If you have not seen the movie please go, if it is still showing at a movie theater where you live. Bring friends and family. It is ideal for anyone who is 13 and above, although some younger girls might also appreciate it.

The message reminds us that Jesus wants us to offer love rather than passive indifference or resentment. Love is an action and we can’t wait for our husband, child or friend to be pleasant before behaving in a godly manner. If Jesus is our Lord we have His power and His help to love unconditionally. “Fireproof” shows that with Jesus, true love is possible.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are times when the quality of our relationships are tested, especially when we are worried about finances or job security. Rather than focusing on others’ attitudes to us, let’s offer Jesus’ love without expecting anything back. In Ephesians 4:17-the end of the chapter and Ephesians 5 there are many examples of putting off the old sinful nature and putting on Christ. My challenge to you is to read these verses and apply them. If we are Christians, we are not living as we ought if we hang on to sin. We need to repent of any behavior that is ungodly but typical of our lives. Don’t simply remove it, but replace it with the godly alternative.

Ephesians 4: 21 exhorts: “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life , which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature created to be like God- truly righteous and holy.”

We could develop a forty day challenge for ourselves, covering the period from Thanksgiving until the new year. Each day, I suggest we focus on a behavior that we must stop doing, repent of it and replace it with its godly replacement. The process should be cumulative. We should not forget about Biblical lessons that we have already learned, as we learn new ones. The challenge is to keep all aspects of godly behavior going …………! We can’t do this in our own strength. We must abide in Jesus, receiving the love and the stamina to persevere from the Holy Spirit.

The first challenge is in Ephesians 4:25 is “stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth…” I need to pray about this. When am I withholding truth? When am I agreeing with lies to keep people happy? How can I tell truth in a gentle, loving way? The second challenge is about anger in verses 26-27. I will let you work out what you need to “put off”regarding this and what godly behavior to replace it with.

I believe that as we apply the Bible to our lives, we will be changed. How else can we love our husbands, relatives or friends? We need God’s help but we also need to persevere. The movie “Fireproof” demonstrated changed lives. God encourages us to improve our relationships too. He wants to transform our lives and as we become more like Him, we will be much easier for others to love! We may even find that they change too, especially if they seek Jesus’ help.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

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Sian and Lee Strobel

I was very pleased to attend Lee Strobel’s seminar at the National Outreach Convention in San Diego recently. He was confident that apologetics was even more necessary in the postmodern world than before. In the old days, listening to Christian talks was almost acceptable but now people who are not Christians are more likely to turn up if there is a debate and if both sides are heard. He described a very well attended debate at his church, Willow Creek, in Chicago. An atheist and a Christian were locked in debate. Many journalists were excited about this opportunity and the debate was heard throughout the country by many people, both Christian and non Christian. Many became Christians as a result.

Lee Strobel was a journalist and he enjoys looking for evidence. He applies this skill brilliantly to investigate the Christian faith. His first experience of doing this resulted in a dramatic life change. His conclusions resulted in his becoming a Christian. He searched for facts and he was surprised that it took him two years to find out “who was Jesus?” He thought that he would be able to dismiss the claims of Jesus quickly but he was proved wrong.

When I gave my life to Christ when I was seventeen, I had attended church for most of my life. Although I had never heard a good sermon before I went to college, I had heard important verses in the Bible in the Anglican liturgy, in the traditional village church that I attended growing up in England. Although no one applied these important truths to my life, I was aware that I had sinned and that Jesus was the Savior. I knew that forgiveness was important and that God was much more important than me. When I went to a good church, It did not take me long to believe, as I was already half way there.

Today in America, most kids do not attend church. This is true of most people in Europe too. We can’t expect people to become Christians overnight. The danger is that we give them a short message about Jesus and encourage them to sign up. However if they have not had the opportunity to ask questions, and do not understand the problem of sin and the importance of the cross, as well as the need to repent, their faith may well be ill founded.

We must teach the Bible and we also need to answer people’s questions and discuss important issues with respect and integrity. I recommend Lee Strobel’s DVDs and books as they address issues that I do not have time to investigate. I can lend a book or refer to one to help answer others’ tough questions. I purchased Lee Strobel’s DVD “The Case For Christ” which is broken into six sessions to investigate the evidence for Jesus. There is opportunity for discussion and Bible study, but the DVD gets people started and addresses some important issues.

