Wise Advice for All Christian Bloggers

The Challies website has great Biblical advice for Christian bloggers. I will mark it and continue to review it.

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Persecution Prayers

This update from Michelle Malkin on the Afgani Christian who was being tried.

ABDUL RAHMAN UPDATE: "He's doing fine. He has to be filmed from behind during interviews, and he's getting a new identity from the Italian government and so that the local jihadis don't find him and cut his head off.

But other than that, he's doing swell.

Spiegel reports on a day in the life of Afghanistan's Christians:

The locations of services change constantly as well, and they are always held in private homes, where everything has to be prepared well in advance. The household staff must be away; neighbors mustn't notice anything; and everyone has to have the 100 percent trust of everyone else. It is too dangerous to even have a Bible at most services, says Kabar, who knows his prayers by heart. Police have come and searched his house three times already, but failed to find anything incriminating. 'They know I'm a Christian,' he says. 'But I won't give them any reason to put me on trial.'

Do you know your Bible well enough that you could lead services without it? Do people know you're a Christian?

Are you a cultural Christian or a convicted Christian?

Lord, we pray for the persecuted Christians around the world. Forgive us for adhering to cultural Christianity and forgetting our Christians. Let people know us by our love. In Jesus name. Amen.

How to be beautiful - Day 2

Part II - We take care of our temple
This is a three part series about how we taught young girls about beauty this past Wednesday.

In the previous post we looked at how God created us like He wanted us. We are his workmanship and He takes great pleasure in his artistry of each human being.

Your body is a church

1 Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

Do you realize that you and I are God's church? Jesus was condemned by the religious leaders for saying He would destroy God's temple and rebuild it in three days. "But He was speaking of the temple of His body." John 2:21

Look at your hands. Look at your eyes. Look at your face in the mirror.

God made you beautiful

God has a plan and purpose for you, in fact, God crafted us when we were still in our mother!

Psalm 139:13
For You formed my inward parts;You covered me in my mother’s womb.

So, we were made by God. When we despise our chin (in my case my chins), our face, our freckles, our hair, our anything, then we are criticizing the God who loves us and made us.

Does that mean we just leave ourselves like we are and don't do anything to be more beautiful?

How did God take care of His temple?
God took care of his temple in the Old Testament. In the temple were beautiful fabrics, gold, silver, bronze, beautiful woods, and the most lovely things. Priests had to make sure they were clean. Certainly God means for us to take care of ourselves.

In Proverbs 31 we learn about a "virtuous wife."

22 She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

We could spend days learning about her, but this points out that she wears nice clothes. She takes care of herself. We also learn that her beauty is more than just outward as:

30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Pretty is as Pretty Does
My grandmother always said, "Pretty is as pretty does."

Beauty is much more than how we look.

If we work on having a beautiful outside but have an ugly heart, when "beauty passes" we will truly be ugly. The most beautiful, ageless women I know have a beautiful heart and do good to others all of the days of their life. They have a true, deep beauty that cannot be measured.

Care but do not worry
We take care of ourselves but we don't worry about our attire if it is beyond our means or opportunity at the moment.

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Matthew 6:28-29

My first cousin got married this past weekend. Oh, how I wanted a new dress! I prayed about it and found a beautiful lace, designer, top for way below retail price about four weeks a go. I had another designer skirt that matched it perfectly! I went to my sister's house and she handed me a beautiful beaded shawl that was perfect. My husband said I looked like a million dollars and I felt like it. For, my Lord attired me on Saturday. I didn't worry about it because He told me He had it under control...and He did.

A Jesus sized hole in our hearts

It is easy to attempt to fill the hole in our heart with things other than Jesus. Sometimes when I am hurting I try to stuff food in there, but it doesn't work. I often try to stuff in little odds and ends from Wal-mart or TJ Maxx. Guess what?

In my heart there is a Jesus sized hole that only one thing can fill...Jesus.

So, yes, I should take care of myself. Yes, I should dress as nicely as possible. But, I should waste away wishing for every fashion I see in a magazine but rather work do for others in kindness and gentleness so that I have a beautiful heart to go with a beautiful exterior.

How to be beautiful forever!
Everything I have belongs to my Lord. Beauty is indeed passing. I want to look nice, but I know that if I let all I am be wrapped up in my looks then I am setting myself up for great sadness.

Take care of your beauty. But, remember to cultivate beauty from within that will make your face grow with beauty that is illuminated from within.

Tags: beauty, beautiful, temple, church, God, Jesus, Christian, Christianity, religion, the Bible, blog, blogs, Vicki A Davis

The most beautiful work of art: You!

This past Wednesday in Girls in Action (the weekly missions training program for young girls at our church) we had one of my favorite things, a Beautiful Wednesday. For just three days out of the whole year we teach about inner beauty AND answer questions about fashion, haircare, or another item of outer beauty. During that time I always teach a lesson on beauty. My Mom was there and she said it was one of her favorite weeks of GA's ever (and she's been doing GA's for a long time). I thought you might want to be a fly on the wall.

Keep in mind, we had already passed out combs to the girls (that we bought from the Dollar Store) and they were combing out their hair as I talked. I've split the lesson into three parts and will share with you this lesson over three days.

Part 1 - You are Wonderful Workmanship!

The Myth of Magazines
The world would like to tell you that beauty is being young, being thin, having perfect hair, being rich, having perfect clothes, and the perfect boyfriend. Look at the teen magazines that you read. Do you think they are cool?

They answered "yes."

Do you know who writes those magazines?

They answered "other kids" and "teenagers." To which I stated "no."

