Devoted To Thee

Been Bitten By the Love Bug?

2012-01-03T14:29:00.000-08:00

Christian love….. These very words spoken can generate warm fuzzies in the heart and make one feel spiritually justified in their relationships, while at the same time living in estrangement from certain fellow believers. This is not true Christian love. We are living in deception.

The Bible speaks of love for the brethren and the importance of “Christian love” among believers in very serious terms and ones that we would do well to take heed to. When salvation comes to the human heart and a life is transformed by the power and Holy Spirit of God, all things are to be transformed. Our desires change, habits change and actions change. The things we once loved are changed and new loves take their place.

Why then, is it so difficult for some professing Christians just to get along? If we are walking in the Spirit of God, then we are going to love what the Spirit of God loves. Because “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost…”, should we not be empowered to love what He loves? That “shed abroad” love refers to a gushing out of love. That kind of overflowing love is hard to contain!

I spoke with a new Christian friend recently and she said something very profound to me. I have contemplated her statement ever since. She said that one of the things that has touched her life the most since her salvation has been the genuine care and Christian love that she has experienced since attending our church. It reminded me of what the Bible says in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Christ’s love for us is a very powerful thing. It’s more than just sweet words. Christ’s love demanded action and if His love be in us---then it ought to be seen, felt and heard in us also.

I am so thankful for the loving Christians who have left an imprint on my friend’s life. Your genuine Christianity has been noticed. But then I also thought of those who have lost that first love for their fellow Christians. Love has grown sour, cold or indifferent. Desires to reach out to others, sacrifice for others or even just enjoy fellow believers has diminished. How do we ever expect to reach lost relatives, friends or neighbors when we cannot love those who share the same Heavenly Father with us?

I John 3:14 “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.”

How can we honestly say we love someone that we rarely desire to speak with? How can we say we love the brethren when we find ourselves constantly consumed with little things that annoy us? How can we honestly profess to love others when we are easily offended by them? A continually offended heart is a self-consumed, selfish heart. That is not love, dear one. You might be doing a great job in tolerating a sister or brother in Christ but please do not call it love. That is hypocrisy.

I John 4:20-21 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.”

You might say, “Mrs. Shaffer, I don’t hate so and so, we just don’t see eye to eye. Our personalities clash.” What we justify, the Bible may condemn. I Peter 4:8 “And above all things have fervent (boiling) charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

Our boiling over, red hot love for others will literally cause us to look past what may annoy our own flesh. That is what Jesus Christ did for us when He went to the cross. It was His love for us sinful wretches that caused Him to hang on those nails in our place. We are called to “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

Let me encourage all of us to love one another with a pure heart and fervently. The world around us is watching! Our non-hypocritical love is an evidence of the love of God that has been shed abroad in our heart. Is real love seen in you? Is it clearly shown and evidenced by your walk, talk and manner of life?

Let’s be willing to truly examine our hearts in this area. Someone’s eternity depends on it.

Life Is The Pits!

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes…..life can be the pits! What a pitiful place to find yourself when you land in “the pits”! We have all been there at some time or another and if we are honest with ourselves, it was not a pleasant experience!

Truly life was the pits for Joseph because his own loved ones despised him enough to attempt to get rid of him. Later on, when he was minding his own business, a woman who wanted to get even, tried to trap him in an immoral situation and he had to flee. Life was not pleasant for Joseph. Even King David spent time in the pits!

Psalm 40:2, “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”

It must have been like a living death to be always chased and hunted down like an animal by King Saul. David knew what the pits were like. He deeply lamented his son Absalom’s rebellion and subsequent death. Sometimes the people closest to us can cause the deepest wound in our spirit and bring about the harshest emotional hurt. These situations can become the open door to….the pits! Entering into that state is truly no place for a blood bought child of God.

The hardest, most soul anguishing situations of this life could be used by God to mold us into vessels to honor, as in Joseph’s case, if we would just avoid taking up permanent residence in the pity pit. You are not the first person to ever be misunderstood or mistreated. Do you want to be permanently disabled for the Lord by your fiery trial or would you prefer to work through the “pit time” in your life and come out of it spiritually well-adjusted and able to help others?

Here are a few things that I have learned from the pit times of my life. I would never have made it out of the pit if it had not been for the Lord. That is the secret of survival! Your faith in the LORD must be greater than your desire to get even or to protect your own self. Here is what I learned:

1. Cry if you need to…but just for a time and never in self-pity. Just putting on a stiff upper lip will only cause the wound to open again later. Tears are a language that our God understands! You can always cry on His shoulder.

2. Pour your grief out on the Lord. Let Him know how you are feeling. Allow yourself to talk to someone who is spiritually strong and dear to you. Sometimes we need another’s faith and strength to encourage us. Let them steer you to right thinking about your situation. Don’t begrudge their input.

3. Recognize God’s face in the person who has hurt you. Believe Romans 8:28. Remind yourself that God makes NO mistakes. This trial did not take Him by surprise and He obviously has something for you to learn from it. Remember that God sent Joseph to Egypt and used the people who mishandled Joseph for His plan! Psalm 105:17-19 “He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.”

4. Don’t pull away from people in order to protect your heart from further hurts. Reach out and be a help to others….even when you are hurting.

5. Stay close to your Abba Father. Talk to Him…moment by moment. Lean on Him. Cling to Him and listen to Him through the comfort of His Word. Don’t allow yourself to wallow in self pity. That is a clear evidence of a lack of faith and will be a sure sign of resignation to the pits.

6. Love the one who hurt you. A spiritually minded woman will heed the warning in Luke 6:27-35, “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other: and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? For sinners Also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do Good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: …”

If your life is all about you….you might as well select a permanent address in the pity pit, for that is where you will find yourself most of the time. It is so important that we learn life lessons from the hurts and pain that God allows to come our way. Let it make you sensitive so that you don’t repeat the wound on others.

Work diligently with the LORD to keep a forgiving heart….It will keep you free from the pity pit!

Remind Me Of Calvary, LORD

2011-10-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

There are so many heart breaking and soul anguishing life situations that come upon us during our lifetime and they can sometimes leave us stressed out, bitter, broken, in doubt, consumed with fear and anxiety and troubled to the point that we are never the same after the catastrophe. Should it really be this way?

Just this week, we learned of the untimely death of a pastor friend and colleague in the ministry. The shock was extreme for us, as he is still a young man in his fifties, but can you imagine how earth shattering this situation is for his wife, children and grandchildren? Life events like this can derail even the best of Christians if we allow it. But, sad to say, it usually takes much less than the death of a spouse to cause most Christians to quit, pull back, give up and just say, “I’ve had enough”. We can quickly become resentful blamers and complainers, filled with self pity and left powerless and sitting on a shelf for the cause of Christ.

Why does it happen this way so often? It’s because our flesh life is what we are really living by and the faith life is what we may call upon in emergencies only! That is not the way it should be!

The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is our victory! In everything and in every part of this earthly life, it is to be our deliverance! Do you truly understand the value of the cross of Christ in your life?

The cross of Christ at Calvary, broke the power of sin over me when I repented and turned from that sin at the time of salvation. I need to accept that and yield to its power over my life! I don’t need to wallow, get angry, become distrustful and estranged from friends and loved ones in order to “deal” with my crises of life. I don’t need to withdraw and crawl into the den of bitterness in order to “deal” with my hurt. There is deliverance for my sorrow! Romans chapter six very clearly describes that. Romans 6:6-7 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.”

That is power dear friend! In your trial….remember Calvary! When your heart is filled with pain and you’re tempted to complain….remember Calvary. When all hope is gone, you are feeling helpless and defeated and you cannot see the way ahead of you….remember Calvary!

Life is hard.

Friends will let us down. There will be times when the very ones you poured your life into, will turn on you. Count on it. There will be times when we will feel so all alone, but if you are choosing to live the flesh life over the faith life and to allow your distractors to discourage you and turn you aside, then you are doomed to spiritual failure and a life of joylessness!

Remember Calvary! Our Lord went to the cross for a purpose, ladies. The cross of Christ is my victory over flesh and lust! I don’t have to be subject to my feelings any longer! Galatians 5:24 “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

Our problem? We just don’t die easily. I cannot get the victory over my flesh by myself! But…oh….when I remember Calvary and surrender to its power in my life, I also recognize who my enemy really is and that Satan has been deemed powerless over me….because of the cross of Christ! Oh---- Praisealleluia!

Remember Calvary, dear friends! Satan does not care if you wear out and get a martyr complex. He doesn’t care if you cast off the spiritually minded friends who have been a spiritual mentor for you your whole life. He does not care one whit, if you conceal yourself from others and gather yourself in your quiet spot to lick your wounds and count up all your life hurts and annoyances that have helped bring you down to the pit. He doesn’t care.

Jesus cares! Wouldn’t you love to deal once-and-for-all with your sin and your faithlessness? I encourage you to get on your face before a Holy, Righeous God and identify your sin before Him. Your enemy is not greater than your LORD!

God has a purpose in our trouble. Go to the cross. Remember Calvary!

II Corinthians 1:8-9 “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:”

Ever been to the place where you despaired even of life? I have.

II Corinthians 1:9 “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.”

Remember Calvary dear one. That is where we will find victory over sin and the flesh that so easily besets us…

Do you really want to live a Godly life?

2011-09-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

If you call yourself a Christian and a true follower of Christ; how much do you really want to be like Him? A.W. Tozer said, “There are no shortcuts to a Godly life. There are no shortcuts to sanctity.”

If the truth be known, most of us want an acceptable and more comfortable facsimile of a “Godly life” so we can appease our own consciences and still feel that we are acceptable to God. Perhaps it might be wise to consider what a Godly life really looks like?

II Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

A Godly life will include persecution. Imagine saying, “Won’t you come to Jesus so you can experience a persecuted life?” More often than not, Christianity is falsely advertized as a sinner’s problem solver and his future will be a flower strewn pathway with blessings that abound and happily ever after life experiences.

The truth is….Christ IS a problem solver! He does daily load us with benefits! (Psalm 68:19) In truth, He gives us more than we even deserve! That is His mercy and grace spilled out on undeserving children of the Father.

The truth is, a Godly Christian walk is a cross bearing walk. It is a life of self-denial. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

A Godly Christian life is not about me. It cannot be about me. For every Christian who desires a Godly, holy life, you don’t want it to be about you! It is about death to self and a willingness to take up a cross and follow after Christ. It’s a desire to be like the One who paid the price for our wicked sin! How can I ever forget what He has done for me?

Psalm 66:16 “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.”

This Biblical mindset really changes the whole picture of present day Christianity doesn’t it? The Christianity of our world today is so far from self-denial and being like-Christ, that it is shameful. How many times in a day do we fall into that same way of living?

There is an old chorus that I have always loved and I have often wondered how many times it has been sung ….in hypocrisy…?

To Be Like Jesus

To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus,
All I ask…to be like Him.
All through life’s journey, from earth to glory…
All I ask…to be like Him.

Christianity…. Is this my true heart’s desire? Am I willing to bear a cross for my Lord? Am I willing to die to self in order to be like Jesus? Am I willing to suffer for Him to remain faithful to Him? Am I “into” Christianity for the “perks” that may come my way?

I really don’t have to verbally answer these questions….my life lived---already does.

Anticipating the Next Generation

2011-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

As I sit here writing this column, I am anxiously awaiting the anticipated phone call that tells us that it’s time to head to the hospital, to await the arrival of our very first grandchild! There are no words to describe the giddy excitement that my husband and I are experiencing as we await our grandson’s entrance into our world. Tears come to my eyes just thinking about seeing his precious little face for the first time. I can almost smell his sweet little breath and can’t wait to kiss his soft pink cheek.

I have to admit, I’ve been twitter pated like this for some time now. I don’t talk about it much because I just don’t want to come across too terribly obsessed about becoming a grandmother for the first time! I have done a lot of introspection on these strange feelings I am experiencing. Why do I feel this way about a baby I’ve never even seen? What makes him so different from other babies born everyday of the week? Do all grandmas in waiting feel this way? Why didn’t I feel this same giddy excitement when my own babies were about to be born? Don’t get me wrong, I was excited about the birth of my own children, but nothing like what I’m feeling right now! Perhaps the anticipation of labor and delivery kept me from real - over the moon giddiness.

I have even asked other grandmas who are in love with their grandchildren, why it’s so different when your own children are about to become a parent? Did they feel like I do too?

These and many other thoughts have been swarming my mind in recent weeks and months. I think I have finally come to a few conclusions on why I am so pumped with excitement and so emotional about the birth of this little boy.

The first reason I see is that my good husband and I have waited longer than most people our age to finally have grandchildren. We have watched many of our dearest friends have their first grandchildren and most are much younger than we are. I have also come to understand that at 59 years old, I have a healthy respect for life and what it means to see the next generation begin in a family. The Bible talks a lot about generations of families. Some were good, while others lived with a curse on their family because of wrong choices.

I am a second generation Christian mother. My children are third generation Christians. That means that they have chosen my God and His Word to be their God too. Everyone in our family is in spiritual unity on this subject and that makes looking forward to the 4th generation that much more pleasurable. I have found that it is unusual to find three generations of families who chose to walk with God…let alone four generations. I am not at all afraid or apprehensive about how my grandson will be raised. I am not fearful that he will be taught to despise the Word of God or to take it lightly. That does not lessen the responsibility that his parents, my son and my daughter-in-law have in raising him according to high Biblical standards. It is so exciting to know that as new grandparents, we can have spiritual influence on the next generation in our family.

What a thrill it is to see our own little boy grow up and now stand on the threshold of parenthood himself. I feel a weight of responsibility to be a Godly grandmother. I want to be remembered by my grandson as a grandma who loved Jesus. I want him to always remember that his grandma loved God’s book, the Bible more than any other book in the world! There are so many things I want to teach him… and show him…. Oh, so many…. I can’t wait to get started!

Good Advice Learned From My Father, for These Perilous Times

2011-07-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

II Timothy 3:1-2, 14 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”

Vs. 14 “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou has learned them.”

I am most grateful that I still have my 84 year old father with me and even more blessed that I can still learn spiritual truths from him. I am living proof that you never outgrow your need for a father and should cherish the treasure of having a Godly one! Recently I heard my father preach again, and he left nuggets of truth that I recall hearing him share throughout my life. May I share some of them with you?

Treasures of Truth

1. Don’t trust in yourself. In this culture of proud boasters, lovers of self, unthankful and completely self-absorbed, we need to realize that self must go! We cannot lean on the arm of flesh and make it in these last days. The scripture must be number one in my life! If I am to stand faithful to the Lord all the way to the rapture, I must not put confidence in my flesh. There must be a power stronger than my own flesh.

2. Whatever my hand finds to do for the Lord, I need to do it! I should not be lazy in my Christian life. I need to look for opportunities to serve my Lord. I should look for ways to make myself a servant to others. Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”

3. Believe that God can do His plan for your life…through you. Don’t be a faithless servant of the Lord. Don’t let your lack of faith stop you! Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him…” Faithless saints accomplish little for the One who saved them. That kind of Christian life will not help you endure in perilous times! You will not stay faithful to Christ without a strong faith in the Lord.

4. Be patient. Trusting the Lord is always profitable for us. In the same way that a forest of trees does not grow lush and beautiful overnight, your Christian life will not become mature overnight either. Learn to walk by faith and wait patiently on the LORD.

