We Are His Offspring!

Good morning to all. Waine and I are in Thomaston this weekend listening to the birds singing. It has ben a wonderful weekend; the air is dry and warm and plenty of sunshine. Aleron is in the Dominican Republic so please pray for his safe return today.  My sister and her family, Freddie and his family , Waine and I were in Houston last weekend for a mini family reunion. We all had a GREAT time. It is always good to be wit my kin-folk and the little ones. We had good Hailie and Kai time and look forward to many more moments with them. Our Columbus office saw 88 patients in the 1st week of operations and we are off and running on this venture. God is very good and I for one cannot stop talking about it.

I am continuing my journey in Acts 17 1-34 "When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.  But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.  Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. 

As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.  As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible. 

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)  Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.  And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.  From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’ Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.  When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council.  Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others." Amen! May God add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

One of the things that struck me in this passage is the boldness and conviction with which Paul, Silas and the other Apostles preached the Word of God. They were not ashamed and often had to argue their case in front of learned men and women who had other beliefs. They were not there to CONVINCE or CONVICT because that is the job of the Holy Spirit, they were there to preach and provide their testimony concerning Christ and the life everyone could live with Christ. We all have such opportunities. Most of us live in the "Thessalonicas, Breas, and Athens of this age. We walk and live among folk who worship an "UNKNOWN GOD" because they do not want to submit their lives to the One and True God. We live among people who think it is okay JUST to be moral --but it is not because morality has no place in Heaven. We live among people who worship satan and demons. We live among people who worship power and money. We live among people who worship themselves. Christians, however are the OFFSPRING of GOD and we are to live and move and have our very existence through the relationship we have with God through Christ. Our lives are to reflect the love and power of God. If we mirror the world then the world will not see Christ through us.

That simple phrase, "What would Jesus Do?" is a phrase I remind myself of often; especially when Stephanie gets in the way. Instead of reacting to people and situations, I pause more and think "This is an opportunity to witness through my life!" When you allow the Holy Spirit to work through you, it removes SELF and all the messed up "tapes" we have running through our heads. We, as Christians, are to allow JESUS to live, move and have His being in us, so that this sick world will receive the gift of salvation. We are His offspring and have His Spirit and therefore others should recognize us as His own. Would they? Would You?

To know Him to is love Him. To love Him is to Serve Him. To serve Him is to love You. 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

Cross references:

1. Numbers 6:24 : S Ge 28:3; Dt 28:3-6; Ps 28:9; 128:5
2. Numbers 6:24 : 1Sa 2:9; Ps 17:8
3. Numbers 6:25 : Job 29:24; Ps 4:6; 31:16; 80:3; 119:135
4. Numbers 6:25 : Ge 43:29; Ps 25:16; 86:16; 119:29
5. Numbers 6:26 : Ps 4:6; 44:3
6. Numbers 6:26 : Ps 4:8; 29:11; 37:11, 37; 127:2; Isa 14:7; Jer 33:6; Jn 14:27

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Your Life is a Witness--You Never Know Who is Watching!

Good morning to all on this Palm Sunday morning. Waine and I are in Thomaston this weekend. We (ZOe) hosted a Easter Egg hunt at The Rock Ranch yesterday and over 2,000 kids attended. The kids were able to hunt for eggs , zip line and climb the rock wall. The event lasted from 11 AM - 2 PM; I was working the Saturday clinic so was unable to attend. Jill, Brooks and Mackenzie came for a short visit. Brooks was competing in an international Taekwondo tournament in Atlanta and daughter Jill used the occasion to see the new house in Thomaston. It was a short and lovely visit. Our Columbus office opens tomorrow. God has parted the "Red Sea" for us and we are walking through. I witnessed about this vision that God had for ZOe  in Columbus so many have seen the Power and Glory of God work to bring this about. When God is for something, nothing can prevail against it, hallelujah! Pray for us that we would be a continued blessing to the patients we serve.

I am continuing my journey in Acts, chapter 16 verses 1- 39, "Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. 

From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. 