Think about it, kids and teenagers are in school, aren't they? The people who write those magazines are adults like me, some of who are much older than you. The fashion designers aren't teenagers and some of the best are MUCH older than you. Many of the people who write in those magazines are trying to get you to buy things, so of course they want you to think you have to spend money to be happy because they want your money.

You can never have enough stuff
There was a woman I saw on TV (I was thinking of Corizon Aquino formerly of the Phillipines) who said that she could never have enough shoes. She had a closet bigger than this room and yet she said she never had enough.

Remember, girls, you can never have enough of those things to make you happy. We do not find happiness in the things we buy and the clothes we wear.

We go out in the spring and buy all new clothes. By the end of the summer we say "I have nothing to wear."

Did we wear our clothes out? Are they gone? No, we are tired of them and they don't make us happy any more and we want new ones! This is the way the world works.

John 8:32
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

When we learn the truths of God, we can be set free from this endless loop of wanting "stuff." We can see just how beautiful GOD thinks we are.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

A work of art with a purpose
Now, girls I want you to look at this chair. I held up a small Sunday school chair. This chair is just thrown together to sell for someone to sit in. It has a purpose but it is not a work of art. When the world WORKMANSHIP is used it is talking about an artist.

You are the work of an artist. God made you like you are. He selected your hair color, he selected your eye color, he made you with a short or long nose, and he decided whether you would have freckles or not. He knows every detail about you and planned it before time begain. In fact, the Bible says.

Matthew 10:30
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

So, God has a purpose for you AND He also created you just like He wants you. God thinks you are beautiful! He made you just like He wants you!

Real People aren't Perfect
I once saw a model on a TV Show and they were showing some magazine covers of her and commenting on her beauty and the host said "Boy I wish I looked like that." The model said, "I wish I looked like that too." She went on to say that so many of the photographs are "doctored up" to hide blemishes or a hair out of place or to make the model look thinner that the cover of a magazine is more like a doctored up photograph than a picture of a real person.

That is why animated films can always be sniffed out. The characters are "too perfect" to be real. Real people, even models, get bumps, have bad hair days, and gain weight sometimes. Real people get older. If we're only created to be beautiful when we're young,then why not only let us live 21 years. That is not so! Beauty is so much more than being perfect!

God Created You Like He Wanted You
So, God created you like He wanted you. After God creates things, this is what he says:

Genesis 1 tells us this
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

After God created them, He said,

" 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."

Everything else, he said it was "good" but now, God says "it was very good."

So, after God made you just like He wanted you, He said that "you are very good."

He created you just like He wanted you. The way you look is what He planned from the beginning of time. He is a craftsman and took great pleasure in planning out how you would look. Who are we to debate Him but we must accept our own bodies as a gift from the God who loves us.

Does this mean we don't take care of our bodies? No.

(Part II - Why we make ourselves beautiful.)

Lord, bless our GA's. Guide us to teach them correctly. May we learn to cultivate our own inner beauty as we care for our outward beauty. Bless the missions education programs and may we remember their importance as we equip missionaries and missions supporters for the future. In Jesus name. Amen.

Tags: missionary, beauty, beautiful, meaning of beauty, girls, teaching beauty, blog, blogs, Vicki A Davis

The pain caused by no pain!

"Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, 'If you are willing, you can make me clean.'

Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him and said to him, 'I am willing, be cleansed.' As soon as He had spoken, the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed." Matthew 8:1-3

As I've been reading about the life of one of the greatest medical doctors in the field of leprosy, Paul Brand, I have learned that many of the things I thought about leprosy are false. Leprosy does not cause fingers and toes and feet to fall off. Leprosy causes numbness. Leprosy attacks the pain receptors in the cooler parts of the body (the armpits never get it!)

Leprosy gets rid of pain!

What a blessing, you think! To have no pain! We spend small fortunes on medicines to get rid of the pain!

Without pain, I can just open one of those stubborn jars with any amount of pressure and it will come open, because I will have no pain to make me stop.

Yes, lepers can exert far more pressure than you or I because they feel no pain. However, it is this exertion and this lack of pain that causes the damage.

Lepers actually walk their feet into the ground.
Dr. Brand saw a man who was literally walking on his tibial bones (ankle bones) because his lack of feeling had so damaged his feet, shredding it off one cell at a time!

Lack of pain causes great damage.

Dr. Brand researched for years on how to give his patients the "Holy Grail" of leprosy -- pain!

In fact, Dr. Brand rigged devices on leper's hands that sensed when the pressure was too great and wired it to give a shock to the armpits of the lepers so they would STOP!

What did the lepers at the sanatorium in Louisiana do? They reached under their arms, shut off the pain shocker, completed the damaging movement, and then reached and shut the shocker back on. Even they did not see pain as the blessing that could save their appendages, face, and lives.

No one likes pain!

When we want to do what our bodies were not intended to do, it is the pain that keeps us from hurting ourselves!

Now, many of us suffer from leprosy of the soul.

We have desensetized, numb consciences. Accordingly, we do horrible things that do not cause discomfort to our soul - we are numb.

But as we proceed to do these things, anything we please, really, we damage ourselves. We hurt our very souls and struggle as we harm that which our conscience used to protect -- our peace, our ability to relax, our family life, and our sanity. Our character, morals, and ethics are worn away to stumps as we do things with numbed consciences that sever and dismember our vitality of spirit.

Perhaps leprosy was created as the outward sign of the inward man who lives with a numbed conscience.

Vile and Repulsive
Leprosy has always been considered the most vile and repulsive of physical diseases.

The most vile spiritual disease to God has always been a stiff neck and hard, numb heart.

Exodus 7:13
And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said.