5. Don’t try to control God. We live in a culture that is masterful at manipulating their life circumstances and people around them. You can’t do that with God! Learn to conform to God’s plan and just trust Him!

6. Do not be easily discouraged. Our quick discouragement only reveals our lack of faith. We will learn more from our defeats than we will from our victories! James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;” Don’t be a Christian who goes AWOL.

7. Pray frequently, fervently and much! Life’s battles will be won on our knees! James 5:16b “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

8. Enlist the prayers of other Christians. Don’t be so proud that you cannot ask prayer of other saints of God. James 5:16a “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed.” Too many Christians refuse to ask others to pray for them for fear of exposing their own personal weaknesses. Praying for each other builds stronger churches because we learn to bear one another’s burdens. We are all works in progress. We are not to be museums of artificial trophies of God’s grace.

9. Do the best you can to walk in faithfulness and trust God to do the rest. Don’t be afraid to start out in the faith walk….it’s then that we can see the Lord step in and take over for us.

10. Learn to rejoice no matter what comes! Remind yourself everyday that you are serving a LIVING God! Our God is alive! Our rejoicing is a barometer of our faith in the Lord. There are too many sullen, joyless Christians. If you want to make it through the perilous times that are upon us….we must learn to focus on the victory that we already have in Christ and REJOICE in it! Psalm 19:8 “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

Habakkuk 3:18-19 “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places….”

No matter how perilous these times get….always be reminded that our God is on the throne! Indeed….our God Reigns!

Who Are You Loving to Jesus?

2011-06-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

Isn’t life moving fast? We’re all busy! Family graduations, birthday celebrations, weddings with their accompanying showers, babies and baby showers, house painting and remodeling, vacation planning, gardening, car repairs, washing machine and furnace repairs, jobs…full or part time, laundry, ironing, housecleaning, raising children, doctor appointments, grocery shopping, checkbook balancing, lawn mowing, church responsibilities from music to maintenance and everything in between. All of these things and more fill our lives!

But….who are we loving to Jesus?

In all the hoopla that you call your life, dear child of God, who are you loving to Jesus? Who are you nurturing and loving on, in an effort to share Christ and what His life changing salvation can do for them? Have you ever sat down with a lost relative, friend or neighbor and opened your Bible to share with them, the wonder and hope found in the Word of God?

Before that can ever happen, you must first be their friend. Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” It takes time to be a friend. It takes time to make a friend of someone else. This cannot be a casual thing. It must be a deliberate, compassionate action of your own heart and will. Do you think you have time for such a thing?

I believe the real problem most Christians have in loving others to Jesus, is that we are often too selfish with our own selves and time. Our personal “to-do” lists overwhelm most of us and there is no time left to be concerned for the lost soul of a relative, friend or neighbor. We started a program in our church many years ago called, Each One Reach One. For those of us who were here then, I wonder how many have stuck to reaching ‘that one’? It doesn’t happen overnight. You must be consistent in praying, caring for and being there, for your “each one- reach one”. Has your burden diminished for those who do not know what the Bible says about how to get to Heaven? Have you failed to care that they might want to know?

Present day Christianity has taken on more of a … ‘but what about me’ mentality. Christians are so self-focused. Too many churches are filled with opinionated, pew sitting, stressed out with life in general, critiquing Christians who have never personally won one soul to Christ, and yet they seem to have the answers for everyone, from the preacher on down. Many of us look more like what II Timothy 3:1-5 talks about, than what true Christianity should reflect.

II Timothy 3:1-5 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

This is strong language for us to hear but this is the Bible speaking to all of us. Too many “Christian congregations” are so filled with their own personal achievements that they have an inflated view of themselves and no clear view of a lost and dying world around them. Many have become high-minded, unthankful and have taken up the task of becoming false accusers of those who are trying to serve the Lord. What has our form of “godliness” done to love someone else to Jesus? When was the last time we baked some cookies or a loaf of bread and took it to our lost friend or neighbor? When was the last time you expressed real love for someone outside of your own church or your own family? When was the last time you put your arm around a lost person in a show of caring compassion for what they were going through? How is the world around us ever going to know what the love of Christ really looks like if they cannot see His reflection in us?

Be a Jesus with skin on! Be His voice over the backyard fence! Be His hand in reaching out with compassion to some hurting soul! Be His reflection in how you care about the concerns of someone other than your own family and your already established friends.

We need to get past our own spiritual blindness and pride, and turn our eyes upon Jesus. Let us see this world, dear LORD…as though we were looking through Your eyes….

Are you willing to set aside some of the busyness of your life to devote time to nurturing a lost friend to Christ? Are you willing to set aside your “issues” of life to devote time to praying for someone that you can reach for the Lord? Are you willing to call your critical spirit the sin that God calls it, so that your focus in life can change? Are you willing to love on someone else beside your own family with the intent of seeing them come to Christ?

Who will you love to Jesus? Will you love someone to Jesus?

Getting to Know the God of the Valley

2011-05-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Discouragements, trials and temptation times are common life occurrences. These are faith testing occasions and actually quite good for us. Our faith in God’s power and provision will cause us to turn to Him in the hard times and our lack of faith in His power will cause us to get angry at God and grow bitter toward God and people. These times can cause us to question whether God is even there with us or even if He cares. How well do you know the God of the Valley?

II Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

What do you do when your heart is breaking over a wayward son or daughter? Where do you go when you have been falsely accused or verbally attacked by someone you love? Where do you go to look for comfort when disappointments in life leave you feeling empty and abandoned? What do you do when there are no answers for that crisis situation that you are facing?

You see, dear friend, God knows what you are going through. Your situation is not new to Him! Don’t let Satan tell you that you are alone in your trial and no one really knows what you are feeling or going through. Satan loves to isolate us. To make us feel like we are all alone. Your faith in God’s ability to carry you through the fire will lead you to fall into His everlasting and comforting arms. He is there… “in all our tribulation…” and His comfort is satisfying to the soul of the one who will take God at His Word and just trust in Him!

Sometimes God will bring a person into our life who will be that Jesus with skin on to point us to the comfort that our thirsty soul so desperately needs. Guard against resenting those who attempt to encourage you to turn your eyes of trust and faith upon the Lord. Those are not just trite, quippy sayings that they are sharing with you. That is sound, Biblical truth.

In our desire for “comfort” and understanding from man, we must not disregard counsel that directs us to think Biblically about our trial. It is so easy to become a wallower in our discouragement. This is a pathetic state for a Christian to come to. This is a faithless existence and will separate us from having a warm, fervent relationship with Christ. You will also find yourself estranged from spiritually minded people who won’t coddle your faithless thinking.

What is our problem?

We need a perspective overhaul! Whose comfort are we really seeking? You will know that answer by how you react to a friend who speaks biblical truth to you! Those who have been hurt should realize quickly that the comfort that lifts us out of our despair can only come from God! He will often use people as His instrument to encourage and shine a light on proper Biblical thinking about our trial. Please don’t reject God’s instrument of comfort in your life….

God has a purpose for your trial and the subsequent valley. He is very capable of bringing peace to your troubled heart and releasing you from the hurt and anxiety you are living with. God has no limitations! He has very big shoulders and is just waiting to rescue us from our personal hurt. Just trust your situation to Him! Let it go! Take your hands off the problem. Don’t defend your right to be hurt and to carry a grudge or resentment. There is no emotional baggage greater, than the grudge you hang on to.

If we refuse to choose to accept…by faith…God’s comfort in tribulations, then we open our lives up to the curse of bitterness, unhappiness and estrangement in our own personal relationships. God’s purpose for the trials and tribulations is to teach us and strengthen us. He wants us to be able to learn to comfort others, in the same way God has comforted us!

Have you ever allowed yourself to joyfully experience first hand, the comfort of the grace of God in your life? Sometimes God wants us to go through hard things….for the sake of others! I have learned this from personal experience!

The God of the mountains is still God in the valley.

The God of the good times, is still God in the bad times!

Give up your fight and draw from the well of God’s comfort and be at peace…

What’s Wrong With American Christians?

2011-04-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

My heart is full and running over with the sights, sounds and memories of three weeks in South Africa. This was our second trip to this dark continent. So many things touched my heart and left lasting impressions there. Both my husband and I long for a call of God to take the gospel to these precious, seeking souls half a world away. As my good husband has said several times now, “If only I could manufacture a call of God to go, we’d be on an airplane headed back to Africa right now!”

Yet…we have returned to our own mission field. Sometimes we fail to recognize our city as the mission field, but it is! There are so many in our own town that do not know that they are truly on their way to Heaven because they have had a life changing, soul converting, salvation experience with the Lord Jesus Christ. We live in a very religious community, but what are most trusting to get them to God’s Heaven? Do they even
know what the Bible says about how to have forgiveness of sin and the promise of a home in Heaven? There are so many good people in our mission field! Many are sincerely trying to live good lives, but just being a good person is not enough to take us to Heaven. We all must be born again…the way the Bible says.

So, what did I learn in Africa?

First of all, I learned that we are privileged and so blessed to financially support some very dedicated missionaries!

The Wyatts

The Kuzels

The Norbergs

We must continue to pray for all these families and to be faithful in our support of them.

Secondly I learned that American Christians are spiritual gluttons. We sit in our beautiful churches week after week and pick through the spiritual feedings that are prepared and presented to us and think nothing of pushing back our spiritual plate of Bible teaching with half eaten food still lying on our plate. We are just not needy enough! We have so much and have heard so much that we can critique and dismiss anything that doesn’t suit our spiritual taste buds. In Africa, I saw neediness and hunger in the eyes of people young and old.

I saw a desire to learn, to be taught and to know more…

I saw appreciation for God’s man in their life and for his teaching to them…

What about us? Have we lost our neediness? Are we satisfied with where we are at spiritually? I think American Christians have a sophisticated blindness that leaves us spiritually anemic. I must ask myself….is this me?

Revelation 3:16-17 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked.”

Perhaps religious persecution or a loss of material possessions would cause us to once again appreciate the simple blessings of having our very own Bible, a comfortable, climate-controlled church building to meet in and a Godly pastor who labors to nourish our souls every week, through the preaching of God’s Word.

Yes….neediness would be very good for us.

The Best Beauty Treatment

2011-03-01T04:00:00.000-08:00

Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: For of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

Women spend a lot of time and money on beauty supplies. Everything from shampoos, conditioners, straighteners, gells, highlights, lowlights, perms, facials, anti-aging creams, mineral treatments, botox, teeth bleaching and everything in between, are sought after in an effort to feel better about ourselves. Even after spending exorbitant amounts of money on our bodies to look and feel beautiful, most women are not any happier with their body or looks.

Why? Because we have not changed the way we think and perceive ourselves. What we need is not body treatments…we need mind treatment! We need to think about ourselves the way that God thinks about us for that is where the truth lies.

Here is some Bible truths that every woman needs to claim for her own. These are not just good thoughts….they are truth from God Himself. They can revitalize your life and fill you with abundant joy if you will take them to heart, by faith.

Truth #1

God thinks about you! You really are important to God…..but don’t take my word for it. Listen to His Word…

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Psalm 139:17-18 “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.”

Imagine that! The God of the universe thinks about me! Ask the Lord for wisdom to see life and yourself from His frame of reference. You’ll not feel alone or insignificant any longer!

Truth #2

Remembering that God knew about me before I was ever born, proves that I am not a mistake! He planned for me to be here! How do we know this?

Psalm 139:13-16 “For thou has possessed my reins: thou has covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

We must be of great value to our Creator God for Him to keep such a watchful eye on our very creation! He was aware of me before I was ever aware of myself!

Truth #3

He counts the very hairs on my head! The hairs on my head may not seem important to me….but they are to God! God even cares about the particulars! Matthew 10:30 “But the very hairs of your head are numbered.” Amazing! If your hair is important to God then how much more so is your heartache of concern to Him!

Truth #4

He doesn’t forget me but continues to show mercy and extend comfort to my soul.

God spoke of the children of Israel in tender ways even after they had disobeyed Him. Isaiah 49:15-16 “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands…”

If He would do that for the straying children of Israel, does He not care for you too?

Truth #5

He even counts my steps! Job 31:4 “Doth not he see my ways and count all my steps!” How can I feel insignificant when I remember that He sees me on the path I’m on and even counts the steps I take?

Truth # 6

My tears are even important to God. King David cried out to God in his trying times. We see that throughout the Book of Psalms. Too often, instead of shedding our tears before the Lord in prayer, we cry our selves into depression or suicidal thoughts. God wants us to cry unto Him! Crying to Him turns the focus of our tears from our own self-pity and onto His merciful heart. Tears really are a language that God understands for Jesus wept too! Our tears are of concern to God.

Psalm 56:8-9 “Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thybottle: are they not in thy book? When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.”
Cry unto the Lord, dear one, and let Him fight the battle for you! If you are His child, you can cry on His shoulder any time you need to! He is there! Don’t succumb to self-pity and depression in your shedding of tears. There is no help in depressed thinking.

Truth #7

Because you are important to God…your prayers are important too! Do you remember Cornelius in Acts 10:30-31? He was a lost man but he prayed prayers seeking after God. God listened to that lost man when he prayed to God! What makes you think God would not care to listen to your heart’s concern when you cry out to Him?

Remember…The most feeble knock will open Heaven’s door.

James 5:16 “….the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Come in humility before your Lord and just pray. He is as close as the mention of His name.

God takes note of our prayers and petitions that are sent His way. What a thought! Do you realize that your prayers really are powerful? The prayer of faith can change an entire life! God still has miracles He would like to perform in the lives of His children. We just need to pray them in!

Prayer should be our first resource…not our last resort!

In Conclusion…

Do you really want to be happy and living a joyful Christian life? Make sure that you have truly been born again…the Bible way. Being religious and doing all that your church tells you to do, cannot make you happy. Real joy comes from Truth applied to your heart and life. You cannot maintain joy by sheer willpower. It only comes by thinking God’s thoughts

James 1:8 “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

When we try to mix our “feelings thinking” with Biblical thinking…we are really double minded! I encourage you to begin thinking about yourself the way God thinks about you. Get in His Word and claim His promises for yourself! A Bible which is falling apart probably belongs to someone who isn’t!

Nehemiah 8:10 “…for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Claim God’s promises…AND BE HAPPY!!

Learning from the Innocent

2011-02-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

Today was a very sad day for me. My dear neighbor, Melissa, and her husband David, lost their eighteen year old Downs Syndrome son. Her loveable Andrew, who was hardly sick a day in his young life, contracted pneumonia right after Christmas. He had spent the last 2-3 weeks in ICU at a local hospital. My husband and I made it a priority to pray for Andrew’s recovery and for strength for his parents through this trying ordeal. We led our church to pray as well and kept them informed through mass emails about Andrew’s condition. Several times it looked like things were improving and he was making real progress. Excitement would mount for everyone and we would thank God for the progress. We always believed that God could heal Andrew for we knew that nothing is too hard for our Almighty God!

As Andrew’s lungs began to weaken from infections, antibiotics, tracheotomy surgery and everything that goes with trying to sustain life in a heavily sedated body, the nagging thought of whether he could make it through the physical trauma, seemed to take up residence in the back of our minds. We prayed for a miracle for Dave and Melissa’s Andrew. We prayed, because we knew that God can do anything He wants to do!

