Crossing the Finish Line

My son, Thomas, ran cross-country and track in high school. The most rewarding thing about watching him was the encouragement he gave to others. Before each race he walked up to his opponents, shook their hand, and wished them well. During the race he encouraged whoever ran next to him to keep running. (Who does that? In a competitive race?) After the race he shook his opponent’s hands and told them they did a good job.
The Bible tells us to encourage one another with our walk with God. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16. There is always a reason for His commands. Usually, it is to make us a better or stronger person, but most of the time it has a deeper meaning, a bigger picture than what we see at the time.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He guides us in every step we take. It is comforting when a brother or sister in Christ tells us they are praying for us, and reminds us God will bring us through our trials with great victory. Somehow it brings us closer to God and to each other. It fills us with love for one another and strengthens our faith in God.
But we are not only to encourage our fellow Christians. We are to uplift everyone. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrew 10:25 Others will see Christ in us as we encourage them to keep going. I used to know someone who would say, “You’re doing a good job.” no matter what the person was doing. They could be changing a light bulb, and he would say, “You’re doing a good job!” We might never know the full extent of the message we are sending when we encourage a non-believer. The smallest gesture could lead someone to Christ.
There is another thing that tickled me when I watched Thomas run. No matter where he ended up in the pack, he crossed the finish line with his arms raised, as if he were the winner. In a way, he was the winner. Not because of his good sportsmanship, but because he is a child of God. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:57. We, as Christians, need to share the victory with others.
How can we show encouragement to others? How can we know that we have the victory of Christ? How can we share that victory with others?
In an article by Coach Dave Daubenmire titled, “Ashamed of the Gospel”, he states, “The Church is praying for revival in the world while the world is waiting for revival in the Church.” He also states, “If Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were to suddenly appear on the scene would they recognize in America the same faith they died to give us? Would they take their places in one of these churches, content to allow their butts (can you say that in church) to merely warm the pews? Is this the Gospel they gave their lives for?”
In another article by the Coach, “The Storm Clouds are Building,” he emphasizes that we are “end-times obsessed.” I agree that we do need to have a balance, but I believe if it is in the Bible, we should know about it. He says, “It is almost like we are watching a house burn to the ground, and instead of grabbing a hose, we stand around and muse over how long it will take for the dwelling to be fully destroyed.” The signs of the end-times are written for us as a warning, not just to get right with God, but to motivate us to lead others to Christ. I am not going to step out of the race when the going gets tough, but I want to know how close I am to the finish line. I am not going to watch the house burn down. I’m going to run in and save as many as I can before it is too late. Too many people are afraid to get burned, so they stay outside in the “safe-zone.” Jesus himself went to the lost (where they were) to share His love. The storm clouds are building, but God’s Word says that many storms will come in the last days. America is falling to evil, but that only makes me want to run out and tell them the Good News; that we do have the victory, and we are getting closer to the finish line. Yes, the sun could be setting only for America. It could be the last days only for you or for I, but that should make us, as Christians, want to “shake to their senses” every soul that is dying to evil. It should make us want to go out and find more lost souls; to do everything we possibly can to share the victory of Jesus before it is too late. One day it will be too late for them, whether it be Jesus returning or the end of days for them personally. When we share Christ, we have true victory in Christ.
Are you just a pew warmer? Or are you praying for revival in the world and in the church? Are you going to stand in the safe zone with an “every man for himself” mentality? Or are you willing to step into the flames to save a lost soul? Are you going to stand and watch the house burn to the ground? Or are you going to raise your hands in victory as you cross the finish line?