I want to help people find out about Jesus. My priority is to pray for their salvation. If some show an interest I want to be equipped to teach them the Bible, to address their questions and to be a consistent friend, showing them the love of Christ. Let’s expect our friends to ask questions and let’s know how to help them as they investigate Christianity.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Lee Strobel at the National Outreach Convention

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Yesterday I taught the Bible to teenagers at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ club at my daughter, Alice’s, middle school. I wanted them to understand the differences between a child of God and a child of the devil. I drew two columns on the white board, one for each type of child. There is a tendency in this culture to either over or under emphasize the devil. The children are usually shocked when I mention him and they are also offended by “hell” considering it to be a bad swear word rather than a real place where many are heading.

The kids wanted me to create a third column for those people who were not Christians but did not intentionally get involved with devil worship or witchcraft. I explained that I could not as the Bible clearly teaches that unless we are rescued out of the kingdom of darkness by Jesus ( Colossians 1:13 ) we are under the power of the evil one and are children of the devil.

I taught from 1 John 3:7-10: “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love his brother does not belong to God.”

This passage does not say that by behaving well we can earn our way into the family of God. Instead it explains that when we become part of God’s family, Jesus enters us and because we are now led by the Holy Spirit, we are changed and we cannot keep sinning routinely (although we will still make mistakes).

How do we become part of God’s family? The teenagers who prepared their testimonies believed that baptism was the clear proof that someone had become a child of God. The Bible explains that baptism is symbolic of a believer passing from death to new life and this is a powerful image. The reality is that some people get baptized and then settle down to a life of sin with the smug assumption that they have done what it takes to go to heaven one day. A baptism must be accompanied by a dramatic spiritual new birth, if it is to be more than a historic ritual. John 1 explains that ..”to all who believed Him and accepted Him, he gave the right to become children of God.” They are reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan but a birth that comes from God.” God re- creates us when we respond to Him, believing and receiving Him, accepting Him as Lord of our new life and repenting of the messy lives we used to live.

Once we are under the leadership of Christ, rather than (wittingly or unwittingly) under the devil’s authority, we will change, so long as we really are living under the authority of Christ with His Spirit.1 John 2:3 says that ..”we can be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments.” If we refuse to obey Jesus we are not His children. Jesus commands us to love one another in a Christ like way. 1 John 4:17 challenges us to copy Jesus. He showed us real love by giving up His life for us. Similarly, “..we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” This is made even more challenging by the following verse: “Dear children let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

We are taught to be like Jesus: “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” If we are Christians we will obey Him and resemble Him, otherwise we are not His children. I John makes this very clear. A very important part of being a Christian is loving God and loving other Christians. Elsewhere we are also told to love our enemies: we are commanded to love everyone, but if Christians fail to love those who are members of the body of Christ, how can we effectively help people who are not part of the Christian family? We know that walking as Jesus did involved meeting all sorts of people, to heal them, to cast out demons, to teach them the truth and to invite them into a relationship with Him. Without Christ’s love we will fail to reach out to those who so desperately need His love.

If we are God’s children are we letting Him lead us, are we obedient, do we give up our lives to help others, are we asking Jesus to fill us with His Holy Spirit? Thankfully Jesus will forgive us and re-instate us as he did with Peter. We are told in 1 John that we will not continue to live a life of sin once we have been dramatically re-created as Christians, as Jesus is in charge of us. I John 1:8-10 encourages us that when we confess our sins Jesus will forgive us and purify us. Sin should be the exception rather than the routine. Let’s make sure that we are truly living as children of God: forgiven, transformed and radiating the love of Jesus in action. We can be full of good intentions but thankfully Jesus did not just profess His love for us but He demonstrated it on the cross. Let’s follow his lead and show others that we are truly God’s children expressing His love, extending His hand of mercy. If you are not yet a child of God, ask Him to rescue you from the kingdom of darkness and receive Him so that He will live in you, dramatically changing your life.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

A Child of God, or a Child of the Devil?

