RAVE REVIEWS

 3/2/12

 

I suppose we are all familiar with Internet reviews on products and services. I am grateful myself for these performance appraisals. Because of online recommendations by various customers I have been successful in finding competent appliance repair people, talented hairdressers, and excellent restaurants.

While thinking about this modern day phenomenon of Internet assessments, the Lord reminded me that we can offer other people reviews concerning Himself and His Kingdom. When led by the Holy Spirit, we can tell friends, neighbors, family members and co-workers what a difference Jesus has made in our lives. I heard a preacher on television the other night say that no one can argue with our testimony. We don't need to cajole or try to convince people to come to Christ. However, when we give a glowing review of how the Lord has miraculously intervened in our circumstances or even how He has given us peace and joy in the midst of adverse situations, we are planting the seeds of salvation in the hearts of others.

In my morning devotional times recently, I have been praying against the crime and wickedness in our land today. God has impressed me that the only real answer to this dilemma is for people to hear the gospel, be saved, to learn the ways of God and repent of wrongdoing.

I pray that the Lord give me the boldness to share the Good News of His love with those around me who need a touch from heaven.

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. 

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you 

to give the reason for the hope that you have.

 But do this with gentleness and respect.”

I Peter 3:15 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; 

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, 

and to the ends of the earth.”

 Acts 1:8

 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; 

and he that wins souls is wise.”

By Cathy Friberg

THE APARTMENT MANAGER

“The following conversation was overheard when two friends reunited after several years.  “I heard you sold your apartment building so where are you living now?  It must be nice to be away from the difficult woman on the third floor.”

“Oh, Ms. Know-it-all?  She’s still there as she has tenure so won’t be gone until the building is no more. I’m still living on the ground floor but the new owner brought in his resident trainer to live on the second floor and he’s teaching me how to manage the building using the Apartment Managers Handbook so I can deal with her better. It was slow at first because I was new at it, but you know, she can’t help her attitude; it’s her nature. I’m learning to discern between her voice and His. You know what?  I’m tired of talking, let’s go shopping!”

As they left , I was envisioning that scenario, and it occurred to me:  I’m that building!  I am body, soul, and spirit!  When I was constructed at birth my body and soul were born but my spirit wasn’t alive until I accepted the new Owner’s offer to purchase me.  I've had been living on the ground floor with Ms. Flesh on the third floor and the second room on the second floor was empty.   Her voice of criticism, fearfulness, and doubt, is the heaviest weapon she wields to discourage and terrorizes me.  

When I accepted the price Jesus paid for me.  He moved in the Holy Spirit, who faithfully reminds me to study the Bible with Him and that I have to take responsibility of making the right choices in listening to the voices!  It’s an ongoing struggle but His weapons have, and still do, supersede hers, and Satan.  I am the manager, the one who is in charge, based on grounding in His word, the Bible, the apartment manager’s manual.  I am the apartment manager; I have to take responsibility.   

I also meet with other managers who want to be the best they can be for the new Owner, and we help newborn managers learn be the best apartment managers they can be. There are many of us out there, and we love to encourage!”

 Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, 

who is in you, whom you have from God, that you are not your own?   

For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify 

God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 

Paul encourages: 

”Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.  

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh 

so that you may not do the things that you please.”    

(22- 25)

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,

 kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, 

against such things there is no law.”

Galations 5:16 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might, put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle isn’t against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

Ephesians 6:10-18  

Written by
Sandy Schott

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RAVE REVIEWS...

February Writing

I suppose we are all familiar with Internet reviews on products and services. I am grateful myself for these performance appraisals. Because of online recommendations by various customers I have been successful in finding competent appliance repair people, talented hairdressers, and excellent restaurants.

While thinking about this modern day phenomenon of Internet assessments, the Lord reminded me that we can offer other people reviews concerning Himself and His Kingdom. When led by the Holy Spirit, we can tell friends, neighbors, family members and co-workers what a difference Jesus has made in our lives. I heard a preacher on television the other night say that no one can argue with our testimony. We don't need to cajole or try to convince people to come to Christ. However, when we give a glowing review of how the Lord has miraculously intervened in our circumstances or even how He has given us peace and joy in the midst of adverse situations, we are planting the seeds of salvation in the hearts of others.

