You Have Overcome the World

Good  morning  on this 25th day of August. Happy Birthday Koichi!! Waine and I are in Hawkinsville enjoying a very mild and temperate late summer day in Georgia. We have had record rain fall in Georgia and it is GREAT to see the sun. Waine and I enjoyed a GREAT walk this morning just talking and sharing. Today is also the anniversary of Dr. King's "I have a Dream" speech. African Americans have accomplished a lot and we still have lots of work to do.

 

I am continuing my journey in 1 John 5, verse 1 - 21, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands. And His commands are not burdensome,  for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.  This is the One who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.  We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 

 

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.  If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.  All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true by being in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.  Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

This message is 2,000 years old but Still So Relevant! John was admonishing the believers of his day to claim the promise and power of God. Christian teachers are still admonishing us to be bold in our faith and claim the promises of God through obedience to the commandments of God. Chief among them is to love God through acceptance of His Son as the pathway to Him and then to love one another as God has loved us. With this commitment to His commandments we can live without fear and when we live without fear we begin to realize the abundance that has been paid for us by the Blood shed  on the Cross.  We can also boldly proclaim the TRUTH! So why do so many Christians NOT live the abundant life that is ours. why are so many Christians silence about this Faith.

 

The evil one is the chief liar--his whole life is dedicated to keeping us in fear but this fear is only relevant when we let it. Jesus said we can rebuke Satan with the power of the Holy Spirit and we should be ashamed when we do not live boldly. Shake off the shackles of fear and guilt and grasp the abundance that is yours today. Don't deny the sacrifice of Christ by not living boldly through Christ today.

 

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

The Love Story

Good morning to all of this rainy Sunday in Georgia. It has been raining for 3 days and although the temperature hovers around the mid-70's because it is so rainy it seems colder. Waine and I are in Thomaston this weekend and he spent the greater part of yesterday moving more things from Atlanta to Thomaston. When we first moved to Thomaston, I resisted putting the Atlanta house on the market, because of "what ifs"--what if Thomaston does not work out, what if we have to move back to Atlanta?--One day I was convicted because God says you cannot take hold of the plow of the future looking backwards so I agreed to put our Atlanta house on the market. The transition is a little painful for me because we spent so much of our 26 years together in that house. All of our grandchildren were born while we lived at 3151 Rilman Road; Aleron came of age at 3151 Rilman Road. So many beautiful memories and another chapter begins.

 

I am continuing my journey in 1 John chapter 4 verses 1 - 21, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,  but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.  

 

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.  This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  We love because He first loved us.  Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." Amen and may the Lord add a  blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

What a POWERFUL MESSAGE about the love of God for us. Most of the time I focus on why I love God--I really can't help myself. Knowing Him completes me. I could not imagine life without God through Christ. It HIT me today reading this passage that God also NEEDS to love me! He is programmed to love me. He is not complete until He can love me--that's why we were created--we are the vessels to accept His love. Its like a light bulb is not complete -- it cannot do its job-- until it emits light. An electric socket is not complete until it can give you electricity. A jar is not complete until it can hold something. God made us so that we could accept His love. Love is not complete until there is an object that can accept it. Love is made complete in the action of acceptance!!! Wow!  My concept of God is that He needs nothing and yet then why did He create us?? God is self sufficient--He needs nothing to complete Him--I believe this concept with unquestioning faith so why then were we created? I am beginning to understand the nature of Love.  Just like a jar cannot help the need to be filled, Love cannot "help" the need to be given and accepted. Love is an action and as in all actions it has to do something. In the case of Love it has to be given--it cannot be contained. Love seeks to be given and accepted. That is the nature of love. Hallelujah!!  When you are dwelling in the spirit of love you will know it. There are no thoughts of "what-if" or "does not"-- that is to say "what if the person to whom I am sending this love will accept it--what of they reject it? Love doesn't care what the receiver does or does not do--Love just wants to be given.  It is our job as children of God just to give LOVE to Him and then to each other. Love never judges if someone is worthy of the Love--Love just wants to be given. That is the story of Love and of God. He just wants to be given to the creation that was created out of love to accept His love. We complete God--I get it. I am the Love story. You are the love story. He loves us BECAUSE HE CANNOT HELP HIMSELF.