Matthew 13:15, Acts 28:27
For the hearts of this people have grown dull.Their ears are hard of hearing,And their eyes they have closed,Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,So that I should heal them.’

No pain physically results in bodily destruction. No pain of conscience spiritiually results in the greatest of misery and human hell on earth. The more we look for peace, the more it eludes us! We're not bothered by our sin, we just can't put our finger on what is wrong! We have no purpose!

Psalm 38:3
There is no soundness in my fleshBecause of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.

We pass on hard hards to others
Lepers adapt and learn to live without pain although it often causes separation from family and loved ones. You see, children and those with the genetic predisposition are most likely to catch leprosy while it is in its brief, but contagious stage.

Likewise children are easily infected with sin and our callous attitudes and indifference towards all kids of sin. They become like us.

Genetically certain families may struggle with a type of sin more than others as "sins are passed down" just as well as nose shape, and eye color. Anger. Greed. Drunkeness. Abuse. Dependencies. Fear.

The Greatest Doctor the World has ever known

But there was only one who healed leprosy -- Jesus. We can heal people from the flu, viruses, and even cancer in some cases. No one is ever healed from leprosy.

Only one healed this uncurable leprosy in the history of the world. Jesus Christ.

Likewise, only one person heals the leprous, desensitized, damaged heart -- Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:24
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

There is no hope for a hard hearted, desensitized world but one. His name is Jesus.

It is our job to tell others

We must do everything in our power to share the story. Tell it on every platform. Speak it on every hill. Share it in every nation. Amidst persecution and ridicule the story must be told to all who will listen. We must persevere. We must struggle. We must work.

This is the greatest story ever told. The healing of my soul and your soul and every soul who has ever completely turned to Jesus Christ. He always heals. 100%. He never fails.

No sacrifice is to much. No check is to big. No life spent telling the story is wasted. Jesus is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him! Praise Him who has saved us from ourselves.

Lord, fan the flames in the heart of those who are yours. Steel us against those who criticize as we reach those who are hurting and need to hear. Let us accomplish that which you have called us to do. Thank you for healing me and saving me from myself. Thank you that there is no sin too dark that you cannot forgive and no situation too hopeless that you cannot redeem. Thank you for the joy that is mine every morning. In Jesus name. Amen.

Tags: pain, healing, heal, leprosy, religion, Christianity, Christian, disease, doctor, health, hope, forgiveness, healing, hurt, joy, peace, happiness, dailywalkwithjesus, Jesus Christ, God, blog, blogs, Vicki A Davis

Lies of the World: On Power, Position, Parenting

Choose the lower place

As I’ve been reading about great Christian men and women throughout history, the story of a monk named Anslem struck a chord.

He became convicted that he was to spend his life in service to God as a monk. When he did, he considered where he was to serve. He knew that if he served where there was a great leader (LaFranc), that he was going to be not revered for his knowledge and abilities so he considered other monasteries.

He then became convicted of his pride and realized that Jesus Christ chose a position in society where he too was not revered for his knowledge and abilities. He chose to be the least among men as a poor carpenter’s son. Anslem chose the monastery where he would be considered the least.

The Lie of Power and Position

When I read “Swim with the sharks without getting eaten alive” by Zig Ziglar I learned a lot. There are some principles, however, that may not gel with my Christian walk.

One principle I remember was to “pick your predecessor.” If you came after a person who did poorly, you would stand out as someone who would shine. However, if you came after a person who excelled, you were sure to fail. I don’t think I agree with this from a Biblical perspective.

From the world’s perspective this makes very real, very practical sense. However, in retrospect, I see how this has caused me to make decisions that were more focused on “how I look” than on “what God wants.”

To take the lowly place

When moving back to my hometown I struggled with the fact that I’m just another person and all the accolades of college and business mean nothing here. My selfishness made me want to "be somebody" and prove the kids that hurt me in gradeschool wrong.

Where is one least respected than in one’s own hometown? They remember you in diapers, many cannot see you as otherwise and although I’m 36, I’m still treated as a child by some. Look at Jesus in His hometown:

Mark 6:3
Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.

Our desire to be "exalted"

We all want to be “exalted” by others. It is a false self importance of flesh that continually wants us to think of the world from only our own perspective. However, from God’s perspective I believe I am where he wants me. I am his to abase or to abound. I do not “deserve” to be recognized as anything other than a servant of Jesus Christ.

1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

Bragging Rights will turn upside down.

Sometimes I’m tempted to “brag” on the salary I used to have, the positions of power and title I had way back when and the accolades I received in college. However, at the end of time those things will be but rubbish. I think the Vacation Bible Schools, Sunday Schools, and Girls in Action meetings will be higher on the list.

Things will be reversed.

· Matthew 20:16
So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

We see a little of that during tax time. During the year when we write our tithe check, we are grateful and appreciative, but it is still hard to write that check. However, during tax season sometimes I wish I had given more. I’m grateful for every check, every penny given. I think that is how it will be at the end of time.

Perhaps then we will recall the salary we used to have, the positions of power and title, and the accolades received in college, we will bemoan the efforts we gave towards those things as we pared down our contribution to God’s kingdom.

How the judgement will change things.

Every extra night we spent at the office will mean less as we see the lines form of the saved and unsaved at the last judgment.

Every extra night spent in God's service teaching, working, laboring for Him will mean more.

And if I should see one of my children in the line with the unsaved, everything in my life will truly be rubbish for I will have failed at that job which was most valuable to me for all of eternity.

I will give my life and all I have in order that my children will know Jesus Christ. All of this means nothing if they have not learned to follow the Master and know Him as Savior and Lord.