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My husband, Martyn is writing a book about search engine marketing. Most of the terminology is less than fifteen years old but much of it still needs careful explanation for those of us who are not technically savvy. It is not surprising that twenty first century Bible readers come across words and concepts that are difficult to understand because they are concepts that applied to specific religious practices hundreds of years ago. One of those phrases that used to confuse me is the “ark of the covenant”. As I am studying the book of Joshua (see blogs: Joshua Man of Faith and Rahab: from prostitute to woman of faith) I thought that it might be helpful for me and for others to consider what this ark was and how it can help us better understand God . When I Googled “ark of the covenant” I was confronted with the lost ark, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” etc. What was once a hugely important part of the Israelites’ worship has become a story. It is important that we understand that Biblical truth is much more significant than fiction. Please join me in discovering a little about this “ark” so that our faith in God can more easily develop into a deep reality.

God’s dwelling place

The ark of the covenant was a beautifully crafted chest made of acacia wood, overlaid with pure gold inside and out. Its contents included the stone tablets on which the ten commandments were written. It was built at the time of Moses and God gave specific instructions about its appearance and contents, as it was of great significance. Above the ark was the atonement cover which was the lid for the ark. On top were two angels facing one another and this was God’s dwelling place. This was a holy place and it was a symbol of God’s presence and power wherever God’s people, the Israelites went. At the time of Joshua the ark of the covenant was usually housed in the tabernacle which was like a portable temple, but when the Israelites were on the move it was carried separately on poles. When inside the tabernacle, the ark was in the most holy place where only the high priest could enter to sprinkle blood on the atonement cover of the ark of the covenant once a year.

The ark of the covenant represented God’s presence and power

The ark was not something to be treated lightly. It was transportable but had to be carried with great care, surrounded by animal skins and covered in blue cloth, and attached to poles. A number of miracles were witnessed in the Old Testament surrounding the ark. If it was treated with irreverence there were negative consequences.

Isaiah 37: 16 reminds us of the importance of God’s presence above the atonement cover or mercy seat: “O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.” It was with this knowledge that the Israelites, led by Joshua, knew that with God’s presence they could trust that He would part the River Jordan so that thousands of people could cross the mighty river in safety.

God’s people followed the ark.

God’s people had been trained to follow and obey God. The years in the wilderness taught them the stupidity of disobeying Him. I certainly like visual aids to help me understand a concept. The beautiful ark of the covenant was a visible, tangible reminder that God was with them. In the book of Joshua the people followed the ark at a distance towards the river and then they paraded past it when the river parted. It was abundantly clear that the great miracle was thanks to God being with them. Although the ark of the covenant was surrounded by cloth, they trusted that God was very close to them and His powerful acts confirmed that.

As Christians we have so much more to fix our eyes on. We have the completed Bible: much more than the law that the Israelites had received. We know that Christ has died and risen and we can have a relationship with Him, leading into eternity. However, do we sometimes refuse to believe because we can’t see Jesus? Do we tend to rely on our own abilities because we live comfortable lives and we are not inclined to pray much? Reading these first few chapters in Joshua should help us understand to what extent the Israelites needed God, and how without Him they could never have entered the promised land successfully or victoriously. We tend to moan when life is tough but God allowed His people to experience great challenges precisely so they would follow Him.

Believe without seeing.

The picture of the ark of the Covenant and the wonderful consequences of following God in the Old Testament, when the Israelites obeyed, should spur us on to greater faith, for faith cannot be dependent on what we see. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Let’s move beyond the ark of the covenant that signified God’s presence and see that Jesus is our risen Lord, God Himself who is still amongst us: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

The ark of the covenant inspired the Israelites to believe. We are expected to believe without seeing but surely the words of the Bible should persuade us to open our spiritual eyes, relying on God’s Holy Spirit. Please join me as I fix my eyes on Jesus, trusting Him with all the stuff that gets in the way and asking Him to forgive me for the selfish words and actions that threaten to entangle me. I encourage you to trust Him to one day lead you to Heaven: a perfect land promised to those who, despite the trials, are focusing on Jesus in faith.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

The ark of the covenant in the Old Testament

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Faith triumphed over fear and unbelief

Joshua and Caleb were the only ones whose faith triumphed over fear and unbelief. Do we believe that God must be trusted and obeyed or do we feel that obedience is an outdated word? Are we tempted to avoid moving forward in faith because we are overcome by fear? Does it feel that God’s expectations are so unrealistic that we could not possibly change our lives to fulfill them?