Wise Men Seek Jesus

And when they (the wise men) were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11
This Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of Christ, let’s consider what it was like in Bethlehem at that glorious time. The wise men originally went to Jerusalem after seeing the star in the east to find Jesus “king of the Jews.”
It began when King Herod and Jerusalem found out Christ had been born. They were “troubled”. King Herod demanded of the chief priests and the scribes where Christ was to be born. When they told him Bethlehem, he sent the wise men to find Christ. He deceived them and told them he wanted to worship the king. Jealousy and pride indwelled in Herod. He feared his position, as king of Judea, would be jeopardized. He wanted the baby king dead. The wise men set out to follow the star which led them to the young child. “lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” Matthew 2: 9, 10 The wise men were elated. Not because they saw a star. They knew it was “the star” that had been prophesied for generations as written in Numbers 24:17. They knew it was the Messiah-the King; the one who would save the world.
However, the star was a miracle in itself. It moved from north to south. Natural objects in the sky always move from east to west. This star led the wise men to a particular place – the stable where Jesus was.
When they saw Jesus they fell down. They didn’t just fall to one knee, like we see in modern manger scenes. They fell lying prostrate on the ground. For these wise men from Ancient Persia, this was a sign of great respect that was often showed to a king.
The gifts they presented to Him—gold, and frankincense and myrrh—were not just rare and valuable items for that time period, they have a symbolic and prophetic meaning.
Gold, of course, is mined from rock and holds a lot of value even by today’s standards. It symbolizes virtue and kingship on earth. Frankincense is an aromatic resin obtained from the Boswellia tree. It was used in incense as well as in perfumes. It is an emblem of prayer. Myrrh is a resinous material taken from a Commiphora myrrha tree. It was used as an anointing oil and embalming oil. It was a custom of the Jews to give those who were condemned to death by crucifixion "wine mingled with myrrh" to produce insensibility. It symbolizes suffering and death, which Christ would endure later in His life.
The child—the son—born this day was given to them and to us today and “the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
Today we are given the same invitation that the wise men had; to follow the star—light—to the particular person of Jesus Christ. We must ask ourselves, “When was the last time we rejoiced with exceeding great joy for Christ Jesus, fell prostrate before him in worship, or presented him with gifts? Gifts? Have we no gold, frankincense, or myrrh? Have we put our faith in Christ and made Him king of our lives? Crowned Him with “gold” virtue, prayed with the sweet spirit of “frankincense”, and anointed Him with “myrrh” and allowed His suffering and death to take away our sins?
This Christmas let us follow the star so we can be like the wise men. Then every day we can celebrate the risen Savior and rejoice with exceeding great joy.

When to Fight and When to Rest

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13

My husband, Carl, played football when he was young. During a game he was up against a lineman that was considerably larger than him. After a play where he was knocked silly, Carl jumped back up on his feet. Trying to act like a tough guy, he did not want his opponent to think he was hurt. The referee, noticing he was dizzy, asked Carl, “Are you okay?” Carl, wanting to stay in the game answered, “Yes, sir!” The referee told Carl, “I think you better go sit down on the sideline.” Carl took a few steps toward the sideline and felt himself being picked up and turned around to face the opposite sideline. The referee then said, “Okay, now go sit down on your own sideline.” When Carl got to the sideline his coach asked, “Are you okay?”
Carl spouted out, “Yes, sir!”
Puzzled, Coach held up two fingers and asked “How many fingers am I holding up?”
Carl immediately asserted, “Seven!”
Coach confirmed, “Okay, I think you better sit down for a while.”
Isn’t that how our life is sometimes? We are all armored up like Ephesians 6 tells us to do. We are out on the front line ready for whatever life has for us. Before we know what hit us, we are down. We quickly jump back up and brush ourselves off so no one will know we have been jostled. We do not want the enemy to know he snared us. We do not want anyone making a fuss or feeling sorry for us. After all, we will have our own pity party when we get home. God will give us a break from our trials and sometimes our ministries because He knows we need it We insist that we see seven fingers being held up when, in fact, it is only two. Sometimes we want to keep on serving the Lord even when God puts us on the “sideline”.
God knows what we need better than we do. We want to be out on the playing field. That is good. We should all want to serve the Lord. But, when we get knocked down by the enemy and God puts us on the sideline, then we need to rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-29) The yoke is a symbol of submission. We must submit to the Lord even as we did when we first came to Him. He promises to restore us in our rest. That doesn’t mean we should go to sleep and stop being the person God has called us to be. It means we will have less of a burden to carry. Johnson’s Bible Commentary says it this way, “The burdens of life are heavy, but Christ’s yoke is easy because it is borne in love. His burden is light because he helps us bear it.” We can still show Christ to others in our lives. We can still worship and praise God.
Carl was able to play football again. He was not injured for the rest of his life. We too, will get back in the playing field of life and accomplish the goals that God sets before us. The wonderful thing is that we do not have to “Go, Fight, Win,” as the cheer goes. Christ has already won the victory. When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we accepted the championship He won on our behalf. We, as Christians, can live and celebrate in His victory.

