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Colossians 1:24–29 – Colossians 1:24-29: Christ in You the Hope of Glory.

By: Jeff Sutherland

Often at Christmas you will see two things or feel two things that seem to have nothing to do with each other. But they do. You have seen the eyes of a child light up when they get their first bike, or you remember that joy when you got that first bike. But if you help others at Christmas, through a mission or some other ministry, you may also see real sadness. In fact, you may have been there yourself. You miss your parents, your child, or something else that really mattered to you.

On Christmas 1952, my Father lost his Mother. He had just gotten married to my Mother, but the hurt affected him greatly every year at Christmas. In 1954 their first daughter brightened Christmas by being able to give to her and see her joy at all the gifts. Their first son was to be born mid-March 1959, but he showed up on Christmas Day 1958. The years that followed began turning my Father’s depression at Christmas into joy. I was that early arrival. Eleven years later my brother was born, and Christmas’ became a time of love, joy, and tradition.

So, if you have a bad memory at Christmas, if the joyful time becomes a time of mourning, if you didn’t get what you wanted, what do you do? Focus on others. Focus on giving. Focus on helping. Turn your focus off yourself and your bad memories and sadness by being there for others and encouraging them.

Every Christmas since my wife and I have been married, we have followed the tradition that her family started at her birth. On Christmas night they would sit down as family and before opening any gifts, they would read the story from Luke 2 of the best gift of all time. God sent His Son, as a baby in a manger, to grow and die for us, taking our debt of sin on His shoulders.

If you are alone at Christmas and focus on those who are no longer with you, bitter, angry, hurt, depressed, follow Christ’s example. He left His Father in heaven to do something amazing for others, humbling himself and focusing on our greatest need: Salvation. You know others in need. You know others alone at Christmas. You know those who have not heard this story of the Christ child.   Refocus. Share the joy. HOME | Fortmorgan (fortmorganministries.com)

By: Tresa Walker

strengthrenewed.blog

Christmas is such an exciting time of year! It is a time of tradition for family and friends, a time of anticipation for children awaiting special gifts, and a time of singing both silly and inspirational songs reserved specifically for the Christmas season. It is a time of decorating, shopping, and gift giving. It is a time of precious memories, great joy, and most importantly a time to remember the birth of Jesus. Christmas is also a time with a very complex history, a bustling present-day, and a hopeful future.

Past

For centuries before Jesus Christ was born, December was a month when several pagan traditions were practiced. People rejoiced during the winter solstice as the worst of winter was over. The Norse people of Scandinavia celebrated the return of the sun as the days finally grew longer. In Europe, most of the cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed through the winter, and the people enjoyed a supply of fresh meat. In Rome, Saturnalia festivals honored the god of agriculture on December 25th. Christians surprisingly had no celebrations at this time of year. They celebrated the resurrection of Christ at Easter, but had nothing to honor His birth.

As far back as the 4th century, church officials declared December 25th as Christmas although the Bible does not specify the actual date of Christ’s birth. This may have been a way for Christians to escape all of the pagan celebrations at that time. It may have even been an effort of the church to counteract the influence of the pagan festivals. Eventually, it worked.  By the Middle Ages, Christmas traditions had spread throughout the world and in effect replaced the pagan celebrations.

When Pilgrims came to North America, they did not celebrate Christmas because they wanted to refrain from all things connected to Britain. After the American Revolution, Christmas celebrations were literally outlawed in Boston from 1659-1681. It did not become a federal holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870. Immigrants later brought many festive traditions with them including the Christmas tree and Saint Nicholas.