The Parental Wake Up Call

All parents will give their very bodies to protect their children.

• Why then do we not place more value on their eternal souls?
  
• Why do we spend our money giving them every vacation they could dream of and do not worry where they will live for eternity?
  
• Will all the weekends at the beach make a difference in eternity?
  
• Will time at the lake keep them from the lake of fire?

I fear that parents, myself included, need a wake up call. As I’ve struggled with my daughter’s sickness, I know that there are no guarantees that she make it to adulthood. Adults mistakenly say “there is plenty of time.” We are not guaranteed more time so we must enjoy the present. We must also make use of the present. For only Jesus will walk with our children through the valley of the shadow of death. We do not know when that will come. It is our job to introduce them now!

Give kids what they truly want

I think as parents we spend our time and effort giving our kids what WE want, not what they want! They want happy, unhurried parents. They want a homecooked meal at night with the family. They want a daddy who laughs and a Mom who can help them on their school projects. They want you to come to their games and work in their Sunday School class.

They don't want you to give in to their temper tantrums because you're tired. They want discipline because they know there are things out there that will hurt them. They want the security of knowing you will protect them from evil and from themselves.

As a teacher, it hurts me to see that many kids are being raised as "spoiled brats!" There parents give them everything but time.

What shall we do?

Read God’s word to your children. Let them hear you talk about it. Pray over your children daily. Ask for God’s guidance in helping them grow up in Christ. Let them see you read your Bible and find you on your knees as the sun rises. No, none of these things guarantee that your child will follow Christ. But the odds are much less if you do nothing. This is the most important thing you will ever do!

Show love with your actions.

That is why I gave up a six figure job, prestige, and power to be a stay at home mom. And I am much richer for it.

I am a teacher now, but still immersed in raising my children on a daily basis. And I am much richer for it. I am living my life with no regrets in the best way that I know how. Seeking wisdom from my Lord who knows more than me, who made me, and who loves me.

Is life perfect, no it is tough! But I'm spared the inner conflict I used to feel each morning as I cried my way to the office after leaving my first born at daycare. That was truly hell on earth!

What you do is what you believe.

There is what you say and what you do. What you do is what you believe.

You can tell your spouse “I love you more than my work.” But if you continually come home after dark when she is sound asleep, you are a liar. If your work demands too much of you, find another job. (The perpetual "I have no choice.") It is better to have another job and make less money than to compromise the wife of your youth.

I think that is why older people cry when they see their children and grandchildren.

They see these little grandchildren hungering for more time with Mom and Dad and Mom and Dad mistaking money for love. Children would rather be poor in money and rich in time with Mom and Dad than otherwise. If we are pursuing riches, it is for ourselves not our children. They want us.

Test God according to the promises in His word, you will find Him faithful. We have.

A caveat

Money is not evil. God blesses some people to have money for His purposes too. The worship of money is evil. Pleasure is not evil. The worship of pleasure is evil. Television is not evil. The worship of television is evil. Sleep is not evil. The worship of sleep is evil. Being in a powerful position is not evil. The worship of a powerful position is evil.

We worship things we put above God.

Things we do instead of going into His house. Things we do instead of reading His Word. Things we do instead of raising the children.

Exodus 34:14
(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),

Exodus 20:3
“You shall have no other gods before Me.

Lord, I pray for the parents and grandparents who are struggling with raising children. We are so afraid to make a mistake that will harm them forever. But with your forgiveness and work in their lives, you can make good things out of their lives. You can bless their lives. You can smooth over our imperfections with the perfection of our love. For we are all your children and joint heirs with Christ. Let us follow you and lead our Children in your ways, forsaking the ways of the world. In Jesus name. Amen.

Tags: humility, Christian, Christianity, religion, God, Jesus, Anslem, St. Anslem, power, position, parenting, money, stress, parents, children, Zig Ziglar, hometown, praise, pride, SBC, tax, judgement, judgment, end of time, God's kingdom, time, family, blog, blogs, Vicki A Davis

Grace for the Unintentional Sin

The two little boys were almost in tears. They had the same name and were in the same class. When one of their dads came and dropped of his lunch it was mistakenly eaten by the other one who was told it was his. The one who ate the lunch just thought that his dad had surprised him, something he doesn't have much time to do since he lost his mom a year a go.

When the boys figured it out it was too late.

Fumbling in his pocket, the one who ate the lunch pulled out five dollars and handed it to me. Not enough to pay for the nice lunch from "in town" but it was his effort. I had a free period and went to buy the other boy a lunch. The boy who didn't get lunch was in tears because he really didn't like what the lunchroom had that day and his dad had made an extra effort to bring it to him...only he didn't get it.

The lunch came to $7 and change so I pulled some out of my wallet and paid for it. All the while, I began to think about how this applies to the sin in our lives.

You see, all of the time I hurt people unintentionally. I do the wrong thing, say the wrong thing, or don't do what I should. All of these "little things" result in a debt that cannot be paid. No matter how much I "cough up" there is not enough to restore the person who I have harmed. Both of us are sorry, but the damage is done, the lunch is eaten.
That is why we need Jesus Christ.

He pays the part of the bill that we cannot. He ministers to the person who was wronged so that they can forgive and have sustenance in life. He ministers to the person who accidentally did the wronging so that they can receive forgiveness no matter how bad they feel. He gives forgiveness and removes hurt. As I looked at those little boys faces I saw just how much hurt and pain there is in this world. Pain just from being human. There was no malice in that situation and the boys were not mad at one another. (How much more pain when it is intentional!) I am thankful I am at a school where I could help make it right by going to the restaurant and getting another meal.