The Israelites had been trained to follow God obediently

At the beginning of the book of Joshua, Moses has just died and God has appointed Joshua to succeed him and to lead God’s people into the land that God had promised them. Moses had been an incredible leader and following such a man as the leader of the Israelite people must have been daunting. The years wandering in the desert must have taught the people that really the bottom line was to have faith and to follow God. For 40 years He showed them when to stop and when to move. God sent fire at night that either stayed still or moved. Clouds by day also directed them. Rebellion against God resulted in punishment, and they knew God’s law because God had presented it to them. Like us they were slow learners but they had been trained to follow God obediently.

Joshua must have been frightened

God knew that Joshua was somewhat overwhelmed by the responsibility of leading the Israelites into Canaan. God’s first instruction to him as the new leader was to lead them across the great, deep Jordan River. We are all intimidated by different things. I try to avoid driving on busy freeways but I enjoy public speaking. Other people are the opposite, but my guess is that we would all be rather concerned about leading thousands of people across a very substantial river. With God he had no reason to fear. Similarly as we follow God obediently and faithfully we should not be fearful as He will lead us.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you”

God reassures Joshua encouraging him that he would be given “every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.” God also reminds Joshua of His constant presence: “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” It is thanks to God’s constant presence and help that Joshua can obey the next exhortation: “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you: do not turn from it to the right or the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” (Joshua 1: 5-7)

A successful godly leader must be submitted to God and to His word

Joshua was instructed to obey the law and not to depart from it. He could not expect God’s presence if he was not prepared to abide by His rules and to expect the Israelites to be obedient to God’s law too. God expected Joshua to be His servant. The law gave specific direction and Joshua had to follow this. A successful, godly leader must be submitted to God and to His word: to obey it rather than merely knowing it.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened

God’s final words to Joshua, before he gave the order to the officers, was a third instruction to be strong and courageous: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” The main threat to Joshua’s success as a leader was to pull back in fear. God’s words instilled in Joshua the faith and the courage that were essential. Crossing the river before defeating the people living in Canaan would have been impossible without God’s direction and help.

The miracle in Joshua chapter 3 proves that God was in control. The great river was parted by the one who created rivers: God, and Joshua led all the people into the promised land.

The Bible gives us hope

Today some might claim that this powerful example of God leading Joshua and his people was merely an ancient story. The same people are unlikely to have faith that God is their Savior and that He still leads His people. Romans 15:4 explains that “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

I do hope that you have genuine hope in Jesus. As a child I had ill informed hope, assuming that I could waltz into heaven, because I assumed that that was where everyone deserved to go. God’s relationship with the people of Israel illustrates that their lack of faith restricted them from entering the promised land. God made them wander in the wilderness until the first generation of unbelieving moaners died. Only their children could enter, along with faithful Joshua and Caleb. Similarly, we have no right to hope unless we submit to Jesus in faith, but if our faith is genuine we have much to look forward to.

Walk as Jesus did

Faith must lead to obedience. Yesterday, I taught the kids in my Sunday school class from 1 John 2 verses 4-5. We were discussing receiving God’s love: “The man who says “I know Him” (Jesus) but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”

Joshua, was commanded by God to obey God’s law, to be encouraged by His presence, and to be strong and courageous as He followed God’s instructions. The same is true for us today. If we are prepared to faithfully read the Bible and follow Jesus, He will give us courage, and the Holy Spirit will empower us to do incredible acts as servants of Jesus. We can and must walk as Jesus did. If we avoid God’s truth in the Bible and have a half hearted faith and no action, we cannot claim to be God’s children.

Women of faith and courage

Let’s learn from Joshua and be women of faith and courage. God is always ready to forgive us and change us. We can be turned around if we are ready to move forward in faith, obeying the word of God and seeking His presence. Jesus wants to encourage us to be strong and courageous for when we move forward with Jesus He will be with us and He will never leave us.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Joshua: A Man Of Faith Encourages Us To Be Women Of Faith

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People are inclined to forget that they are also vulnerable especially when they are behind the wheel of a strong looking car or sporting varsity football gear or a very impressive suit. There is a tendency to baby young kids, driving them everywhere and allowing them little freedom, until suddenly they are able to drive and their freedom apparently has few limits. As my two oldest kids are 18 and nearly 16, I am well aware of the potential hazards in and beyond the car. It seems that we need to train kids not only to drive well but to make good decisions. Once they can take passengers in the car, freedom is rather open ended. Arriving at a dance in a well cut suit or a beautiful dress at fifteen, must also be accompanied by a strong sense of right and wrong to ensure that the evening does not end in trouble. There are so many potential hazards.