Present

Today, unfortunately, Christmas has become very commercialized and busy. Often people are so immersed with the festivities of decorating, shopping, parties, programs, and other activities, that many never pause to reflect on the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, which was the true purpose in creating the Christmas holiday so many years ago. It is imperative that we remember that Jesus is the reason for the season because, without His birth, there would be no salvation. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

Christmas is the perfect opportunity for us to pause and teach our children of the miracle surrounding Christ’s birth – how He took on human flesh becoming fully human in order to offer eternal salvation to all. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Families are the most important influencers in the spiritual growth of children because there are many daily opportunities to share Jesus. We have to do more than just live out our faith; we must make time to teach our children about the love of our heavenly Father, the birth of Jesus, the gift of salvation that only comes through His death and resurrection, and the importance of faith. We must intentionally slow down and talk to them daily about God and not assume that they will learn through observation.

Future

Christmas is celebrated around the world by Christians as well as non-Christians on December 25th each year. If Christians are not cautious, all of the commercialism and busyness surrounding Christmas will eventually lead us back to a time of celebrations which lack any consideration of Christ. This would be a solemn future for our families and our nation. Deuteronomy 4:7 says, “For what great nation is there that has a god near to it as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to Him?” We must deliberately preserve our Christian heritage and share our faith now so that future generations will know of the birth of our Savior and the great love of our heavenly Father.

Regardless of the past, present, or future of Christmas celebrations, there is one thing that we can count on: Christ, the one who should always be celebrated, will never change. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

By: Dawn Hill – Lovesickscribe

I recently watched a video where a popular female minister was telling other women the power that they possessed in making the devil tremble and in shaking hell. While pacing back and forth on the platform and asking for more heat in the microphone, she began to tell these women how she was the enemy’s opposition and that she was his worst nightmare. Women all over the building were up on their feet clapping, cheering, and amening this young lady’s words. She exhorted them to understand how the devil feared them and he should fear her, in spite of the fact her heel had been bruised. It is worth noting she attributed a portion of the verse in Genesis 3:15, the first prophecy foretelling of Jesus, to herself.

As I listened to this message, I could not help but to be sad for the women listening to this message. The hero of the message was not Christ, but it was each and every woman in that room. The focus was not on weakness and the need for God, but on the power and fear these ladies instilled into the heart of Satan. It was sad how much burden this was placing on the women to be significant by demonstrating power and authority deemed by another woman. It was their job to conquer the enemy. It was their job to exert power and force. Let me encourage you, ladies. You and I are not called to shake hell, and we do not need to focus on making the demons tremble because we do not have that power. Focus on Christ.

I am sure there were women in attendance who entered a spiritual high so to speak, but once away from the crowd, the high wears off and reality comes crashing down. Real problems and real-life do not stop because of an amped up gathering, and unnecessary burdens were yoked to these women. The hero became self with Jesus as a passenger. The rhetoric of being the one who will storm the gates of hell covered in gasoline is fiction. The truth is that Jesus has already defeated Satan, and the devil does not fear us. He fears God. Hell is not the devil’s playground. Our hope is to be in Christ, and we are to take up His yoke and to find rest in Him. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:29)

There is another issue going on here. When we see such women on public platforms and on social media, we can feel the pressure to be significant in the body of Christ. This is our definition of significance. We may even have been taught or believed that without doing great exploits for God and without having such influence in ministry, our normal daily lives are less than God’s best. When you are in a movement such as the hyper charismatic movement, you are doing quite a bit it seems. The desire and temptation to be relevant is like a dangling carrot, and there is little to any teaching for women to understand Biblical roles and order set by God in His Word. Public ministry is coveted by many and serving in relative obscurity is not appealing.

Case in point: Throughout the years I spent in the hyper charismatic/ New Apostolic Reformation movement, I remember not wanting to be outside the sanctuary serving in other areas during services or conferences, thinking I was going to miss out on the move of God. At times, there was the thought of missing an opportunity to minister publicly or to receive or give a prophetic word. What if there was a moment to receive an impartation? It is humbling to admit such a selfish and unbiblical mindset. I understand it does not have to be a charismatic or hyper charismatic church to have this kind of perspective, but I do believe it is easy to embrace this way of thinking when you are conditioned to desire manifestations and the next move of God. When you attend services to hear something fresh and new or to participate in an experience, the temptation is there to focus on self rather than on serving others. I am thankful for a Biblical understanding of this now and for the desire to serve and to think more highly of others than self.