In my morning devotional times recently, I have been praying against the crime and wickedness in our land today. God has impressed me that the only real answer to this dilemma is for people to hear the gospel, be saved, to learn the ways of God and repent of wrongdoing.

I pray that the Lord give me the boldness to share the Good News of His love with those around me who need a touch from heaven.

 “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.

Always be prepared to give an answer 

to everyone who asks you 

to give the reason for the hope that you have. 

But do this with gentleness and respect.”

I Peter 3:15 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; 

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, 

and in all Judea and Samaria,

 and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8 

 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; 

and he that wins souls is wise.”

Proverbs 11:30

By Cathy Friberg

Day and Night Skies and The Blue Hour

1/25/14

God called the light “day,” 

and the darkness he called “night.” 

And there was evening, 
and there was morning

—the first day.  

Genesis 1:5

Many people classify themselves as a morning or night person.  I have wavered between the two, at different points in my life.  When I was young, I loved sleeping late; and relished a chance to stay up way past my bedtime.  This morphed into my single adult life, when going out for the evening did not start until 11:00 p.m.

Marriage and Motherhood changed this, as my babies sleep-schedule became mine.  Enjoying the quiet morning time, I welcomed the morning sun with my infant daughter, and two years later, my son.  Watching the growing light reveal the shadowy places in neighborhood, slowly turning the dark shapes in the living room back into the familiar furnishings of our home.

The promise of a new day. Sunlit or filled with misty clouds; daybreak means God’s grace flows to us once again.  Birds everywhere call out to one another, celebrating a new day of flight.

Wonderful mornings, where just a small piece of a rainbow appears in the sky, just ahead; showing me the way I need to go.  A band of color that leaves me awestruck with wonder, especially when there has been no sign of rain.  How can I not be filled with joy?

I enjoy the late-night sky as well.  Seeing the phases of the moon and shifting stars change from night to night, week to week, season to season.  Their brightness defying the darkness.  Allowing me to witness God’s splendor, as one star shoots across my line of sight, just as I turn my head as if called by name.  I relish those silent symphonies of light, a gift of love from My Heavenly Father.   

These moments fill my heart, again and again.  Perhaps this love will sustain me when earthly facts shake my world again and I find myself stranded between pain and fear.  I want to build a prayer-life that reflects the ways God shows His love to us.  Day and night and the times in-between.  The times we can miss, while we are busy trying to hold on for a few more moments of sleep, or just a little more daylight.  We can miss the Blue Hour.

In French, “L'heure bleue”, is the time when the light is shifting, when everything seems slightly hazy, and tinged with a blue that seems to flow from everything. The edges of day and night, when the air itself it filtered through nature’s most romantic lens.  Sunrise bringing definition to things, sunset, softening the sharp edges, creating a kindness of sorts to my perspective of the world.  

These moments remind me that our lives are constantly changing, and we are unaware of the many possible outcomes.  This is when God and His angels are needed most, when we are oblivious to the transitions that could lead to glory or plunge us into disaster.

So now, I will look for The Blue Hour whenever I can.  To give thanks for where I am and to pray for the wisdom to hold on to the Lord through whatever is coming.

“ And God said, “ 

Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, 

and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,  

and let them be lights in the vault of the sky  to give light on the earth.” 

And it was so.  

God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day 

and the lesser light to govern the night. 

He also made the stars.  God set them in the vault of the sky 

to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, 

and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.  

And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.” 

Genesis 1:15-19

Written by

Lynda Kinnard

Laying Hold of an Unshakable Trust in our Lord

“Trust in Him at all times…

pour out your heart before Him”

Psalm 62:8

According to this Psalm, “trusting” and “pouring out” are inseparable.  If we are to trust God at all times, including the darkest times, then we must be pouring out our hearts to Him without ceasing.  Become bolder as we call upon the name of the Lord.  

