Obedient women are never remembered in history.
Seen on a Bumper Sticker

I saw this bumper sticker on a car, and my mind raced. Imagine what a surprise this statement would be to such obedient women as the Virgin Mary, Ruth, Naomi, Esther, Elisabeth (mother of John the Baptist), Miriam, on and on. These women were both obedient and are revered to this day.

The assumption is that an obedient woman has no mind of her own, cannot think or choose. She is obedient because she doesn’t think, doesn’t care to think, never will think. The assumption is also that an obedient woman cannot lead. Nothing could be further from truth.

Let’s look at Queen Esther. She was obedient to God, which meant bucking the rules and appearing, unbidden, in front of her husband, the king. She interceded for her people, the Jews, and not only saved them. She was instrumental in changing the law, allowing Jews to defend themselves against their enemies.

I’d call that unforgettable!

Do you need a more “modern-day” example? How about Beth Moore, the ubiquitous Christian women’s writer. Remember the story of her experience at the Knoxville airport, when God told her to brush a man’s hair? (click here to read). This woman has been obedient to our God, going where He told her to go, and writing the words that He has laid on her heart. Her books and teachings have brought thousands of women to the Father, and millions more into closer communion with Him. Because of her obedience, God has used her to further His kingdom.

Finally, what about female missionaries, located around the world, including in Muslim countries. These women follow our Lord, bowing before Him and leaving the comfort of their lives to enter into danger, all in the name of obedience. Yet, while their names may not be known worldwide, their actions will be remembered by the ones that they lead to the Lord, souls that would have been lost had they not been obedient to His call. And their names are written upon His heart for eternity.

We should all be so forgettable!

What is it about us that keeps us from reaching out to others in times of need? When we most need someone in our lives, someone to help us through a dark time, or someone to just listen, we tend to wall ourselves off.

“Not me!” we say, “I don’t need any help. I can handle things just fine all by myself.”

There is a simple answer as to why we are reluctant to turn to others… Pride. When we ask for help, we have to admit that we can’t do it ourselves. Pride can be defined as “self-worship,” where we believe that we are above help… “What can someone else do for me that I can’t do for myself?”

But if we don’t “get off our high horse” (my husband’s favorite phrase), we cut ourselves off from those who want to help us, who want to serve God by serving others.

I was reminded of this today when I received a special email. A friend of mine from church had been diagnosed with cancer in both breasts. It appeared to be advanced, and after much testing at one of the top hospitals in the U.S., she was scheduled for a double mastectomy next week. My friend is a very private person, as is her entire family. She preferred to keep the surgery private, only telling a few close friends. Her husband encouraged her to be open with her need for prayer. They stepped out in faith and boldly asked friends, acquaintances and strangers to pray for a miracle. This past Wednesday she went to the hospital for her pre-op screenings.

No cancer. Nothing. Nada.

The doctors were incredulous. They ran more and more tests, until finally the arrived at the conclusion that she was cancer-free. The surgery was canceled.

I know that not everyone who prays for a healing is healed. God has His own timetable, His own lessons to be learned and roads to be taken. But this was a miracle.

Why did God heal my friend when others pray for healing and are not healed? I don’t know the answer to that, beyond saying that God has His reasons. Maybe the lesson was for her, a lesson on reaching out. Maybe the lesson was a reminder that God works miracles everyday.

But I do know that many, many people lifted her up in prayer, and we believe that God has worked a miracle for us all to learn from, in one manner or another!

Christians often talk about being “under attack” from non-Christians and those who would like to stop our message of Christ’s redemption. But we are also under attack from the head of the opposition, Satan.

Yes, lest you think that you are too small to matter to the Big Guy Down Below, if you are a Christian, he knows your name and has you on his radar. And the closer you become to God, the more you can expect to have the Great Deceiver knock-knock-knocking in your head, trying to plant seeds of doubt.

We usually look for attacks that come from the outside. But Satan is at his most devious when he is at work inside of our heads. He can make us doubt our faith, doubt our God. Remember when he tempted Jesus?

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
” ‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’

Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Luke 4:1-13

The most interesting verse to me is the last. “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.”

And that is exactly what Satan will do with us. He waits until the right time comes, when the opportunity presents itself to create doubt, perhaps anger toward God. He sees a crisis arise in our lives, and he jumps right in..

“How could your God allow this to happen?” he whispers. “If you were mine, I would give you everything that you want.”

Our spirit breaks, we fall into depression and sadness, anger and denial. Satan persists.

“Deny your God. What is He doing for you?” Satan prods us away from God and into an eternity of death.

There are no easy answers when your spirit is under attack. Prayer, discernment and focus, keeping your eyes on God no matter the path, this is the only answer. Easier said that done, when one is mired in sickness and hurt.

This may be our greatest test as Christians, remaining focused when all around us is falling apart. But we can do it. How? Because no matter what we go through, what pit we feel mired in, nothing compares to what Jesus went through on our behalf. He faced death, walked through hell, and returned to us in love.