I am thankful that my Savior looked at all of that hurt and "made it right." I am thankful that He went to the cross to purchase the pardon that I sorely needed to deliver my soul from guilt, condemnation and hurt. How thankful I am that I believe in a Savior who does not make me "work off" a debt that cannot be paid and gives me no assurance that the debt is paid. My Savior forgives and assures me of salvation!

Just like that little boy was sure I was going to return with his lunch (he was waiting outside), I can be sure that Jesus will return in the clouds for me one day! I will be waiting! What a blessing!

2 Corinthians 6:2
For He says:“ In an acceptable time I have heard you,And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Finally, I'm sorry that I've missed posting this week. There has been so much to do!

I must admit to you, there has also been a commenter on one of my old posts that has zapped some of my energy for posting.

Like the sucker branches on a tree, such things can be a distraction from our purpose. I have put his last comment on there in hopes that perhaps another Christian could come along side. He has linked to this old post and I'm getting quite a bit of traffic on it from who I assume are unbelievers. I have prayed through my answer and feel that I have the answers to his concerns but I hope there are other Christians out there who may want to come along side me.

Among other things he has criticized me for:

• praying on blogs (questioning my motives)
• praying for missionaries (they all pray themselves don't they)
• praying at all (my prayers are much less important than David or Jesus according to him)
• praying to Jesus (He has too much to do keeping the planets rotating)

and well, you can read it for yourself. It makes me tired thinking of it.

God has called me to blog. I believe He has called me to prayer blog. I guess we all become shaken sometimes in our calling. I am passionate about missions both in my community, nation, and overseas! I am a nothing and a nobody but I am somebody to Jesus!

On another nother note, the Tuareg missionaries Mr. and Mrs. T have asked that we continue to pray for them. They have several things they would like churches to do in prayer to help them. Please contact me if your church would like to pray and do an emphasis, I can forward you their information!

Lord, today I pray for you to guide our missionaries to the Tuareg, Mr. and Mrs. T. Be with them and encourage them amidst discouraging circumstances. I know that I too get discouraged and feel hopeless. Let me provide for them the encouragement they need to know that they are prayed for and not forgotten by those of us here. Thank you that my church here is growing and you are blessing us. Forgive me for being shaken and strengthen me with your armor. I give myself and this blog to you to prosper or to use in any way you see fit. You know my heart, dear Lord, confound those who would seek to do me harm. Let the things I have known since I was young be firm in my heart each day. I love you, Jesus. In Jesus name. Amen.

Get out of the Present Tense - Part III

This tree looks beautiful and lush at the top. It is still growing and thriving. We enjoy the shade of this tree and birds play in its lush green branches.

But this oak tree is hollow. It has nothing at its core and is dying from the inside out. That is why many of us are so stressed, we are dying from the inside out because there is nothing inside that can sustain us!

You may wonder how you can accomplish a task without the task consuming you? How can a person burn and burn and not burn up?

Exodus 3:2
2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

Like Moses at the burning bush, the only way to burn and not be consumed is to have God in you!

Exodus 3:3, 4
3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”
4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”

Moses had a curiousity about God and went for a look. He saw something strange, interrupted his schedule and met God face to face.

So here we see several things:

• God can inhabit anything without causing its destruction, and
• We must be willing to interrupt our schedule to seek out God (or in this case the unexplained)

But there is a third, more powerful thing that we need to realize. There wasn't anything special about the bush! God can use any old bush!

Oh, but you don't understand, "I'm old and worn out and I've served my time." or "You don't understand, I've sinned to much to be of any good" or "You don't understand I'm too much in debt to do anything."

Jesus doesn't ask you to commit to a task, He asks that you commit to Him. He'll handle the task.

If you are willing, God will handle it!

God is the great "I AM." You and I are the great "I AM NOT. "

It is God's job to make us what He'd have us to be.

When Jesus Christ gets a hold of you, even if you are burned out, God can resurrect you! Those of us in Christ will coexist with God for all eternity and never burn out!

We must understand that apart from Jesus Christ, you and I are nothing! God is in the business of using and filling with joy the hopeless failures! Moses, Abraham, Jacob, David, Elijah. All hopeless failures at one point. And when they had nothing left,that's when God the father got a hold of them!

Moses didn't listen for forty years! He wasn't burned out, He just wasn't ready to go yet! It is not the bush that sustains the flame, it is Jesus Christ in the bush!

Deuteronomy 33:16
16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness,
And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush.
Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’^[a]

So, in order to get out of the present tense, we need to focus on the great I AM. He's not just the great I WAS or the great I WILL BE but rather, the great I AM. He's here now! HE's working now! Jesus doesn't just give you strength, He is your strength.

Just like any old bush would do for God to flame up to Moses, any old person will do if you're surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Step 3 to Get out of the Present Tense
As we travel back to God and away from the worries of the world, recommit yourself to Him. If you do not know Jesus Christ, read Romans Chapter 8. E-mail me, I'll be happy to answer your questions. There is some great information here that you can read also. Spend time reconnecting with Jesus. Forget about the TASKS you think he's called you to do. This is a commitment to Him first. Do you remember who He is?

Lord, forgive us for thinking it is about us. Help us reach to you and depend on You. We love you, in Jesus name. Amen.

Tags: peace, rest, security, hope, stress, burn out, depression, Jesus, God, SBC, Christianity, hope, tension, stress, hopeless, preacher burn out, blog, blogs, Vicki A Davis

Get out of the Present Tense - Part II

Yesterday, we talked about how we are all living in the present "tense." We are killing ourselves with business with heart disease and stroke topping the mortality charts at #1 and #3. We don't seem to want to slow down.