 

It pains God when He cannot give us His love because of SIN. SIN and God cannot exist in the same place so its like Light and Dark--when darkness exits its because Light is not there. Sin closes the path through which God's love travels to us; the bridge that is needed is Christ. If you love your spouse and they are in sin, its your job to share the Good News through words and deeds. If you love your children and they are in sin, then its your job to share the Good News through words and deeds. If you love your friends and they are in sin, then its your job to share the Good News through words and deeds. God loves the world that is in sin and its our job through words and deeds to SHARE this LOVE STORY. Amen and hallelujah!

 

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



"...and we are known by the Spirit He gave us!"

Good morning to all on this Sunday in August. Waine and I are in Hawkinsville. It is over 90 degrees and my beloved is on the golf course. We spent last weekend in Orlando with Kai and Hailie and their parents. We celebrated Kai's 5th  birthday. He is getting to be such  a Big Boy. Time passes so quickly. It was only yesterday when I was at his birth and mine was the 1st heart beat he heard! The private practice is going well. we had a banner week and I thank God for all of  his blessings!!

 

I am continuing my journey in 1 John 3: 1-24 "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  All who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that He appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him.  Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.  This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. 

For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.  Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.  If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.  This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence:  If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we keep His commands and do what pleases Him.  And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us." Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

Wow what a powerful message! When we give our life to God through Christ we HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT that Christ left for us and to be with us. That is the PRESENT tense! We don't have to ask for the Holy Spirit we already have Him and His FRUITS!! They go hand and hand. We don't have to strive to display these FRUITS we just have to get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit REST, RULE AND ABIDE. When we take over and sin enters the picture, God and sin cannot occupy the same space at the same time so therefore we are unprotected--however we need only repent and we are back with the Holy Spirit again. We cannot earn God's love and Mercy. We became God's love and mercy when we accepted Christ as Savior and His blood sacrifice wiped us clean. We are clean forever -- we need nothing else except to CELEBRATE this new life daily.  When we pray, we are to pray as if our prayers have already been answered. The price has been paid. When we live we are to live a victorious life.

If you are struggling then get out of the way of your true life. If you have anger then get out of the way and let God's love shine through you. If you have insecurities then get out of the way and let God's victorious life be your life. Our life with  God through  Christ is right here and right now and forever. We don't have to  wait. We don't have to plea--just get out of your own  way. Christ has already paid the price for your victorious life.  Waine told me this story about this couple who saved up for 2 years to take a cruise. They were finally able to pay the fare but didn't have  any money left so they brought crackers, cheese, fruit and peanut butter so that they would have food to eat. On the second day of the cruise, a cruise worker asked why they were eating cheese and crackers on the deck of the boat. The husband replied that they had enough money to book passage but not to pay for the food. The cruise worker informed them that the food was included in their fare and they could eat all they wanted. The PRICE HAD BEEN PAID IN FULL!

If you are  on the deck eating cheese and crackers when a banquet awaits you then get to know the God you serve better. Satan is the father of lies. You are already seated at the bountiful table of the saved because of the sacrifice of Christ. Enjoy your life so that others may come to know and serve the God of Abraham , Issac, Jacob and 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
 

What's Your Pedigree?

Good morning to all on this glorious Sunday morning. Waine and I are in Atlanta for a short weekend. Had a wonderful dinner with our son Aleron last night; Aleron finished his first full week of employment as a staff physician for Kaiser. Please continue to  keep him in your prayers as he navigates the "ins" and "outs" of being a GREAT physician. Many of you know by  now that Waine's email was hacked last week. Many people got a email saying that he was stranded in the Philippines and needed $2,000. So many people called with their concern, 1) to notify us that his email had been hacked, 2) many people wanted to help in any way they could. Malcolm Taylor always said, "If you  have God, family and friends, you   may stumble but will never hit the ground". Thank you all for your concern and prayers. We are both fine and were never in the Philippine and it is good to know we have friends that  care about us.

 

I am continuing my journey  in 1 John 2: 1- 29 " My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.  We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands.  Whoever says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys His Word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. 

 

I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. he world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.  

 

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.  I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.  As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.  And this is what He promised us—eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in Him. And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of Him." Amen and may the Lord add a Blessing to the Reading and Hearing of His Word.

