Our Children, Our Heritage
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
Seminars Offering Support
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/
Eyes on The Prize
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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Imprints of God
By LeeAnn Witzigman
When Kara was a few months old, she was dedicated at church and the pastors declared a prophetic word over her life. It was several lines long and overflowing with the treasures of Heaven that were releasing and sealing her identity. We have seen many of these words of God’s truth come to pass, but one of them recently showed up in a very special way.
It was spoken over her that she would have the roar of a Lioness and we have been faithful to remind her of this for many years. Then, one night, after her shower she was putting on lotion, and decided to leave a handprint on the mirror instead of moisturizing her skin. I left it there for a few days, because her creativity always makes me smile, despite the mess. But when I glanced at it from a certain angle inside the bathroom, I noticed something. I squinted a bit thinking I must be seeing things, but there it was, right on the center of her palm print. A roaring Lion. An unmistakable mark of the Lion of Judah. A holy confirmation that she is who God says she is. And a physical witness that her identity and divine DNA testify of Jesus Christ Himself.
When I hold her hand, I know I am touching the Lion and the Lamb. I love knowing that she has a physical fingerprint and also a sacred handprint from the Lord. What a beautiful Father to imprint His truth upon the hands of our children. And what a gracious Dad to place His face on the palms of our lives. I believe our faith revealed this hidden glory in Kara when we partnered with the word spoken over her and believed with all of our hearts that what God said about her was true and right and so very good. This is only a glimpse of all the ways that He is marking us and setting us apart to unveil who He is to the unbelieving world around us. May we be sons and daughters who search to find the revelations of His identity that He’s beautifully bestowed upon all of His glorious creation.
Join us at pearlsandpresence.com and on Pearls & presence/Facebook
Those Whose Trust Is in the LORD
By: Eglaide Seiber Barroso
Inspired by this artwork from Stephen Johnson, the Drummer from Connect Church and the founder of Father’s Heart Ministry in the Philippines, I began to think about how we quickly forget who is fighting for us and with us in times of personal battles.
Jesus said in Luke 10:19 KJV: “I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” The greater tool used by the enemy of our souls is fear, which brings discouragement to kill the steadfast belief in the dreams and plans the LORD has for us. According to Google, the definition of discouragement in the Bible is a loss of confidence and enthusiasm. And the meaning of the word discouraged is courage that is taken away by trials, tribulations, and long periods of battles.
Looking at the four stories representing courage, persistence, and unshakable faith in the God of Israel, this illustration from our Bible study allowed me to see that courage is the foundation to pursue God’s will for our lives. Courage and the burning desire to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in any way that is available to me has always been the strongest driving force leading me in everything I do. Faith is described in the Bible as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Trusting God’s unfailing love has been what gives me the courage to take risks, to reinvent myself into Christ’s likeness, believing that HE uses my insecurities and frailties to make all things to work for His glory. This allows me to keep moving forward, doing what is ahead of me one day at a time, knowing that through my weakness and God’s power over them, He will inspire others to follow their dreams too.
To have the courage to face our impossible situations means that we are fully dependent on God’s power to fight our giants. And by trusting God with steadfast confidence in His goodness and love, we become victorious over the giants of our past mistakes and failures.
If we can look back on the failures, disappointments, and tragedies life brings without allowing fear of success to paralyze our dreams, God’s unfailing love will lead us to stay focused on His promises. I have overcome many giants through worship, prayer, and fasting, knowing that only by focusing on God’s power I was able to defeat my ungodly beliefs. By continually trusting His goodness in the middle of mind-tormenting storms, He directs my steps and provides the way out for me.
The Bible also says in Galatians 6:8b-9 BSB: “the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit, will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Finally, when all is said and done, we will walk away from these hard places where everything comes against us to make us give up or give in to the lies of the enemy. A true warrior will never give in. A true warrior will never give up. A true warrior will pray harder for God’s direction even when everything is against what God’s promises are saying in their hearts.
1 Samuel 12:24 KJV says: “Only fear the LORD and serve HIM in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things HE hath done for you.” We will never be moved if we look to our past and remember how God came to our rescue.
Christ Calls Us to Be More Than Cheerleaders
By: Stuart Kellogg |
It’s not surprising if your church cheered after the Supreme Court overturned Roe, outlawing the
federal right to an abortion and returning to states the ability to outlaw it. And why not cheer?
More than 60 million innocent children have been killed in the womb since the 1973 Roe vs.
Wade decision that legalized abortion in all 50 states. What is troubling is that the vast majority
of Christians have only cheered.
While researching for The Post Covid Church book, I spoke with dozens of Christian leaders
about the urgency facing the church when the doors closed because of the pandemic shutdown.
The consensus: the need to get outside and re-engage the lost, hurting, and lonely community.
Too few churches leaned into the opportunity and aggressively expanded their outreach. Here is
a second chance now that the doors are all reopened. Overturning Roe is the perfect opportunity
for the church to make a difference in every community for Christ and show the world—-
especially the lost world—what the Christian faith inspires men and women to do for each other.
In states such as Alabama, frightened pregnant women no longer have that easy choice to simply
get rid of their “problem”. That means thousands of opportunities for Christians to step in and
help the moms and their babies. To help the organizations such as the Women’s Care Medical
Center in Baldwin County to gear up to serve many more in need. To get out and show what
pro-life really means. What better way for the church to shine?
The good news is that these Centers are getting more publicity and financial support. For
example, The Women’s Care Medical Center is opening a third location in the Bay Minette, the
Baldwin County seat. The need, however, is going to explode and too many Christians are
simply content to cheer.