The Beginning of the End

D-Day was a term we used as kids for report card day. I guess those who did not make good grades knew there would be a war with their parents when they got home. But, the military uses D-Day for the codename Operation Overlord which occurred June 6, 1944 when American, Canadian and British joined armed forces. It is known as “the beginning of the end” of WWII. Hitler and his armies were on their way to taking over all of Europe. The quick-wittedness of the 155,000 troops with their “boots on the ground” successfully stormed the beaches of Normandy. I commend them for their bravery and heroism which gave victory to defeat Hitler and his armies.
As Christians, we need to be like the courageous soldiers; in preparation of a different kind of “the beginning of the end.” We should train daily because we are up against the enemy as we expand the kingdom of God. Paul talks about protection and being armed for battle in Ephesians 6. He tells us to have the helmet of salvation (v17). This will determine our eternal destination, but alone it will not protect us fully in any battle. He tells us to have the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God (v17) as our weapon of choice. Our belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness (v14) and shoes of peace (v15) as our daily protection against principalities, powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world; against spiritual wickedness in high places (v12). Prayers of perseverance for all Saints (v18) will be necessary for combat daily as we near the end. Matthew 25 warns us to have our oil lamps full of the Holy Spirit (v4), so that we will be ready at the midnight cry when the bridegroom comes for his bride (v6).
Today, 67 years after D-Day, I would like to honor the soldiers who gave their lives and those who shed blood, sweat and tears for the victory against Hitler and his followers. May God bless you abundantly for your dedication and perseverance.

Don't Get Burned in the Fire

Fire! Fire! That was the yell heard one hundred years ago March 25. The New York Times reported the celebration for the survivors of a fire that burned 3 floors of a 10-story building. You might wonder why the significance. Fires were somewhat common many years ago. Chicago and San Francisco come to mind. The fire in New York City is momentous because of the way it affected the victims and the survivors and because of the result it caused.

First of all, we have to go back to the era. We think of other countries having sweatshops and child labor. A hundred years ago it was common to have those things in America. The United States was full of immigrants and most were poor. So, women and children had to work to help the family survive. (There were no child labor laws.) The Triangle Shirtwaist Company was delighted to help the poor immigrants’ predicament. They hired mostly teenage women. While there are so many things inequitable about the whole situation, and many laws were passed that we still have in effect today because of this fire, the fire itself was a tragedy. These girls were locked into the rooms to prevent them from taking breaks. The fire broke out on the eighth floor and the tenth floor was called to warn them. For some reason the ninth floor was not called. In hysteria and/or on fire, some jumped out the window.

God showed me that these women who were in the building when the fire began are much like us as children of God. We are born into sin and destined to hell. We are in a burning building behind a locked door. Jesus died on the cross, went to hell for us, heaven to give the blood sacrifice and then rose from the dead. Forty days later, He ascended into heaven. He still lives today. If we admit that we have been born into sin, and we ask Him to come into our heart and to be Lord of our life, He will give us eternal life. We will go to heaven when we die. Jesus holds the key, but He is waiting for us to ask Him to unlock the door so that we may be saved from the burning fire. This may all sound a little harsh to some, but have you read your Bible lately? Thank you for reading my blog and God bless you.