So, for those women who have come out of this movement and who are detoxing from spiritual significance and ministerial relevance, what do we do? You may feel that you have gone from being a workhorse to doing nothing. It can be a struggle when you go from doing so much that is said to be ministry to living life at a slower pace and seemingly lived in obscurity. Where do we find purpose when what we thought made us relevant and powerful, such as public ministry, the intercessory prayer team, the prophetic team, the worship team, the deliverance team, the dance team, the microphone, the platform, and social media influence are stripped away? What do we do when we have attended numerous church services, Holy Spirit services, prophetic conferences, prayer meetings, and spent most of our time going to gatherings and giving in many ways to these churches and to the vision of the leaders? What do you do when you come down from the spiritual high to feeling discouraged you are doing nothing of significance for the Lord in simply being a disciple of Christ, a wife, and a mother?

Elisabeth Elliott said this about being a woman,

“The world looks for happiness through self-assertion. The Christian knows that joy is found in self-abandonment…A Christian woman’s true freedom lies on the other side of a very small gate—humble obedience-but that gate leads out into a largeness of life undreamed of by the liberators of the world, to a place where the God-given differentiation between the sexes is not obfuscated but celebrated, where our inequalities are seen as essential to the image of God, for it is in male and female, in male as male and female as female, not as two identical and interchangeable halves, that the image is manifested.”

Scripture reminds us of the instruction and blessing in being a wife and mother submitted to the Lord and to her husband (1 Corinthians 11:8-9, Ephesians 5:22-24, Titus 2:3-5). Our greatest ministry is to our husband and to our children. Both the world and sadly even portions of the church have saddled women with the burden to be significant in building their own empires and usurping the roles of men. Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” Submitting to God’s instructions and commands displays our reverence for God.

The question as to what we can do is found in this: The best detox to discouragement when coming out of this type of movement and these beliefs is to return to the Word of God. It is truth. Commit to being a student of the Word of God. Feast on His Word daily. Cultivate fellowship with God by abiding in His Word and obeying what it says. Remember your First Love and your first ministry. When you know the Word of God, you can teach it and share it effectively with your children. You can serve your husband in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. This is ministry.

If you are a stay-at-home mom, consider it a blessing rather than a demotion. You are the first line of defense for your children. Teach, discuss, and model Biblical principles to them, including repentance. Sunday is not the only day to hear God’s Word, and we cannot depend upon church leadership to be the sole teachers to our children. Lastly, get involved in your local church in ways such as outreach, children’s ministry, and women’s ministry. Encourage other sisters in Christ by talking about God’s Word and learning together. There are many ways we can serve and minister in accordance with Scripture

As someone who understands the struggle in detoxing from ministerial relevance and striving, I have compassion for other women in these positions. It is possible to find rest and peace. You do not have to hold a microphone or have a public platform to have eternal significance, and the position has already been filled for Victor and Conqueror. Look to Christ for your identity, and rest in God’s finished work on the cross.

Listen to this episode of The Lovesick Scribe podcast as we discuss what women’s roles are in Scripture, and how to detox from ministerial significance: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: How Women Detox from Ministerial Significance on Apple Podcasts.

https://lovesickscribe.com

By: Eglaide Seiber-Barroso   

This is the Heart of The Father in Heaven

Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 1 John 4:13 (KJV)                                  

Finding HIS heart in moments of hardship, despair, rejection, loneliness, lack, and desperation will bring us to the shadow of HIS wings, where you fear no evil. For His glory.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4 (NIV)

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11 (KJV)

I am sharing HIS presence in my life in a series of testimonies of His Mercy, Grace, and unfailing Love throughout my life, hoping that will inspire others to be shameless of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1:16 (NIV)