Parents may spend many hours helping their kids learn to drive or investing money in various lessons to ensure that their children are accomplished in sports, music or ready to do well in the SAT test. However, I am not so sure that the same investment is always made to help them develop a good, responsible attitude. In my opinion, it cannot be assumed that either we or our kids can develop a godly response to life without help. According to the Bible, we are naturally inclined to make the wrong decisions. Ecclesiastes 7:20 illustrates this: “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.”

If we are honest, we are all capable of thinking, saying and doing terrible things. Of course we need to protect girls and kids especially, from human predators but we also need to learn how to avoid foolish decisions that lead to awful consequences. This is particularly true for teenagers who are experiencing driving and dances for the first time, but it is also true for people of every age. We are generally careful to protect young, innocent children as we are more aware than animals that they are vulnerable. However, as they grow up do we train children to become aware of God’s wisdom that can help them make the right choices? As adults do we know and follow Biblical wisdom as we deal with life’s challenges? If we do not, how can we expect our kids or less mature people to take Jesus seriously?

We cannot be truly wise unless we submit our lives to Jesus, seek His mercy and forgiveness and study and follow Biblical truth. Proverbs 2:6 explains that “the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” We are well advised to seek these great qualities and we can find out about them in God’s Word, the Bible. The book of Proverbs is filled with wise, godly advice. It is very clear that there are two paths: one is following God’s lead, obeying His commandments and willingly living life with His help. The other path is the alternative, turning our backs on God and living our lives with no reference to Him. God calls out to us to turn and follow Him. He does not want any of us to walk away from His love, His guidance and His forgiveness.

The words in Proverbs are insistent that we should “Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well for it is your life. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.” (Proverbs 4: 13-15). The Bible teaches about temptation, good, evil and the amazing love of Jesus who can forgive us even when we have wandered down the wrong path. I hear people say that they have not got time to read the Bible, but I would argue that we do not have time to ignore God’s Word. Despite our age, our abilities or our wealth, without God we are defenseless. We must not only teach children the right way to go but we must also pay attention ourselves. We can only be changed from being hopelessly bad to become righteous when God takes hold of our lives, and these words express the beautiful potential of transformed lives: “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” The next sentence is a reminder that we should avoid the alternative path: “But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.” (Proverbs 4:18-19)

In John chapter 8 verse 12 Jesus proclaims,”I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.” Are you following Jesus? If you feel that you are struggling in the darkness, call out to Him, seek Him and humbly follow Him. Without Jesus we are in great danger, but with Him we are in a very safe place. He is waiting for you, reaching out like a shepherd rescuing a small lamb lost in a dark cave. All of us are lost until we respond to Jesus. Reach out to Him and thank Him for His compassion and His mission to seek and to save the lost. He can transform your life.

God is calling Christian women to respond: Help others to seek God’s protection.

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This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Seek God’s protection

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Tom’s future dreams, which will no doubt change in a few weeks, are influenced by a few days of past happiness. It is easy to make decisions based on similar experiences. A friend of my parents was also in love with Wales. He probably also experienced idyllic summer holidays and he determined that his wife and children would move to a beautiful remote location in Wales. He was unable to be there for much of the time as he was working in London during the week. He joined them in this supposed paradise for the weekends. I met the wife and kids once when they lived near my family in Hampshire, in the south of England, prior to their move to Wales. I don’t remember her name, but the mother was very sociable and a people person like myself. At the time I was a student, training to be a teacher and she asked me to read some Bible stories to her young kids, the one time that I met her: perhaps I had mentioned my new found Christian faith to her. I remember reading the children’s Bible to her lovely, young sons in her garden which was pretty and typically English: roses and a very green lawn thanks to plenty of rain.