The secular culture is more antagonistic to the Christians faith than ever, and now almost one out
of three Americans rejects any faith. The biggest challenge is that many of the lost see
Christianity has not just false, but evil! Overturning Roe simply ramped up the antipathy. This
is not just an opportunity to be the loving hands and feet of Christ to women and babies in need.
It’s also a chance for the lost to see that followers of Christ are much more than vocal
cheerleaders against a law. They can see followers of Christ coming together, as Christ did, to
help the most vulnerable. Christ today demands nothing less.
As a free service to churches, I teach a one-hour program called Life Matters: The Post-Roe
Mission. It helps Believers better prepare to defend the pro-life movement by learning more
about the Christian worldview and how to engage an increasingly hostile culture. If you’re interested, write me: stuart@thepostcovidchurch.org
Changing Seasons
By: Tresa Walker
Every season has a purpose, whether a time for the earth to produce or to rest and prepare for the next season of harvest. According to Ecclesiastes, seasons can represent different periods in our lives. Those seasons offer time for growth during difficult periods and time for rest during pleasant periods.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stone and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”
Precious babies are born into our lives, and at some point cherished loved ones die. Sometimes homes or relationships are destroyed, but then we rebuild new ones. Some days result in crying while others bring laughter. There will be disheartening moments of grief, but eventually we can dance again. We may go through extended periods of difficulty, but we can be sure that there will also be moments of peace and joy.
We will face many diverse seasons during our lifetime. Each one serves a specific purpose in God’s ultimate plan, and each will vary in length as well as magnitude. If the choice were ours, there would be no difficult seasons, but that also means there would be no time for necessary new growth. Pleasant seasons give us an opportunity to rest as well as minister to others going through intense moments. Although it is challenging, we can be sure that He is with us through each period of drought or freeze no matter how severe. When those difficult seasons are complete, we can often look back at all He has done and see the beauty He created.
https://strengthrenewed.blog/
The Gift of Homeschooling Your Children
By Dawn Hill – Lovesick Scribe
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-8 ESV
Over the past few years, I have had the privilege and opportunity to steward our oldest daughter’s education by homeschooling her. This was a decision my husband and I made years before we had children. We were both products of the public school system, and yet we both felt compelled to keep our children at home for instruction and education.
One of the things I enjoy about homeschooling is the freedom we have in studying various areas. We begin our day in school with a look at Scripture, and this may consist of her Sunday school lesson from church, a Biblical question about foundational beliefs, or reading a chapter in a particular book of the Bible and discussing it. We also spend time once a week being aware of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are globally being persecuted for their faith, praying for them and for those who persecute them.
Our faith in Jesus Christ is vital to our family, and school presents a wonderful opportunity with a captive audience. Our daughter gets to think and to ask questions. I use opportunities to teach her what Scripture has to say when discussing world history and practices that took place, including ancient cultures who were polytheistic. I use wisdom as to what to share with her while recognizing I cannot shield her from the things of this world. As her parent and her teacher, I become her first line of natural defense and understanding, teaching her the ways of the Lord and His instruction while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with her in daily life and the value of God’s holy Word.
As parents, we are to be proactive in teaching our children and in instructing them in God’s ways. I pray our children can say as the psalmist did in Psalm 71:17, “O God, you have taught me from my youth, and to this day I proclaim Your marvelous deeds.” Even if you do not homeschool, invest in your children spiritually and Biblically.
A Year of Birth!
Jennifer Lynn Easton Joy
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations. Then I said, ‘Alas, LORD GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.’ But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,’ declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 1:5-8, NASB).
The name Jennifer means “to be set apart” in the Hebrew language. Although, I was not a youth in my chronological years, I felt completely incapable and certainly unqualified for what the LORD asked. In the previous year, I was introduced to prophetic worship instruments and found them to be an unknown foreign language. Then HE asked me to make one, which I did not know how to do. I sat on the floor of my furniture-less apartment the consequence of a previous unprecedented storm and waited. HIS presence tangibly arrived. He instructed me with every single meticulous detail of creating Prophetic Worship Glory Rings with HIS own unique pattern. Over the course of the year, I made eight personal Prophetic Worship Glory Rings, sitting at HIS feet, listening to HIS voice, embraced by HIS presence. The Holy Spirit requested that I remove all secular media influences from my life (movies, newspapers, magazines, books, TV) and to just spend time studying the Scriptures and worshiping my King YESHUA. It was an in-depth season of HIS impartation. The Holy Spirit mentioned that there were some Integrity Tests in my future which were related to my gainful employment situations. Sometimes when a person stands for truth, they are terminated from employment in hopes that what they uncovered will remain covered.
In December, the Holy Spirit asked me to make 50 Finger Prophetic Worship Glory Rings (one-inch brass rings with eight quarter inch and one-eighth inch ribbons) and to give with a “very rough draft” of the booklet, Have Glory Ring will Travel! instead of the traditional holiday greeting cards. Surprised and overwhelmed by HIS request, it was January 1997 before the assignment was completed. The Holy Spirit spent the next two years teaching me how to give prophetic words (words of encouragement, exhortation and edification) over Prophetic Worship Glory Rings – HIS Prophetic Songs in color, type and symbol before any were released to Nations in 1998.
https://www.hisgloryreigns.com/our-story.html
Stuart Kellogg
Stuart Kellogg is a retired television executive, seminary graduate and commissioned fellow with the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He’s taught in churches for more than 30 years and recently published The Post Covid Church: An Action Plan to THRIVE Not Just Survive. He and his wife Beth are parents of two children, grandparents of four, and are members of First Baptist Fairhope.
