The Value of Friends

Good  morning to all on this wonderful Thursday morning. Waine and I are in Vidalia Georgia and had the most wonderful meal last night at this restaurant by the name of Elements. It had the feel of a restaurant you would find in Soho or Asheville and Waine had the most wonderful curried mussel dish ever. We were so amazed to find this little treasure in middle Georgia! We will be traveling to Orlando this weekend to take care of Kai and Hailie while their parents go off on a short cruise. Aleron has signed his contract to complete his Internal Medicine residency at Grady and we are off to see Jill and her family in May. Please continue to lift ET up in your prayers and continue to lift up JKS in your prayers. Their healing is a matter of "fact" because we have been praying and believing.

I am continuing my journey in 2 Timothy 13-18 "What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus." Amen and amen.

Taking instruction for those in spiritual leadership positions over us is a good thing. They have traveled the spiritual paths before use and are aware of all the pit falls that will befall us. I think that this one of  the values of fellowship with other believers!  I can recall in my own life being around other Christian women and listening to their stories and how they got through their trials. At times I would be listening and not able to relate to their issues as I had not experienced it, but I would listen none the less. In one particular instance, I experienced the very thing I thought I would never experience and the comments and counsel of these Christian women just came flooding back to me. It was as if a flood gate had been opened and every little thing, every new event that I experienced, I had a road map for. When you have a road map and know how your story will end, you are no longer anxious!  I knew in that instance, that the Holy Spirit had prepared me for this "trial journey" and I started praising God for He had prepared the way for me years in advance! That is the GREAT part of serving God; He covers all bases no matter how insignificant they may seem to you or others. He takes care of every detail way in advance of when you need His help. As a Christian, you never have to worry whether God, through Christ, has your back. He not only has your back, He covers your front, your top, your bottom and in most cases the foot prints you see in the sand are not yours, they are His because he is carrying you. Value your Christian friends and advisers; they are in your life for a reason and they have been placed there by the Very Person, Christ, who loves you best.  If you are blessed to have Christian friends, count yourself BLESSED and treasure them as fine jewels. They were sent to you by Christ because you need them, even if you don't know it yet.

Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. Amen.

Be blessed today.

Stephanie

Boldness through the Spirit of God

Good morning to all on this wonderful Friday morning. Waine and I are in Hawkinsville for the weekend and the weather is wonderful today so, yes you guessed it, Waine would be on the golf course with his golfing buddies. I had a chance to be in Washington DC on Wednesday and Thursday and enjoyed all the Cherry Blossoms--I had forgotten how beautiful Washington can be in the spring. Please continue to lift ET and his healing up. Please also continue to lift up JKS and her healing.

Well we have finished 1 Timothy and I am moving on to 2 Timothy verses 1- 12 " Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus. To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me His prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, Who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day." Amen and thank God for this blessing!

Paul is providing ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL PROMISES that are available through Christ FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME! The manifestations of these promises became evident to us by the DEATH and RESURRECTION of Christ but were always there! What is blowing my mind however is that GRACE has been present and available before the beginning of time. That means grace was available to Satan as well if only, he had repented of his sin and accepted the majesty and authority of God through Christ. What a mighty and wonderful God we serve. Paul is also reminding us that we should "fan" the flames of our faith daily and then lay hands on each other as a GIFT of faith from one to another. I so believe in the Power of harnessing our faith together and God tells us that "where one or more are gathered together in faith and prayer" He will be there to share His Grace and Mercy with all of us.

I also believe that the prayers of parents, in this case the grandmother and mother of Timothy, will ensure that the salvation of their children and grandchildren are secured. I pray for my four children daily and pray for their salvation. I then pray for their spouses and our grandchildren. This wise woman once said at her 80th birthday party, I don't want to be in heaven looking for any of my children. I feel the same way. My parents prayed for me and my siblings. At times I am sure they could not see the results of their prayers, but they prayed anyway. Likewise, we are to be faithful in our prayer efforts.

All you of you will be rewarded in real time as you pray for others. You can also ask God to give your strength to others. Any of you who want to send your strength to me, I am open and willing to accept it! Through it all, we can rejoice for God's GRACE and MERCY is with us this day and each day whether here on earth or with God. When I think of the Love of God through Christ I feel happy! The world needs this antidote and it is the job of the Christ to let their life so shine that others would come to know the grace and mercy of God. Cheer someone up today with the Love of God.

Be blessed today and share your strength and love with others. Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Stephanie

Pursue Godliness!

Good morning to all on this wonderful Tuesday morning. God is in His Heaven and all is right with the world! All is well in the Kong household and I am looking forward to a very productive day. Please continue to lift ET and his family up in prayer as well as JKS. Any of you who are in need of comfort and healing may want to read 2 Corinthians 3-11. If you ever doubted that God is concerned with your welfare, these verses will be a great blessing to you.

I am continuing my journey in 1 Timothy 6 verses 11-21, " But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen. Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. Grace be with you all." Amen and amen!

