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Fire: Keeping the Flame Ablaze

During this summer, I have spent some time clearing out a worship spot at my house in the back of our woods. I must say, I really enjoyed doing it. I wanted a spot that I could go and spend time with God in solitude. I gathered old down trees to use for seating, found various pieces of old furniture to place back there, and Tiki Torches to help keep away bugs. In the middle I built a good-sized fire pit for bonfires. The other evening I went out to that spot to spend some time with God. My brother was with me and we were trying to light the fire. The pit had quite a bit of wood in it so if we ever got it lit, it would be a very big and nice fire. The problem was we couldn’t get the fire lit.  Granted the top pieces were a little wet, but the rest of the pile was dry, so we didn’t think it would be much of a problem. We had pieces of cardboard to help start the fire, but it didn’t work. We lit some of the dry leaves in the midst of the sticks, but it didn’t work either. We even found some straw to light to help with the process, but all it did was burn. It didn’t stay lit and the fire died quickly. So finally after much frustration, we got the gasoline. Now, I realize this is not the smartest choice nor safest, but I wanted a fire! Luckily nothing bad happened! So we light a few more pieces of cardboard and paper just enough to keep it a flame for a few minutes. Then we doused the places we didn’t have lit with some gasoline so with the fire caught it, it would light up. The finally we applied the gasoline on the flames that were going and instantly, the fire went ablaze. We experienced the thrill of getting our fire lit and the fire was glorious…for about ten minutes. But soon, that gasoline had burnt away, the wood had never really caught a flame, and the fire died out again quickly. Now I realize that there are better ways to light a fire, and if I did some other things I could have probably got that fire going. However, I’m glad I tried to light the fire the way I did because God used it to teach me something.

When the fire began to die out again, I was getting kind of irritated. Then I felt God speak to my heart saying, “I need people who will tend and stir the fire, not just light it.” I immediately knew what God was saying to me. In order to keep a fire going, you have to constantly add fire to the pile, you have to stir the fire to keep the fire going, and you have to watch it. Gasoline is a nice help, but it is only a temporary fix. It only lasts for a moment. It looks glorious and the flames are huge, but they don’t have much life. God doesn’t need followers who will be like the gasoline. Who will become very passionate and devoted to God one day, and have a devotion to Him that dies at the end of the week. He wants followers who will fan the flames. Who will keep the fire going, even if that means taking longer steps in doing so. Followers who will spend the extra time in prayer, reading of His Word, and living out the life He calls His people to.

I think you would be very hard pressed to find a church, if you asked them, would not want to see people come to know Christ. I mean, that’s just a ludicrous thought. The Church may have many different denomination and beliefs of theology, but I don’t really think there are many people in the Church who do not want to see souls saved. In fact if there are any, I really think those people need to evaluate their life and see if the are in step with the Spirit. But all too often the Church tries to witness to the world with gasoline. With big and glorious displays of various ministries, emotional appeals, etc. Those of you who serve the Lord know exactly what I’m talking about. But those things don’t last. People who come to the Lord on those terms won’t last unless that fire is cultivated. Unless their flames are stirred and wood is added to the fire. If the Church and Christians want to set this world on fire, we first have to cultivate the fire in our own hearts, then also be willing to take the time to minister properly and effectively to help keep the fire lit the hearts of others as well. Jesus told His followers that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them and they will be His witnesses. The Holy Spirit gives Christians the power to witness to others about Jesus powerfully. God is the source of that fire. I pray that believers everywhere will submit to the Holy Spirit and allow God move in their hearts. I also pray that Christians all over the world will fan into flame the gifts of God and take the steps necessary to keep that flame going. When the fire rises true and proud, the world around us will catch fire too. Don’t use the gasoline. Cultivate that fire.

“Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.” ~2 Timothy 1:6

“Fire must be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not go out.” ~Leviticus 6:13

May God be with you.