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.  He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the Word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” 

But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left." Amen. May God add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

There were several puzzling portions of this passage or me. The first of which is why would Paul be annoyed that the slave woman was proclaiming that they were servants of Christ. I had to think on this for a minute because I couldn't understand what about that was annoying. Then I got it. The unclean spirit in the woman was more mocking than prophetic. The spirit meant to belittle the Power and Majesty of Christ. Christ is more than a fortune teller, He is the future and does not need Satan or his demons to qualify it or substantiate it. Remember always that Satan knows the scriptures more than we do. Satan is quite aware of the Power of Faith and the Power of the sacrifice of Jesus. Satan is one being who understand fully what eternity without God is like, he (Satan) experiences this reality daily. Satan also knows what eternity will be like for people who do not accept the atonement made possible through a faith in Christ. Satan is intent on getting as many souls as he can to be with him in hell for eternity.

The example of the fortune teller is contrasted to that of the jailer who was an unbeliever until he saw the power of God especially as it relates to His chosen ones. God sent an earthquake to destroy the jail. He was demonstrating at that point that there is no power on earth or in heaven that can hold the servants of God. There is no power that can stand against His children. Paul and Silas understood this which is why they did not need to flee. They understood that their incarceration was part of God's plan of salvation for the jailer and all other who witnessed His true power. By not fleeing, Paul and Silas demonstrated their faith. As children of God we do not have to flee any situation. We are to stand firm so that others can come to the realization that what God says is true; He will be our Shield, our Rock and our Sword. No power or principality of this world can stand against us. We need only stay true to our faith!

Are there chains holding you today? Are you burdened by any particular thing? You need only pray and believe and you jail cell will be opened and your chains and shackles will fall off. Just look at Waine and I. So many of our "shackles" have been removed. Jill remarked that she was in awe of our current situation. She called it our "victory lap" and it is. Our time and circumstances now is our victory lap. It is God telling us and the world through us that you are never too old to experience success --the only ingredients are faith and obedience.

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

Preaching Religion and Not the Word of God!

Good morning to all on this Tuesday morning. I know I usually post on Sunday's but this Sunday was taken up with going to church in Columbus, GA. It has been a challenging but filling last couple of weeks in which I continue to learn about the sovereignty of God and His love for me and all of us. Zoë will be opening its 3rd site on 4/14/14 in Columbus, GA. God has "opened the red sea for us" and we are walking through to this new venture. Staff are hired; office is equipped, and God will send the patients. Oh what a difference it has been establishing this location than when Waine and I opened the Thomaston location. God has blessed up mightily wit Thomaston and rewarded our faith with Barnesville and Columbus. Continue to pray God's mercy, grace and wisdom for us as we move forward.

I am continuing my journey in Acts 15, verses 1-41, "Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.  Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?  No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.  When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me.  Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: “‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ things known from long ago. “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” 

Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. 

Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”  Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.  He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

This was an interesting chapter to me. There is a tendency in the church to make up rules of worship which is why the Baptist have their rituals, the Methodist have their rituals, the Catholics have their rituals, the Presbyterians have their rituals and so on. This chapter is significant in that is should remind believers that the birth, death and resurrection of Christ fulfilled all the laws of Moses--or said another way all the rituals that provided evidence of purification of our hearts towards God was fulfilled by the sacrifice of Christ. He, Christ, is the fulfillment of all the laws and commandment. As Christians we are only commanded to 1) love God with all of our hearts, mind and soul and then 2) to love one another just as Christ loved us, sacrificially. On these two (2) commandments hang all the laws of the universe. We now need no rituals to receive the love of God so as Christians we are not authorized to judge--we are only to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel.

Likewise, when we have disputes among each other, we are not to separate but to find common ground through Christ. When all else fails, we are not to stop loving each other but to love each other even through disagreements as God commanded. As Christians, the love of God through Christ should so shine in and through our lives that others, who are lost may come to know Christ and accept His gift of forgiveness and eternal life. If the world sees us bickering with one another, why should they believe in this great LOVE  called Jesus. Remember, Christ warns us in the last days of many false prophets; many who are wolves in sheep's clothing. If you have any doubt then speak the Good News of salvation and if it is the devil he will flee from you. Be alert as Christians that you are not led astray by our own thinking. We are only to preach the salvation of the Cross.

To know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to serve Him. To serve Him is to love you. Have a great week. 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.