Through HIM, we can overcome anything. With HIM, we become conquerors of ALL things, and by HIM and with HIS word, I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalms 27:13 (NIV)

I found this heart-shaped sea coral walking on the beach in the early morning of 2007. I was praying, searching for the meaning of life, and wondering about the events that were slowly developing in my life. I had peace, although I could sense I was stepping into an extraordinary time in my life. Until that moment, my life had been led by a powerful force moving me forward. Unaware of how much I had accomplished because I was numb by the constant emotional pain. I didn’t know that the emptiness and overwhelming sadness I felt throughout my life came from my soul’s need to be one with Jesus. I worked very hard. I became focused on doing good works, receiving praise from man for my good works, taking in the pain of others, and trying to solve their problems emotionally, financially, and in every area I felt I could make a difference. And I did see a lot of good things happening all around me. People praised me but often hated me for accomplishing what they could not. I was torn between the emotions of self-accomplishment and the ill feelings coming from envy, jealousy, and competition from those I was seeking approval.

I took that morning walk on the beach to pray. I was feeling physically and emotionally tired of fighting the immigration system, the labor injustices pertaining to American and immigrant workers’ rights, and the unfair competition as an international employment agency. I was tired of traveling abroad, of trying to direct people’s lives into living the American Dream. I had given up my own American Dream to fight the battles of others. I was full of resentment because it all led me to NOTHING. My marriage had fallen apart because of an exhaustive work schedule, lack of quality time with my family after September 11th of 2011, and high marketing investments for multicultural awareness. Divorced since 2004, I had drifted to a world I didn’t know. After Hurricane Ivan, Katrina, and a company takeover, all I could see was a tsunami wave of unpaid bills rushing my way and no one to rescue me. Deprived of the very thing I was amazed to attain through my hard work, that being financial security, I was beginning to feel I was stepping into a new phase in my life. I had no idea how I would cross that road ahead of me, how long it would take me to go through it, and how I would make it to the other side.

It was a late October morning, and I decided to take my morning walk on the beach. There was a gentle cooling wind blowing through the sunlight. The sand was hard and cold from the icy water in the early morning. As I strolled through the beach, teardrops bathed my face as if to cleanse my soul from past mistakes and experiences. For a brief moment, I felt very alone and without direction about what to do with my life. I then felt a wave of love embracing me with acceptance, as if I had a lover walking with me, embracing me through my morning walk, whispering in my ear, “It’s okay….you will be fine….I love you, and am with you always….you are not alone….I will never leave you….you are mine, and together we will overcome this too.”

At that moment, I spoke aloud to ensure I was not having a nervous breakdown. “Oh God, please let me know you are somewhere out there hearing me. Let me know I am not falling apart. Just let me know I am hearing your voice.” Then a thought dropped into my heart, and I said: “Thank you for hearing me.”  As soon I had spoken these last words, the lyrics of the song my South African friend had sent to me a few months before came to my mind, and I started to sing and dance all alone on the beach. Acceptance, happiness, and joy invaded my heart, making me feel secure and protected. After that, I decided to go back home and walked towards my car. The waves were crashing softly, touching my feet. The water was very cold, waking me up from daydreaming about my future. I rushed to the sand, stepping on something that gently scratched my foot, causing me to want to pick it up and look at it. The picture you are looking at on this page is what I held in my hands on that October morning of 2007.

Looking at this special heart-shaped sea coral makes me understand that the Father’s Heart is also broken as He sees us walk through pain and trials. But He watches us closely, whispering His love messages into our hearts, letting us know we are His beloved. Letting us know He will never leave nor forsake us, that it’s okay, and things will be fine. He loves us, and He is with us always, letting us know we are not alone. We are His, and He is our Eternal Father, and together, we will overcome ALL things.

By: Stuart Kellogg

What would we do without all these political pundits? There are as many conclusions from November’s midterms as there are journalists, commentators and retired politicians. Here’s a question for the evangelical Christian community: If you’re looking for salvation of any kind from the political arena, are you Christ centered?