-Joey


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A Problem in the Church

I was thinking recently. Yeah, I know…amazing right? :)

No, but seriously. I was thinking about how people in the Church today will separate themselves completely from another Christian who commits or is trapped by sin. Or maybe they try to help, but instead just try to find the easy fix. I started thinking, “Well, that can’t be Biblical, can it? Jesus commands us to love one another and be unified in the Body of Christ. And that is true. I started reading Francis Chan’s book, Multiply. In that he said something that I already knew, but it was still just as profound. He said:

“Or when we learn that a friend is struggling with sin, we are quick to explain why that sin is harmful and tell her we will pray for her (whether we follow through or not). But how many of us would take her struggle with sin so seriously that we would walk with her as she works through the issues involved?”

Yes, the Bible is clear that sin needs to be corrected. But it doesn’t end there. We can’t “correct them” and then condemn them. You see, there’s a difference between judgement and correction. Judgment brings condemnation down on the person being judged. Correction is done out of love with the hope of redemption. It’s like a parent. They may spank their son or daughter for hitting someone. A good parent doesn’t spank out of anger. A loving parent will spank (or use other forms of discipline) out of love for the child and to correct a wrong behavior. But the parent continues with loving that child.

It’s the same way with Christians. Yes, we are to correct each other’s sinful behavior. But you had better do it purely out of love and you had better be willing to walk through the issue with them in order to bring them to redemption. I think part of the problem is that many believers don’t want to get “dirty.” They don’t want to be associated with someone who has a sin exposed to the public. It’s the same attitude some have towards non-believers. They don’t want to be seen with the “undesirables.” It might ruin their reputation. Then tell me, how are you supposed to evangelize and disciple them if you don’t associate with them? If they won’t come in to the church, you bring it to them. How can your Christian brother or sister be brought back to the cross if you want to find a quick fix or just blow them off completely? Galatians 6:1-2 says:

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Carry each other’s burdens. That will likely require you to be seen with the “undesirable.” But the attitude I mentioned above is exactly the attitude the Pharisees had. Did you know Jesus had more of problem with the “religious” people than he did with the sinners?

It’s time we get over ourselves and be willing to walk through thick and thin with our fellow believers.

-Austin


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The Bait

If we listen to the voices talking around us on a daily basis, we will find ourselves slowly being covered over with a blanket of doubt, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, disappointment and despair. In the guise of informing us, they speak of the hopelessness of the world we live in, of our surroundings, our neighbourhoods and within our own homes. Our curious minds want to know more, so we seek more information.

Doom and gloom. Doom and gloom.

A drizzle of doubt then falls over the fertile soil of our hearts and fear settles into the comfy cushions made available for it, making itself comfortable for the long haul. Anxiety curls up at the window seat, watching into the darkness for events that could and might happen. As the light gets snuffed out, the thick blanket of despair tucks everyone in, all snug in the beds of uncertainty.

I listened today to a well meaning voice give counsel about things I wanted to learn about. Yet, hurt by much, this voice could only share doubt, fear and anxiety. I was once there myself, so I know. It is true when the bible says that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. A heart filled with hope, joy, love and peace from knowing the Saviour will overflow into the mouth that will also speak forth life and blessing. A heart that does not know the Saviour will only speak forth the despair and death that is in its heart. Even a Christian who knows the Lord can be hurt badly and if his heart is not healed, will also spew forth the poisoned pain that is within.

As I listened to this voice talk, I realized that I was becoming fearful of what it was saying and doubtful that my husband and I are in God’s perfect will.

It wasn’t until I got home that the Lord spoke to me from 2 sources. One, was from Proverbs 10; verses that state that the Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, that blessings crown the head of the righteous, that the man of integrity walks securely, that the righteous stand firm forever, that the fear of the Lord adds length to life, that the prospect of the righteous is joy, that the way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous and that the righteous will never be uprooted.

We are made righteous by the blood of Christ. We fit into those promises.

