bee...

Years ago,
as I sat sewing one day,

I gazed out the window
into the garden.

There, on a spire of hyssop
 the color of 

the sky at dusk,

I saw a breath-taking sight.

A butterfly and a bee
sat on the same spire,

contentedly enjoying its sweet nectar.

No pride of will or lust of station.

Just peaceful harmony.

How like that pair
is the Body of Christ.

He designed us to follow Him,

and in the following, that we should

find fellowship with other members of

His Body.

In this broken, imperfect world,

the reality of that is often sadly missed.

And we dare not make an idol of fellowship

(its existence of lack thereof!),

but God's heart is that we should long

for one another in Him.

I recently read confirmation
 of this in 1 Thes. 2 & 3 as Paul

wrote to his beloved brothers and sisters

of his longing to see them,

but how satan prevented it.

He spoke lovingly of his time with them,

and the time of teaching and soul care that

was had.

It made my own heart leap
with gladness

to know once again
that God does

indeed include in His plan
for His people,

the fellowship of the saints.

I appreciate fellowship
with many people

from many places of the globe...

people whose hearts are fixed on Him

who made us and called us out of

darkness into His marvelous light...

people who are careful in their walk,

who choose simple living in Christ,

and who grow steadily upward in

step with Him.

And my heart is glad...

Just last week, I was privileged to sit
with a group of ladies who
clearly delighted in each other's company,
and had a love for the Lord that was
a real encouragement to me.

It takes courage to mingle closely with others.
It takes a certain dying to myself to be
vulnerable and open to letting others in
when so many times things have not worked
out comfortably in relationships past.

But God asks us to love one another,
and even says more than once that
a sure mark of a follower of Christ
is her love for the believers.

Letting God Tell Us...

“The key is to understand that our children don't belong to us—

they belong to God.

 Our goal as parents must not be limited by our own vision.

 I am a finite, sinful, selfish man. 

Why would I want to plan out my children's future 

when I can entrust them to the

 infinite, 

omnipotent,

 immutable, 

sovereign 

Lord of the universe? 

I don't want to tell God what to do with my children—

I want Him to tell me!” 

Voddie Bauchum

"Family Driven Faith"

The Pure Word...

In Psalms and Hymns...

Halte Mich Fest

by Harmony Quartet

I recently heard this song for the first time,

and I really, really like it.

The English translation:

"Hold me fast with the hands of Your love,
Hold me fast, let Your Word shine brighter,
Hold me fast, let me breathe Your goodness,
Hold me fast, then I can be secure in You.
Some days when the wings of my dreams hang heavy,
Then I come to You, my Father,
I need You so much!!!
I want to learn what life says in each day,
And I wish this one thing: 

that I might want to stay

with You!"


What beautiful words.
They spoke straight to my heart
as I sat and heard a group
of fresh-faced youth
sing them.

And my heart reached out to the Father
who heals all brokenness and brings
joy to this sorrow-riddled world.

Crucified with Christ...

I am looking forward to sharing this  in evening a 

sisters' meeting I was invited to speak at.

(in relation to the theme "Putting Jesus First in Your Life")

"I read this excerpt yesterday in a book written by A. W. Tozer titled 'The Radical Cross':

'...what does God say about His purpose in allowing Jesus to go to the cross and to the grave? What does God say about the meaning of death and resurrection for the Christian believer?

Surely we know the Bible well enough to be able to answer that God's highest purpose in the redemption of sinful humanity was based on His hope that we would allow Him to reproduce the likeness of Jesus Christ in our once-sinful lives!'

My heart's desire is that we KNOW and LIVE
the full purpose for which Christ came.
This gives life the richest, deepest meaning
we ever could know, but it requires
a complete crucifixion of ourselves.
For His glory."

And the Winner Is...

...Lisa Peters!

 

Congratulations,

Lisa!

You won the

drawing

for the book,

Emma.

 

Please send me your address,

either through the comments

(it won't post publicly)

or email me:

courage225@juno.com

 

and I will mail it out shortly.

 

For the rest of you,

thank you to all who participated in

the drawing.

I enjoyed hearing from you.

 

Keep your eyes peeled for

another drawing

in the future...

maybe to celebrate

SPRING!

 

(when it finally gets to the frozen

'tundra' where I live!!!)

 



Lessons from a Bandaid...

...what a bandaid taught me about the gifts of the Spirit...

Recently one of my children met an unfortunate

encounter with a chipped cup rim to her forehead,

the results of which made this mama

slightly but momentarily queasy!

The wound needed to be taped together 

with two bandaids, but by the next day,

it was looking quite well on its way to healing,

praise God!

As my husband is the Mr. Steady man around

our house, he was elected to be the one

to take the band aids from her face, which

he did quite gently.

Later I as i thought about that,

 it came to me...

There are different jobs in the Body of Christ.

Some are elected to pull bandaids from wounds.

Still others are called to show care and concern
in other ways

for the wounded one.

This all may or may not be done by the same person.

Sometimes it is.

At other times, the one who removes the bandaid

may  not be called to be thoroughly involved in 

other parts of the healing process.

Sometimes the bandaid remover

 is looked

upon as a monster,

 mean and ugly...

because we mortal beings

 tend to shrink from pain

in every way, shape or form!

BUT...

in my humble opinion,

it would be better if we embrace the 

bandage removal crew as 

whole heartedly

as we embrace the 

salve 'smearing' crew...

It's our fleshly tendency 

to do the opposite.

I found it interesting

what God taught me through a bandaid.

We need each other.

The prophets and evangelists need

the shepherds and the encouragers.

The shepherds and the encouragers

need the prophets and evangelists.

And ideally, each one should appreciate

the gifts found in their brothers and sisters.

Instead of viewing 'bandaid removers'

or salve appliers in a bad light,

why not appreciate the gift that is

found in another?

BUT... 

in order for this to truly 

work God's way,

we have to mind the same Spirit

so all can 'get our story straight'

and truly be that Body

'fitly joined together'

in Christ.

I'm working on it...

!!!!!!!

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit."

1 Cor. 12:4

PS
A few days after I wrote this and filed it for posting later,
I read this in 1 Thes. 5:
(amplified)

"Do not quench the Holy Spirit;
Do not spurn the gifts and utterances
of the prophets
(do not depreciate prophetic revelations
nor despise inspired instruction or
exhortation or warning).
But test and prove all things
(until you can recognize)
what is good;
(to that) hold fast."

God has spoken.
It is up to us to hear.
And to hear again.
And again.