Rain Forest Experience

The Amazon was a great experience. One thing that stuck out with me is the attitude of the people that live there. They are so open to receiving the love of God.
The government considers the Ticuna Indians, the people of this area, a nuisance and tries to restrict aid. God made a way for us to get there and to help in several ways.
We installed a water purification system at the Boys Scouts home. The home is too far from the Amazon River to hand-carry water. So the people wait for rain to fill large containers. With the filtration system in place, the Boys Scouts and the missionaries who live in the area can tell residents about the “living water” they can have through Jesus Christ.
The message will bring hope to the area because a couple churches have combined Christianity with Black Magic. Incest is considered normal and the Indians suffer from a high rate of suicide.
Teaming up with a group from Georgia, we gave testimonies to the youth about purity. The Georgia group put on powerful drama skits and the leader gave a presentation he gives to students in his home town. We were able to pray for hundreds who came forward, 69 of them accepted Christ as their personal Savior and over 200 vowed to a life of purity.
A missionary who lives in the area started a school several years ago. The students learn history, and are able to use the Bible as a history book. (Otherwise, he would not be able to teach Christianity.) As a result, the Indians come to know Christ. They bring home what they learn at school to teach their parents. Their parents come to know Christ, as well.
Texas and Georgia groups were also able to clear a lot across from the school for the students to play soccer, installed a water pump and did general maintenance for the missionary/school.
I cannot put everything I experienced in one statement. I will, however, say it changed my outlook on life.

Those who went on this trip from Texas and made a difference in people’s lives were Michael Dorsett, Thomas Tucker, Kendall Johnson, Tim Tiu, Travis Myers, Andrew Bourgeois, Mattie Carl, Danielle Nicholson, Michelle Montoya, Melissa Cuartas, Lexi Prestwood and Debbie Smith.

In July, I will be going on a mission trip with some energetic young adults to Columbia/Brazil/Peru. This will be my first mission trip outside the United States. Until this year I’ve never had the desire to go to another country on a mission trip, unless of course it would be to Australia, Scotland or Ireland. My husband has been to a Russian orphanage and to Mexico. My son has been to Peru twice. But me? I’ll just stay right here in the good ole U S of A.
That is until a man of small stature came to our church. George Gonzalez is a Hispanic snow-capped man with a mustache. He is missionary from Amazon Xpeditions (amazonxpeditions.com) and talked to us about sending a team to South America. He told us about a town where Columbia, Brazil and Peru meet. If you walk across the street, you will be in another country… in the jungle. Ok, he lost me right there. Jungle, in my mind, means snakes, spiders and other creepy-crawly things. A shiver ran down my spine at even the thought of seeing them. No…I’m good. George assured me the only snake he had ever seen in the 15 years that he’s been going there was about one inch round and about 15 inches long and it was draped around a teenage boy’s neck like a scarf.
But then George began telling us about the people that live there. They are an Indian tribe called the Ticuna (or Tikuna). George talked to the chief through two interpreters (From English to Portuguese and then from Portuguese to Tikuna) about Jesus Christ. The chief accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He then pointed to an area of vegetation so dense you need a machete to walk through it, “You see that land over there? The next time you come, my people will have cleared all that land. I want you and your people to build a house for God to live in.” So, the next time George brought a team over there, they built a church.
The Ticuna’s source of water comes from the Amazon River. I don’t know if you know this, but the Amazon River is not your run of the mill natural spring water. It’s more like Mississippi Mud with a current that will take you away. George is looking for people who will go to South America and install a simple water purification system. They will put it in the church, so that when the people come for the clean water they will be told about Jesus and how they can have living water.
Then George began to tell us about the young generation. They become of age and leave the tribe to go to the city to find work. In the city, they are outcast and ostracized because they are Indian. Therefore, they cannot find work. They do the only thing they know to do and that is to move back to the village. Two things happen: they are ostracized by their own people for leaving to begin with and second they have a hard time going back to their native life because they have seen and lived a civilized life. They’ve seen cars, washing machines and many other things that are in the civilized world. Things that we sometimes take for granted. These young people get depressed and commit suicide. Just last year, out of 350 villagers, 16 committed suicide.
George had my heart right there. Some of you know that I struggle with suicidal thoughts. I know what it’s like to feel hopeless and helpless. I don’t know how I would handle that type of transition. I can’t imagine not having hope for a civilized life. Seeing and living a life with all the amenities only to have it ripped from my hands and thrown to the wolves to live a life of a tribal Indian in the jungle.
That is why I’ve decided to go with this group of missionaries. We will be having a youth conference to reach out to the young Ticunas. We want to show them there is hope in Jesus Christ. There is hope for the hopeless. Thank you.