 

I have been CONVICTED lately that my life has to demonstrate the  LIGHT and LIFE of Christ. I am reminded daily that Jesus Christ does not have a pedigree of strife, confusion, misery or  bad outcomes. God, through Christ, ONLY bears fruit of abundance. Last week was a very stress filled week for me. There were so many things that seemed to be going wrong. The whirlwind of confusion and strife was overwhelming. I was caught up in it and felt hopeless until I remembered that this  STRIFE and CONFUSION was not of God. I then rebuked Satan and begin to think on the PROMISES of God!  The God we serve is not a God of confusion or hopelessness. He is a God of Victory and when we step out on faith and claim the victory our solutions are at hand. The temptation is to be caught up in the strife and confusion -- instead what we should do is to begin to praise the God of our salvation for our deliverance from the confusion caused by the father of lies--the evil one.

 

If this day finds you in the midst of confusion, rebuke the devil in Jesus name and he will flea from you. Satan can not be in the same space as God or Jesus so he will flea and his twin towers of confusion and strife will leave with him. We do not have power over the spiritual battle that  is taking place but God is in the forefront of our lives to protect us and to ensure that we have abundance today. When you think about your spiritual pedigree, does it reflect the God that has brought you  out of the mired clay? Others are watching so be blessed today so that you can bless others.

 

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

To Make Your Joy Complete!

Good morning to all! What a treat to have Internet services that actually work!!! We have just returned from Jamaica and the celebration of my birthday and Waine's 70th birthday and are at our home in Atlanta. We had all the children and grandchildren compressed into a week of sun, fun and what families do--discuss vigorously all the things that matter to them. After reflection, it occurred to me that Waine and I have to work harder to get every one together more than once a year. You can email and call but nothing takes the place of being in each other's space and face. I truly appreciate the expense that our child went to to be at the Dad's 70th birthday celebration. We were able to secure a 6 bedroom villa in Montego Bay. I went grocery shopping so much the grocery baggers knew me on a first name basis. The cook(s) at the villa had to constantly keep 15 people fed inclusive of 6 very opinionated and nevertheless hungry grandchildren. Needless to say I am not looking forward to seeing the inside of a grocery store anytime soon. As of the penning of this blog passage everyone has arrived home safely and for that I thank God for His mercies and blessings. 

We have completed 1st and 2nd Peter and I am continuing my spiritual journey in 1 John 1 verses 1-10, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. The Life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word is not in us." Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

What a powerful passage!! Headline---GOD DOES NOT EXPECT THAT WE WILL LIVE WITHOUT SIN or SINNING! That is the WHOLE point of the sacrifice of Christ. God knows the heart of man--He has been dealing with our hearts from the beginning (Adam and Eve). He knows that we will sin EVEN when we strive not to. He doesn't look at our behavior but He looks at our heart!!! He doesn't want us to dwell on our behavior but on the forgiveness that is already freely available. The only being that wants you to dwell on sin is the progenitor of it--Satan. I have "mouthed" these words on many occasions but I JUST GOT IT. God does not hold our sin against us--He doesn't beat us up about it--He only desires that we confess them and then move on. Does this mean we, as Christians, can live any life we chose. No and God knows that the more we yield our hearts to Him the more we will be willing and able to turn our lives to Him and move on. You see "sin" does more harm to the people watching us as Christians than it does to Christians. We are covered but people in the world are not so we not only hurt ourselves we hurt those that look to us for strength and sustenance. Sin also prevents us from enjoying the life that God has planned for us. He came that we might have life and in ABUNDANCE. He came to make our joy complete. If you are a Christian and are reading this and you are not happy then you are not connected into the source of your joy. Confess your sins even if you don't know what they are and then move on to assume your position of joy!! Claim your joy now--not today, NOW.

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

The Lord is Not SLOW--He is Patient!

Good morning to all on this 1st Sunday in July. We had Kai and Hailie last weekend and this weekend we have Brooks our oldest grandson. Melanie and her 2 children are also here so we have a full house here in Thomaston and it is GREAT! We miss having kids around us. I love a full house! My nephew Jason is still in Japan, so keep him in your prayers. We serve a  mighty good God and His Grace and Mercy are ever abiding!