The 2nd source was a reminder of a movie my husband and I had watched. In it, the dad teaches his son that to battle an extraterrestrial monster, he had to choose not to fear. That fear was a choice as the monster smelled fear and preyed on this fear to destroy humans. If there was no fear, the monster could not detect the human and could easily be killed. The monster generated fear in humans by traps that it put up.

Sounds familiar?

The bible says that the spirit of fear is not from the Lord (2 Timothy 1:7) so that means it comes from our enemy, satan. The enemy baits us with thoughts, well meaning voices as well as the material we see and read to cause us to fear. Once we have fear making itself comfortable on the couches of our hearts, we are easy prey for the enemy to destroy us. Maybe he does not destroy us the way the monster in the movie did, he is more subtle. He destroys our peace, our joy, our hope, our future. With a seed of fear, we become paralyzed, have anxiety and panic attacks and start to forget Who we have on our side.

We can choose to not fear, by not listening to the voices that tell us to.

We can choose to hear the correct voice; the voice that brings life, joy, truth, hope and a future.

The bible tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We can place our faith in what the wrong voices say and believe them. Or we can place our faith in what God says and believe Him.

One gives life. The other brings death.

We get to choose.

 

Related articles:

Voices

Lean In & Trust Him (livingmoreabundantly4christ.com)


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A Plague of Flies of Biblical Proportions (Sort Of)

Love Like Jesus Day of small things

A Plague of Flies of Biblical Proportions (Sort Of)

Ah Friday. Friday is writing day around here, and it’s Friday at last. Friday is the one day of the week everyone is supposed to leave me alone,

to write.

So I rolled out of bed thinking I was headed for the laptop until enough fog cleared from my head, for me to remember, Kathy is out of town. She’s in Portland with a mom, two daughters, and a sister, doing some kind of a women’s thing. A spa thing, I think they said. I’m not sure what that entails but I think I heard the words “many petting” in there somewhere, so my thought is, it involves zoo animals somehow.

Anyway, that means I had to cover for Kathy at one of her jobs. Among her many other activities, she manages the pool and recreational facilities at our townhouse complex. (She’s always doing something productive or helpful.) So off I go to the pool. “No big deal,” I think to myself. “Just a quick chemical check, and I’m off to my office.” But when I arrived, I found a surprise. Covering the surface of the pool I found flies. Scads of flies. Gazillions of flies. It was a fly plague of biblical proportions–except they were only on the surface of the pool–so I guess it wasn’t. But still, there were a lot of flies.

Ever feel frustrated that what you are stuck doing is NOT what you should be doing? In this article written by Kurt from God Running he looks at how we are often frustrated by this, and how Jesus dealt with this very same thing.

To finish reading this article please head over to http://godrunning.com/2013/06/08/love-like-jesus-day-of-small-things/
Check out the rest of Kurt’s great site while you are there, and be sure to let him know you enjoyed something he wrote.


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Ripple Effects

In our world of individualistic values and selfish decisions, oftentimes we don’t think about how our decisions affect others. Our adage of, “If it feels good, do it” or “If it makes you happy, then go for it” seeks only to justify our selfish desires without thinking of the cost to others.

I had to think about this recently.

One of our dogs, the one who eats everything, even waste, is not well. This has happened before. She eats things she’s not supposed to eat, even things that people think are okay to give her, like bread or mangoes. Then her body can’t process it all which affects her bile and then we have a sick dog on our hands. This process does not happen instantaneously. It is a process. First, she noses out things she’s not supposed to eat and believe it or not, she knows she’s not supposed to eat them because she does this in complete hiding, and then she eats them. Or, well meaning people think it’s alright for the dogs to have chicken bones or their leftover food and feed them the food which Mayah hides from us while eating it. At first, nothing happens and all is good. But over time, Mayah’s body stops functioning the way it should and physical evidences start to show up. And when she shows a complete disinterest in her food and allows Maddy to eat it from her bowl, we know we have reached a very scary stage. Her sickness affects us, not just in the cost financially, time in having to hand feed her and in watching her to make sure she doesn’t eat more waste, but also emotionally because we love her.