Alas….God saw fit to take Andrew from us tonight. As I stood in that hospital room and saw the anguish of heart in his loving parents and his dear sister and brother, my heart broke for them. How blessed they have been to have had this dear boy in their lives and how empty their life will be without him! It is true that God does not make mistakes…but somehow, from a human standpoint….this heart wrenching moment almost felt like it had to be a big mistake.

The question I mulled over in my mind all the way home from the hospital was this: Since we know that God makes no mistakes, why does it seem that He often takes an innocent life to teach the rest of us so many profound things about ourselves?

What had this innocent, loving boy ever done to anyone to have to go through this suffering? If we were to weigh the attitudes and behavior of the rest of us on a scale, and the outcome would determine whether we had to face a physical punishment of some kind, no doubt---we would all be found guilty! We would be deserving for certain. Yet, here was a Downs Syndrome boy, loving life and people, eager to please, full of
affection, not a mean bone in his body and yet he was the one going through the hard time. It just didn’t seem fair… What had he ever done to hurt anybody? Why should he be the one taken?

Then I remembered once again…the Son of God. The Innocent One. What had He ever done to deserve the treatment that He had to endure?

Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Oh, what love!

When an innocent one goes through something they don’t deserve to go through, it has a humbling effect on the rest of us. We are the ones that should suffer…not an innocent one. It was love for sinners that put Christ on the cross. It was love for sinful wretches like you and I that caused Him to say, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do…” Luke 23:34

The life of an innocent one always shines the light on our own wickedness. Who am I that The Innocent One should give Himself for a sinner like me! I’m thankful for the lessons I learned from an innocent one.

Inventory of the Heart - Part 5

2011-01-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

“It’s All About Me”

It’s all about me! What an ugly, self-serving statement to make! Most of us are repulsed by those who would toot their own horn or sing their own praises, but how often do Christians do the same thing but in a more sophisticated manner?

Let’s take a closer inventory of our heart ……

1. Do you take the slightest credit for anything good about you? One of the things I remember my father telling me as I was growing up was, “Don’t take seriously anything that is said, that is nice about you.” For a Christian, this life we are living is not to be about us. “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Col. 3:3 Are you more concerned about God receiving the glory from your life or are you concerned about receiving recognition and credit for what you do? Why are you doing what you are doing? Is it important to you that your talent be noticed by others?

2. Do you talk of what you have done, rather than of what Christ has done? Self absorption is a cancer in our culture. Everyone wants to be noticed, remembered and credited for any little thing they do. We live in a very narcissistic society. Pride makes people think that others are as interested in them as they are in themselves. Do you exalt the LORD in your conversation? Is Christ given credit for any accomplishment that you may attain? Let someone else notice your accomplishment and then in humility, turn it back to the LORD. Without Him…we are nothing anyway! Proverbs 27:2 “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth, a stranger, and not thine own lips.”

Self praise is carnal and very unbecoming for a child of God.

3. Are your statements mostly about “I”? Try keeping track of how many times per day that you say the word “I”. We all might be surprised how much of our lives are filled with selfish thinking.

4. Are your feelings easily hurt? When life is all about us…our feelings will be hurt on a regular basis. A life lived for self cannot tolerate or put up with slights or offences. When our feelings are easily hurt, we reveal the lack of a forgiving spirit. A woman who is living her life under the control of the Spirit of God will not be offended at every turn. She already recognizes the truth of Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing;…”

What is the real problem here? No peace with God!

Psalm 119:165 “Great peace have they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them.” When our life is all about Him, there is no space for harboring offenses.

5. Have you made a pretense of being something that you really are not? Ladies, lets all take a good look in God’s mirror. Do you see His reflection or do you see your own? The likeness of Christ is unmistakable in the life of a blood bought, dead to self, child of God. Our feelings will not be what drives us. Being noticed for service or accomplishments won’t matter at all. When our life is all about Him, we will happily serve Him, genuinely love others, put up with slights, surrender the preeminence and walk in humility…for Jesus sake. What a happy, peaceful place to exist!

I Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Is your life truly all about Him?

Stop the Merry-Go-Round – I Need to Get Off!

2010-12-02T19:00:00.000-08:00

For the past four or five months, we have been looking closely at an inventory of our heart. I have been placing myself under the same magnifying glass and holding my own feet to the fire of God's scrutiny as we have examined each part of this inventory. Only sins that are admitted—are sins that are confessed. We live in a lying culture. Few are really honest with themselves about who they really are before a Holy, Righteous God and even fewer will be honest enough to admit it to anyone else.

I don't know about you, but my soul longs for revival in America and revival in our churches among those who say they are Christians. To be a "Christian" is to be like Christ. What was He like? How did He think, react or respond to others? Our present day version of Christianity falls so short of the Bible standard for a Christian life, yet many professing Christians tenaciously defend their present form of Holiness and Godliness and criticize those who may bring them into question about their attitude and practice.

We need to stop the merry-go-round of this life and get honest with ourselves and our God about the true climate of our spiritual life. We need to admit our sins and humble ourselves enough to confess them.

1. If the sin is against God, confess it to God, and make those things right with God.

2. If the sin is against another person…confess it to God and then in humility make the sin right with the other person.

3. If the sin is against a group, another family, your church, confess it to God and make it right with that group of people.

The only way to have a full cleansing is to have a full confession of sin!

I John 1:8-9 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Let's ask ourselves some hard questions:

~ Are you faithful in your church attendance? Do you neglect daily, private prayer? Are you too busy on a regular basis to read the Word of God? Is Bible reading or prayer uninteresting to you? If it is, you are not very close to its Author or you lack genuine salvation. When you're in love with Jesus….your heart longs for Him. You will be jealous of the time you spend with Him. More of You, Lord! What I need is just more of You. Of things of this world I've had my fill…but what I need…is just more of You. Is this your heart beat? How much do you actually hunger for the Lord?

~ Do you ever by word or deed seek to hurt someone? Oh, we may not do a deed that could inflict hurt upon another, but our gossip and critiquing of others will do the same thing. Have you listened to yourself lately? It is so very easy to speak your opinion of someone to others and by your own voice inflections, speech and body language you have hurt the reputation of others.

Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings."

Let me encourage mothers and daughters…. It is very easy to share with one another what you like, dislike or question about other people. Dear mother, please do not pass on a family curse of a critical spirit by listening to your daughter gripe about other people to you. Direct her to what the scripture says about that kind of a tongue and heart. You are not helping her by listening. Without even realizing what you are doing, you can teach your daughter/daughter-in-law and friends to carry prejudice against true Christians just because they do not see everything exactly like you do!

This is grievous sin and goes completely against the scripture.

Ephesians 4:31 "Let all bitterness, and wrath and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:"

How serious is an inventory of your heart? How much do you care to have God's blessing on your life and family?

Inventory of the Heart - Part 4

2010-11-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

His Life….Or Mine

Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Over the past few months, the Lord has burdened me to take the time to really examine closely, the true nature and spiritual condition of my own heart. What are my motives in what I do and plan to do each day. Is there anything that I am hiding or cloaking over with busyness or indifference? Is there any area that I am reluctant or resistant to change or correct, in order to keep the inventory of my heart up to date and pure before my Lord?

These are hard sayings…it’s true. We must not say that we are devoted to Christ and continue to live self-sufficient, self-directed lives. We are not being honest with ourselves or with God. I find that much of American Christianity is full of self-promotion, self-desires and self-deception and is often wrapped up in a thin cloak of self-righteousness, just enough to make us feel good about what is underneath the cover up.

Two weeks ago, my husband and I returned from a three week trip to Prague, Czech Republic. We traveled with a group of twelve from our church and our mission was to help our church sponsored missionaries with follow-up work after a huge outreach campaign in that city.

I find something interesting happening to me every single time I go to the Czech Republic. I may be going there to help the Rettigs and the people of their growing work, but in truth….they help me more! Their newborn love and fervency for Christ and their burden for their lost countrymen is so painfully honest and easy to see that at first, Americans can think it is fake…not genuine. Upon closer examination and in spending
time with these precious saints of God, you begin to see just the opposite! We are the fake ones! We are the ones who lack pureness of heart and spiritual fervency!

American Christians know how to make the outside of the cup and platter shine like it is something really special, when underneath….the heart can be hypocritical and self deceived. That sickens me about the deception that can lie in my own heart.

Meet Jana….

She is the wife of Pavel. When I first met Jana a few years ago, she had just come out of atheism and strong new age thinking. Her past was not a pretty one. When Jana came out of darkness into the marvelous light of the gospel….everything changed! Just like the Bible says, all things became new! Close to that same time, Pavel (her future husband), was also going through Bible study on his own spiritual journey and inventory of the heart and God was working His plan… for both of them.

Today, just 5 years later, they are a family sold out to God’s will for their lives with no desires for their own lives…but just to please Him. My husband and I spent an afternoon in their home, a very small, (600 sq. feet) four room flat on the fourth floor of a huge apartment building in the center of Prague.

Jana was determined to make lunch for her four guests and I watched her as she measured, calculated and precisely planned a portion of her food for each guest. By American standards, it was very simple. I watched her labor over each portion and noticed her concern for making each plate adequate with the food she had available.

As we visited, I noticed several things besides the tight quarters that they lived in. First, there was nothing on the walls. Absolutely nothing ….just white walls. In the kitchen/living room area (the largest area and not much bigger than most American bedrooms), the only furniture was a table with 4 chairs and a couch, similar to a futon. She had a box with a few toys for their two year old son and high chair for his meal times. There
were no curtains on the windows. It almost looked as if someone had just moved in and were waiting on their furniture to arrive. On the floor sat their laptop computer. Coming through the Internet on to their computer, I heard the strains of Heaven 88.7, the Christian radio station that many of us in the upper Midwest listen to. They love to listen to this station because it helps them learn English as well as teaches them new Christian songs. There was no television.

What am I trying to say here? Life for Jana is simple. She likes it that way. It’s a natural way of life in Prague but as a Christian, her focus is not on having better furnishings, pictures on the wall, curtains on the windows, beautiful, trendy clothes and jewelry or the latest gadgets. Lest you think that all these things are just not available to Jana I must let you know…they are. Prague is quickly becoming a very trendy, modern city. They want to be like America in every way they can. Material goods are much more readily available to the people of the Czech Republic now, but Pavel and Jana have made a choice…

“For to me to live….is Christ….”

I found out that Jana doesn’t want curtains on her windows or pictures on the walls because those are “distractions”. How profound!! A babe in Christ recognizes what many of us fail to see in our American opulence. For many Christian women who profess Christ…life is about what we have and what we want, rather than just desiring Him.

Let’s take inventory of our heart:

Are you consumed with the cares of this life?
Is your conversation or heart’s desires all about things rather than the Lord or His Word?
Does anything mean more to you than living for God and pleasing Him?

Jana just had a baby girl. The day before she went into labor she was out on the streets of Prague, passing out Christian literature trying to invite Czech people to the big gospel meeting that was to take place a few days later. She related to me that, “I just wanted to help. I just asked the Lord to give me strength for walking and not being able to sit down. It was hard but God helped me.”

Would we have done the same or would we have justified our absence by using our physical condition as a reason to not participate? Jana’s love for her Saviour was also made evident just moments after giving birth. She was so prepared to be a witness for her Lord, the real focus of her life, that after her baby’s birth and before the doctor could leave her room, she reached to the side of her bed (that’s being prepared!) and picked up a piece of gospel literature. As her attentive husband tells it, “In a weak and shaky voice she told the doctor that she had something for him and asked if he would read it”. He took the gospel message she offered. His blood was no longer on her hands…

“For me to live….is Christ…”

This is Jana’s life. This is her purpose for being on this planet. She knows and remembers the pit of sin that she was rescued from at salvation. Her present purpose has been well established! Has yours?

If you have actually continued reading to the end of this article, I challenge you to be a Jana in your world.

~ Clean up your life.
~ Make a distinct separation from the world in your personal lifestyle.
~ Live your life with an eternal purpose.
~ Die to self and self’s desires everyday and in every choice.
~ Represent Christ in every situation you find yourself in.

Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Our choice will be evident in our life… Thank you, Lord….for Jana.

Inventory of the Heart ~ Part 3

2010-10-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Are You Hiding Secrets?

John 13:35 "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

It is my opinion that we women are very good at smiling on the outside at one another, while all the time concealing feelings that betray our true heart in a matter. How many times have you been secretly pleased over the misfortune of another. Perhaps a sister in the church is going through some adversity and in the quiet recesses of your heart, you are secretly feeling she deserves it. Have you ever brought yourself into question over why you feel that way?

Perhaps you are secretly annoyed over the accomplishments or blessings of another person or their family. One of the saddest things in Christianity today is when brethren cannot rejoice with one another over obvious blessings of the Lord. Call it jealousy… call it self-centeredness….call it whatever you'd like, but some people who call themselves Christians, just cannot say to someone else, "I'm so happy for you"! Why is it that way?

The answer: There is a problem with our heart and our love is not real!

The Apostle Paul was exhorting the Romans in Romans 12:15 when he said that they should, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep." Don't say you love the brethren and then find yourself secretly pleased with the misfortune that comes their way.

Ask yourself: Is there anyone that I find myself secretly pleased when hardship comes into their life? Is there anyone that I find myself annoyed with because of their accomplishments or blessings that have come their way?

Answering these questions honestly, will reveal the true condition of our heart. Too many women love to talk about themselves and their own family but take little time to "esteem other better than themselves". Their life really is….all about them!

Are there people that you deliberately slight or stay away from? Why? Do they intimidate you for some reason? Do you feel inferior to them in any way? Why are you allowing yourself to live in estrangement from your Christian brothers and sisters? It is one thing if they have ordered you out of their life. That then, becomes their problem. But for us to just tip-toe around the friendship bush, acting like we love the brethren (when we really don't), is pure hypocrisy. These kinds of feelings just reveal our own lack of holiness and judgmental attitudes. In reality, the people we find ourselves wanting to avoid, are the very ones we need to reach out to and esteem better than our own selves the most. God will bless that kind of heart!

Answering these questions will reveal your heart's secrets. Take the time to pause long enough to calculate a precise inventory of what motivates you in your relationship to others.

Are you guilty of being contentious or stirring up strife? Did you know that you can be contentious with another person and never open your mouth? You do it in your spirit and then proceed to just avoid that person. That is ungodly behavior that stifles unity and repentance is needed.

Have you ever allowed yourself to be a partaker in gossip or divisive speaking? All these things are hypocrisies of the heart and they reveal a soul in need of cleansing and renewing of the Holy Spirit of God!

Ladies, can I encourage you to honestly take an inventory of the secret places in your heart. Places that may only be seen by you alone. What you keep secret…will be revealed in your spirit! Malachi 2:15 "…Therefore take heed to your spirit…"

If you make God---your God….you also make God's people---your people! As Ruth did with Naomi, so also should we do as fellow sisters in Christ. Do you?

Ruth 1:16 "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."

We are a family of believers in Christ. Shouldn't we live like the family of God ought to live?

How are things looking in your heart?

Inventory of the Heart – Part 2

2010-09-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

Last month we began a serious examination of the contents of our heart. We have been challenged to set a microscope over the attitudes, thoughts and motives of our will and spirit and to "see if there be any wicked way in me" Psalm 139:24.

Did you embrace what you read? Did you force yourself to be honest in its questioning of your heart's content? Did you acknowledge any transgression that the Holy Spirit of God revealed to you?