 

I am continuing my journey in 2 Peter 3 verses 1 - 18, "Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.  I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.  Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ He promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s Word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.  By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.  By the same Word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.  But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.   But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives  as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.  So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him.  Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.  He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.  Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.".  Amen! May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

The first time I read this chapter this morning, I was not struck by the POWER of what Peter was saying. By the third time I started to get what Peter was talking about. There are those among us who would have you believe that that scriptures are not the inspired Word of God. These scoffers would have you believe that there is no God; that He is a figment of our need to imagine a Power greater than ourselves. Be careful of these folk. They are "good" people; they live for the most part moral lives and they are being deceived by Satan just like Eve and Adam were. God is true to His Word. Ask Eve and Adam. God commanded that they NOT eat of the Tree of Knowledge for they would surely die and folk are dying every day. When these folk die they wake up to a new reality--it will either be in the presence of God through Christ or it will be an eternity without God. That is what the scripture says and there is no myth about it. I believe that God would have put an end to all of this but with each generation, more people come to know and love Him which is why we were created in the first place. To know Him and to love Him though repentance and through acceptance of Christ as the payment for the sin of disobedience. You have to ask yourself, what have you done today to forward the Kingdom of God to a confused world. A world of Attention Deficit folk! Were you a beacon of light or were you just another bump in the road helping others to stumble. Sometimes its good to look into yourself.

 

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

What Has Mastered You?!

Good  morning to all on this 1st day of Summer. Waine and I are in Hawkinsville and actually had time to walk together this morning. These times that we have where we can just focus on each other are very important. Energizes my batteries and I am  able to share myself with others more freely. Some exciting news for our family--Jason Jenkins, Ko's oldest son, was selected by the Japanese Consulate of Houston to travel to Japan for 2 weeks. His trip is being paid for by the Japanese government and they have spared no expense. Keep him in your prayers as he travels. Also our practice, ZOe, continues to be busy even though it is summer. We consistently provide services to 50+ patients a day and have not had to lay off any staff. Now I know why so many private practices close their offices during the summer. Continue to keep ZOe in your prayers!

 

I am continuing my journey with Peter in his second letter, Chapter 2 verses 1 - 22, "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.  For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;  and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.  Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.  It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

 

"For people are slaves to whatever has mastered them!" Truer words were never spoken. Whatever has mastered you--that is the god or God for which you will bear fruit. So what fruit are you bearing today?? This mantra has been convicting me on a daily basis. I have a weakness of being "quick to anger" and when my anger flashes I am consciously reminding myself that the Fruits of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, FORBEARANCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS and SELF-CONTROL. It doesn't do me any good to profess my love for God and not be able to demonstrate the Fruits of the Master that I belong to. Since making up my mind to manifest these fruits, I have opportunities each day to "exercise"  my commitment to bearing the fruits of the life I talk about. I am actually aware when God is going to give me an opportunity. He is so gentle and He knows my nature so much, that He gives me warnings. You may think I have gone off the deep bend, however what I am writing is actually events that have occurred this week. Humility is a spiritual muscle I am trying to build and God has given me countless opportunities this past week to exercise and build this  muscle. I would give myself a score of 60% for the past week and I am sure this week I will have more opportunities. At some point when my Master sees that this is no longer a distraction for me I am sure we will move on to other things.  His goal, my Master, is that my life reflect the Fruits that belong to Him and not to the world. His GOAL is that others would come to love and know Him because of the life I lead and that is the MOST IMPORTANT MISSION THAT I HAVE. My abundant life is a reflection of the life and walk I have through Christ with God and if I am a witness to that walk then my Life should bear fruit.

 

Christ "cursed" the fig tree because it was not bearing the fruit it should have. Likewise, God has brought   calamity and destruction to those who continue to be disobedient to Him and who continue to reject Christ as Lord. The false prophets may have people believe that its ok to be moral; or if you are a moral person then that's all that is necessary. Peter here is admonishing us to "GROW-UP" and start living the life we preach about. We, as Christians are to warn the world about these false prophets that would have you believe that you are the master of your own life and fate. We are to teach the world how to submit to the One and Only God, Jehovah not with outward rituals but through a submission of our wills and heart to Christ. This 2nd letter of Peter's is meant for mature Christians! We have to at some point reflect the Master that we have accepted through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. If you held a mirror to your life today, what Master would be reflected?

 

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