And so often, we don’t know that something’s wrong until we get to this stage  because Mayah hides what she does so well. Just like us when we do what we’re not supposed to do.

A diabetic can go on eating sugar and even hide it from family and friends for a while because the evidence of what he/she is doing can go undetected for a while. Then one day, everything in their body shuts down and they go into insulin shock and that’s when everyone realizes what has happened. The sad thing is, when we make the decision to keep doing what is wrong, we don’t realize how much it affects others around us. We think it’s only about us, that when we have a body that malfunctions, lost all our money to gambling, abandoned our children, are dead because of a drug overdose, it only affects us. We don’t see the ripple effect of what we had chosen to do and the devastation of that.

How many people, no matter their ages, still live with hurt and pain in their hearts from the effects of the decision of others when they were younger? The pain affects their ways of thinking, their decision making and how they relate to others. The ripple effect carries on way into the future.

The wages of sin is death. 

It’s not politically correct to say that today. But it’s a true statement. The payment of sin is death. I used to think it was death just for the person involved. But unfortunately, until there is repentance and redemption, the death will continue for generations.  I learned that this death doesn’t always  show up in a literal sense, oftentimes it shows up under disguise. Like the death of a relationship, whether it be a friendship or amongst family. The hardening of a heart so that it will not be able to love again or to allow others to love it. The replay of what others had done to us as we do it to others because that is what we had learned to be the “only” way to do things. The domino effect affecting generations down the road.

The wages of sin is death.

The tearstained face of a little boy as he watches his dad beat up his mom and then robs her of her last remaining dollars to go out into the night to drink with his buddies hardens as he realizes that he needs to be stronger and bigger than his dad to protect his mom and himself in the future. Violence learned, violence replayed. A death handed down another generation.

The bright, innocent eyes of a little girl watches as her mommy puts on make up and dresses in tight fitting outfits to go out into the night to prostitute herself so that they can eat. She listens as her mom’s words tell her that the only way to be able to earn money is through her looks, body and who she gets into a relationship with. Lies heard, lies acted out. A death handed down another generation.

A lie spoken. More lies needed to cover it up. Confidence betrayed. A relationship or friendship in ruins. Another death. When will we stop with the destruction? When will we realize that our decisions will affect our future generations? When will we realize that what we sow we will reap?

It’s not politically correct to talk about these things anymore. We don’t go back to the root causes and call a spade a spade. We look for bandaid solutions. We live in the world forgetting that we have an amazing, loving God but we also have an enemy who seeks to rob, kill and destroy us with the same fervency and intensity of the love that God has for us.

We need to be more careful with how we make our decisions, how we choose to live our lives because we don’t live in a vacuum. We all affect one another. It is only when we choose repentance from our sins and accept redemption from the Cross that our eyes will be opened to see how our decisions affect us and those around us so that we can change how we do things to affect all for good.

For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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My Mum’s amazing message

I was the most fortunate of kids!

I was brought up with a Mum and Dad who loved God.

Being the youngest of five, (I had twin sisters but sadly one died of TB when she was only one year old) I guess things monetary wise were a bit stretched, but we certainly never went without the essentials and we certainly had plenty of love handed out liberally, especially by my hard-working and devoted Mum.

BUT

That didn’t stop us going off the rails – (well the boys that is) unfortunately when we became of age and even had families of our own, the world and it’s lures were all too much and even though I personally put on the face of a Christian and did all the ‘Christian” things – I was far off from the Lord.

But Mum and Dad kept on praying for us – determined and sure that God would bring us back to Him.

Personally for me their prayers have been answered.

Dad died in 1998 and our Dear Mum passed away in 2000. Before they died they both recorded a message to us from “beyond the grave” sort of thing and re-listening to them again recently I was staggered at Mum’s simple yet solid faith in God – determined that her sons would come back to the Lord.

She says at some point that she has never stopped praying for us even before we were born. And in another part that “It doesn’t matter if Dad and I don’t see it for we have prayed fervently for you all.”