Let's take another look at our heart

Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

We all live in a material minded, pleasure seeking, entertainment satiated society. This kind of culture fights against those who would "seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness…" In order to walk in obedience to the clear command of Matthew 6:33, we must do whatever necessary in our life and home, in order to be able to keep first things first! You will not be a seeker of the spiritual if you don't strip away the carnal that seeks to encroach on your heart and mind on a daily basis.

Once again, let's ask ourselves the hard questions…

~ Is there anything in which you have failed to put God first? Don't rush past this probing question. Weigh every decision you've made in the last month and ask yourself if the LORD Jesus Christ was kept in first position of importance with each decision you made? Was He first in your time management? Your devotions compared to your TV time? God doesn't just want a minute from us.

~ Have your decisions been made after your own wisdom and desires, rather than by seeking for and following after God's will in the matter?

Stop and think about this…

~ Do any of the following interfere in any way with your surrender and service to God:

Your own ambitions. Too often our desire to earn more income will take us out of church services because we think we must have that income. Any time we make the choice on our own to forsake the assembling of ourselves together and the spiritual feeding time from the Word of God, we can be assured that we are NOT seeking first the Kingdom of God. Satan will always have a good, legitimate sounding reason to offer us as to why we cannot be faithful in seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
It is still just an excuse of the heart.

Pleasures can interfere. There are so many enjoyments that call for our attention and steal our hearts and dedication and our resolve to keep a spiritual mind.

Loved ones… Family gatherings can put some Christians on a guilt trip when it conflicts with church times/revival times. That will not happen to the Christian who strictly seeks first the spiritual over the secular. There will be no battle at all.

Friends and friendships can pull at our surrender. James 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
It doesn't get much clearer than that.

Desire for recognition or money is a tug of war between the flesh and the Spirit and leaves a person filled with self… rather than the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. You cannot seek for your own glory and have Christ first. He desires to have the preeminence in all things!

Our own plans hinder us from having Christ in first place. We may justify our own plans and desires in the moment, but time will prove who was really in first place! Many a person or family has desired a new location and sought to have it. The subsequent reaping in their life and in the lives of their children, proved that it was the desire of self- over the desire to keep Christ first. You may not be living in your dream location…but God has not left us here to seek first our dream homes, dream cars, dream locations or dream jobs. He has asked us to seek Him first and foremost! It may mean that you will not live in warm Arizona…but you may find yourself seeking first the kingdom of God in cold North Dakota. It may mean that God will want you in the back side of the desert instead of the comfortable Midwest. Where God puts you will always be the most blessed place to be. He never allows anything to come into our life without a divine purpose.

You can know the true status of your heart by honestly examining whether the Lord Jesus Christ, His kingdom, His scriptural church, Biblical standards of dress and conduct and a faithful, daily walk with Him in His Word, are what you truly seek for.

Take inventory of your heart…

Inventory of the Heart, Part 1

2010-08-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

I work a part-time job in a local pharmacy and gift shoppe and there is something we do once a year that is tedious- yet very important. We take inventory of every item on our store shelves. We count every single item and itemize it. It is time consuming but an important part of “minding a store”. The store where I work is very conscientious about what lines its shelves and the condition of the products sold there. They work (I work) hard to be certain that nothing old, mangled or outdated is allowed to be displayed on our store’s shelves. We are constantly inspecting the products and seeing that everything that is available for sale is in its best condition. We desire to please our customers!

So it should be with our own heart. Do you even know what is in your own heart? You live within its walls. Do you recognize the old, outdated, messed up attitudes and thinking that is cluttering up your life and strangling your spiritual growth? When was the last time you “took the garbage out” or re-arranged the items that reflect in your spirit and attitude?

It’s very important that we take inventory of our own hearts from time to time.

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Sometimes it can be disappointing and disheartening when we finally and honestly allow ourselves to look deep, to see what is resting in corners of our heart. In order to be truly right with God, we must examine our own heart on a regular basis. We were all born-- liars. We excuse our selves on too many levels, but when it comes to our own heart, it is extremely serious that we not lie about what we see in that seat of our soul.

No one “naturally” tells the truth. We can only “supernaturally” tell the truth!

Truly saved and regenerated Christians will read this inventory check list and embrace it. They will whole-heartedly agree with it and fervently desire to be what the scripture reveals that they should be. We will have the desire and appetite to please our Lord and Saviour!

Let me encourage you to begin this month, in taking honest inventory of the condition of your heart before a Holy and Righteous God. Will you take the challenge? Will you look up each verse and meditate on its truth? Will you honestly question your own self as you apply the Bible to your own heart?

Let’s begin:

Matthew 6:12-14 “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:”

Answer slowly and honestly…

~ Is there anyone against whom you hold a grudge?

~ Is there anyone you have not forgiven or feel justified in withholding forgiveness?

~ Anyone you hate?

~ Anyone you do not love with a pure heart?

~ Are there any misunderstandings that you are unwilling to forget or let go of? Have you made a genuine effort in resolving those misunderstandings?

~ Is there any person against whom you are harboring bitterness…resentment…or even jealousy? (You will know the truth when that person’s face or name comes to mind)

~ Is there anyone you dislike to hear praised or well spoken of? Are you happy in your heart for those who are praised and you join in, in the blessing of that one.

~ Do you allow anything to justify a wrong attitude toward another?

Take the time this month to deal truly with this list. Choose to be honest before your God. Each one of us will give an account of our own heart. Our willingness to take this spiritual inventory is reflective of the true condition of our heart and reveals our honesty.

Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.”

For Jesus sake and for His Kingdom….take inventory…

Packing Up A Life

2010-07-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

It has finally arrived…. The final month before our one and only daughter gets married! In the multitude of my emotions crowding my heart and mind…there is this continual thought….she’s leaving us. I’m so happy for her….but so terribly sad for her daddy and I. I am not looking forward to the silent piano in my home or the vacancy of the sweet sound of her violin strings that have floated on the air and up the stairs as I’ve prepared a meal. I am not looking forward to her absence in playing the offertories at church or accompanying her daddy as he sings a solo in the service. I’m not looking forward to making meals for guests without her able help in the process. I’m going to miss the best bathroom cleaner this side of Sheboygan!

This week I took a giant step toward this quickly approaching reality by bringing home some large packing boxes. With all the courage I could muster up, I instructed her that it was time to start going through her room and throwing out things and packing up the remnants of her life….in our home. I felt my insides tremble as I spoke those words. As I walked away, tears filled my eyes, even as I knew I had done the right thing.

Today, when I returned home, I had a sense that she was filling those boxes. I knew that if I did not go downstairs to her room once in a while that I might not see her all day. I took a deep breath and casually walked downstairs just to join her for a bit. Perhaps we could talk while she packs, I thought….

I found a small spot to sit amongst the piles of sweaters and skirts and made myself comfortable on the side of her bed. As I looked around her room and noted all my girl’s things….I found myself tongue-tied. I had nothing to say…. She had nothing to say. I think she knew that I was dealing with the situation and remained quiet. Even Sebastian, our loved and adored canine friend knew something was changing…

Then the tears came….. I couldn’t help it. They came all by themselves…uninvited. “I knew that was going to happen”, Cherith said. Yes, she knew.

As happy as I am for her and Josh….I’m equally sad for us. They will be living a little over six hours from us and life as we have known it will be much changed. There are many seasons of life that we all must go through. It is ordained of God that we do so. I see this passage that we are about to go through as a wide open door to getting older…the senior years…aging and all that goes with the winter season of life. We are giving our dear daughter to a young man who loves and adores her….and there is great peace in that.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Yes, it’s a new season…. and I am so thankful that I have the Lord and my dear husband.

“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time…” Ecclesiastes 3:11

Preppy Christianity

2010-06-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

Titus 2:3 “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things.”

There is a rising phenomenon in Christian circles and it’s especially noticeable in many local churches. I call it “preppy Christianity”. This growing trend is seen in professing Christians who still desire to make a statement with the world - while at the same time trying to impress God with their spirituality.

Their standards for dress, makeup, jewelry, body language and entertainment, come so close to the line between immodest and questionable and what is biblically acceptable, that they can easily fit in with the world, while at the same time feel justified that they are “spiritual” and not totally ungodly in dress and behavior.

It has become “cool” to be a “preppy” Christian. Since when has tighter, lower necklines, trendy clothing styles, movie star make-overs and chunky, statement making jewelry that draws attention to the body---ever been apparel for a Godly woman? Anything that draws attention to the body is carnal. Godliness desires to live in moderation in all things. Ladies we need to re-examine what is Christ-like in our dress and deportment. When our clothing, makeup, jewelry, body piercings and the way we wear them are over done and excessive, we draw attention to the flesh and that is anything but Godly. Does your “look” radiate Christ-likeness or is it the “look” of the world. It really isn’t hard to tell.

When the Holy Spirit of God is truly in control of our lives, He will expect obedience to His written Word. Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God.”

Ephesians 4:24 “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Too many Christians would like to be full of the Holy Spirit and then go on and live as close to the world as they can and still be considered a Spirit-filled Christian.. A Christian woman is to “be in behaviour as becometh holiness…”. That means our life must be lived in obedience to the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God. When we don’t do this…we quench His Spirit in our lives and take on worldliness instead.

“Preppy” Christianity is an easy “Christianity”. You’ll win more friends with “easy Christianity”. II Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Living Godly in this present world will take sacrifice on our part. There has to be a desire to “abstain from all appearance of evil.” I Thessalonians 5:22 True Christianity is a life of self-denial. Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”

This is a far cry from the form fitting, neckline exposing, jewelry laden, self exalting, attention seeking female of this day and age. Where is humility and holiness in that kind of demeanor?

Take a trip through Facebook sometime and you will see many who “talk the talk” of Christianity, but you hear and see little spiritual substance that exalts the Lord coming from them. The pictures you may see of these “preppy” Christian girls and women are full of cleavage and pouting poses that are seductive, playful and anything but Godly. The God of the Heavens does not view our carnal Christianity as acceptable. We need to be in obedience to His written Word and seek the Holiness of God with an extreme desire to be like Him in every way we can.

Christianity is not a life of wearing a crown and showing off self. It’s a life of bearing a cross for the One who bore a cross for us.

All of us who claim to be a child of God, are as full of the Holy Spirit as we really want to be. If it is “preppy Christianity” that you are content with…then you are not willing to pay the price to meet God’s conditions. Perhaps you should examine your soul’s condition a little closer.

I John 5:5-6b “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.”

Are you truly walking according to His Spirit? If you are….it will show.

Matthew 16:24-25 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

The Blessing of A Child

2010-05-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

This Mother’s Day….I find myself with a different perspective. Three months from now my husband and I will enter the “empty nest”. I’ve never been there before. I find myself thanking the Lord over and over for the blessing of having this final child with us for almost 28 years! I have enjoyed every moment with this dear girl of my heart. Our hearts and home will miss her. It is right that she marry and set out to establish a new home with her husband, but on this Mother’s Day, I see motherhood having come full circle. The longing for my little girl has already begun and yet I find myself so thankful for the joy of having been a mother to three precious and healthy children. All three are saved and serving the Lord today. How blessed I really am.

I would like for you to meet another mother who has been a blessing to me….

In February of 2009, I made a new friend when my husband and I went to Wisconsin for a preaching meeting. My friend, Deneen, was the mother of ten children at the time. She did not look old enough to have delivered ten children, but ten children happily filled her quiver.

This past February when my husband and I returned to this same meeting, I eagerly looked for Deneen in the crowd of people. I anxiously sought her out and blessing upon blessing, she was now pregnant with her eleventh child! I was thrilled for her! We were able to visit and share tidbits of our lives. She immediately asked about my daughter, Cherith. You see, the year before when I first met her, I had shared my prayer concern about finding a husband for our daughter. We prayed together about this and she promised to pray for me and for Cherith’s need.

What a joy it was to share how God had answered our prayer and led us to just the right man for Cherith! The fact that she even remembered that a year later, really touched my heart! It also endeared her to my heart even more.

Just last month, we received an email from Deneen’s family requesting prayer for the coming baby. As it turned out he had many health complications. He had received a confirmed diagnosis of Trisomy 18 or Edward’s Syndrome. They had chosen his name as Philip and were waiting for labor to begin in the next couple of weeks. They had been told that this kind of infant was usually born stillborn or lived just a short while after birth.

They asked us to pray for an uncomplicated and safe delivery. We did.

Tears came to my eyes when I read that email. This sweet little baby boy with an under developed brain and many physical handicaps was named and loved by his waiting family.

I began to think once again about the value of one child’s life. I could see how my own children have affected my life, yet how seldom we think that “special needs” children can have an effect on our lives as well.

Philip was born April 24, 2010. He weighed 5 lbs 6 oz. and was 19 ½ inches long. He was born by cesarean section into a loving family with open arms. Philip was not stillborn. God obviously has a plan and purpose for this little one’s life.

In announcing his birth, his parents stated: “Philip’s brain didn’t develop fully and he can’t always remember to breathe. We don’t know how long he’ll live but we are enjoying every minute with him. All the kids visited him last night and we got to talk to him and hold him for about 1½ hours. Please continue to pray that we’ll have wisdom and strength in the upcoming days, weeks and months.”

“We don’t know how long he’ll live but we are enjoying every minute with him…”

That spoke to my heart. How many parents with perfectly healthy children, do not cherish the moments they have with their children? There are so many homes where the children are not enjoyed, nurtured or loved properly.

As our girl leaves our home, she leaves knowing she was loved, wanted and cherished. She leaves knowing her parents will sorely miss her. What a blessing every child is!

If you are blessed to be a mother….enjoy these brief days of motherhood…and enjoy every minute, for too soon it is over…

I Am Resolved…

2010-04-03T20:17:00.000-07:00

In 1973 at the age of 21, I married a man who desired to serve the Lord in full time ministry. That meant that I too, was going to be in full-time ministry for the Lord.

The course of my life was set at that time, but the spirit in which I served the Lord alongside my husband—was my decision to make. I could not live off of his zeal or desire. It was important that I also had a spirit of surrender. I had to resolve in my own heart that I would obey and follow the calling of God on my husband's life and willingly submit myself to God's will for my own.

Surrender is a determination to do God's will…even before you know what it is.

If I was going to marry Ken Shaffer, then I had to determine that I would surrender to the will of God for my life, whatever that may involve and in spite of whatever sacrifices I would have to make in the future.

When I surrendered myself to God's will for my life, I did not have to fear what His will might be. So many people think that if they surrender themselves to serve God, that He will send them to the deepest part of the jungle somewhere and their lives will be boring and miserable. I can tell you from first hand knowledge in personally knowing missionaries who have gone to the deep, dark jungles of our world, that their lives are anything but boring and miserable!

Whatever God calls us to do…He will give us a heart for it and equip us to do it!

After all…that is God's job if He has truly called us!
We do not need to fear that God's will is going to be filled with misery.

This month, my husband and I, along with our church family, will be celebrating the 30^th
Anniversary of the founding of our church. This milestone is especially significant to my husband and I, because it marks 30 years since we came with our two little boys, to a city that did not want us.

There were no welcoming committees to greet us. There were no neighbors with a plate of cookies, welcoming us to the town and the neighborhood. There were only rumors. Rumors of a Baptist preacher moving to town and snickers and bets about how long he would stay here. You see…there had never been a Baptist church or a Baptist preacher that had ever come to stay in our town, in its 100 year history! Until now…

Our surrender and resolve to "go anywhere" and "do anything" to serve the Lord, was put to the test immediately!