*This was my latest Toastmasters speech. A couple weeks after this George came to talk to the team to prepare us for what to expect on our trip. He gave us a handbook and map and went over what to bring, what shots we needed before we go, etc. The last thing he told us was, “Black Magic and Witchcraft are very prevalent. Therefore, a strong demonic force is there. They know we’re coming. They are preparing. (Who’s “they?” The demons.) We must be prepared.” (Yes, there are demons in the spiritual realm. But, there are angels, too.) That statement keeps going through my mind. “They know we’re coming. They are preparing.” Forget the snakes. I must be prepared spiritually. I must draw near to God and crawl under His wing of protection. I must also be prepared for battle. Lord, I pray you equip me for what I am about to endure. Go before us and set up for our arrival. Give me strength and the words to speak to the youth and anyone else who needs to hear from You. Amen.

I ask for prayer from you, as well. May God bless you and reward you for doing so.

Sworn to Protect

DiAnn Mills has given us another page turner. Sworn to Protect is the second book of the Call of Duty series.
Sworn to Protect was so exciting I couldn’t read anything else. (I usually read a few books at one time.) The suspense had me on edge until the end. DiAnn gives us vivid details of the story, which takes place on the border of Texas and Mexico. I live in Texas and my husband was visiting the same area of Texas while I was reading the book. A lot of things in the book are in reality happening right now on the border. But, because of DiAnn's expertise on storytelling I found it easy to put myself in the story.
Donika Morales, the main character, is a border patrol agent out to find the murderer of her late husband. She knows she is getting close when her own life is threatened, as well as the life of those around her. Her suspicions and the notes she has kept since her husband’s demise helps her solve the puzzle in the end.
Thanks again DiAnn for an exciting read.

Breach of Trust By DiAnn Mills

Do you want to read a suspenseful page-turner? DiAnn Mills’ Breach of Trust is it. Conflict and tension arise on every page.
Paige Rogers, a former CIA operative, has hidden her identity to protect her family. Her quiet life as a librarian in a small town has been her refuge. She is threatened to come out in the open or else. Her parents believe she died seven years ago. Her new found friends and boyfriend may find out she has deceived them all these years. Will they be able to forgive her if they do? Lives are on the line if she doesn’t “give in” to the blackmail of her former partner, who has betrayed once her before. But does she want to trade her loved ones and her soul to the enemy? Can she save her friends, family and her own life? Or will she lose everything trying?
If you like romance, suspense and danger wrapped into one book, you will love DiAnn Mill’s Breach of Trust.

Awaken My Child

Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
Psalm 57:8-11

I have trouble waking up in the morning. Even when I make myself get out of bed, I’m groggy for a while. I used to tease my former boss by saying, “I don’t wake up until 10:00am.” He knew I meant not to expect me to carry on an intelligent conversation with him or answer any important questions until then. After I had fully awaken, I would feel better, think better and probably look better.
In my prayer time one morning, God told me that I’ve been spiritually sleeping for some time. For awhile before then He had put me into a rest, so He wasn’t scolding me. It was like He was gently saying, “Awaken my child.”
During the last days before Christ’s return for His bride (the church), the enemy will be rampant. We need to be fully awake so we may feel, think and look better in order to withstand the enemy’s schemes.
Luke 9:30-32 says, “Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.” Just like Peter and the disciples, we need to be fully awake to see Jesus in all His glory. Moses and Elijah were preparing for Christ’s departure. We should be preparing for His return.
Matthew 3:2-3 John the Baptist says, “‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: ‘A voice of one calling in the desert, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” We must be like John the Baptist, “prepare the way of the Lord.”
Matthew 25:1-13 tells us about ten brides. Five of them were wise and took oil with them to keep their lamps burning. At the midnight cry, the five foolish brides’ lamps were going out, so they had to go out and buy more oil. When they returned the door had been shut. When they asked for the door to be opened, “he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.’” We should keep our lamps (hearts) burning with His heavenly fire so that at the midnight cry we will be ready and so He will know us.
In order to be prepared and awake, we must be open to what the Lord is doing in our lives and the lives around us. God’s light must shine in us for others to see. We need to be sensitive to His voice and obedient to the call on our lives. As the Psalmist did, we should, “...awaken the dawn, ...praise [Him] among the nations, ...sing of [Him] among the peoples, ...exalt [Him] above the heavens, let(ting) [His] glory be over all the earth.” Awaken my child.