Well I’m afraid they didn’t see it – But I know that one day we will ALL meet around the throne of God in unity and love of our Lord and Saviour.

Here is a transcript of her message – I pray that you will be blessed as you read it as I was to hear it.

The prayers of a faithful Mum and Dad for their kids is awesome in it’s simplicity and mighty in it’s outcome – Praise God.

(From my Mum)
As my Savior has said – Weep not for me for I have only gone ahead to rest and wait for you in a place where there is no more pain or loss.

My children, when you were under our care your Dad and I endeavoured under the scant knowledge that was ours to show you that God has an infinite plan for us.

That plan of God’s was to bring home to us the amazing power and love that is available to anyone who has surrendered their hearts and love to the guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit which is the gift from God to those, when in faith believe in the hearts and confess with their mouths that Jesus is the Messiah, died to pay the price of our sins and that He rose again.

I tried to teach you of The advantages of a committed life, of the security we have knowing that what ever happens we are the children of the Almighty God and nothing can separate us from Him – we have someone to go to when we are in trouble – and who isn’t in this sad world of ours.

Our God is a prayer answering and miracle working God – how many times have we proven that – over and over again.

He has promised never to fail or forsake those who put their trust in Him.

Sin unconfessed is the only thing that can disturb that relationship which exists between man and His maker for sin uncovered by the sacrifice of the Son of God CANNOT, literally CANNOT, exist in the presence of the glory and holiness of the Father.

So that those who have not come in faith to the Father find that sin puts a barrier between them.

Sin estranges God and Man – for the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ happened only that man may be restored to the relationship that should exist between the creature and his creator.

Gods greatest miracle is not the creation of the world, the suspension of the sun, the ceaselessness of the tide, Gods greatest miracle is the salvation of the human soul that all people should be saved and is unwilling that any should be lost and He has bound up the salvation of men and women with the prayerful ministry of his own people.

There is no doubt that the prayers for the salvation of others are well within the will of God. Your Dad and I have prayed fervently for the salvation of all our family – and this type of prayer is never in doubt and being the will of God shall in is own good time be fulfilled.

It doesn’t matter if your Dad and I don’t see it, for we have prayed for you all and these are just some of these promises we have held for you all.

Isaiah 54:13 That you all will be “taught of the Lord” and great will be your peace.
Psalm 119:11 That you all will “hide God’s word in your hearts.”
Colossians 1:9 That God will fill you all with the knowledge of His will so that you can walk in a way that’s pleasing to Him and that your lives will bear fruit.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 That your hearts will trust in the Lord and not lean on your own understanding
Psalm 5:12 That God’s favour will surround you all like a shield.

I can assure you, my children, that you were prayed for and committed unto the Lord before you were born- the Grandchildren also – and Gods promises are true.

The salvation of a soul is a mighty BIG undertaking for it just doesn’t include cleansing from sin but a full commitment of a life to God’s will and the receiving of a place in the family of God and the freely given gift of a life everlasting to Christians of all ages – there is no generation gap here – and also the presence of our beloved Lord Himself.

No one can be saved unless they are convicted or conscious of sin and when that consciousness of sin is present the way is opened to bring that one to the feet of the Saviour.

To confess and repent, that is being sorry for sins committed, and being determined to turn to Christs way of living will enable us to partake freely of the peace, joy and love that can be found in this earth.

Turning from sin and trusting Jesus also includes safety and perfection in the next world when our Lords presents us faultless before the presence of His Father and ours.

Now I know we have enjoyed a happy life together in spite of troubles that may have sunk the ship, but we also shared the gift of laughter, a sense of fun, of little private jokes as well as tears and I am very pleased to have loved you all and I am so looking forward to a wonderful reunion with you ALL in our Lord’s good time.

Your dad and I praying that you all will see the value of sins forgiven, a walk in a plain path, and a keeping in a world of sorrow and danger.

May God bless you all my darlings from the eldest to the youngest child and may He give through you the answer to our continual prayer.