My mother continued to mention this family occasionally. They moved to Wales but their lifestyle was not the buzz of extended family, games and nice weather that are typical of a week’s summer vacation. The loneliness was intense and the last I heard was the terrible news that the bubbly, friendly wife and mother had committed suicide. The beautiful countryside was not enough.

Today when I was speaking with Tom I advised him always to prayerfully consider what direction he should take in life. It is easy to run after dreams and to pursue a fantasy that can end in disaster. I assured Tom that heaven would be perfect but until then it is important to pray and to seek Jesus’ lead. I suggested that he should do something worthwhile and that he should not limit his decisions to a certain location or pay package. Of course we need to earn money but it should not be the main determiner of what we do and neither should the beauty of the location be the deciding factor.

Proverbs 3:5-6 offers words of wisdom: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” As humans we are easily influenced by experiences that are foolish. It is not only teenagers contemplating their future who need to seek God’s path. We all need His guidance. We are inclined to follow our hearts but the Bible warns us that our hearts can’t be trusted: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

The verses preceding verse 9 in this chapter in the book of Jeremiah illustrate the difference between the man or woman who trusts God and those who trust man for direction. I suggest that you read Jeremiah chapter 17 verses 5-9. The one depending on man’s guidance will be “like a bush in the wastelands”, whereas the person who trusts in the Lord is in a much safer place: “He will will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

If we seek God’s direction for our lives through prayer, Bible study and speaking with Christians who are mature in their faith, we will be shown the right path. This might not look picturesque and it might not be very profitable, but if it is God’s will, it will be a place where we will “bear fruit” for we will be relying on Jesus. He will satisfy us even if life is hard. The woman I met briefly was “like a bush in the wastelands” as her husband followed his heart. I feel certain that he did not seek God’s direction or seek the opinion of his wife. May this sad situation remind us to seek Jesus’ wisdom rather than following our hearts. Our hearts are deceitful.

www.WomenRespond.com

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Guidance for the future

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In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13) there are many seedlings that do not reach maturity. They are more disappointing to the gardener than the small dry grapefruit because the seedlings never bore any fruit and the seeds that were taken by the birds were non starters. Fruit is not only delicious but it also has the capacity for more of the same plant to grow. The original seed, if it grows effectively, can produce multiple seed producing fruits and the result is wonderful.

In Matthew 13:23, Jesus explains that “the seed that fell on good soil represent those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” This is God’s will, and surely the goal of the church, that those who hear the good news about Jesus will understand the truth, and mature and multiply in the sense that they will help others to become productive children of God.

A Christian is not the smug, pew filler that I used to be. I was smug because I thought that I had done what was necessary by being in church, but I was no more than a seed on a hard piece of English stone floor, waiting to grow. There was so little truth to listen to and I did not understand that I needed to respond. Thankfully, Jesus put me in the equivalent of fertile soil when I went to college and arrived in a good church. The Bible was taught faithfully and as I listened I started to grow.

It seems that the hearer needs to be alert and listening and the message needs to be clear and true. It is so easy for all of us to be selective in our hearing. My children are adept at ignoring instructions to help but quick to hear any mention of food! The seeds that successfully reached maturity are like people who understand that without Jesus they are hopelessly lost. They hear and apply every one of His words to ensure that they grow up as God’s children rather than as a stunted, self absorbed seedling that shrivels up when in difficulty. The seed that becomes productive is like a true follower of Jesus who is not seeking his own comfort and pleasure but instead, like Jesus gives up his life. In John 12:24 Jesus says,”Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”

Many people want to have the reassurance of being connected to Jesus. They marvel that He rose from the dead and they believe that He has the power to successfully rescue us from the curse of death. They are right to trust Jesus but many are tempted to avoid the self sacrifice that we are called to. Unless we die to ourselves we remain a single seed, but God’s vision is for us to produce much grain. It is only when we focus on loving Jesus and others instead of ourselves that we truly start to do what pleases God. My other blog posts about the seeds discuss the reasons that they fail to reach maturity (and fulfillment). They are stunted because they are like people who are focused on themselves, put off by persecution, money and other worries.