Cross references:

1. Numbers 6:24 : S Ge 28:3; Dt 28:3-6; Ps 28:9; 128:5
2. Numbers 6:24 : 1Sa 2:9; Ps 17:8
3. Numbers 6:25 : Job 29:24; Ps 4:6; 31:16; 80:3; 119:135
4. Numbers 6:25 : Ge 43:29; Ps 25:16; 86:16; 119:29
5. Numbers 6:26 : Ps 4:6; 44:3
6. Numbers 6:26 : Ps 4:8; 29:11; 37:11, 37; 127:2; Isa 14:7; Jer 33:6; Jn 14:27

Stephanie



Reporting All That God Has Done For You!!

Good morning to all on this beautiful Sunday morning. Waine and I are in Thomaston and the weather is beautiful. All the trees we planted last year survived!! We don't have a lot of azaleas but will correct that this spring. Its a nice quiet Sunday morning and I enjoy the quiet of some down time. Had spiritual lessons to learn this week and took my faith to another level. Continue to keep me in your prayers as God teaches me to slow down and relax in His LOVE.

I am continuing my journey in Acts, chapter 14 verses 1-28 "At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.  The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, where they continued to preach the gospel. 

In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”  Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.  But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. In the past, He let all nations go their own way. Yet He has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy. Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. 

They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.  And they stayed there a long time with the disciples. " Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

When was the last time you were excited about what God has done for you? I remember when I went on a high carbohydrate diet and lost 40 pounds, I was so excited and told everybody I could about the virtues of this high carb diet until I gained all the weight back and then some. I remember when I discovered the truth about how to add years of life through exercise and proper eating until I couldn't go to the gym every morning at 5 AM. It is easy to be EXCITED and so hard to sustain the enthusiasm. Paul and Barnasbas however was not only excited they were CONVERTED!! They knew first hand what a life for Christ and the Good News did for them. They had experienced the Mercy and Grace of God through Christ and WOULD NOT BE QUIET! I can't remember the last time I was with Christians outside of church and felt this level of enthusiasm. There are the Joyce Meyers, Crefelo Dollars, TD Jakes and Joel Olsteens of the world but where are the millions of Christians living their every day life? Where are the proclamations coming from the "you's" and  "me's"?

Waine and I recently opened our 3rd medical office. When we announced to our staff we were going to open another office the staff looked at me like I had 2 heads. Most thought it was just a passing fancy. I decided that I would proclaim my faith that God had a plan for ZOe Pediatrics and set a date to open. With each passing week I would proclaim to the staff the progress we were making. As doors opened and obstacles were moved, I again proclaimed the Power of God. I professed daily the power of God to remove barriers and make the way clear. I at one point announced to the staff that if they ever wondered the practicality of God and how He answered prayer they needed to look no further than their nose. Now most of my staff profess to be Christians (we are living in the South) and I was amazed at the lack of "hallelujahs" and "praise the Lords". What I have concluded is that most Christians live in the mental bondage of fear. They live in "Spiritual Egypt" too afraid to believe that God will be faithful to their prayers. Most of us would rather the routine of "Egypt" than the adventure of the "wilderness" which has to be experienced before we partake in the abundance of the "Promised Land". Speaking as someone who decided to Believe God for the vision that He gave me in 2008 --the vision of prosperity and happiness--My Story is unfolding right before my eyes. Hallelujah! I can't stop talking about it. I still have areas of my life to surrender; I still have to remind myself daily to rebuke Satan when fear and doubt creep in; I still walk with Jesus hand-in-hand minute by minute AND I am learning daily how much God through Christ loves me and you. WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE KING! OUR FATHER HAS NUMBERED THE HAIRS ON OUR HEAD AND ONLY HAS LOVE AND GOOD THOUGHTS ABOUT US. It is time that people of faith REPORT THE GOOD NEWS OF ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE FOR THEM THROUGH FAITH. Not to do so is not only cowardly it robs the ability of others to turn from sin and experience the abundance of God. To know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to serve Him. To serve Him is to love you.

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



Take The Promises of God To Heart!!

Good morning to all on this wonderful Sunday morning. Waine and I just returned from a trip to Jamaica and are staying with  friends in Atlanta. Aleron had guests so  we kotched with friends. This has taken some getting used to and I am sure as we progress things will be worked out. Transitions are difficult to say the least. Spring has finally decided to descend on Georgia and for that we are all grateful.