Will the circle be unbroken? – God grant that it may – see you in the morning – Love you – Mum.


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Tenderly

English: Jesus healing the sick by Gustave Dor...

“I led them with cords of human kindness, with the ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.” (Hosea 11:4 NIV)

 

I just completed the first draft of this post when the phone rang. It was the nurse from the elementary school calling to tell me my son was sick. He stayed in the clinic for a half hour but still wasn’t feeling better. So, she thought she should call and have me pick him up. I did but with reluctance. I have to admit, I like my quiet days when all of the kids are gone. I went to get him giving up my plans for the day.

 

I read this scripture a couple of days ago and I can’t get it out of my head. These words talk about a God who loves. It talks about a God who cares. It talks about a God who is tender.

 

I read these words and it reminded me of the many times I have taken care of my children when they were sick. My boys especially like to be taken care of when they are feeling under the weather. They like to curl up on the couch with their blankets and pillows. They turn the television on for hours of uninterrupted Sponge Bob and I take care of them. If they need a drink, I get it for them. If they are willing to eat, I make them whatever they ask for. I enjoy taking care of them for a day or two. After that, I’m ready for them to fend for themselves again. But for that short time, as they heal, I do whatever I can to make them feel better. It’s part of being a parent.

 

I thought about this with this verse today. The words that jumped out at me were “bent down to feed them”. God is talking about Himself here. He is the Almighty One, The Creator of all things. He is God and yet, He bends down to feed those He loves. He meets them where they are. He doesn’t require them to rise in order to be fed, He comes to them. I love this picture. He sees our pathetic state. We are slaves to our sin. We are without any hope of curing ourselves. We have even chosen to stay yoked together with the things that hold us captive. But He comes to us anyway. He lifts the very thing that is making us sick. He removes it. He takes it out of our lives. And He doesn’t leave it at that. He remains while we heal. As we gain our strength, He gives us what we need. He is tender in His care for us.

 

I don’t know, this just really spoke to me today. In our journey with Him, there will be times we choose to wander away from Him. We may even find ourselves in some grievous sin. But God always comes to us. He always leads us with “cords of human kindness, with the ties of love”. He removes our sin and remains with us, affectionately loving us while we regain our strength. He doesn’t walk away in disgust. He stays with us gently caressing our heads reminding us that we will feel better soon.

 

Thank You Lord for this beautiful picture of your love.

 

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The Prayer Closet

Yesterday, a verse from Luke jumped out at me. Amongst everything else that I had underlined in my bible, this one line stared out at me. Throughout the day, it stayed with me, reminding me, teaching me. What is this verse that made me think so much?

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16.

Here was the Son of God, always at one with the Father needing to withdraw into His prayer closet to pray. When I thought about it more, I wondered if He truly needed to do that. After all, Jesus and the Father are one. So, if that is the case, why the need to go somewhere devoid of people to communicate with the Father? Didn’t He already know what was in the Father’s heart? Isn’t Jesus the Word made flesh? Wasn’t the Word present from the very beginning?

So, why the need to go away to some lonely place to talk to the Father? Wouldn’t the information already be downloaded into His heart, imprinted there because He and the Father are one?

As I mulled on that verse, 2 things kept getting highlighted.

1. Relationship.

2. Example.

Jesus was in a relationship with His Father. He submitted to the Father’s will, it was all He did, it was His food. He may have known everything the Father had wanted Him to do, but He chose to fellowship, to communicate with the Father, heart to heart. It wasn’t all about the ministry, the doing, the multitudes of people that surrounded Him. Those all came secondary to what was first and evident to Jesus. Relationship with the Father. Seeking Him. Having communion with Him. Enjoying His presence. Listening to Him. Spending time with the Father in the busiest time of ministry. Resting in Him. When people clamored for Him, cried after Him, wanted Him to meet their needs, He often withdrew to spend time with the Father.