So, you and I together are getting out of the present tense. We talked about how we need to trust God for He promises to care for us. And we discussed our first step, which I quote from yesterday's post.

Step 1
Your first step to get out of the present tense is to spend fifteen minutes to read your Bible and pray as soon as possible. Drop everything and do it! Get alone, close the door, turn off the phone. Start by asking God to speak to you. ... End with a prayer.

OK. I did that this morning and it has helped considerably.

Next I think: Why do we think we know better than God?

The other day I heard a woman who hops from marraige to marraige say: "I just deserve the best. I'm a good person and I deserve a good man."

Well, wake up! Not one of us is perfect.

Psalm 14:3
They have all turned aside,They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.

Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

What do we deserve?
We think we deserve nice carpet, nice houses, perfect lives, and greatness. We never get as good as "we" think we deserve. That is if we are still living in our old human ways.

Proverbs 27:20
Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

We are never satisfied!

New "happiness" research shows that each of us pretty have a happiness "setpoint". Money, relationships, change of situation -- they don't make a person happier for long. Eventually, we all go back to our "set point."

They included everything in their research: money, job, family change. They drew the final conclusion that THINGS do not make us happy.

When I wanted to lose weight I tried to curb my hunger. That was until I realized that I was eating when I wasn't hungry. I was eating when I was stressed. You can't fill the whole in your heart by feeding the hole in your stomach!

Likewise, you can't fill the hole in your soul by getting more THINGS!

Isaiah 55:2
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

We can have an abundantly overflowing soul! I am earning 5x less than what I was earning at age 24. I went from a General Manager to a stay at home Mom -- talk about a pay cut! (I'm a teacher now!) And yet, I am much richer now! I am full of the goodness of God. I have a mission and a purpose!

Learn to be content

So, we stress because we think we know what is best for us! True contentment comes from trusting God to accomplish what concerns us today.

1 Timothy 6:6
Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

Does this mean I should be a slacker? No! We must work hard, we must be diligent. But at the end of the day when we shower and look in the mirror we must agree with God in our soul that His creation is good.

Moses took a paycut too. He went from being next in line to be Pharoah to a hunted runaway / shepherd in the desert. What did he feel in the desert?

Exodus 2:21
Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.

But what about the folks just like us who have more? It is not bad to want things, it is wrong to be envious of our friends and neighbors. Our society says More! More! More! "The one who dies with the most toys wins!" How wrong!

Hebrews 13:5
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

We are a society that is trying to fill up the hole in our soul with "toys" and "stuff" and "food" and "fun" and "entertainment." It will never satisfy us! The more we stuff in, the emptier we feel! One one thing satisfies!

How are you seeking to fill the hole in your soul? Are you looking to Jesus Christ who will never leave you? Or are you loving on that shiny new car in your garage that will be dented the first time someone backs into it at the grocery store?

Job 15:31
Let him not trust in futile things, deceiving himself,For futility will be his reward.

Proverbs 30:5
Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

Psalm 62:10
Do not trust in oppression,Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them

Step #2
Read your Bible again, at least fifteen minutes. Today, you are going to tell God everything that you are upset about, even if it seems trivial. Ask for His guidance and wisdom. Ask Him to help you. Then, leave it with Him. If He gives you instruction in Your heart as You pray. Get up and do as He says.

Remember, all of this starts with a saving faith in Jesus Christ. He is the Only thing that will fill the hole in your soul!

Lord, guide us and keep us as we work to be content. You are sufficient. Call out a group of people who want to be faithful. Speak to us as we seek You! Guide and bless the IMB and the SBC as they prepare for the convention in June. Send us Bible School workers and wisdom as we prepare. Help us for we are too busy. Let us not lose sight of the Good Shepherd. In Jesus name. Amen.

Tags: contentment, positive attitude, stress, Bible, Jesus, religion, God, tension, heart disease, stroke, mortality, trust, worry, sadness, depression, blog, blogs, Vicki A Davis

Get out of the Present Tense - Part I

You can tell a lot about people by what kills them!

Why are we dying in the US? The CDC has completed their mortality report for 2003. The top three reasons are:

1- Heart disease
2 - Cancer
3 - Stroke

Two of these three disease are brought on by the stress, struggles, strain, and tension of life in our modern world. (And perhaps cancer, but we don't know much about that one!)

Too much in a hurry to slow down

Recently, a movie entitled "A Meditation on the Speed Limit" won the Campus Movie Fest award for best comedy in Georgia.

They knew it was dangerous.

"We could have really been hurt," said one of the Atlanta college students after their experiment.

"I was pretty sure that I was doing something stupid," said another.

They were not driving 100 miles per hour on the Interstate. These students drove 55 mph (the speed limit) on I-285 around Atlanta. The Article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution says:

"There was little doubt what the students' companions on the road thought that sunny Friday in January. The video shows drivers' steadily mounting hostility to the blockade. Cars honk. They drive onto the shoulder to speed around the students. Obscene gestures are made."

Here, we are lashing out, not at those who are abiding by the law but at those who refuse to break the law. We are in such a rush that it doesn't seem to matter who we kill in the process! Even if it is us!

We are too busy learning, making money, having fun, and doing stuff that we don't have any time to sit and think! I grade papers, listent to my favorite podcast and eat lunch at the same time. This is insane!

An Experiment for the Doubtful

If you don't believe me, tomorrow, do an experiment. Sit on a bench or stand on a corner somewhere and watch.

Notice the faces lined with worry, the furrowed brows, the tired hurried look. Look at the tense shoulders and the fast pace.

Notice how people act. Are they short tempered? Do they frown? Are they irritated? Do they avoid eye contact? Are they impatient? They are everywhere and very often us!