Instead we should be focused on pleasing God. He can be trusted with our lives and He can handle our troubles. There is no time to focus on these personal distractions as Christians must join Jesus in far more important work than feeling sorry for ourselves. He wants us to join with others to reach out to “the lost”, to those who do not yet know how much He loves them. First we need to give up our lives to follow Him: “If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life you will lose it but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” When we give up trying to control things and trust God we are re-born as a new creation, a child of God with Jesus leading us. No wonder that we can now be productive, and bold, as Jesus is the one who through us can bring about a fantastic ‘harvest’. If we labor alone we will remain a single seed but when we die to our own ambitions we will belong to Christ and we will be producing much “grain”.

I was like a seed sitting immobile on hard stone. I was preoccupied with myself and I prioritized my pleasure and my success above spending time with God or helping others. Once I was placed in a church where I was taught the truth about Jesus, I started to change and by the time I was in my second year at college I was becoming more excited about helping others and teaching the Bible than pursuing my personal dreams. Now my desire was to please Jesus and this gave me fulfillment. I wanted others to grow into a relationship with Christ and I was eager to share the great news that God himself came to earth to die for you and me that we could be set free from the power of sin and death. I continue to share this message of great joy and I hope that others will become like seeds that are productive, bearing fruit and living abundant lives.

Christian women respond: Persevere and become spiritually mature. God’s harvest is beautiful and impacts the world.

www.WomenRespond.com

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

The Harvest

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I can click my phone and see whether Tom is online. If there is a green circle with a tick or a check in it he has been using the internet recently and there is a possibility that he is in his room and will answer. A green circle with a moon suggests that he has been away from his computer for a while: it’s dormant. Of course as a mother, recently separated from her eldest son, I am interested to see the signs of life communicated by his computer. It’s very vague and it is possible that Tom has abandoned his sloppy high school study habits and is now able to study without being repeatedly distracted by the internet!

It struck me that my trying to work out what Tom is up to by clicking a button on my Skype phone is a bit like the way many people respond to God. They have a vague understanding of who He is and they make some efforts to find out about Him based on hearsay, a TV program or the occasional Bible verse that a well meaning friend or relative sends their way. Conclusions that are drawn from this sort of information are very sketchy and are often wrong.

I do not want to call my son too often as he may soon learn to resent the interference. Similarly, many people do not want to bother God. Perhaps they feel that their problems are too small or that He is too busy.

My concern is that many people’s understanding of God and Christianity is based on a few inaccurate assumptions. One of my purposes in writing this blog www.WomenRespond.com is to make it clear how Jesus can affect every part of life and how the Bible can show us so much about Him, giving us a clear picture of who He is and how He can help us.

When I was small we used to dream of having phones with pictures.

Talking to Tom on Skype

Tom’s phone has a built in video camera so when I actually get through to him I can see him as well as hear him. This is, of course much more gratifying than looking at the little green circle, indicating whether he is online or not!

It is also possible to have a clear picture of God too. He is not a strange old man who criticizes us as he watches from Heaven. Rather, He came to earth in human form as Jesus. Although we have no portraits of Him, we can read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible and we can read eyewitness accounts about how He made the sick well, how He showed deep sorrow, weeping when his friend Lazarus died, even though Jesus was about to raise him to life. We can find out how Jesus showed compassion to a woman with a bad reputation and the way in which He spent time with those that others avoided. His teaching was not boring or politically correct: it was bold and radical. If it wasn’t for the fact that He returned from the dead three days after he had died, hanging on two pieces of wood, in the shape of a cross, we may have reason to forget Him. However, Christians for the last two thousand years have given their lives to Jesus. He proved by His words and actions that He really is God.

It is important that we move to the next level regarding our understanding of Jesus. A sketchy awareness of God is inadequate, in the same way that checking whether my son has been using the internet does not enhance our relationship! This morning Martyn and I wished Tom a happy 18th birthday on Skype and this was the next best thing to being with him. One day Jesus’s followers will be with Him in Heaven and this will be incredible. Until then, let’s draw close to Him through reading the Bible, meeting with Christians and through prayer.