In ministry, it’s not always easy to step away and take a break. People’s needs are big. Sometimes, it feels as if you didn’t help right away, things would fall apart. Things wouldn’t get done. People would not receive Jesus into their lives. It took me a few years to learn that no matter how many called out with needs, I am not their Saviour. It is not about me and what I can do for them. No one can meet their truest needs. And as a missionary, I had to come to terms with the fact that I am not helping anyone if I allowed them to depend on me and not on the only Saviour there is. Jesus.

Relationship with the Father through Jesus, His Son.

That is what Jesus modeled. We all need to withdraw to places where we can be alone with Him. Just Him and us. No one else, no projects, no business meetings,no have-to-do lists on our minds, no nothing. Just Him and us, to enjoy sweet fellowship, to hear Him, to have a heart to heart, to just sit by His feet.

And it is from that place of sweet communion that we will be filled so that we are then able to give out to others and teach them the example that Jesus showed us so that they too, when they are faced with the multitudes of people clamoring after them and problems as high as mountains, will know how to tap into the resources that are found at the basis of a relationship with the Father through His Son.

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Love Like Jesus–A Storm and a Wedding: Mark 4:37-39

Love Like Jesus Calm the Storm

A Storm Hits a Wedding Ceremony

I went to this wedding once where the person who took charge of planning the wedding had a beautiful vision for it. It was going to happen outside and it was going to be done in a very particular way so as to make the setting spectacular. The only thing was, everything was geared for outdoors. The venue was an outdoor venue, so the wedding and reception depended on dry calm weather. And whenever the person who was planning this thing was asked what she would do if it rained, she simply said: It won’t rain.

Well guess what?

A storm came through, and it rained.

And the weather outside wasn’t the only storm happening that day. With no indoor venue or arrangements made whatsoever, the wedding planner just shut down. Panic and pandemonium ensued as the bride, the bride’s mother, and many others frantically attempted to put something together.

This is a great article written by Kurt from God Running.

We have the power to help those around us, we can help them to calm down, to think, to rationalize, to simply pull themselves together and rest from the chaos within. How do we do this? Calm the storm…what can you do to help that person in need? Listen, talk with that person? Often the fact that you show you care is a help in itself.

To finish reading this article, please go to http://godrunning.com/2013/05/18/love-like-jesus-calm-the-storm-mark-437-39/
Check out the many other great articles on Kurt’s site while you are there, and let him know you liked something he wrote.

Related articles:

Forgive and Forget  (The Art of Pursuit)
Closing the deal with my mom… (Lori Lara)

 

 


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SURVIVING A CRISIS

By Neil Anderson

Luke 11:17 

A house divided against itself falls
 
Satan’s strategy is to use a problem situation to put you and your spouse at odds with each other. Jesus said, “A house divided against itself falls” (Luke 11:17). Many times I have said to parents, “Don’t let this pull you apart.” Inevitably they glance at each other, because that’s precisely what’s been going on.
 
“If you would have been more firm with our child, this wouldn’t have happened,” one blames.
 
“It’s because you didn’t set the standards by having family devotions every night,” the other retorts.
 
Or if they did have devotions, “You just read to the children, you never communicate with them!”
 
“If you were home more often, I’d have more time to communicate with them!”
 
There may be a grain of truth in every statement above. But it’s history, and tearing each other down will only make the problem worse. You must be united in order to survive the crisis. Character-bashing is from the pit.
 
Many parents are intimidated by a child’s threats or find it easier to give in to a temper tantrum than not to. But you cannot let a rebellious child rule the home. It takes an iron will and the grace of God to stand your ground and not let your child control you. Sad are the children whose parents let them rule the roost. Even sadder are the children whose parents rule without love. If you manage to control through loveless intimidation and force, your child will be emotionally crippled. Rules without a relationship lead to rebellion.
 
Any crisis in the home can make or break you. You can choose to grow through the crisis and become a better person than you were before. Romans 5:3, 4, encourages, “We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.”
 
Prayer: Lord, I refuse Satan’s strategy to divide our home by quenching our love or overemphasizing rules. Help me do my part to keep our home united in You.
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