“The Lord is my helper, 

and I will not fear what man can do to me”. 

 Hebrews 13:6

Revelation from God’s Word will uphold us in the hardest of times.  David learned to call on the Lord in every part of his life.  This godly man ran to his secret place, emptying all his fears before the Lord.  Later, when the biggest storm of David’s life came upon him, he was ready.  He already had a song in his heart that he could sing through darkness and uncertainty:  

“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, 

the God of my strength, in Him will I trust; He is my shield….

I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; 

so shall I be saved from my enemies”  

2 Samuel 22:2-4  

As David delighted his soul in God’s Word so shall we.

God wants to give us particular, specific promises for specific times in our lives.  He wants us to lay hold of these promises with our hearts, so we may stand strong and assured as we reason with Him.  We need special trust when an act of obedience casts us into the unknown.  God demanded of Abraham to step out into an unknown future.  Nobody could touch him. God was his shield and protector every day.  Because of his faith, Abraham became a friend to God.  When God asks us to step out into the unknown, it is not a one-time event.  It is a walk that’s required our entire lifetime.  Yet our obedience wins us a great reward. Genesis 15:1, “God told Abram: ‘Fear not, I am your shield, and your exceedingly great reward’.”  God is telling us that those who obey Him –who step out not knowing what will happen to them or their lives, yet blindly trusting in his Word – will never be outside of his protection.  He says that I will hover over them as a shield, I will be their reward, and I will give Myself to them.

Whenever we step out in faithful obedience, the devil will bring some enticement to draw us back to the side of disobedience.  Obedience will always cost us something!  God’s Word abounds with special, specific promises for those who are called to step out in obedience…

          “If you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant,

 then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people.”  

Exodus 19:5.

         “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, 

and ye shall be My people: and walk in all the ways 

that I have commanded you that it may be well with you.”

 Jeremiah 7:23 

We also have an ironclad promise that the Holy Spirit

 will be with us through all our steps of obedience and times of testing: 

“We are his witnesses to these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, 

whom God hath given to those that obey him.” 

Acts 5:32.

If God is telling you to lay something down, step out and do it.  The Bible clearly says that if you obey the Lord, He will give you the Holy Spirit to be your guide and your strength.  He will provide you with everything you need to complete the act of obedience.  We need a special trust when God speaks to our hearts.  We've got to be able to discern these times, so we can ask God for the specific trust needed to see us through what’s ahead. 

“If you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant,

 then you shall be a special treasure unto Me above all people”.  

Exodus 19:5

This oath from God must always be the foundation of our trust.  Let it be your whole argument at the throne of grace.

Written by

Nancy Spence

Many Parts in One Body

As a child of the 1950's whose dad passed away when I was three years old, I was taught to be self-reliant and, as far as possible, not to be dependent on others. However, during the latter passages of my life I can think of at least three instances when the Lord used Christian friends to powerfully impact my well-being. I have endured some extreme tests of my faith and Godly friends have prayed and offered wisdom, guidance, encouragement and support to see me through to victory. Truly without their prayers and love I would not have been an overcomer in these circumstances. Of course, all the glory goes to God and He was the one who offered me their love. I will be eternally grateful for these friends' dedication and obedience to God, and for their compassion towards me.

We are definitely one body in Christ and dependent on others to carry out the ultimate purposes of God in our lives. As I look back with gratitude for the love of fellow believers, I pray that during the coming year I can be willing and available to help others as the Holy Spirit leads.

 

“Let each of you look 

not only to his own interests, 

but also to the 

interests of others.” 

Philippians 2:4

“So it is with Christ's body. 

We are many parts of one body, 

and we all belong to each other.”

Romans 12:5

By Cathy Friberg

A Canaanite Mother

From MATTHEW 15:21-28

  

I am so tired. I don’t think I can last another day.  I want to just walk away from it all.  I want to leave my home, this house that I have come to love, the friends that I have made; and even my child.

My ONLY child.  My once-sweet daughter.  My beautiful child was such a joy to me from the moment she was born. But now, (sigh) now I cannot look at her without wanting to cry.