My motto? Don’t tell God how big your storm is… tell your storm how big your God is!

DAYS OF ELIJAH

Words and Music by Robin Mark

These are the days of Elijah,
Declaring the word of the Lord:
And these are the days of Your servant Moses,
Righteousness being restored.
And though these are days of great trial,
Of famine and darkness and sword,
Still, we are the voice in the desert crying
‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord!’

Behold He comes riding on the clouds,
Shining like the sun at the trumpet call;
Lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee,
And out of Zion’s hill salvation comes.

These are the days of Ezekiel,
The dry bones becoming as flesh;
And these are the days of Your servant David,
Rebuilding a temple of praise.
These are the days of the harvest,
The fields are as white in Your world,
And we are the labourers in Your vineyard,
Declaring the word of the Lord!

There’s no God like Jehovah.
There’s no God like Jehovah!

Click here to listen to Twila Paris singing Days of Elijah on YouTube.com

What a song! The first time I heard Days of Elijah, I got chills. The verses, all referencing Old Testament prophecy, were so Biblical in nature that it felt like I had just sung my way through a Bible study. The first verse speaks to the times of great trial, challenges all around. And yet, the verse goes on, we are the voice in the midst of all the pain, all the trials, reminding the world that our Lord is coming… Prepare!

The second verse speaks on rebuilding the temple, the coming harvest of souls, and declares that we are the workers, the labourers for God, declaring his word.

How humbling and exhilarating! We are here, working toward our God, serving Him in the fields. The grunt work, some would say.

But then comes the chorus… Behold He comes.

Enough said!

Imagine looking to the skies and seeing our Lord and Saviour, our Christ, emerging through the clouds, trumpets blaring, the heavenly chorus singing. Our salvation arrives.

My favorite songs often reference heaven, Christ’s return. I can’t imagine being in the middle of my day, hearing trumpets, looking up and seeing my Saviour coming for me… ME!

These are trying times. Foreclosures, banks going belly up, employment rises along with gas prices. But what a wonderful future we are guaranteed! How can we be broken when the Great Physician is one prayer away? Earthly worries will fall away, and we will be with our Father for eternity.

There is no God like Jehovah!

O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you.
Don’t let those who trust in you stumble because of me,
O Sovereign Lord Almighty.
Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated, O God of Israel.
Psalm 69:6

We have talked in the past about stumbling blocks that keep us from our full purpose with God. Things like ego, business and focus can all get in our way. But have you ever thought about whether you are a stumbling block to another Christian’s path?

Is gossip a part of your life? Have you ever talked about a fellow brother or sister in Christ? Not only is that a sin, you are bringing others into your sin by gossiping about another person. And that makes you a stumbling block to others.

Have you ever given someone a pass, rather than encourage them? For instance, if someone says that they have no time for Bible study, rather than agree and say that it is ok, shouldn’t you encourage them to find the time? Not chastise or demean, but encourage through love?

Have you ever made fun of someone else because of appearance or something they did? This is such a cruel thing to do, and yet, frankly, we all stand accused of it. It is so much easier to laugh with the group, or belittle someone, than to stand up to the group. The high road is so much harder to attain!

It’s not easy, trying to be a positive influence rather than a stumbling block to someone else’s faith. Hang in there!

I have a friend who just can’t stop. She goes 900 miles an hour from the minute she gets up until she collapses in sleep.

The other day she commented that she has a gap of time between when she drops her children off at school and another appointment. The gap is too short to get anything done, and she feels lost.

“Not me,” I chimed.

I love those little breaks in the day. I have a couple of “secret” places around town where I can park my car, put my seat back and take a break with God. Whether it’s five minutes or an hour, I have a Bible in the car and use the time to my advantage. Sometimes I just sit and talk to God, other times I immerse myself in study. But the common thread is that I stop, with no noise, no outside interference.

“Oh, I could never do that,” my friend said. “I have to be doing something.”

But does she, or any of us, really have to? Why do we feel like each minute of each day has to be filled accomplishing something. Isn’t spending time with God accomplishing something larger than any shopping trip could?

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the Earth.”   Psalm 46:10

Be still. Stop. Know God. Acknowledge Him. He is to be exalted. Praise Him!

I believe that one of the greatest experiences a Christian can have is to enter into God’s presence. Can you believe that our God, Lord of all, Creator of everything, the Alpha and Omega, allows us to talk to Him? Us! And yet, we are so busy filling our lives with junk that we miss those opportunities, we push our quiet time with Him to the back.

If I had a nickel for every time I have said, “I’ll pray when I get in bed tonight,” and then fell asleep almost as soon as I started that prayer, I would be one rich woman!

Stop… enter into His presence… And celebrate a God who wants to talk with you!

He went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8

I love the book of Hebrews. So much of it deals with living a life based on faith. As Christians walking in faith, we may not know where we are headed, what plans God has for us. But we do know that living a life of faith means loving and being loved by God. It means trusting Him. Faith is not based on understanding and reasoning, it is based in the knowledge of Him, the one who leads us, loves us, and will not fail us.