They are angry at people for making them wait. Angry at people for making them hurry. Angry at people who drive too fast. Angry at people who drive to slow. Angry. Angry. Angry. Fume! Why won't the world get its act together? Seething and full of pent up disgust at everyone. Me. Me. Me. Do what I want, when I want it! Growl!

Now sit back in your chair and think. You know in your heart of hearts that there is more. Surely, this is not what God had in mind when He created us!

The Christian Walk, not the Christian 100 yard dash!

In the Bible, there is a lot about the Christian walk. A few places it talks about a marathon/race. I don't see where it talks about a frantic, short dash. Life on Jolt Soda is not what God intended!

There are many verses in the Bible about Trust.

1 Peter 5:7
casting all your care upon Him,[Jesus] for He cares for you.

We can:

Psalm 31:14
But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD;I say, “You are my God.”

Psalm 71:5
For You are my hope, O Lord GOD;You are my trust from my youth.

Psalm 56:11
In God I have put my trust;I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

2 Corinthians 3:4
[ The Spirit, Not the Letter ] And we have such trust through Christ toward God.

Psalm 27:10
When my father and my mother forsake me,Then the LORD will take care of me.

In Matthew 7:11, Jesus says:

11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Take a look at the Dutch Irises that emerged from my flower bed on Saturday. I got to watch them emerge! Jesus says:

27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Matthew 6:27-29

So, God Himself, then pledges to take care of all of our needs.

We can trust Him to take care of us. And yet we do not trust Him, do we?

If we can trust God, then why then do we not get all we want? Why do things happen that we do not approve of? These things make us doubt. What if we are wrong? Can you be educated and believe in Christ?

We will discuss these things as we work to get out of the present tense and into the present rest that God has planned for us. This is an area in which I struggle as do everyone else that I know. No one has the monopoly on stress, although we all seem to think we do!

Our missionaries too, struggle with rest. Mr. and Mrs. "T" our missionaries to the Tuareg are praying for the discipline to rest one day a week. They are stressed out as they work at a frantic pace to reach others for Christ. They need to reconnect with one another and keep their bodies and families strong.

We must learn to rest! How? But the question is not,"How" but "Who." Who has the rest for us? His name is Wonderful.

Step 1
Your first step to get out of the present tense is to spend fifteen minutes to read your Bible and pray as soon as possible. Drop everything and do it! Get alone, close the door, turn off the phone. Start by asking God to speak to you. Read Matthew Chapter 6 if you don't have a place marked. This is not a time to plan a sermon, Sunday School lesson, or blog. Just read for what YOU get out of it! End with a prayer.

Lord, guide us as we learn to rest in You. Give us faith and wisdom. Help us to humbly follow You. Forgive us when we don't think You know what you're doing. Forgive us when we are stubborn. Help me to follow you better and know you more! Be with Mr and Mrs. T and give them rest. In Jesus name. Amen.

Tags: mortality, CDC, stress, death, Campus Movie Fest, comedy, speed limit, busy, prayer, SBC, missionary, IMB, worry, anger, Christian, Christianity, God, Jesus, Bible, trust, rest, tension, Bible, blog, blogs, Vicki A Davis

Is prayer blogging scriptural?

There are some commenters who think I should not pray on my blog. This, however, is part of who I am. I, personally, get tired of people who ask for prayer for this or prayer for that and never get on their knees and pray. Don't ask for prayer -- PRAY a prayer instead. So, instead of listing things, I pray prayers online for several reasons.

#1 We can pray in agreement.

As fellow Christians read these prayers, they too can pray in agreement. This has a promise.

Matthew 18:19
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

This is the power of prayer blogging! We can focus and pinpoint our prayers and then watch God work! This is why God has called me to blog to help focus prayer for missionaries!

I was feeling discouraged yesterday, when Bry posted a comment on one of my posts, He said:

...I have enjoyed all your posts since I discovered it a few weeks ago. May God bless you as you keep the Missionarys the focus of you blog.

I needed a reminder that people do want to focus on the missionaries. I had just been doubting God and wondered if I shouldn't just write some generic Christian "inspiration" rather than focusing on missionaries. God used Bry to remind me of my calling! Thanks, Bry!

So when you read the prayers, I ask you to pray them in your heart and pray in agreement, of course adding as God has you to pray. Do this IF and only IF you agree!

#2 We have a history of people praying in writing!

Thank goodness for David in the Psalms who prayed his prayers in writing.

Psalm 143:1
[ A Psalm of David. ] Hear my prayer, O LORD,Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness.

Psalm 4:1
[ To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. ] Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

Throughout the Psalms you will see the word Selah. The definition of this word is:

Selah ( Hebrew, Salah in Arabic Language:סלה) meaning "pause, reflection", within the context of a prayer or psalms, is similar in purpose to Amen in that it stresses the importance of the preceding passage.

Many of the Psalms are prayers. Thank goodness for David and the other Psalmists baring their heart. I want to be a woman after God's own heart. If David and Jesus Christ could have their prayers documented then I want to emulate them!

#3 We should write our prayers so that all medium will praise God with the praise He deserves.

I am in awe of the communication method of blogging. One can find people lambasting or praising most any topic.

Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.Praise the LORD!

Luke 19:40
But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

I believe every medium on earth should be used by Christians to praise the Lord. Shame on us if someone searches for any topic and cannot find a kind, loving, Christian perspective on it.
Some Christian bloggers need to learn that we do not insult a person to Jesus Christ! That is not what He did and not what we should do. The people who Jesus was harsh with was the religious leaders, not the unbelievers! We have a lot to learn about being the light of the world - myself included!