There are times when a phone call is ended abruptly because one of the speakers is being unpleasant. It is typical of us to assume that we are generally right and if a conversation ends in this way we are inclined to blame the other person. When the relationship is with God and when the conversation is prayer, it is essential that we do not self righteously cling to our rights and justify ourselves. Reading the Bible helps us understand when we are proud or faithless or disobedient. We need to come before Jesus with humility asking Him to reveal to us where we need to change, yielding to His authority and asking Him to forgive us. If we do not come before Jesus with the right attitude, He warns us that He will end the conversation until we change. If we are experiencing a temporary distance in our relationship with Jesus, we must not blame Jesus, as unlike us He is incapable of wrongdoing. Instead we need to get right with Him. If you have never been close to Jesus, He is calling out to you to confess your sins and to believe in Him. He is like a wonderful, loving father who is ready to welcome His children home if we come on His terms rather than hanging on to our own agendas!

To finish, I will quote some Bible verses to show the consequences of a wrong attitude to Jesus as well as a right one. James 4:3 warns: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” Another problem is illustrated in Isaiah 59:2 : “But your iniquities (bad thoughts, words and actions) have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”

The great news is that “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) The consequences of responding in the right way towards God will impact our land as well as our own lives. Let’s communicate with Jesus on His terms and receive His blessing!

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Attitudes towards God

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The thought related to a more profound meaning of the word “homecoming”. When I was a child in England, I remember telling my friends that my best friend was Jesus. This was not true. I knew that he was important but I had no relationship with Him, beyond singing a few hymns and scripted prayers on Sunday. Another of my pet statements was that I was going to Heaven when I died. We all assumed that this was our right, a natural part of being a human being. My friends and I were not inspired to find out more about Jesus. It sufficed that He offered us the all important ticket to Heaven. I now realize that this “ticket” was not like a free ticket to the fair, rather it cost Jesus His life for Him to offer it to me, and unless I gave my life to Him I was not going to the heavenly destination. Heaven is way more important than the fair or even a refreshing rest. It is a true homecoming.

In my post about the homecoming parade at our local high school, I described the effort that some of the kids went to to stick scrunched up pieces of tissue on the float to make the float attractive. Originally homecoming was to welcome back alumni of the school. There is still some of that but the parade is watched mostly by the school and some parents. The kids shout and cheer and the occasion is fun. In the evening at the homecoming football match the four floats, made by the different year groups, were displayed and they were ranked first, second, third and fourth. The tissue scrunching kids go to all that effort to be applauded by their classmates, some parents, and alumni, with the possibility of winning a prize.

The process of those who added the tissue to the float is a bit like the typical person working hard to live a productive life. I am sure that those kids worked late to finish the job, there was so much to do. It is likely that they received some encouragement but if they did not win the prize the process may have seemed ultimately unfulfilling. Isn’t that like our lives. We wonder what the point is as we work late and struggle to do the equivalent of sticking yet more tissue on the float.

Our lives can be more than trying to receive the praise of others and winning a temporary prize. We may be popular at school or receive an academic scholarship or become the heroic saleswoman in the company or even the super mother, but deep inside we know that these are not enough. Jesus says that he will give us life to the full. As we receive His love and His Holy Spirit we will change. Our goals will change and we will stop doing things just to receive praise from other people but instead our focus will alter and we will focus on pleasing Jesus.

Christ knows that we cannot go to Heaven just as we are. However much we try, we are not good enough to join Him in Heaven. We are naturally self centered and our hard work sticking tissue or the equivalent is not ultimately going to cut it. Without Jesus’s intervention no one will win the best prize. We are too bad and we need Jesus’s forgiveness and his life giving Spirit. In John 4:14, Jesus says to a wretched woman who had had numerous failed relationships: “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” The prize is everlasting life, starting now and culminating in Heaven, and it is a gift that only Jesus can give.

In John 14 Jesus talks about Jesus and God, in the form of the invisible Holy Spirit making their home with those who love Jesus and obey His Word (the Bible). To have eternal godly purpose we need God’s presence now. This relationship now will lead us to our forever home. Jesus rose from the dead and we too can spiritually bypass the finality of death if we are truly his children. In John 14 verse 1, Jesus says “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and also trust in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Only Jesus can secure our final homecoming because He is God. He came to earth in the form of a man; how else could he have died in our place? Only Jesus the perfect man could take the punishment that I deserve: death. That is why Jesus could say “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” I do hope that you will follow Jesus and discover a life that is fulfilling and will last forever, thanks to Him.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

A heavenly homecoming

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