“The Savior doesn’t come in Air Force One”—-Chuck Colson

Chuck Colson was the presidential advisor known as the hatchet man for his bare knuckled approach to President Nixon’s enemies, real and perceived. Colson also illustrates the power of Christ to redeem all sinners. This highest of high achievers—-Ivy League education, U.S. Marine officer and right hand man of the most powerful person in the world—-faced a humiliating fall for his part in what is called “The Watergate Scandal”. His conversion to Christ shortly before prison, and his commitment to follow Him as Lord, led Colson’s heart to reform the prison system. Prison Fellowship was born shortly after his release and the saving grace of Christ brought behind bars around the world. The fruit continues to flourish through this ministry. Colson, once among the most feared and hated men in politics, was redeemed in the eyes of Christ and man.

I had the honor of studying under Chuck Colson at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He never advocated a retreat from the world, including politics. Far from it. BUT, he never allowed politics to take the place of Christ at the center of his life. Unfortunately, that’s now the reality for far too many Christians today in America.

Can anyone forget the 2012 Democratic convention scene as delegates booed God?
At that convention, Democrats purposely took out any reference to God in the party’s platform. When some folks objected, leadership rammed through the reinsertion of His name into the document, and the cacophony of boos from the floor provided an indelible touch point that illustrated the Democratic party’s quickening retreat from the religious mainstream.

Nor can anyone forget that serial adulterer and habitual liar who demeaned the least fortunate in the most un-Christlike way being embraced as a savior by evangelical Christian who cursed the godless Democrats. Oh, well, we were told, all those Christians backing Donald Trump would bring him to the faith. No, it was Trump who discipled far too many in the church.

Christ followers make a mistake when they retreat from the marketplace of ideas. We’re called to speak truth to power—the Truth that is the Gospel. I’ll never forget my first up-close look at the squishiness of one-way outrage in the political square. Evangelical Christians were understandably outspoken against President Clinton’s serial adultery and sexual liaison with a young intern in the White House. Yet, in the state where I lived at the time, those same upholders of the moral order were silent as their married senator with an ailing wife in a nursing home carried on an open affair with a long time “friend”. What made such a difference in how these well known politicians were treated by those conservative Christians? The senator had an R after his name.

When the desire for political power is paramount, then it’s easy to allow this secular worldview and allegiance to a man shape your world. We’ve seen the consequence of this action in the midterms. So many Republican primary voters followed the wishes of the former President in nominating men and women who could parrot the stolen election line, but had little expertise to offer the independent and Democrat voters looking for a change from an out of control progressive government. So, the Senate stayed with the President’s party.

The expected red wave in the US House was a muted trickle. Why? Well, there were some examples of the GOP losing seats because sitting Representatives who dared to take on Trump and were defeated in the primaries by candidates who couldn’t appeal to a broader base. What I see as a bigger issue, however, is abortion. This is a perfect example of an issue that was politically better for the pro-life side only when the politicians were protected by Roe. Once the issue was sent back to the states, pro-lifers had to stand on their beliefs in front of the majority of Americans who favor abortion. For far too many pro-lifers, talking about Roe was easier than explaining to the culture why life matters.

Politics is downstream from culture. And culture is downstream from religion. Yes, the political battles during the last 50 years were important because abortion was restricted in many states. Yet far too little of the hard work was done persuading those naturally inclined to allow a woman’s right to choose to trump all other matters. The result: A minority of Americans were in favor of abortion in 1969, when Roe became the law of the land. Now, almost two out of three are all for it.

Beyond the political fights, the biggest issue for the church is what the overly politicized environment has done to its mission. When an entire body of Believers is lumped into a political pile in the mind of half the country, what do you think that does to our call to make disciples? If the lost and hurting see Christians as first and foremost backers of a person or party, how hard will it be to share the Gospel? The biggest loss is not getting beaten at the polls or losing the levers of power in Washington. What’s lost is the the ability to witness for Christ. He weeps.

