The Saw Does Not Cut By Itself

Recently I was having a conversation with my father on some of the things I was learned recently about individuals who have forsaken God. So often as a result of things like war and deaths we turn from God. My father reminded me that my uncle felt the same not because of war experiences, but because of the loss of two children. I reminded my dad that Job had lost everything and he still praised God by exclaiming, “the Lord giveth the Lord taketh away, Blessed be the name of the Lord.” As we continued to talk I pondered how much my father had changed in the past few years. As a child my father always took us to church and I was in every way a “good little Methodist girl.” My dad was a Sunday School Director and Lay Leader with the Methodist Men, I went to SS and church. From about 7th grade I helped with VBS. I went to summer youth retreats and was president of the MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship). I took some early admissions tests to ensure I could go to Duke…

I knew the Apostles Creed, the 23rd Psalm, John 3:16 and most of the 10 commandments and beatitudes by heart….. and that was it. Though for many years we had a time of devotional grace for before dinner, that was all the family worship outside of Christmas and Easter.  Scripture reading -0-, Mission time -0-, prayer time individually. Why? Why had this man that had been raised in the book not raised us in the book? Because the churches we attended drew farther and farther away from the Bible.  With topical sermons the Pator would preach on modern issues and some how relate it to the Lord. Or he would preach the same Bible stories we heard in SS with some adult words and quotes. No conviction, no application and never did we hear we were sinners.

  After getting off the phone and thanking God that my fathers words had changed as a result of sitting under a Pastor that preaches the Word of God, I realized all the foundation that had been laid over 70 years ago was being cultivated and was showing wonderful fruit.

Then I remembered… my childhood bible. The “adult” bible I had received as a child of seven years old. In our church each child received a bible when they passed to the third grade. I pulled the bible off the shelf so that I could read what was written on the presentation page. The Superintendent of SS completed all the info on that page… name… date… and church.

Opening the bible it all came back to me as I read what had been written there:

Presented to

Cynthia Elaine Russell

By

Princess Anne Plaza Methodist Church

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Date

August 30, 1964

and then the post script found only in my bible:

May you use this always to guide you in life.

Your Dad, Superintendent of Sunday School

Can I say that I followed that wise counsel? Tragically not enough. My father had given me a saw and had told me to cut and I had never really picked up the tool and used it.

The Lord presented us with everything we need for life and godliness.

The inerrant, infallible Word of God……

If you know about The Word of God, if you have a copy of The Word of God, pick it up and begin reading. As you read you will saw each piece of wood to build a life in Christ.

Leaving the saw on the shelf as I had done so often… well it rusted! So by the time I pulled it down to use it, well there was a lot of work to clear through the rust of misconceptions and worldly knowledge I had built up over the years. A lot of work before that saw could sing in my heart rejoicing in the author and perfector of my faith. Singing out to glorify the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

I am so very glad that at 86 years old, my dad. My earthly Abba father is still with us and I believe he will go home to glory in God’s time. But in the meantime we can now share biblical truths as we could not when I was a young girl.

I am praying that wherever you are at this time in your life you will always turn to the Lord and His Word for all your needs.

If you have never heard about The Bible or the Saviour Jesus Christ, I encourage you to continue to read of  the onlysource of  Hope for any of us….

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What’s the Gospel?

What’s the gospel? I’ll put it in a sentence.

The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy.

That’s the gospel.

You Can’t Outgrow the Gospel

You never, never, never outgrow your need for it. Don’t ever think of the gospel as, “That’s the way you get saved, and then you get strong by leaving it and doing something else.”

No! We are strengthened by God through the gospel every day, till the day we drop.

You never outgrow the need to preach to yourself the gospel.

How the Gospel Strengthens

Here’s an illustration, and I use it not because it’s any big deal to speak from my life, but because it’s what I walked through and where I most pointedly in the last year experienced the power of the gospel to make me strong. (Many of you are walking through things much heavier than prostate cancer—much heavier.)

Do you remember the verses that I shared with you back in February that were almighty for me? It was that moment right after the doctor says, “I think we need to do a biopsy,” when this stab of fear comes. It didn’t last long, mercifully.

And then came—what? 1Thessalonians 5:9-10. It’s just as pure gospel as you can get.

God has not destined you for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,who died for you so that whether you wake or sleep you will live with him.

Settled. Peace like a river.

The Gospel Is Perfect for Your Needs

That’s just gospel—perfectly timed, perfectly applied, perfectly suited to my need. That’s why the Bible is so thick—because there are so many different needs that you have. And there are suitable places where the gospel is unfolded for you, so that if you immerse yourself in the whole book, always with an eye for what Christ has wrought for you and purchased for you in this thick, glorious history of God’s interaction with people, he will give you what you need.

Therefore, everything in me says, and I hope to say until the day I die, “Now, to him who is able to strengthen me, according to Paul’s gospel, to him—to that God—be glory forever and ever.”

God came into history in Jesus Christ; he died in order to destroy the power of hell and death and Satan and sin; and he did it through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A Plea to Believe

I know that there are people reading this who are not trusting Jesus Christ, and therefore can only expect condemnation. So I’m just going to plead with you here at the end, lay down that rebellion. Lay it down. And simply embrace the gospel that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Righteous One, died for your sins. He was raised on the third day, triumphant over all his enemies. He reigns until he puts all of his enemies under his feet. Forgiveness of sins and a right standing with God comes freely through him alone, by faith alone.