Caveats to Prayer Blogging

There are a couple of caveats to praying publicly in any way. These cause me to pray and to blog with fear and trembling knowing that I must give account for every word I say in this life.

Remember:
#1 We must never pray for pretense.

Before Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross, He gave a long list of warnings to the Pharisees and religious leaders, including this one:

Matthew 23:14
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

This is a heart thing. The God who sees all can and will judge our hearts. We must be very careful how we pray. I fearfully and carefully pray (and blog.)

#2 We must make sure we are right with God.

Proverbs 28:9
One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

There are people who run from and refuse God. For them, the prayer He will hear is that of repentance and asking for salvation. The floodgates then open to the greatest, most peaceful, wonderful life that no one can comprehend. I must listen to the convictions of the Holy Spirit!

In Conclusion
Can Jesus hear me when I pray alone? Yes
Why do I find it necessary to post my prayers? Because I feel it is scriptural and what He has called me to do. I believe there is additional power as we pray in agreement!
Does it make me unpopular? Yes. Jesus wasn't popular, how can I expect any less.
Does it make me better than anyone? No! He who has been forgive much, loves much. I am surely the worst of people as I have turned my back on God in my life. But His reconciliation is the sweetest. His love is the greatest! His peace passes all understanding! No sin is to great that He will not forgive! No one is gone too far that He cannot bring them back! Nothing is too hopeless that He cannot restore hope!

Is Jesus Christ calling you to return to Him today?

Dear Lord, let me be right before you. Forgive me for pretense and when I turn away from You. Help me to be salt and light and let all other Christian bloggers be so as well. Let us be kind to all who inquire and question us. Forgive us when we fail you. Bless our missionaries today and guide them as they work. Guide us as we work for Your kingdom also. In Jesus name. Amen.

Tuareg and VBS: Not Abandoned by God

Today I received some prayer requests from our missionaries to the Tuareg People. This beautiful people group is an unreached people group in Africa. As you pray for these missionaries, just call them Mr. and Mrs. T. (for Tuareg), we keep their names secret for security sake.

• The missionaries ask for prayer as they work to speak the Tamashek language. Pray for God to help them learn the language quickly.
  
• A few new believers were baptized this past Friday. With only 181 known Christians in this people group of hundreds of thousands, they face difficulties and struggles beyond what we understand. Pray for God to speak to them and to help them stay strong in the faith.
  
• These missionaries have been so busy that they haven't been having a day of rest. They are trying to rest on Saturdays and we need to pray that they will have rest.
• The team is meeting to plan and write strategies for 2007. We need to pray for God to direct them and give them discernment. The harvest is so great and the workers are so very few. Let them see that God's perfect will is best.
• Student volunteers are coming this summer and we need to pray for them.
  
• These missionaries are praying for volunteer prayer walking teams to come to their location the end of this year. Pray for God to encourage and send those He has called to do His work.
• Continue to pray for the salvation of the Tuareg people.
  

• Ask the Lord to give us boldness
in sharing His Word even if our language is not great.
• O
ur granddaughter will be 17 months old today. Pray for her and her parents.
• Pray for our house worker and our guardians
to be more open to hearing about our faith.
• May we be faithful in spending lots of time in prayer
in order to seek our Father’s will.
• Pray for us as we do needs assessment and make contacts regarding doing some hunger relief this year.

These are very real prayer needs from our mission field this week! They have work to do and so do we. Will you join me in printing out these requests and taking them to our Father as we pray?

Reasons you should pray for the Tuareg:

• To Show God's power that these people aren't "abandoned by God"

They were given the name "Tuareg" because they were one of the last tribes to convert to the Muslim faith. Fiercely independent, many of them have been forced to abandon the nomadic lifestyle and setting the cities where they do not feel comfortable. They will find that our God will not abandon them if we pray for God to intervene. What a witness to the World!

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

• They are physically and spiritually hungry.

There is increasing hunger in the regions where they live and many of the young boys who work in fields eat only every three days. More than this, there is a hunger for the word of God and a danger for Christians who share their faith openly. It is our responsibility to pray for this uttermost part of the earth as well as to remain faithful in our Jerusalem of our own hometown.

• The key to securing more workers is to PRAY!

Luke 10:2
Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Your prayers are also needed at home: your neighborhood Vacation Bible School
The workers truly are few. We are preparing for Bible School in Camilla, Georgia and are one of the only daytime Bible schools left in southwest Georgia. Each year we have around 180 children and a dwindling number of workers. Seven years a go we had 125+ workers, last year we had 60. We are experiencing increasing obstacles to workers helping us. We are praying for people to volunteer and be faithful and if we cannot find enough workers here for God to help that He will send some people to help! Please pray for the VBS plans of our church and other churches who are planning now.

Volunteer for your Vacation Bible School. You can do decorations, work with publicity. This is your home town mission trip!

Pray
Lord, please be with Mr. and Mrs. T. Help them to master the Tamasheq language. Be with them and give them YOUR vision for working in their area. Guide and keep them safe and open doors with the guards and houseworkers. Give them Sabbath rest and quality time in prayer. Be with the new believers and strengthen them. Lord God, encourage them in Africa as they labor and encourage us here at home as we work to labor for you in Vacation Bible School. You know the obstacles. Our job is to be faithful and Your job is to convict, may I not get in the way of your conviction. Guide us and keep us. Let the harvest be great! Encourage and help us! We love you, Lord. In Jesus name. Amen.

Tags: Tuareg, missionary, SBC, IMB, southern baptist convention, international mission board, prayer, Christian, Christianity, religion, blog, blogs, Vicki A Davis