The midterms surprised many because historically a sitting president overseeing such an economic collapse faces a humiliating loss of Congressional support. That didn’t happen. Perhaps, while the party pros huddle to figure out what to change for 2024, the Christ followers can huddle up and commit to making their faith the guiding light of their lives. No matter what the world thinks or says.

Stuart Kellogg, author of The Post Covid Church: An Action Plan to Thrive Not Just Survive, can be reached at stuart@thepostcovidchurch.org.

https://www.thepostcovidchurch.com/

By: Tresa Walker

www.strengthrenewed.blog

An old hymn comes to mind, with Thanksgiving drawing near, called “Count Your Blessings”. It’s such a simple song, but it has a powerful message of counting each blessing so that we can see all that God has done in our lives. It is so easy to take for granted the blessings that He gives to us. Taking the time to sit down and write out the blessings that God has given to us each day actually makes them become more concrete and gives us something to hold onto when trials come.

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He shared blessings known as The Beatitudes. Matthew 5:3-12 says:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.

Look at all those blessings! Each of these scriptures presents a situation that is painful or challenging, but Jesus explained the enormous blessings that would be received – the blessings we too shall receive as believers.

Unfortunately, it is often difficult to see the blessings through all the chaos and noise of life. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. When our focus is on God rather than the circumstance, it is easier to give thanks during difficult times because we know that He has a plan. If we are actively searching for a blessing in the situation, we will be more likely to recognize His hand at work in the process. I want to challenge you to give thanks in everything and focus not on the circumstances you are facing but instead focus on the many blessings God gives each day. 

By: Fran Gardener Mora

I was shopping in one of my favorite stores early this week and stumbled upon an ‘80% Off All Fall Decorative Items’ sale – so, I absolutely had to go look around.  Right?  I found this small orange sign that read ‘Thankful, Grateful, Blessed.’  Very simple, but, somehow, very precise; and from the moment I placed it in my cart I began to think about those three words …  and they began to call to me…

So, it’s Thanksgiving time again and we focus on all the usual ways we celebrate this holiday: noticing the needs of people around us, counting and expressing all the things that we’re thankful for, finding opportunities to be generous and share what God has given us with others, etc.

All good things.

But, I found myself thinking about what it means to be thankful and how that differs from being grateful.  Thankfulness involves acknowledgement – you’re conscious of some benefit you‘ve received and you express (or feel) appreciation.  Scripture mentions ‘thanks’ and ‘thankfulness’ around 280 times; so, you get the point that it’s an expectation and a basic component of a believer’s mindset.  Thankfulness is a precious gift from the Father – it holds the power to redirect your thinking from focusing on fear, self-pity, and negativity and turn it around to focusing on the awareness of God’s provision, protection, and His presence. Always a plus.

Gratefulness, on the other hand, is our offering to God.  It expresses an appreciation that includes an element of comfort or contentment – even pleasure.  And, even though it’s only mentioned about twenty times in scripture, it’s often mentioned in close proximity to the words ‘joy’ and ‘praise.’

Now, maybe you think this is a very small distinction.  And maybe it is … but in that tiny space between those two words I found a platform for some long-awaited healing.

You see, there’s been this cache of experiences and unsatisfying relationships in my life that I have not been able to fully resolve emotionally.  Yes, God has brought me through all of that.  Yes, I’ve brought these things out into the light.  Yes, I’ve forgiven all transgressions against me and all of my transgressions. Etc. Etc.  But why hasn’t it ever felt completely finished?  Why wasn’t forgiveness enough?  Where was the true closure?

Gratitude.  I found it in being grateful.

I mean, it would be absurd to be thankful for someone hurting me, rejecting me, discouraging me, ignoring me, whatever – but I CAN be grateful for how God used those situations to enrich my life and build my character.  I CAN be grateful for how God rescued me from that damaged identity when He called me His daughter.