I don’t know why the life that I loved so very much was taken from me.  I was a good girl growing up. As a young girl, I did everything my nurse told me to do.  I was quiet and respectful and learned how to do everything the eldest daughter of my father’s household was expected to do.  I obeyed my father when he announced that he had promised me wed to my husband before I saw my fourteenth year.

 I was a good wife to my husband; who I grew to care for deeply. I learned to manage his household, eventually finding the courage to control the servants. Even the servants who had been with my husband’s family for years.  Some of them older than my own mother and father. My husband was good to me, though I never gave him the son he deserved.  He was not an easy man, but he was never cruel to me. Not like some of the other men who live nearby.  We would hear the cries of their wives and servants as they beat, or did even worse things to them late at night.  When I was young, he would tell me that the screams we heard were the wolves crying in the wilderness. Years later, when he knew that I understood what was happening, he would curl himself around me, holding me in his strong, safe arms and whisper, “Never in my house.” Over and over again into my tangled hair.  His breath warming the chill of shame that ran down my spine as I cried for those women whose lives were a nightmare compared to mine. I think he was declaring it for both of us.

And then suddenly, when our daughter was almost ten years old; all of the things that I worked so hard for were stripped away.  Leaving me with just the bare bones of the life I’d had.  My husband, taken by fever, leaving me with no male relatives to support and protect us.  Forcing me to learn how to do so many things that I never imagined had to be done. Some of our servants stayed, out of loyalty to my husband, who was the last male in his line. I spent many weeks in fear, thinking that one of the evil husbands from nearby would simply come and claim me and my daughter as possessions, owed to pay some imagined debt.  I prayed to all of gods I could think of.  I took offerings and made secret vows to the gods who are never spoken of out loud. 

We were left alone.  I thought we were safe, and then one night, after the watchman had passed by the gate leading to our courtyard, my daughter began to shriek and tear at her bedclothes.  Scratches covered her face and this horrid voice spewed venom from her.  She used words that I only heard the unwashed and unwanted speak from outside the city walls.  The wise men from the temple came to see what was wrong. They left right away, running out of my home, shouting that she had been cursed; she was overcome with evil.  It distorts her lovely features, hiding all signs of my much-loved daughter.  She spends hours sitting hunched in a corner, spitting and staring at me as if she no longer knows who I am. 

Her eyes were once so beautiful, just like her father’s.  Dark and deep and filled with laughter. They twinkled like jewels or stars at midnight.  I used to sit holding her for hours, drinking in her joy and innocence and sweetness.  Now her eyes are red-rimmed and runny with a sticky film that smells of death.   Their clarity lost, the whites now yellowed like an old rabid dog.  She grunts and pants as if she were one.

No one will help me anymore.  When I was first widowed, there were some good people from the temple who would bring us food and small gifts, offering comfort to us.  But gradually they all stopped coming; and began to avoid me in the marketplace; pulling further and further away from us as the sweetness that had been my girl’s true self was consumed by this vile and evil thing.

Our gardens were ruined, flowers uprooted, fruit trees ripped apart, fountains cracked and filled with filmy, putrid water.  So many lovely items that my husband purchased for our home were broken and turned into weapons to attack anyone who tried to help her. 

She shouts at me and sometimes hits me; but seems to know that I am the only one who will not really harm her.  I no longer know what day it is, or if I can continue to love any part of this creature that is controlling my life.

Oh, how I have cried and prayed and given nearly all I own as offerings to those who have promised to cure her. The ones who said they would break this curse that had befallen us.  All have failed.  There is nothing more to be done.  No one and nothing that I know of will help us now.

So last night, after my tortured girl was finally allowed to sleep the restless sleep that has become the only time she is not a danger to herself; I decided to seek the one the people talk about.  The Healer from Nazareth.  The Man who had drawn so many to Him.

There is nothing else to be done.  I know that she – and I cannot last another day like today.

I MUST FIND HIM!  I MUST MAKE HIM HEAR ME!

I MUST DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO SAVE MY CHILD!

Written by

Lynda Kinnard