 

I am continuing my journey in Acts 13 verses 13-52 " From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.  From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.  After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.” Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; He made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power He led them out of that country;  for about forty years He endured their conduct in the wilderness; and He overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to His people as their inheritance. All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then the people asked for a king, and He gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, He made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised. 

 

Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’ Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning Him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have Him executed. When they had carried out all that was written about Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead, and for many days He was seen by those who had traveled with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now His witnesses to our people. We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: You are My Son; today I have become your father.’God raised Him from the dead so that He will never be subject to decay. As God has said, ‘I will give you the Holy and sure blessings promised to David.’ So it is also stated elsewhere: ‘You will not let Your Holy One see decay. Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.  But the One whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: ‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’

 

 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the Word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the Word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the Word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The Word of the Lord spread through the whole region.  But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.  So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium.  And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

This is a very good and concise account of how God fulfilled His Promise to Abraham and how God's Plan of Salvation was fulfilled through Jesus. There were several things that struck me as I read these chapters. 1) God is long suffering with the people that He loves and has made a promise to. He suffered all of the insults of the  Jewish nation--endured their worship of idols and the prosecution and crucifixion of His Son Jesus because He had a plan of salvation for His creation Man. 2) How he answers prayer and seeks to communicate with us, is in a  manner that we can understand. Remember He communicated directly with Adam and Eve and when that didn't work, He gave men judges, then prophets and then kings. Still the Israelites turned to their own understanding and away from the face of God. Yet in their weakness God fulfilled His Promise of Salvation through the seed of Jesse and David and gave mankind the ultimate gift--Jesus. 3) God's vision for mankind is long term and unwavering. He, God. wants a relationship with us (collectively as man-kind) and will wait on us. He is truly long suffering. 4) The only "person" God raised from the dead was Jesus--Jesus and the disciples raised many people from the dead but God only raised One and that was Jesus. He  made certain that as prophets, kings and other great people come and go they will all have the  legacy  of being born, living and dying. Only one had a comma after death and that was Jesus because He alone was conceived, was born, lived and died and ,,,,,,, was resurrected. Hallelujah. This resurrection again fulfills God's plan for all of His believers that we two will be resurrected with Him. 5) The last and certainly not least point I got is that when you are in God's Zone and are going about His business, be bold and speak truth to power. If you are rejected then move on; shake the dust off  your feet and move on. God will handle the rest. The fulfillment of God's promises for you are not dependent on others--just your faith!! Hallelujah!!

 

To Know Him is to Love Him. To  love Him is to serve Him. To serve Him is to love you. Have a great day and great week. 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

 

 

 

 

Being Sent on Your Way by the Holy Spirit!

Good morning to all on this 2nd day of March. My father Emorrie was born on March 2, 1928. He is with God now and would have been 86 years old. I have may positive memories of my time with my Daddy as he was called and although a man of few words, those words still resound with me. It is also a picture perfect day in Georgia. The trees are beginning to get sexy so there is a lot of pollen in the air. The colors are very gorgeous. We are in Thomaston and Waine is getting ready to go any play some golf with buddies in Jamaica. Pray for our safe travels.

I am continuing my journey in Acts 13, verses 1-12 " Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the Word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.  They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the Word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,  “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?  Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.  When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord. ". Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to reading and hearing of His Word.

When you have been sent by God to fulfill His vision, you can walk and speak boldly because none of what you are doing is by your own might. You don't have to apologize for your actions; you are the representative of the King on High. No evil can over take you and no evil can harm you. You will have a hedge of protection around you at all times and God's plan will be made perfect through you and for you. This is what Barnabas and Paul (Saul) experienced. They were sent to preach the Gospel of Good News and what they met is the instrument of the devil. Instead of being afraid they rebuked the man and the evil within him. They proclaimed the judgment of the Lord and the judgment was made manifest so that all who witnessed it could be saved. All of us on a daily basis have the opportunity to speak boldly the Words of God so that others might come to know the same God that we know. The step of faith that it takes to proclaim the Power and Might of the Lord and the fulfillment of that life through us is all that it takes for the veil to drop from the eyes of the unbeliever.

If you have a chance to have the privilege of being a witness for God through Christ. just take the step of Faith that all believers have done since the birth of Jesus the Christ. To know Him is to love Him. To Love Him is to Serve Him. To Serve Him is to love You. Have a great 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.

Stephanie