This year, I’m thankful, first and foremost, for my salvation through the grace of God and by the blood of Jesus Christ.  I’m thankful for my increasingly intimate relationship with my God and the exciting journey we’ve been on.  I’m thankful for my family, my church community, and my friends.  I’m thankful for my life and health and all the everyday joys that come with just being who I am and enjoying where God has placed me.

But, in addition, I am grateful for all the difficult and troubled experiences I’ve had in my life because they gave my Father an opportunity to strengthen my character.  All those times when suffering brought me to my knees and caused me to call out to God.  All those times I had to keep on moving forward in faith and patiently wait for His answer.  These experiences also gave me an empathetic heart for those going through the same kinds of struggles and a desire to walk beside them or hold them up.

I am grateful for all the people in my life that didn’t or couldn’t love me the way I needed to be loved because they forced me to run into the arms of a Father who wants to be the answer to my every need.  Who has loved me perfectly without reservation from the beginning and who will love me through eternity.  His love has covered every deficit I have ever known.  And from this place of being so completely loved, I can release the last strings I’ve been holding that tie my heart to unanswered questions.

I am grateful for this freedom!

I don’t see myself as a person wearing a sash that contains a multitude of badges that represent all the trials tribulations I’ve survived.  I rather see myself as a victorious warrior wearing a breastplate that has been forged in the fire.  And – I like the way it feels!

Blessed are the grateful for they will take comfort in the struggles of the journey and will look upon their transgressors through eyes of love.

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with lots of love, family, friends, food … and prayers of thankfulness and gratitude!

Romans 5:3-4 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

Colossians 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

https://www.pearlsandpresence.com

By: Nancy Kilpatrick |

Have you heard the saying, “If I’d known how much fun the grandkids would be, I would have had them first?”  I am blessed with grandchildren who have inherited my heart for ministry and missions.

Unfortunately, our children and grandchildren today have an enemy that is determined to destroy a generation. If he cannot kill them in the womb, he will attempt to destroy them through our school system or take their life through drugs or school shootings.

We have been successful in overturning Roe vs Wade, but that has only made it possible for the states to take steps to protect the unborn. Consumers need to know that big corporations like Amazon and Starbucks are willing to pay all travel expenses for employees to have an abortion in another state. It is cheaper than paying for benefits such as medical insurance and sick days for parents with children.

Our schools are indoctrinating our children with critical race theory, transgender, and pornographic sex education as though these lifestyles are healthy, acceptable, and normal and should be their choice with or without their parents’ approval. They can be Sally at home and Johnny at school without parental knowledge. Some schools are providing access to hormone altering pills.

Our students today are going to school, not knowing if they will make it back home alive. There have been 119 school shootings in past four years, twenty-seven of them this year – 2022. It is no surprise that 20% of our teens have seriously considered suicide and 60% of them are drinking alcohol.

I asked myself, what is going on here? Who is to blame for this? How do we change this unacceptable environment for our kids?

I look at statistics. On May 10, 2022, a poll released from a Christian University in which they interviewed one thousand Christian pastors revealed that only 37% had a Biblical worldview. Of that 370, 41% were senior pastors and 12% were children/youth pastors. This shows that only forty-four out of 1000 pastors are teaching truth to our children and youth.  No wonder only 2% of our children in our schools have any knowledge of the Bible. Where is the church? When will the church wake up? Did He not tell us to “make disciples?”

George Barna, statistician said that “the culture is influencing the American church more than the Christian church is influencing the culture.”

I challenge everyone reading this to get involved in one way or another to preserve our American Christian values. You can be a part of making our country safe again for our children. How can you do that? There are several ways:  Vote out those senators that do not support our values, run for school board or other community positions, get involved with your local school and city meetings to stay informed.