Paul has ended his 1st letter to Timothy with an admonition to stay away from godless chatter and "opposing" ideas which is falsely called knowledge. What a good admonition!  In our world, people always want to explore the "what ifs"; I  have learned that the "what ifs" will not add a day to your life either here or in eternity and becomes at the end of the day, godless chatter. Waine and I try to watch 60 Minutes every Sunday and this Sunday they featured a US Cardinal who is a rising star in the Catholic church. He is well liked and has become a beacon of hope for this beleaguered religion. Although very affable, he refuses to discuss things that have been "settled" by the Catholic church such as abortion, birth control, and female priests. Well Paul wants us to be "SETTLED" on the precepts of Christ, not a man made church or religion, but be settled on what Christ teaches in His Word. That we should pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. At the start and end of each day, reflect on whether you were an obedient servant to the teachings of Christ. Did you turn away from evil when presented to you through the Internet or other media that bombards us daily? Did you praise and worship God for your life no matter in what condition you find yourself in? Did you exercise your faith on the things you have prayed for--believing that you have already received that for which you prayed? Did you love yourself even though you might think you are un-lovable? Did you love others? Well if you don't love yourself can you truly love others. Are you enduring through your trial? The Bible teaches that we would share in the sufferings and blessings of Christ and we are to endure through our faith. Were you gentle and kind to all regardless of whether you thought they deserved it. Whew! These Spiritual matters will have you occupied 24/7 which is why Christ tells us to KEEP OUR MINDS AND HEART ON HIM! Be blessed to today and renew your mind. Start you day with Chirst on your heat and mind!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. Hallelujah and amen!

Stephanie

Prudent Instructions for Prudent People

Good morning to all on this wonderful Monday morning. God is in His Heaven and all is truly right with the world. With all that is going on in the world, I think every Christian should wake up each day rejoicing that there is power in the name of Jesus; even the voices of the Japanese that were interviewed were thanking God for their deliverance. In this tiny country of most Shinto Buddhists, there is evidence that Christianity has had an impact on the Japanese. Continue to pray for our Japanese brothers and sisters and pray that the true love of Christ may be manifest through this crisis. Please continue to lift up ET and his healing and continue to lift up JKS and her healing. I thank God for each of you and your generosity of prayers.

I am continuing my journey in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verses 1 - 10, "All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered.  Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. These are the things you are to teach and insist on.  If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Amen and amen!

What a timely passage! When Paul wrote this passage, many Jews where "slaves" or indentured servants to the Romans and other Jews. Paul was providing them with instruction on how to live as Christians so that the Gospel of Christ could be manifest in their lives. Paul was urging these young Jewish Christians to allow the fruits of the Spirit to operate in their lives and allow the Holy Spirit to fight their battles.  Likewise, as Christians, when we find ourselves under the authority of others whether in the work place or in the home, we are to be respectful and supporting so that the tenants of Christ can be manifest in our lives. Even when you work for non-believers, we are encouraged to do our best and then pray for the unbelievers as our "reasonable service to Christ". At the end of the day, all that matters is that more people come to the realization of the love of Christ and not your own personal station in life. When I have managed large groups of employees, it always troubled me that the employees who professed a love of Christ were at times the employees I had the most difficulty with. Instead of lifting Christ up, they "had an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain." I realized that I had to be constant prayer for them as well as for me and in the end depended on Christ to fight all my battles. You see, when Satan sees that you want to dedicate a work place to Christ, he becomes agitated and very busy to destroy that strong hold and in the end uses us to do so. But thanks be to God that you will always be lifted up when you trust Jesus!

Also, if you ever wanted to know where in the Bible it teaches that the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil, here it is! 1 Timothy 6:10. Ad you can see, Paul doesn't say that money is the root of evil, he specifically says the Love of money is the root of all kinds of evil because where you have your love, there will be your allegiance. Money is just a commodity and when you can handle it and not lose your soul and your spiritual bearings, God has no problem giving it to you.  We are to love God first and then our fellow man--those of the two (2) GREAT COMMANDMENTS that are to order our lives. Too many people in the world, love money first which is why the world is in the shape it is in. The LOVE of money is the gateway that Satan uses to blind us. Never fear, Satan has already been defeated. He knows this even if the world doesn't. He just wants to take as many of us as possible to an eternity without God. Pray for all you encounter that doesn't know the love of God through Jesus, the Christ and be about kingdom building today and each day.

Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. Amen and amen.

Have a great day.

Stephanie

 

The Word of God is an Instruction Manual

Good morning to all on this glorious Tuesday morning. Waine and I are in Atlanta and interestingly enough Freddie and Aleron are here with us as well. Its a rainy day in Georgia and as I start my day I wasn't going one more day without diving head first into the Word. We spent the weekend with Kai and Hailee and they were the balm of therapy I needed to recharge -- children are truly the evidence that God still loves this earth and plans for its future. We are terribly affected  by the earthquake in Japan and the Tsunami that came afterward. Please lift this tiny country up in your prayers. Please continue to pray for ET and his healing and also the healing of JKS. I thank God for my health and thank God for each of you.