If you are going to truly surrender to the Lord's will for your life, you will probably lose friends, be looked at and scrutinized, critiqued from every angle while at the same time, loved dearly and appreciated by others. You may face health emergencies because of stress or physical weakness and financial difficulties may make you want to quit altogether. But none of this should matter. God is the One we are serving. He is the One worthy of our labor and our praise. He is the One who will see us through if we remain…surrendered to Him.

I would not change the last 38 years of my life for anything! Determination to remain surrendered…is a resolving to obey and knowing in my heart that my God is Sovereign and He makes no mistakes.

"I thank You, Lord, for the privilege to serve You with my dear and faithful husband. Help me to always yield myself in obedience to Your will…whatever that may be."

MRI of the Heart

2010-03-03T07:42:00.001-08:00

Do you ever get tired of living in spiritual shallowness? Do you ever feel the tug on your soul to just be right, live right and stay right with God? You should…if His Spirit lives in you! In the heart of every child of God, there is a hunger to be close to the Father. We may not always do what we need to do to be close to Him, but our spirit is grieved and joy departs from our lives when we live according to our flesh.

We need a conscience for the Holiness of God in our every day life.

“Lord, I want to be set apart...for You! I don’t want to be like the rest of the world." Is that your desire? How do we get to that place of blessedness? Here is where we separate the women from the girls.

I Peter 1:15-16 “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

If you ever plan to get out of the pit of spiritual shallowness then you must separate yourself from the things that can defile you. Ahhh…there’s the rub. There are professing Christians today who want forgiveness of sin so they can go to Heaven, but they don’t want to accept God’s call to separate themselves unto Christ alone.

Ladies, I would like to challenge you to spend a few moments in self examination. Allow yourself to really be honest with what you see in your mirror. Don’t run from this challenge. Don’t stop reading…please continue…

Holiness of heart without holiness of life is an oxymoron.

You can’t have one without the other. “…so be ye holy in all manner of conversation..” This speaks to our lifestyle, the way we live and all of our choices. Is Godliness seen in your manner of living?

Here is the problem:

1. We have too many professing Christians with a bigger appetite for the things of the world, than for reading their Bible, going to church or witnessing to others. There is so much to want and desire in our world and that appetite never seems to get satisfied. This kind of woman is not living a holy life. She is filled with the desires of selfish flesh and becomes offended when Light is shined on the problem. My heart just grieves over how easily some professing Christians can get offended when their worldliness is called into question. Ladies, that ought not to be for women who profess to know Christ and desire holiness!

2. Some Christians really don’t want to live too far from the standards of the world. “Set apart” means that it’s not the same! Things are to be different! Our lives are not supposed to be the same as before! When we said we were willing to take up a cross and follow after Christ, that indicated that “CHANGE” was about to take place. Has it? Have your appetites changed?

3. What about your music? Do you still click into the world’s music from time to time “just because you always liked that song or style of music”?

4. What about your fashions? Are you borrowing looks from the world that make you look trendy and worldly? The world does have “a look”, but ladies who desire holiness don’t want that look! If we are honest with ourselves, the world’s look hardens a woman. It’s meant to do that, but we should not desire “that look”. Examine your clothes, jewelry, makeup and body language. Are they too tight, too trendy, too revealing, to attention getting, too gaudy, too much, too harsh or too sensual? Look at the people in the world who have that same look. Ask yourself the hard questions ladies….who are the people who wear “that look”? Is that what you really desire? If so…you have a spiritual problem.

Holiness in the life is unmistakable! Personal Holiness comes through the Person of Holiness! We are trying to imitate Him! I can’t be holy on my own….I need Him! Only when I walk in His Spirit and follow His Word can I live that Christ filled life.

That is what I desire. That is what I crave!

I don’t want to be satisfied with anything less than the Christ-filled life and I hate with a passion, when my flesh rises up to get in the way of that pursuit!

It all boils down to our willingness to surrender to the righteousness of God. If you’d rather have your worldly fashions, alluring, sexy looks and follow after the trends of the world for your hair, face and body, then please don’t call yourself a child of God. You are nothing like Him. A Christian woman is not to be full of herself. We are to exude the Spirit of Christ-likeness.

I John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Don’t be satisfied with spiritual shallowness…

Preparing For the Empty Nest

2010-02-01T18:09:00.000-08:00

I have found myself in a brand new situation in life, and as much as I tried to prepare myself for this time, I'm not certain that it was possible to have prepared enough. I find myself on the doorstep of an empty nest. There are no more children in our home who really need me in the way a mother gets used to being needed. My daughter, the last born of our three children, will be getting married this summer. I have looked forward to this special day in her life for twenty-seven years; but now that it's here, I must be honest and tell you that I have shed many tears just thinking about her absence from our lives as we have known it. There has never been a daughter born that has brought more joy to her parents, than our dear Cherith has.   There are no words to describe what she has meant to us. She has been beyond a pleasure to us and never once has she brought heartache or grief! When God gave her to us, He put the frosting on an already delicious cake.

As we quickly approach the inevitable time when we give our "baby" over to this new love in her life, we will do it with great peace and gratefulness to the Lord for how He so adequately answered our prayers for our dear girl. Though tears may run down our faces on that beautiful day in August when she says "I do", we will also be thanking God for His Good Hand in guiding us to the right man.

As a mom, I've made some hard transitions in the last six months. I am learning to trust and lean even more on my Lord, as I pray for her replacement in the ministries she has so ably served alongside us in.   What a wonderful life it has been to serve our Lord together with such a willing and eager helper in the ministry. Her music, in our home and in our church will be sorely missed. Not because it is accomplished and well done…. (although it is), but it will be missed because of the spirit and the manner in which she serves the Lord with the piano and violin. My heart drinks in the sound of every song that is played in our home and in our church, for I know that in the next 7 months….there will be no more. She will go out to follow God's will for her life…and this mother (and a Daddy who hides it well), will miss her more than words can express.

But let me tell you about the guy who is taking her away from us!!

Five months ago, in one of my despairing moments, I started to write what I called, "My Reasons to Rejoice". I was trying desperately to "think on these things" (Philippians 4:8) and not to allow myself to fall into the pit of despair over the approaching loss of one baby bird from the Shaffer nest.   The other day, I looked again at what I had written and found yet, another reason to rejoice!

My future son-in-law, Joshua, feels the Lord is leading him to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In God's economy, it doesn't get any better than that! That's a reason to rejoice! My daughter will be a pastor's wife sometime down the road. It's a privilege afforded just a few…and I will pray for her. She is eager and willing to help him in this endeavor and she is not running away from this work that he feels called to. She knows the joys and difficulties of this life work and she is eager still to be his helper. That's a reason to rejoice!

My good son-in-law to be has blessed me already by asking if he could call me "Mom". That was his choice and my love for him grew even more, because he cared to do that one small endearing thing. That's another reason to rejoice! My husband and I prayed about a young man for Cherith that had already been treating his own mother with dignity and respect. How he reverences his own mother is a sign of how he will treat a wife. What peace there is in knowing that our daughter will be in good hands! Isn't the Lord just so good?! Yet….another reason to rejoice!

Another amazing attribute about Josh is that he likes to cook! Now that is something I could get used to! It's so fun to have him over and turn my kitchen over to him and Cherith. It's not long before the aroma of "something Asian" will be coming from my kitchen….and I didn't have to make it! That is definitely reason to rejoice!

Something else I love about this future son-in-law of mine is the fact that he has made the decision to love our daughter and no one else! Our Josh-- is a one-woman man!

He gave his first bouquet of flowers to our Cherith and she received her first bouquet of flowers from a man…from him! How good is that!! The first kiss for both of them will be with each other…on their wedding day. Yes! That is reason to rejoice!

Although the nest on Franklin Ave. will be emptier, my good husband and I are doing our best to focus on what God has given us and not on what we are losing. Yes, the nest will feel strange and lonely for a while and we will miss the daily communications and time spent with our dear girl. We will miss her help and sweet spirit in the work of the Lord here, but ….we will also have our ears tuned in to hear the distant strains of two blessed and precious young people, enjoying the blessing of the Lord, as they make beautiful music for Him ….together! That's reason to rejoice!!

Getting Off the Emotional Rollercoaster

2010-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's a New Year! A new start…and some things need to change for many Christian women. If you claim Christ and a regenerated life, and you have gone through repentance and faith, then some things have to be new! The look of Christ Himself should be seen in you!

Yet, why are there so many "Christian women" who live their lives on the ups and downs of a daily emotional rollercoaster? If they're up….they are really happy and up and everyone knows it! But if they are down….they are so disagreeable cranky and depressed, that you might as well just stay out of their way for that day!   Pity the poor man who has to be yoked to such an unstable woman. It's not a pretty sight.

Difficult and trying situations come to everyone. Life is hard. There is no doubt about that, but for Christians who desire to walk in holiness….our reactions and responses should be much different. We have an outlet…a power source that the rest of the world does not have! We have been given clear direction and instruction for holy living and Christ like responses. Are we taking heed to the instruction manual? Are we living by the guidelines given in the Word of God?

Paul gave exhortations to the Philippians in Philippians 4:3-8, for how to handle the hard things that come in life. In each of these exhortations, I see where many who profess Christianity today fall so short. Most---if not all of these exhortations are completely ignored or at best they are acted on only occasionally, for many women. What a travesty! Have we really earned the title of "Christian" (like Christ) with that kind of behavior?

Let's take a closer look:

The book of Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul and he was writing from a prison cell!   He was writing these exhortations from the very lap of
hardship and difficulty! Look at what he had to say to these Philippian Christians…

Philippians 4:3: Even in prison, Paul was concerned for someone else's welfare. He said, "And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow
help those women which laboured with me in the gospel…."

How many times do you see a woman concerned for anyone else when she is in the middle of her own pity party? It's an unusual sight to be sure!

Philippians 4:4: This clear command to rejoice is not given as an option. "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."

In even hardship, Paul was finding that rejoicing in trials was much better than wallowing. Learn to look on the bright side of things for a change!

Philippians 4:5: When a woman is on her emotional rollercoaster ride…moderation in anything flies out the window. "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." Moderation means, gentle, patient, fair or mild.   Moderation is seldom seen in a woman on a rollercoaster ride! This is not good for a woman professing to be "like Christ".

Philippians 4:6: "Be careful for nothing;…." This speaks of being anxious or fretful. We live in an anxious, fretful culture! Facebook proves that to be true. Gripes and complaints are commonplace, but should not be so for a Christian woman! "but in every thing BY
PRAYER and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your
requests be made known unto God."

Here is the crux of the whole matter. When a woman is propelled by her emotions, the last thing she seems to think about is prayer. That is because thankfulness left before she climbed on the rollercoaster! When a woman is unthankful, she believes that everything ultimately depends on her and with that unthankful spirit…her emotions can quickly take on a mind of their own. She will forget all about asking God for help because her anxiety is what propels that rollercoaster ride. Dear sister….STOP! Remember whose child you are! Rest and be quiet so that you can experience verse 7.

Philippians 6:7: "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Paul learned this lesson in prison.   He is telling us that we too, can experience the peace of God if we will just stop being anxious
and go to prayer with a thankful heart, asking God for His help in our situation.

Finally, he puts in order every single thing we should know to live in peace, joy and contentment.

Philippians 4:8- "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

The key to staying off the emotional rollercoaster?

Think on these things! Do you want to be a blessing to your husband, family and the other people in your life? Then think God's way! Be thankful! Pray! Just doing these three things will establish a whole new perspective in you.

2010 can be a very happy year for you, in spite of any trials that may come your way. To realize this kind of peace and joy…you must take heed to the Word of God. Hold it to your heart and walk in its truth! Let's do it!

Happy New Year my friends!

Lessons From the Doghouse

2009-12-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Three years ago an event took place in our home that I had vowed would never happen in the Shaffer home! It did happen and we are forever changed because of it! That November, we welcomed a tiny, furry, black and white Bichon frise / Chihuahua puppy mix into a home that had never known a dog's presence before.

If it had not been for Phyllis and Kelly at the time, I would have given up on this adventure. I'm good at potty training toddlers… but never a puppy! This experience brought me to a whole new level of "enduring hardness". My husband and I allowed this labor of love, for the joy and fulfillment of our dear daughter, who we felt needed this new friend at that time. How were we to know that we all shared the same need!

The frustrations of that training time are all in the past, and we now live together happily, with the most adorable, precious, loveable, gratifying little creation of God, that we named Sebastian! We are truly in puppy love! The timing of Sebastian's arrival was the Lord's doing. That four legged little bundle of preciousness met a need in the three Shaffers, that we did not even know existed. God does see the sparrow when he falls and He saw our need too.

Since Sebastian's arrival in our home, he has endeared himself to us in countless ways. We have all learned some poignant life lessons from this little, eight pound dog! Christians everywhere would do well to learn the lessons from the doghouse. I'd like to share just a few…

One of the first things we noticed about "man's best friend" was his unconditional love toward us. It doesn't matter what our mood is for he is always accepting of us. When we give him a bath, wash his paws or scratch behind his ears…he is quick to give us a loving lick as if to say, I love you, family. Our "grand doggy" just loves us…because he loves us. No strings attached and no questioning of our motives. Why can't Christians, in a local church body do the same for one another? It often seems as if motives are questioned at every turn and we cannot seem to trust one another as brethren and sisters in the Lord. There is something to be learned from a dog's behavior!

Our Sebastian is quite content to be with us. In fact, he is so smitten with our daughter that he goes into mourning when she leaves for any extended length of time. The poor thing doesn't eat, or play until his girl returns. When she does get home…..he cannot contain his joy! Up and down the stairs he runs just waiting for the chance to leap into her arms for his favorite snuggle. He gets so worked up in his excitement that he almost makes himself sick!

In our local body of Christ…do we feel anything like this toward our brothers and sisters? Do we feel sorrow or sadness when one member of the body is gone from us? Do we think about them? Pray for them? Do we check up on them because we missed them? It shouldn't be something that only the Pastor thinks about doing. We are to have care and concern, one for another.

One of the most endearing times with our dog, is when we have just dealt with difficult situations and the burdens are weighing heavy on us. What a comfort that little hair ball can be! He will climb into our lap, lie down and let out an audible, deep sigh, as if to say, "You're home, I love you and I'm content!" He will quietly snuggle in our lap and lay there as long as we sit still and let him. He comforts us quietly just by being there. How often do we do that for our brethren when they have had a hard time in life? Are we a comfort? Are we even there for them by giving a hug, a note or a kind word? Do we even notice that others are hurting or going through a struggle? Sebastian seems to notice these hard times…and he is only a dog!

I Peter 3:8-9 "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; …."

The only time our dog barks is when someone comes to the door that he is unsure of. He is a small dog and hardly capable of providing any real protection for us….but don't tell him that! He barks as ferociously as any BIG dog because he wants to protect his people! Do we stick up for our brethren when someone else says an unkind word about them? Do we protect their character in any way? We ought to. If a brother or sister is trying to serve and honor the Lord with his or her life…don't let a carnally minded critic, criticize and belittle. Stick up for your Christian brother or sister. Warn the slandering person that you will not let them tear down your Christian brother or sister.

How I thank God for putting Sebastian in our home! What a blessing and balm he has been. We've learned many lessons since he came to live with us. If you ever visit our home and find that he goes ballistic when you come to our door…never fear…for he is teaching us another lesson from "his dog house".