Another opportunity is “Truth for Youth” Bibles you can give to students in our schools. You can get a case of 50 for a youth group to pass out for $200 +S&H or 1-49 Bibles for $3.00 each.

Their project every September is to reach their goal; this year is 65,000. Order online at: truthforyouth.com or call 1-800-733-4737. These Bibles are available through Tim Todd at Revival Fires Ministry. Together we can bring back a strong educational standard for children and safe communities and schools for them to grow up in.

https://familyministriescenter.net

By Donna Marable

Seven years ago retirement brought Barbara Hough and husband Mike Hough to Gulf Shores, Alabama.  They arrived with a wealth of knowledge from a lifetime of personal experiences, living, learning and serving others in crisis and grief.  After a move to Alaska the family returned to their hometown of Covina, California.  Barb enrolled in Citrus College and continued on to receive her State Certification in Alcohol Counseling from UCLA, subsequently enjoying heading-up the Drinking Driver Program for the National Council on Alcoholism for five years in Los Angeles County, California.  This compassion for others continued throughout life in upstate New York and Georgia.

It was 2020 with Barb in a Bible study of Elijah when all of a sudden she felt an overwhelming call from the Lord; remembering how an Angel of the Lord supplied sustaining drink and water in the desert, she had a searing desire and the one thought “Healing Hearts” would not leave her.  This shaking experience caused her to undoubtedly know that God wanted her to help people in distress.

With support of the First Baptist Church of Gulf Shores and Head Pastor Lawrence Phipps Barbara will serve as Director of a new support group for those losing a spouse, child, family member or friend through death.  Their first 13-week Christ-centered, nondenominational program runs September 15 – December 15 at the Gulf Shores Church – 2200 West First St. and will follow the guidelines of Grief Share National that offers these programs in tens of thousands of locations throughout North America and in many other countries.  The eager facilitators have been in training and two more loss-through-death support group programs are planned for the spring and fall of 2023.  There are various other Grief Share support groups also meeting in South Baldwin County.  Much information is available on the national organization’s website:  www.griefshare.org  For questions and information on the Gulf Shores program, please call the church at 251-968-7369.  Barbara Hough lives with an open heart for others and daily exercises her motto:  “Grief Share – Healing Hearts – One By One”.

https://www.gulfshores.com/things-to-do/first-baptist-gulf-shores/

By: Fran Gardner Mora/Pearls & Presence

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

What an intense blessing it is to be overcomers in Christ while struggling in a world of distractions and disappointments.  To be locked in the loving embrace of Jesus and lifted high above all the obstacles, roadblocks, and detours that pull us off the path of sanctification and purpose.  We have every opportunity to turn away from our eternal perspective because opposition is persistent, and temptation is ever present.

But the faithful remain focused on the rich promises of God, and the reward is a calm and peaceful soul that seeks out the heart of the Father.  The result is confidence and sure footing in the storm and spiritual sight in the darkest night.  And even greater than that, we are able to navigate through an endless sea of questions and confusion because we know the ultimate answer to anything that can be asked is found in God’s Word.  The truest solution to any problem is Jesus.

Lately, I seem to be surrounded by fulfilled promises:  wombs opened after 20 years of barrenness; life rising from anguish and lies; powerful gifts of the Spirit bestowed upon the timid and unsure; and restoration and healing of broken hearts and dreams.  The common thread that seems to run through each story is a hunger to be obedient to God’s will while maintaining a firm grasp on hope.  Rejection of worldly explanations and limitations while staying focused on the unrestricted power and glory of the Lord.  It’s such a sweet reminder that our Father doesn’t want to extinguish our reasonable wants and desires or leave us in a state of despair – He is delighted when His children thrive.

We need only to keep our eyes fixed upon our magnificent Creator to remain in the place of miracles and provision and to have the supernatural ability to out-maneuver situations and challenges that threaten our heavenly line-of-sight.  We must always allow faith to become our holy blinders – keeping our eyes on the prize!

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