I am continuing my journey in 1st Timothy 5 verses 1-25, "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan. If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need. The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.  But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.  I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism. Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

If I could only clearly write how timely this passage of scripture is for me! God's Word is truly always on time and provides the instruction I need when I need it.  Not a minute before or after but right when I need it. Hallelujah!  I have been pondering as of late the plight of many young women and their children that I care for. These young women are from multi-generations of single women family head of households, who have relied on welfare and Medicaid to sustain their lives. These young women often have children by different men and spend their productive time in idleness as opposed to productive living. I often wonder about their future and the future of these children I provide medical care to and wonder what measure of spiritual intervention I can provide. The one thing I know I can do is pray for each of them and also the society that preys on them. We have developed an entire economy based on Poverty and Welfare. It sustains a large portion of the middle and upper class that publicly trade on programs for the poor among us. So do we sustain poverty just to maintain the livelihood of the rich? Well it wouldn't be the first time and as Christians we really should be about ensuring that the lives of God's people are positively affected by our knowledge and belief in the Word of God. I believe we need to collectively pray for our society daily and that God will use this time to make a change in how America uses its resources. Pray for the effective education of our children and leaders who have a heart for the less fortunate. Prayer changes things and the belief in its Power can only help you and this nation.

On another note, I have been evaluating my own life and whether it has made a difference. My husband is puzzled as to why I would even entertain such thinking as he feels it is obvious that I have positively affected the lives of many people. I am not sure why I am having these thoughts but trust that when I ponder them in in the Spirit, I am again being transformed by the renewing of my mind to reach greater heights for the purpose that God intended. 1st Timothy 5:25 indicates that YOUR GOOD DEEDS WILL NOT BE HIDDEN FOREVER so if you need affirmation that the seeds of "good deeds" that you involve yourself in will bloom, this is the only scripture you need. Likewise, the deeds of those who engage in sin and mayhem will also come to light not only here on earth but for eternity. So take heart. When you are with those that do not know the love of Jesus, you need only pray for them--that prayer will do more good than anything you can say or do. People in sin do not recognize the good that you are providing. When you are speaking to people living in SIN, you are speaking a "foregin" language to them. The only "translator" that will work is the Love of Jesus the Christ, who has created the only bridge that they can cross. You just have to love them up in Christ Jesus, so take heart! On this day know that God is an On Time God, and He loves YOU!

Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace. Amen.

Stephanie 

Spiritual Training is the KEY!

Good morning to all from Hawkinsville, GA. It is a rainy weekend but my beloved is right out there playing his heart out on the golf course. I love him wart and all! Our time in Jamaica last week was a blast and the needed RR is just what God ordered.  Please continue to keep ET in your prayers and pray that God will keep him pain free and with his eyes on the Cross of Jesus where all hope and mercy lay. Also keep JKS in your prayers. She goes to Mayo Clinic next week for evaluation of her condition. Ask God to touch the hands of the providers who will be caring for her.

I am continuing my journey in the first letter to Timothy 4: 1- 16, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the Word of God and prayer. If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. Amen and amen!

I perceive myself to have had a life long struggle with my weight. I come from genetic stock at opposite ends of the spectrum. My mother and her sisters never weighed more than 120 pounds soaking wet. My father has a sister who probably topped 300 pounds. I became conscious of my weight when I tried out for cheering leading in the 9th grade.  I lost weight eating only grapefruit and salads. In college and medical school I got down to a size two and it required that I be a vegan and run 10 miles per day. In recent years I have lost weight on Adkins, Weight Watchers and then learning portion control. I pray over each meal that the food would be used for my health and not my detriment. I want to be healthy and I do not want belly fat--what is a sister to do??  Well this scripture is revelationary to me. I have always believed that nothing God creates would harm me. He put the animals and plants on this earth to sustain my health and not detract from it--so why do I struggle. Well I am not going to have a Spirit of Struggle any longer. I am going to enjoy the Fruits of this land as God intended and I am going to enjoy them a little less than. Portion control and moderation is the key. I am also going to continue my exercise regimen and strengthen myself. What I am not going to do is WORRY about either my weight or my time to exercise. I am going to be set free of this bondage!

This passage in Timothy also instructs us to the PUBLIC reading of scriptures BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD  is so important. There is POWER is the WORD of God. When you pour the WORD of God over people their lives change. This is why I put the scriptures in my BLOG and am committed to sharing the Word of God to all those who might read this BLOG. I am not concerned that it takes time to digest the scriptures and now I am more committed than ever to share this blessed document with all those who might receive it. You never know when casting the Net of Jesus who will be affected. This Spiritual exercise will hold us in good stead eternally, and ETERNITY is an eventuality. Thank you Lord for this revelation and thank you for feeding me today with your Love and your Mercy. All things come of Thee dear Lord and thank You for Your grace and mercy on this ,Your day.

Now may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Stephanie