Are You In Love?

2009-11-01T18:18:00.001-08:00

L-O-V-E… Everyone talks about it, everyone wants it, people sing about it, but few really know the reality of love.

Consider this: Can you think of any reason at all why God should love us? What have we ever done to cause God to love us? The answer? Nothing! Knowing ourselves as we do, when we think about whether God should love us, we will come up with no good reason at all! As humans, we love for the most selfish of reasons.

-We love somebody else because of how they love us.

-We love others because we see things we admire or respect.

-We love others because of what they do for us that may please us in some way.

Aren't you glad that God doesn't think like we think?

All of these earthly reasons affect how we see and comprehend God and His love for us. They can affect how we return His love, back to Him.

God doesn't love us because we deserve it. He loves us because….HE LOVES US!

This is the only unconditional love in the world!

Most Christians in our world miss this profound, simple and completely biblical thought.

Make up your mind that because God says you are accepted in His beloved…that He means it and you ARE accepted. God's acceptance is not what any of us once, hell-bound sinners deserve or what we may think or feel we are worthy of. The Truth in the Word of God says… it is so!! He has made us accepted.

Ephesians 1:4-6 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, WHEREIN HE HATH MADE US ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED."

I cannot explain the love of God for us. We don't have to "do it right" in order to be accepted. Just because you fail somewhere along the line in your daily walk with the Lord, doesn't mean that He gives up on you and abandons you. That is human reasoning! That is what we do to one another! Our churches are full of people who "love" in that manner. That is not Christ-like love. Failure cannot break your relationship with your Heavenly Father. It can affect your fellowship with your Heavenly Father for sure, but He is still your Heavenly Father!

Psalm 103:13-14 "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust."

Dear Friend, let your love for your Saviour abound! Live each day in the love of God!

Stay in love with Jesus…

Grab hold of this Truth… You don't have to earn His love! Too often, in our times of disappointments with earthly friendships, we put God in the same boat and think that He too will turn His back on us. That is a lie straight out of the pit and brings no glory to the One who has already stated that we are "accepted in the beloved".

The first and greatest commandment reveals what brings true devotion to God and tells us how to love.

Mark 12:30 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."

Loving God is true devotion to Christ! All the "Christian duty in the world won't sustain us…but love will!

When you get Mark 12:30 on straight, it won't be hard to love everyone else correctly.

Mark12:31 "And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

We can have all the right Bible doctrines in our church but if we don't love right we will never have the power of God or revival. Our lost neighbors, family and friends depend on us being in love with Jesus and each other. They will know we are Christians…by our love.

Examine whether you have accepted God's love for you…personally.

Examine whether you are loving others with a pure heart…fervently.

Examine whether you are living like you are "in love" with the Lord…daily.

Do I Have What It Takes to Live, Devoted To Thee?

2009-10-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Take the time to meditate on this soul searching question.

Devotion to anything... shows. It is unmistakable. What is the problem with 21st century Christianity, that we have to hunt and peck to scrape up real evidences in people's lives, of this life changing, attitude transforming, "so great salvation" that they so adamantly say they possess? Why is it so hard to see the after effects of the work of the Holy Spirit of God, in someone's life? And, to see it lived for the whole of their Christian lifetime?

There are a lot of professors but fewer possessors.

It is easy to pray a prayer and profess Christ, but real Christians live Christ. It is not a temporary change of life for a few years of red hot service for God and then....poof......
it's over! They're gone! They've been offended or hurt by some event or person or they missed the pleasures they once enjoyed and decided to go back to them. This is not real Christianity in action. This is the works of fleshly thinking and living.

Truly devoted individuals have been born again, born over again...converted from what they once were. They’ve been changed, in every area of their life and thinking. They have willingly given themselves over to being led and controlled by a new Lord and Master. This is such an obvious change of living, that everyone around you knows it! It cannot be hidden.

Please do not insult the power of a Holy, Righteous God, by saying that salvation is a quiet, personal thing that is just between you and God. Romans 10:11 "For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." Psalm 107:2 "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy." Bible salvation is all about "change" and is meant to be seen and to affect others.

I have asked the hard questions of teen, single and married women, concerning their "brand" of Christianity and found that some have become very offended with my concerned questioning. Forgive me for just taking the Bible so literally. You see, when the Bible says, If any man be in Christ he is a new creature...", I just understood that to mean just what it is telling us! New is new! Not old anymore! Something has obviously got to change to make it new! What is that "something" that must change?

The very same verse in II Corinthians 5:17 says, “...old things are passed away..." GONE! And continuing to be gone every day we live! Why? We want them gone! That is part of that big transformation that took place under the Power of the Holy Spirit of God. Our very attitude toward our past sin is not the same any longer! A loathing of my sin took place the day I got saved. I don't see myself in the same way at all!

Why do we see so little devotion; that zealous, ardent attachment to, loyal affection to Christ and Christ-like living? The Spirit of genuine "devotion" is seen in Galatians 2:20,
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me."

This is the very essence of what it means to "live for Christ". You must first die to self and what self desires. What is this power that transforms one from the old person we once were, into the "new creature"?

It's the wonder working Power of God!

Philippians 2:13 "It is God that worketh in us, both to will and to do of HIS good pleasure."

Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Romans 6:2 “God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

Are you truly a born again, daughter of God? If you are not 100% certain of the answer to this question, it is time to search the scriptures diligently and find out. The answer will never be found in your own feelings about the matter. Your answer is found in your obedience to the Word of God.

John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye shall have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

The Forum for Fakeness

2009-09-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

We have a new phenomenon happening in our land. It’s called, Facebook. In an article by Michael Hill of the Associated Press, the author shared how the social networking site can spark jealousy and cause people to be misrepresented.

Well, duh!

It seems that our culture thrives on trying to be something they are not. USA TODAY, in an August 25, 2009 article stated that, “college students say social networking makes them more narcissistic. They also believe their generation is the most narcissistic of all.”

Not sure what narcissism is? Narcissism is: the inordinate fascination with oneself, excessive self-love, vanity, a normal condition at the infantile level of personality development.

That’s our country alright!

But I see that the same problem is not being put away, by people who profess to know Christ and to have taken on His image and likeness, when they became “born again” believers.

Don’t get me wrong… There is nothing wrong in building good friendships and keeping in touch with one another from time to time, but what kind of person has to keep an hour by hour notation of their every ache and pain, disappointment or frustration, on a wall for all their friends to see? The world doesn’t need to know that you are tired and heading for bed…finally. People don’t need to know what you had for supper every day that week or how many pills you had to take to get rid of a migraine. Everyone doesn’t need to know that you are so tired, bored, depressed, hungry, mad, or that you’ve just had enough of people! If that were so…why in the world are you telling all those people on Facebook! None of these things are anyone else’s business.

Self absorption thinks everyone else wants to know what you’re all about.

Facebook, MySpace and other “twittering” spots can get you in to trouble by what others say or how they “poke” or post or “tag” pictures of you. The pictures can be old and misrepresent who you are now, and as a Christian, your testimony is of extreme importance! You really ought to care how you are perceived. It’s one thing to be persecuted and misunderstood because you take a stand for Christ’s sake, but it is altogether another thing to be misrepresented because of a casual comment that made you look bad or a posting of a picture that put a question mark over your testimony of Christianity.

No Christian (someone like Christ), would ever consider posting a picture of themselves, that was provocative, sensual or questionable in nature.

I personally grieve over seeing “Christian girls” in poses that mimic the world. The playacting of kissing another girl or licking her cheek or laying all over each other in order to pose for a “fun” picture is nothing less than unbecoming for someone who professes to be a daughter of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. This flagrant flaunting of sensuality and worldly behavior brings no glory to God.

I Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink or WHATSOEVER ye do, do ALL to the glory of God.”

Am I against Facebook?

No. If you choose to use Facebook….then use it for the glory of God! Represent Him to all you choose as a “Friend”. Speak a word in due season…for the glory of God. Encourage and edify others. Speak the truth of God’s Word in love…for all your friends to see. Share your blessings without bragging. You do that by giving God the glory for the blessing! James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights…” Post God honoring photos of yourself and your friends that cannot be misunderstood!

If you truly desire to be devoted to Christ, then ladies, please let your devotion show. Let it be seen and heard in you. Instead of crying in a public forum about how hard your life is, share a verse of scripture such as II Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Or…

II Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

In the past month or so, I have noticed that some of our ladies and girls and even a few guys, are doing more of praising the Lord for His goodness and openly thanking God for their church, their pastor, the blessings of a message they heard etc. The lost world needs to see and hear these things from genuine Christians. Only truly converted Christians have something like this to share. That is how you know the real from the fake.

Which are you?

Biblical Trait of a Meek & Quiet Spirit

2009-08-03T00:33:00.000-07:00

Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

If we as Christian women really believed this verse, then we would allow ourselves to be in submission to the authority of our own husband much more readily. We are living in a very rebellious culture and little girls are being taught to speak their own minds, do their own thing and pursue their own dreams. They are allowed to practice interrupting adult conversations, and even allowed to dominate adult conversations, all in the guise of being cute. This permissive approach to child rearing is teaching our children that it’s ok to usurp authority over an adult.

Those same little girls with the big dreams and strong self will, grow up, get married and systematically begin to tear down the manhood of their husbands because they refuse to submit to his authority. In the end, they reduce themselves to nothing more than female drill sergeants. They create for themselves depressed, loveless, battlefield marriages and all the time wonder what went wrong.

What is lacking in these adult women? It’s the very same thing that was lacking when they were little girls and calling the shots for their parents.

They failed to learn meekness.

Meekness is: That easy, quiet submission of our soul toward God and God given authorities. Meekness is a calm temper of the mind that is not easily provoked!

Our soul is the seat of our emotions, our intellect and our will. It’s the real you.

The Bible says to “let” every soul be subject unto the higher power. That means we make a choice to allow ourselves to be under the authority of God’s hierarchy, placed over our lives. I Peter 3:1,5 “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

If this spirit of meekness is so priceless, then why do we not work harder to acquire it?

Because we women live by our feelings so much, it can be very difficult sometimes to surrender our emotions, our ideas and our will to our husband’s authority. Is it easy to submit to your husband if you think he is wrong and you are right? This is where that “calm temper of the mind” comes in to play. This is not always an easy thing to do, although it is always a right thing to do!

A woman’s true spirit of meekness, trusts God enough, to allow herself to be subject—in submission to, her higher authority.

We will be teachable…not angry. We will avoid being argumentative and will not seek to have the last word. There are times when a woman’s behavior can be outwardly compliant, but inwardly full of anger and rebellion. Psalm 55:21 speaks to this problem.

“The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.”

We need to examine our inner woman. Too many women are cloaking their rebellion in outward compliance. This is sin.

Only a woman with a heart bent toward meekness, can be taught and instructed.

Psalm 25:9 “The meek will he guide in judgment; and the meek will he teach his way.”

Are you teachable? Is the meek and quiet spirit guiding your emotions, intellect and will?

"Brother Bill"

2009-07-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

Our family just returned from a trip to a Shaffer family reunion in Kentucky, combined with a trip to Niagara Falls, New York, where my husband preached a week of Revival services at Calvary Baptist Church.

Among the many blessings we experienced while in New York, there was one that left an indelible impression on all our hearts. So much so, that for the first few hours of our return trip home, each of us kept bringing up the memory and verbally reminiscing, on the blessing that it was to us.

Let me tell you the story of, “Brother Bill”. Bro. Bill was the first person we met upon entering the Calvary Baptist Church of Niagara Falls. It was easy to take note of him as he slowly shuffled his way through a side door close to the front of the sanctuary. It was an entrance closest to his end seat on the fourth row, which he occupied each night of the meeting.

As he painstakingly limped in on his four legged walking stick to take a seat, he stopped to greet us with what we came to know as, the “Bro. Bill handshake and smile”. My first impression of this dear man was, “Poor thing, he can barely walk and here he is…the first one into the church and the first person to greet us!”

Incredible!

Upon our first meeting, I came to learn that he was 87 years old, a widower and had been at Calvary Baptist Church since he was fourteen years old! That alone, was remarkable to me! He was eager to know something about us as well. His face just lit up when he found out that our daughter, Cherith, would be playing piano and violin and accompanying her dad as he sang.

We then learned that he was once the pianist and had even led the music at Calvary Baptist. The great sadness and frustration over his present physical limitations was plain to read on his face, as he shared with us about his past days of serving the Lord musically, there at Calvary. We were all touched by his resume of past service in the Lord’s church.

As the week of Revival meetings progressed, we kept hearing about the exceptional talents of “Bro. Bill”, and I wondered…. “Can he still play?” I could see that walking around was a real chore, so I assumed that playing the piano at all, was out of the question.

Then Sunday morning came. When we arrived at the church, I received a bulletin which contained the order of the service and a listing of everyone who had a part. There in black and white was “Bro. Bill’s” name! He was scheduled to play the morning offertory! I was thrilled for him! Cherith and I were filled with excited anticipation as we awaited the morning offering. I tried to envision how this dear man was going to get from his seat on the fourth row, to the piano bench, in the short time it took to ask prayer over the offering. A multitude of wonderings skipped across my mind as we anticipated “offering time”.

When the time finally came, I did something I very seldom do during prayer. I kept my eyes open in order to watch “Bro. Bill” laboriously get up and scoot his walking cane toward the piano. I could sense his nervousness. The man who prayed over the offering was a blessing too, because he prayed long, allowing “Bro. Bill” time to get to the piano bench, wipe his trembling hands on his pant legs and then position his hands over the keys in anxious preparation.

Then…he began to play…

Tears filled my eyes as this dear saint of God gave his 87 year old best for the Master. No, it wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t have to be. But, it was beautiful and was played with a right Spirit.
I was drinking up this special moment so I would not forget it! I smiled and cried and wished I was able to say, “Amen” out loud, like my husband my could!

I will never forget the lesson learned from watching dear “Bro. Bill” play that offertory on Father’s Day.

So many church musicians are able bodied… but they are not able spirited. So many people have talent and are physically capable, yet their spirit is sour and they find the weekly burden of a music ministry, almost more than they can bear. How grievous that attitude is.

Others find themselves overflowing with musical talent, yet before you know it, they lose the wonder and the joy of being able to sing or play an instrument to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, in the wonderful house of the Lord.

Something serious is wrong in their heart.

Once again, I was reminded by dear “Bro. Bill”, that it’s not the amount of talent you have that makes your musical contribution a blessing. It’s the Spirit in which you do, what you do, that makes your music a blessing to others!

I hope the folks in Bro. Bill’s church family always remember that profound truth.

I know I will.

Still Devoted

2009-06-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

This month marks the 36th anniversary of our June 15th wedding in 1973. I knew then, as I know now, that joining my life with Ken Shaffer was God’s perfect will for my life. The decision to marry this Arizona boy was not a hastily made decision, nor one made blindly while caught up in all the feel good emotions of young love. I took this decision to say, “yes” to his proposal, very seriously. Truth be told, as my feelings for him were growing, my concern for making a wrong decision were growing too.

I was young! Just twenty years old when I first met my future husband. What did I know about making these kinds of decisions? I had learned through the guidance of my parents that this life choice was not to be made casually, for it would direct the path for the rest of my life! I had surrendered my life to serve the Lord and I needed to choose right!