The phrase “Stepping out in faith” has always fascinated me. As a child, I imagined someone stepping out into a vast abyss, fearless. As an adult, I grew to understand that, while the phrase may not literally mean “stepping” out into nothingness, it means trusting God will all aspects of your life.

And it most definitely does not mean that we are fearless! In fact, we wouldn’t be our human selves if we didn’t have fear.

Living a life of faith is not a constant celebration of reaching for the clouds. It is not one “mountaintop experience” after another. No, faith is rooted in the mundane, daily movements of life. A life of faith must be lived with consistency. You can’t trust God with one portion of your life and omit Him from another. You must learn to come to Him and trust Him in all areas, no matter how small or insignificant they may appear to you.

And a life of faith can only be rooted in prayer. Prayer is our lifeline to God, our “open 24 hours a day” confessional and advice hotline. When we commune with God through prayer, we are building our faith at the same time.

As we come to know Him better, we will be better able to lean on Him, understand His love for us, and rely on our faith in Him.

TRANSFORM: 1) to change in form, appearance, or structure; metamorphose.  2) to change in condition, nature, or character; convert.    From Dictionary.com

A popular movie is called “Transformers.” There is also a very popular line of toys, based on the comic books and movie. The premise is that the items change into different shapes, from cars to robots.

In everyday life, we are always trying to transform our own lives. Whether we are trying to lose weight, quit smoking, or study hard to learn something new, it seems like life is one search to transform ourselves after another.

But while many of these transformations may improve our life in the short-term, or make us happy briefly, only one transformation is permanent and life-altering. A life transformed by God is a life changed forever, for eternity. And a life transformed by God shines to all others.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.  Acts 4:13

The Holy Spirit took the disciples and transformed them from their simple ways. Some were uneducated. Others were poor speakers or from parts of society that engendered fear, such as tax collectors.  Hardly the material on which to build a kingdom. But never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit! They were gifted with boldness and knowledge, as well as discernment and wisdom. Even the enemies of the followers of Christ noticed the change in these men.

Don’t focus on the small changes you may, or may not, notice in yourself. Instead, allow your daily walk with Jesus to shine. The changes taking place in you daily will be noticed by those around you, and will serve as a witness to the powerful transformation that has occurred in you.

When you read the above title, you probably start thinking about all the different versions of the Bible that you can buy at your local bookstore:

• King James
• New King James
• 21st Century King James Version
• New International Version
• New American Standard
• Amplified Bible
• New Living Translation
• American Standard Version
• New Life Version
• The Message
• English Standard Version
• Contemporary English Version
• New Century Version
• Young’s Literal Translation
• Darby Translation
• Holman Christian Standard Bible
• New International Reader’s Version
• Wycliffe New Testament
• Worldwide English New Testament
• Today’s New Internation Version

I could go on and on (and on and on!). The 20 versions I have listed are but a few available according to BibleGateway.com.

But while we may have dozens of interpretations to choose from, and the Bible continues to be the most translated book in the world, there are millions of people who have no translation of the Bible in their own language.

As of 2005, at least one book of the Bible has been translated into 2,400 of the 6,900 languages, including 680 languages in Africa, 590 in Asia, 420 in Oceania, 420 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 210 in Europe, and 75 in North America. The United Bible Societies are presently assisting in over 600 Bible translation projects.

Today my daughter brought home a newsletter from school, a magazine called God’s World News Early Edition, specifically written for younger children. As I thumbed through it, I found an article regarding the people of Jamaica. Most Jamaicans speak a language called patois (PA twa). And while many are Christians, none have ever been able to read a Bible in their language. According to the article:

The Reverend Courtney Stewart says that many Jamaican people have never read the Bible. He has hired people to translate it into patois. He wants all Jamaicans to hear God’s good news.

We may think that it is only in the deepest, darkest corners of the world that people don’t have the ability to put their hands on a Bible, but the reality is that this little island nation, where many Americans vacation, most don’t have access to a Bible in their native language.

There are many groups in the process of translating the Bible for different world populations. Pray for them. Pray that their mission will proceed with haste, that all may know the glory of our God!

There is no greater feeling than knowing you are following the will of God. Nothing can compete with that, no job, no ballgame, no experience in life. We are called to “Trust and Obey.”

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. Psalm 84:11-12

We are blessed to have a God who recognizes our work on His behalf. And we have a God who will never send us on a task we cannot complete, and will not commission us for a job without first ensuring our success. He does not, however, assure victory. There is a difference between success and victory.

Think of the Olympics that just ended. Was the athlete who finished last any less successful than the athlete who took home the gold? No! While the athlete may not have attained victory, he or she was no less successful in achieving the goal of competing.

The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. Deuteronomy 28:7

As the song says, “But we never can prove the delights of His love, until all on the altar we lay.” God’s favor is for those who follow Him, who obey Him, who trust Him. God will never betray your trust in Him. Never. Our God is a faithful God.

Trust and obey, for there is truly no other way.