My devotion to Christ at that point in time, dictated that I seek His will and not my own. I wanted to do His will and if that included Ken, then I knew everything would be ok.

So....I prayed....and prayed....and prayed.....

I talked to my Dad about this young man because I had always trusted the judgment of my spiritually minded father.

On June 15th, 1973, on the hottest day ever— I joined myself to Ken Shaffer forever and always. I’ve never regretted that decision. Now, I was choosing another heart’s devotion. In doing this one well, I would also be serving and pleasing my Lord.

Loving Ken meant that I was choosing to put his needs before my own. I was choosing to spend the rest of my life ministering to him. I had willingly chosen the life of a helpmeet. I have not always done that job perfectly, but I can honestly say I have tried. I have learned that there is always room to grow and learn. Just in writing down these few memories, the Lord in His goodness, taught me yet another thing that will make me a better helpmeet.

We have been blessed with three wonderful children. All three are saved and serving the Lord with their lives. Our family has grown to include two precious daughters in law as well.

How blessed I am! On this 36th Anniversary, I willingly choose to continue to devote myself to the task of helping my husband fulfill his dreams and ambitions. I will strive to be a better comforter, friend, encourager, blessing and reward as I work as his right-hand woman.

Happy Anniversary Ken! I love you over the moon and back a ka-zillion times.

Sheryl

How To Deal With Satan's Attacks

2009-05-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes our temptations and trials come at us in multiple ways. They can come from the realm of the seen and from unseen sources. What are these ways?

Direct attacks: Satan can and will use people to distort comments or actions and what should have been a molehill of a problem, gets magnified as if it were a mountain offense.

These times can be very hurtful and if you are not Christ focused, Satan will cause you to zone in on the assault and then on the person who was used to discourage and defeat you. You are easy to defeat then! This is an awful pit to have to crawl out of.

What should you do?

1. Determine to keep your eyes on the One you are serving. Think like He thought toward His attackers. Even the perfect, sinless Son of God was verbally slandered and many of His words were distorted too. What did He do?

I Peter 2:23 “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself - TO HIM that judgeth righteously.”

2. Just commit yourself to the One you are endeavoring to serve. Surrender the anger, the frustration and the disappointment to Him! Let Him fight this battle for you. Claim the peace of God in the struggle. Rest in the Lord. Prayerfully, give it over to Christ. Refuse to be judgmental or angry.

3. Learn what you can from the assault, but don’t put your focus on the hurt, the injustice or the person who brought it all about. Do try your best to resolve the conflict in a loving way, but don’t attack back. That is not Christ-like. If the other person doesn’t want to discuss the misunderstanding in a Christ-like manner then there is nothing you can do, but pray for them and make sure you have a pure heart, free of judgment or anger toward the offender. You can love the unlovely. Christ did! We were the unlovely that He gave Himself for.

In order to be Christ-like, you must live a Christ-life.

4. Think His thoughts. React like He would react. Love your enemies like He loved His enemies. Commit yourself everyday to just pleasing the Father. You must know that you are striving to walk in holiness. When the attacks come (and they will), you can handle them in power of the Holy Spirit of God.

II Timothy 3:12 “ Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

A woman that is dead to self, self will and outside hurts, can go on and live the Christ life with joy and gladness!

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

I will claim Christ in me and me in Christ and be free of the pain and bondage that direct attacks can have on me. My victory is in Christ and Christ in me...is the hope of glory!

What’s Wrong With Us?

2009-04-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

Our culture is obsessed with being comfortable and feeling good. Large amounts of money are spent on everything from spa treatments, gym memberships, hand and foot manicures to room and house make overs; any of which would have pleased a King, in years gone by.

In our pursuit of the comfortable, we find it most difficult to just find time in our busy lives for meditating on spiritual things. Stopping life’s merry-go-round long enough to just “be still and know that I am God”, is almost an impossibility these days. If this column gets too lengthy, it is no longer “comfortable” reading for some. We want and desire the “quick”, the “easy” and the “painless”. Television and movies have caused us to hunger for the entertaining over the inspirational. This does not reflect well on the character of our culture nor our own selves.

Why do we not see revival in our homes and churches? Why are our young people still lost and running after the world? Because most Christians want an easy, comfortable Christianity. My friend, that kind is not found in scripture.

We want an automatic revival. Most Christians want to see their children saved and serving God, just because they took them to church faithfully while they were growing up. Like that is all it will take for the salvation of our children’s souls? We want gain without pain. We want reward without prayer. We want the resurrection power in our lives without going through the grave of dying to self. We selfish Christians want life without experiencing death. We want God to bless us, but we don’t want to sacrifice much of our own selves to see that blessing come.

When a true hardship or health crisis hits us, we can become devastated, almost shocked that God would allow such a thing in our lives. Yes, it can be scary at first. But that is the perfect moment when true faith rises up to meet the Source of that faith...and we can be at peace in the midst of the storm.

There will be no real revival with an attitude of comfortable Christianity. There is no brokenness in that kind of thinking.

You and I will never meet God in real revival, until we are willing to meet him in that place of brokenness, found at the end....of self. Coming to the end of our self-sufficiency.... that place of “there’s nothing more I can do”, is the best place for the Christian who wants real revival in their life.

Psalm 138:6 “Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly."

Isaiah 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Humility and a contrite, broken heart is the only way to revival. Now we know what’s wrong with us. Do we care?

Examine Your Heart

2009-03-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

Hello dear ones....

It’s March! The month that we greet the much anticipated first day of Spring! Here in the North land, that is a really big deal! During the quieter, darker days of winter, many men and women often begin to entertain more inward thinking, than is normal. We tend to be less active; and depressing, discouraging thoughts can begin to slowly creep into a normally energetic, enthusiastic mind. All this can happen because of the longer duration of old man winter.

But things should be different for the Christian, whose mind is stayed (fixed) on thee. Isaiah 26:3 In these last days, we are seeing fewer professing Christians with a biblically disciplined mindset. Negative thoughts produce negative thinking about yourself and others. This inward, negative thinking is not going to produce happiness in you or nurture loving relationships with those around you.

We spend so much money on our outside; our hair, clothes and makeup, yet we spend so little time working on the hidden woman of the heart. What does she look like? What is her spirit like? How does she act and react? Luke 11:39 “And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.”

The God with whom we have to do, demands truth about the condition of our inward parts!

Make yourself willing....to look deep into the spirit of your mind. You might be surprised at what you find there.

Malachi 2:15 speaks to the marriage relationship and offers sound counsel for every woman willing to heed it. Simply put ---- “...take heed to your spirit...”.

Be willing to examine your inward part.

1. Am I allowing myself to be subject to examination?

Romans 13:1 “Let (allow) every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

~ It takes meekness in the spirit to submit yourself emotionally if you think you are right about something, and your husband is wrong. It takes meekness of spirit to show kindness and gentleness of spirit when you think you’ve been wronged by
Christians.

~ A woman with a true spirit of meekness, trusts God enough, to allow her soul to be
subject....in submission to, her higher authority!

2. Are you teachable?

Psalm 25:9 “The meek will he guide in judgment; and the meek will he teach his way.”

Some women are so unteachable that they develop an angry, argumentative, easily
provoked spirit. This kind of woman is easy to detect and notice. She may be “serving the Lord”, but she is serving from the mechanics and her spirit reeks of anger. She is moody, disagreeable and everything she does in serving, is done in a “let’s get this show on the road, I’ve got things to do” attitude.

This kind of woman is very difficult to get along with. She is very self focused and self centered. Life is all about her schedule, her struggles and her needs. You will see little concern for the hurts and needs of others outside of her own family. You cannot teach her anything that might be of help to her. She is not open to listening. She has already formed judgments and opinions that are guiding her emotions.

Psalm 55:21 “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.”

The woman who lives in the spirit of “inward thinking”, does not have the spirit of meekness. She is not teachable and therefore, it will be very difficult for her husband, her pastor or any other Biblical authority, to help her.

Only a woman with a redeemed heart, bent toward meekness, can be taught and instructed.

Examine your inner woman.

A Vessel Unto Honour

2009-02-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

Twenty-nine years ago, as a brand new, twenty-seven year old pastor’s wife, I was excited about the prospect of doing something good with my husband, for the cause of Christ. Having grown up in a pastor’s home, this life in the ministry was the only kind of life I had ever known and I was well acquainted with the trials and hardships that could come. I knew there would be lean times and I planned on them. I knew there would be heart breaking times and I anticipated them. But I also learned from my parents that Jesus never fails. I just believed God could do anything! Even in a small town that most people would ignore, I knew that God could do what seemed impossible to man. My faith was huge! I wanted nothing more than to be a vessel to honor for my Lord and the best possible helpmeet to my husband that I could humanly be. I still feel the same way today, but those desires have been thoroughly tested in the furnace of trial and affliction.

Becoming a “vessel to honour” is a noble aspiration. Just the words alone sound.....well .....beautiful. Desiring this state and getting to this place of wonderful usefulness, is yet another story all together. Every day of our lives, we are either becoming purer and holier in our lifestyle and thoughts or we are inch by inch, becoming more filled with the world and worldly thinking and more estranged and less useable as a potential “vessel to honour”.

God has a plan for removing the impurities from the lives of those who desire to be useful vessels for Him. Making it through the Refiner’s furnace is a process that no one looks forward to and not many seek to experience. If you desire to ever become a useful vessel to honour in the Lord’s work and for His own glory.....you must plan on going through the furnace of trial. It is inevitable. In the refining of any precious metal, it takes extreme, intense heat to liquefy the metal in order to separate the precious silver from the dross. The dross.....those ugly, useless parts that keep us from becoming valuable. There is only one way to purify. Heat.

Proverbs 25:4 “Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.”

Isaiah 1:25 “And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:”

Twenty-nine years ago, I made myself willing to go through this process. Almost from the day we moved to Larimore, and my husband began his life work of pioneering a new church for the Lord, I have felt like I’ve had a target on me. Every ounce of zeal that I have had for my Lord has been attacked, tested and questioned over these twenty-nine years. I knew from the start that if Satan could get me to quit, give up or crash and burn, that he would have my husband too. One of my most frequent prayers has been that I would never be the cause or the reason why my husband would quit serving the Lord. Pastors do quit you know....hundreds attempt to every Monday morning!

In the midst of the heat of the furnace, it’s easy to question God. The trials of a health crisis, financial struggles, family concerns that bear the critical scrutiny of the very people you love and give your life for, or the rejection and disrespect from friends or people you have nurtured in the ministry, all pile together and cause you to say, ‘Why Lord?’. “Don’t you see that we’ve tried to be faithful to You?”

Just recently, those very thoughts began to filter through my mind again and I had to go back once more, to the commitment I made twenty-nine years ago, in my youthful desire, to become a vessel to honour.

The words to a song my faithful husband and I used to sing so much together, began to whisper to my hurting heart, and a new resolve, accompanied by the comfort of the Holy Spirit of God, just washed over
my soul. Because of the heat of the furnace of trials, we stopped
singing this song. We were in the midst of proving whether we truly believed what we had sung for so many years.

"Whatever It Takes"

There’s a voice calling me from an old rugged tree, and it whispers, draw closer to Me.
Leave this world far behind, there are new heights to climb, and a new way in Me you will find.
For whatever it takes, to draw closer to You Lord. That’s what I’ll be willing to do.
For whatever it takes to be more like You...that’s what, I’ll be willing to do.
I’ll trade sunshine for rain, comfort for pain...that’s what I’ll be willing to do.
For whatever it takes, for my will to break...that’s what I’ll be willing to do.

Take my houses and lands, change my dreams and my plans, for I’m placing my whole life in Your hands.
And if You call me today, to a land far away, Lord I’ll go...and Your will obey.
For whatever it takes, to draw closer to You Lord. That’s what I’ll be willing to do.
For whatever it takes, to be more like You...that’s what I’ll be willing to do.

Recently, the Lord has been showing me a lot of the “whys” and the “why nots” of all the hurts and disappointments of the past twenty-nine years. I still want to be that vessel to honour. I’m still willing to go through “whatever it takes”.... for my Faithful Lord and Saviour, will be there with me in my furnace of trial.

What Can I Give Him?

2009-01-02T10:48:00.000-08:00

What is a Christianity that is lived for self, self will and self gratification? That is no Christianity at all. The Christian life that the Bible espouses, is all about self denial and cross bearing, not self gratification. I grieve over people who say they are Christians, but have no life that produces holy living or holy desires.

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Romans 6:1-2 That’s an excellent question isn’t it? How can we continue in the sin that Christ came to save us out of? His soul purpose in coming was to provide redemption for lost mankind. It was our sin that nailed Him to that cross! The precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is a cleansing blood and when applied to our lives, we are never the same again! Lets not lie to ourselves and say we are true Christians, without the outward evidence of an internal change of thinking and direction.

So... what fires up this life of mine? What am I really living my life for, and for whom am I living it? These are all questions that every professing Christian must answer. There is something much bigger than this world’s system to live for, and it has eternal rewards.

Meditate on these words as you listen to the Daugherty Sisters sing.

Are you longing to see our Holy God? Does your soul thrill at the thought of seeing Him face to face? A blood bought child of God identifies with what I’m saying here and the desire to live a purified life in this world, is an insatiable longing.

What is the value of living this earthly life for ourselves? It is empty and nothing more than wood, hay and stubble. In the end, it will be tried by fire and its true value will be made known when, before your eyes, it all goes up in a puff of smoke.

I Corinthians 3:12-13 "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is."

I don’t know about you, but I do know my own heart. I want nothing more than to fall at my Saviour’s feet and give back to Him anything I may earn on His behalf, from this life that I am endeavoring to live for Him.

He alone is worthy. I can endure the trials and temptations of this life. I must endure them...for His sake.

Acts 20:24 "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God."

My one desire.....to be devoted to my Saviour and to lay a pile of crowns at His nail pierced feet.

2008-12-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

This week during school, one of my eighth graders, Aerica, brought in a story I had written almost nine years ago, just after our son Justin had been married. It was his first Christmas not being at home. Aerica's parents found this story in their archives and just knew I would want to see it again. I did. It brought back a rush of bittersweet memories, that I went through nine years ago. Sweet Aerica presented this story to me in front of all my students and yes, tears came as she handed me this almost forgotten account.

I share it with you now as we pause on the doorstep of yet another Christmas. I can tell you that nine years later, I still miss my children not being in my home. It is right and proper that they go out to establish their own homes and begin to build their own family memories with their spouse; but in every loving parent's heart, Christmas at home is just never the same without those precious children in it.

If you have your children still with you....hang on to this moment. Hold it close to your heart. Enjoy thoroughly, every minute you have with those precious little people. Talk to them. Read to them. Share your life with them. Have fun with them and make many sweet memories together, for all too soon....life changes and you must change with it.

I am blessed that my children come home to us every Christmas, but they no longer belong completely to us. We share them with another heart, who loves them too and we cherish forever the memories that God blessed us with, when He gave us children. Cherish the moments that this wonderful season offers you. I'm glad that I did that when I could!

The Ornaments

written Dec. 1999

I took the day off to put up the family Christmas tree, on this bright, beautiful, December morning. For some reason, the anticipation of this yearly event was accompanied by much melancholy this year...all of which I kept closeted in the secret places of my heart. As to the reasons of my melancholy, I wasn't quite sure. It could have been the fact that I no longer had three excited little ones eager to help with lights, ribbons and the annual hanging of their "favorite" tree ornaments. Perhaps it was the fact that we now had a son who was "married off", (what a sound of finality in the description of this passage of time). It could have been the all too real feelings of my own aging process that was bearing down on me on this quiet Monday morning, but whatever the reasons, I found myself in melancholy as I began to hang the lights and reminisce. The process for decorating a tree in our house, was always the same.
The job was not to be done without our favorite Christmas music playing loudly (so it could be heard in every room of the house!), and the smell of hot apple cider simmering on the stove. Since I found myself alone with no children around to help, I opted out of the simmering cider and decided to enjoy the music as my decorating companion.

My sweet husband had already done the hard stuff for me; the drudging out of boxes and boxes of Christmas paraphernalia and the setting up of "the tree". Oh yes... "the tree". That is another Shaffer keepsake. Our poor Christmas tree is 25 years old now and I refuse to part with it! I have nothing against "old" things and married a man who is the king of frugality! We purchased this tree one week after our first son, Sean, was born. It too, has become a precious part of the Christmas season to me.

Trying to muster up that old "holiday spirit", I started opening the carefully packed boxes that held everything under the sun. As I opened the box holding all the homemade decorations, I gingerly picked up two right off the top. I froze in my spot and held those two little ornaments as though they were fragile, priceless crystal. As I examined the workmanship that my young son had put into his "sled" made of popsicle sticks, I could almost see his eager little face concentrating on getting it "just right" so Mom would like it. I smiled, for that was so like him. I turned the second little ornament over in my hand and saw the blonde-headed, dimple cheeked, smiling face of my four year old Justin. I have always loved that little picture of him and lovingly display it every year on our Christmas tree, along side Sean and Cherith's ornaments.

As I stood there in the living room looking at these two remnants of a childhood gone by, I started to cry. A phone call from Justin just the night before, sprang into my melancholy mind. He had asked if he could have his "special ornaments" for their family tree now. At the time of the phone call I thought, "how nice that he would want those little homemade, worn out ornaments". Most young men would probably think it stupid or of little importance to have some homemade trinket from their childhood. But not my Justin! He's the same boy who sat down in our living room a few weeks before his wedding and pulled out all his favorite gospel albums that we played in our home throughout his growing up years. He listened to many, many albums, as if storing up the memory to last a life time.

While holding these two priceless mementoes in my hand, my good husband of 26 years, walks into the room. Realizing that something must be wrong with me, he steps to my side. Glancing down to my hands, he begins to assess the situation. I noticed the familiar twitch of his mouth that always comes when he is about to cry. Now, we are both crying. "Justin asked if he could have these last night:", I related to my husband. "I thought it was neat last night, that he asked about having them, but now as I look at them I don't know if I can do it." How could I put our family Christmas tree together without Justin's smiling face hanging from the branches or his homemade crafts dangling in view? "I'm glad they are special to him", I cried, "but they are special to me too". For the next five minutes we just stood there crying and holding those precious little treasures. In the background, I heard the strains of the blessed old song.....

"Grace, grace, God's grace
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within,
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin."

I knew in that moment that I would give those childhood treasures to Justin and Cassandra. God would help me to "let go" once again, as He always had before. His grace has always been sufficient---in every area! The work of grace that God did in Justin's heart is something I will never cease to praise the Lord for!

This will probably not be the last of such moments as parents, but God's grace will always be there for us then as well. I think I'll put on that cider now!

Am I Devoted ?

2008-12-01T05:28:00.000-08:00

I have observed and heard it said that there are those people who are very devoted to some thing, to some cause or to some person. It seems a noble, upright trait to be devoted to something worthwhile. But I think we use the term too loosely.

If we really understood its meaning, I believe we would be more careful in how we use it.

Devoted: to be zealous or ardent in attachment, loyal, having affection to

That is a very powerful definition of a commonly used word. I also looked up the word "ardent". That is not a word we use on a daily basis. It is a close companion to "devoted".

Ardent: passionate, fervent, intensely devoted to, vehement

"Devoted to Thee".....are we? You cannot mistake a man or woman who is truly, "devoted to Thee". It shows in every word they say, in every choice they make, in every appetite they indulge in. Devotion is fervent and intense in its loyalty and love. How many of us are truly devoted to Christ, under this definition? It is "hip" these days, to pick a cause to be vocal about. I see young people on college campuses that demonstrate and rally for all kinds of causes. They choose their cause strictly by their opinions and cultural persuasion, and God’s opinion gets forgotten in their "devotion" to that cause.

Devotion to the Saviour ought to be easily noticed. We are not making a very lasting impression on our families and the culture around us, with the brand of "spiritual devotion" that most 21st century Christians live.

Comfortable Christianity is commonplace. If a Christian woman or a single girl gets too "fervent", "zealous" or "passionate" in her attachment to serving the Lord in and through her local church, she can become unappreciated very quickly. Her fervor alone, can make the less devoted very uncomfortable. A devoted individual leaves a testimony trail that is unmistakable. A woman who is zealous and passionate about serving her husband or father, is looked upon as an oddity. Something out of the norm. Yet you put that same woman or young lady out on a street corner with a placard in her hand and she becomes somebody’s hero. How misguided we can become!
How "devoted" to the Lord are you?

1. Name the top two things you love and give yourself to most of the time.

~ Colossians 3:2 "Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth."

~ Where does the Lord rate on your list?

2. Do I give myself to Bible reading every day? Am I ardent in my attachment to and my need for God’s Word? Do I really want to hear from Him?

Job 23:12 "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."

3. Do I give myself to any amount of prayer outside of meal time thanks?

Milton Martin once said, "Prayer should become a habit, an action repeated so often it becomes involuntary. Set aside a specific time of the day to dedicate only to prayer. Make a daily appointment with the Lord and keep it faithfully. Our priorities are revealed in how we spend our TIME, our MONEY and our ABILITIES."

Has prayer become any kind of important to us? Am I just too busy? You can be sure that this life will keep us too busy!

It is my responsibility to find time to devote myself fully to my Lord.

4. Do the things I give myself to, reflect my loyalty to Christ more than my love for self?

~It takes great effort to give ourselves to endeavors outside of self and self interest. John 12:25 "He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."

Devotion to Christ cannot be missed! A.W. Tozer said it best.

"I want the presence of God Himself, or I don’t want anything at all to do with religion....I want all that God has or I don’t want any." Every genuine believer should strive for this kind of "devotion". Am I truly "Devoted to Thee"?

Observations in the Sky!

2008-11-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

On our recent trip home from Prague, Czech Republic, I made an observation on this International flight, that caused me to sit back and contemplate. As my daughter and I made ourselves comfortable for the long journey home, I perused the cabin of the plane and took note that every single stewardess on this huge aircraft was older than forty years old! If they really were not that old, then they were well worn for their younger years! From my perspective, I always envisioned airline stewardesses as youthful, slender, model types who were light on their feet and easy to look at. They were of course, the very essence of kindness and abounding graceful energy! In my opinion, I really thought that they were the ones who gave credence to the slogan "the friendly skies"! After all, no one who is a frequent flyer, attributes that term to the pilots. We rarely see them and certainly never get to meet them personally. The closest we get to a baggage handler is observing them from our tiny airplane window, as they aggressively throw our well packed suitcase into the cargo hold while we sit above them and wonder if that huge thud we just felt and heard, was our suitcase! Nothing "friendly" about that experience for sure!

As our flight got underway and the routine was established for the next 8-9 hours of travel, my curiosity about these, "old" stewardesses grew! In my quiet moments of observation, I noted that two of these older gals seemed stressed and the flight was barely underway! I began to wonder if they had a problem with one another for some reason. They were having "words" with one another in the aisle! At that moment, coming up my aisle with her utility cart, was yet another "older" stewardess. She banged the sides of the seats over and over as she tried to maneuver her way up the aisle. A look of exasperation fell over her face at her inability to steer that clumsy cart! One kind lady next to the banging cart asked if she needed help? "No", replied the stewardess, "It's just that it's the middle of the night for me!" There was no sweet stewardess smile as she made this flat statement. At that moment she looked even more worn and tired than she had before.

I leaned over to my quietly watching daughter and said, "Do you know what I've observed about all these older airline stewardesses? The older they get, the crabbier they are!" My sweet daughter gave a knowing nod of her blonde head and I sat back to contemplate again. I began to picture the three stewardesses in our section of the plane, as they might have looked in their early years. Maybe at that time in their lives, the freshness of their career choice still brought joy to them. I'm certain that their tolerance for people and the minor inconveniences that accompany any job, were handled with much more grace and patience.

And then I thought of myself... I really am not much older than any of those three stewardesses. In fact, I quickly noted that I actually have fewer wrinkles than most of them! So, how am I handling my position in this "older" stage of life? Have I gotten weary in well doing, in my service to the Lord? Do my aches and pains rob me of joy and tolerance with the people that I try to love and serve? I don't want to become a crabby, old pastor's wife, who once had a Godly, fresh countenance and zest for the Christian life. I want to stay vibrant, friendly and happy in Jesus. I have noticed that the bumps and injustices that are a natural part of life in the ministry, can drain my zip and zeal and leave me struggling to make it through a day. I have learned that it is impossible to live a genuine Christian life without being hurt somewhere along the way! Jesus was hurt, despised and rejected of men. He was faithful all the way to the cross! God does not intend for us to live a defeated, unhappy Christian life!

After reading the law of God to the people, Nehemiah instructed them not to mourn or weep any longer! "....for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10 Keeping my mind fixed on the truth found in the Word of God, gives great joy and strength to my life!

"And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

Don't faint in the task you find yourself in dear one. Keep a fresh, Biblical perspective of why you are doing, what you are doing and for Whom you are doing it! Then you will find yourself ever devoted and faithful to Christ.

Psalm 5:11 "But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee."

My Perspective

2008-10-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Have you ever stopped to ponder the power of your perspective? We all have one. Every action and reaction that we express is guided by our personal perspective. How we "see" things is fed and influenced by something or someone. In our heart of hearts, deep in the soul of who we are, every one of us has chosen to be influenced, guided and controlled by "a perspective". That perspective has molded our opinions and convictions about everything in life! Nothing meanders aimlessly through our thoughts, without affecting our emotions and daily decisions. Our perspective influences everything in life, from people to preferences.

What a powerful thing perspective is. What a dangerous thing perspective is! It can take us from contentment with the ordinary, to total discouragement in the midst of blessing. It can change a family relationship or life-long friendships, from respectful and loving to cautious and remote, all in a moment of time..... influenced by...perspective. People leave scriptural churches because of a change in perspective. It could be our own perspective or someone else’s that changes how we see people or situations in life. Every honest woman knows that her emotions and feelings can affect her perspective. She then, in turn, with her 40,000 words a day, can influence others toward Biblical thinking or away from it. As we grow older, it is critical that we have a solid foundation for what we think and why we think what we think!

Biblical thinking doesn’t just happen because you call yourself a Christian. Biblical thinking is a lifestyle pattern of thinking that we must choose to think by. It is a very limiting way of thinking. It is a disciplined way of thinking and it is a truly peaceful way of thinking about people and situations. God’s promises are true.... "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee." Isaiah 26:3 Why does the Bible give the warning that it does in I Corinthians 15:33? "Be not deceived; evil communications corrupt good manners." It is letting us know the dangers that can come our way when we casually allow unbiblical influences and perspectives to have an inroad into our thinking. We take vitamins for our bodies but we need Biblical mind treatment for our thoughts. Your joy depends upon it. Healthy, spiritual relationships depend upon it.

How do I maintain a proper Biblical perspective?

1. Eliminate "feelings" thinking.

Philippians 4:8-9 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do :" (and then what will happen?) " and the God of peace shall be with you."

2. Examine our "core".

Take a close look at the real woman that we are. What does our "core" look like to God?Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Our perspective tells a lot about us dear ones.... Proverbs 23:7 "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he....."

Finding and maintaining the joy of the Lord and a right perspective, starts with Biblical thinking. If you want a blessed and victorious Christian life....examine your perspective. It will either defeat you or uplift you. Outside of Biblical thinking, of which Philippians 4:8 so clearly speaks, you will find no joy, no peace, no right relationships and no blessings from the Lord. You will find much double mindedness and mixed up emotional thinking. This is not a happy place to live dear friends.

Remember dear ones....a Bible that is falling apart probably belongs to a woman who isn’t!

The Blessings of the Valley

2008-09-04T19:41:00.001-07:00

For a sold out servant of the Lord, it can sometimes seem that much of the Christian life is lived in the valley. That low place, far below life’s highest, most joyous moments. The place that can feel dark...secluded... and at times–almost claustrophobic in its aloneness. It’s that place on the road to another—take your breath away, mountain top blessing!

Looking honestly at what lies in most valleys, we might be surprised at what we find. Some valleys are harsher than others. They contain fewer trees that protect you from the elements. Valleys, cradle the moisture run off of the mountains and hills around them. They can grow lush and beautiful because of what came from the mountain. The blessings of a rain storm do not last long on hills or mountains. They can pass quickly. The water run off immediately begins its assent into the valley and there, those mountain top rains and snows begin to nurture everything in the valley below. If the truth be known....there is much beauty to be seen in the valley. Why do we hate the valley times of our lives so much? If only we could see the blessing and beauty of the valley!

The Psalmist David, spoke fondly of the valley experience when he wrote in Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." He acknowledged that God led him, like a shepherd leads his sheep; and in that place where He leads...we will have no need of want."He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters." David realized that the valley was chosen for him–by his Shepherd. He was made to go there. How many times have I cried my way into the next valley while completely forgetting that the plush green pastures were waiting to provide a place of peace, rest and rejuvenation with my Shepherd! After all.... He is there with me---- because He led me there. He went before me, into this secluded, quiet place of sad aloneness. This really was His will for me at this time! Why do I resist His leading if I say I truly trust that His way is the best way?

For most 21st century Christians, we do not want a valley experience. We tire of valley experiences! We reach out and longingly yearn for the thrill of the mountain top, all the while.....forgetting that there are blessings in the valley too! You see.... it is in the valley, that my Shepherd restores my soul. Psalm 23:3 "He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake." Restoration and spiritual growth happen in the valleys of our Christian life. We actually need the strength we’ve gained from our time in the valley as we prepare for our next trek up the mountain.

Oh, dear one...if we as Christian women could just trust the Wise and Loving Heavenly Shepherd, we would see more clearly that the valley that we might find ourselves in, was planned just for us. Do we trust Him enough to follow Him devotedly into the valley of His will? The words to a precious song, say it best. I must thank my sweet friend Rhonda Smith, wife of pastor Tom Smith for sharing them with me.

This Valley Is For Me
By R. Atkinson

As I look down this mountain side,I can see where this road goes.The Shepherd is leading me,To a place where I can grow.Though it seems to be a trying test,I have no doubt He knows what’s best.It just might be a place of perfect rest, This valley is for me.

Chorus: This valley is for me, the waters have been made sweet, A pleasant rest for my weary feet, This valley is for me.A far cry from the mountain scene, the grass here has been made so green.My Shepherd chose this route, so I can say without a doubt, This valley is for me.

Standing here beside still waters, I know why I am here today, This place of restoration will strengthen me along the way.Thru the valley I can feel His presence here is, oh, so real.Now I know it was His perfect will, This valley is for me.

At Rest In The Valley,
Sheryl