I plead with you, don’t try to be strong in your own strength; it will not be there when you need it. Only one strength will be there—the strength that God gives according to the gospel.

Don’t put it off.

[This text is an edited transcript of the audio. It is excerpted from the sermon, “God Strengthens Us by the Gospel.”]

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When We Are Afflicted…

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not comsumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” Lamentations 3:21-24.

There we were watching and waiting as the doctors began to treat our only little girl. Others were there too, as their children were dying also. Small little lives destined never to grow up.

“In a strange kind of way, we learned how lucky we were…

~ We met people who had but one child; we had three…

~ We met people who did not love each other; we loved each other very much…

~ We had a supportive family and friends; some had none…

~ We believed in God…….

Robin was wonderful, she never asked why this was happening to her. She lived each day as it came, sweet and loving, unquestioning and unselfish.

I made up my mind there would be no tears around Robin, so I asked people who cried to step out of the room. I didn’t want to scare our little girl (she was three years old). Poor George had the most dreadful time he could hardly watch the blood transfusions. He would simply say he had to go to the rest room. We used to laugh and wonder if Robin thought he had the weakest bladder in the world. Not true. He just had the most tender heart.

She slipped into a coma. Her death was very peaceful. One minute she was there, the next moment she was gone. I truly felt her soul leave her body. For one last time I combed her hair, and we held our precious girl. I have never felt the presence of God more strongly than at that moment.

George and I love and value every person more because of Robin. She lives in our hearts, memories and actions.

George Bush and I have been two of the luckiest people in the world, and when all the dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, the things that matter are faith, family and friends. We have been inordinately blessed, and we know that.”

Many of you never knew that George and Barbara Bush had a precious little three year old daughter named Robin who died very quickly from leukemia.  The paragraphs in blue above is a short testimony by Barbara Bush of the beauty from this affliction in their lives.  They faced the unthinkable, the death of a child. Not only did they see her spirit and God’s grace but they were moved by the sadness around them. Not just the sadness of watching a child die…. but the sadness of those less fortunate. Not in any monetary terms but in the richness they had from their God, their love and their friends and family.

Whatever affliction you face today or tomorrow or yesterday…. may you be able to count it all joy as you walk through the valley with The Good Shepherd, your loved ones and your friends.

Pharisee’s and Frauds…

Are you a Pharisee or a Fraud? Neither! Until the Lord turns our hearts, lifts the veil from our eyes and blesses us with his unmerited favor, we cannot be saved! We remain dead in our trespasses and sins. We are dead! John Piper asked this question at a recent Pastors Conference. (I am paraphrasing)Have you walked down the aisle of your church lately and smelled the stench? The rotten putrid smell of death. He continues explaining how they should as so many sitting in the pews are dead. Dead in their sins.

Ephesians 2:1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.
Ephesians 2:5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

For some of you this may be offensive. In this rare case I do not apologize. Life without the atoning blood of Jesus Christ is death and it STINKS and that is offensive. For others you will read this and say…yep, that was me!

This week I have chosen a testimony of the sort that happens everyday but sadly you do not always hear about. These are individuals that truly believed themselves to be Christians for years, decades, almost a lifetime and yet in God’s time they were saved. I can be counted in these ranks.

This video is somewhat lengthy, but I encourage you to watch it in its entirety.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbdeQKLWMh8]

Below are the short testimonies of two individuals who have walked the same path as Mr. Cortez and myself.

Praise God for His saving grace. I lived a lie from Palm Sunday 1974 (nearly 9 years old) until October 1995 (30). I was a Pharisee and Fraud for more than a decade. I did all the “right things”, went to church, bible study, led bible studies, tithed. Rededicating my life a dozen times…hard to rededicate what you never did in the first place! Dear friends ask yourself as John tells us to in his letters, search yourself and determine if you really are in Christ. Greg Bailey

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Greg, this is awesome! Thanks for sharing! I too, from age 12 to 28 lived a lie. God is so good and patient. I pray people will take the time to listen and respond to this testimony. It is never too late, and spending you life involved in church does not equate to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and depending on Him only to forgive your sins. KWC

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Additional Scripture for your consideration:

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned–

Romans 5:21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [Him], that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death, but the gift of God [is] eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all [points] tempted as [we are], [yet] without sin.

Testimony of Spiritual Warfare

As promised here is another testimony of God’s work in the hearts of His children

God Wins EVERY Spiritual War, but my dear Christian friends, as His witnesses we ARE going to be in one spiritual battle after another…until Jesus returns! God shares specifically throughout His Word, “His Battle Plans for Believers”, some key marching orders that we need to study and live out in order to be prepared to take our stand against the tactics and schemes of the devil! One reason that I am so excited about ECO:Gifted2Go evangelistic concern for others tools that are soon to be available, is that Ephesians 6 will be apart of this vital tool for women on the front lines that are sharing Jesus with others!

“Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.” Ephesians 6:10-12 HCSB

(The specific verses listed above gave me the battle plan that I needed as God strenghened me, clothed me with His armor so I could stand in against the enemies tactics, and equipped me with everything I would need to be prepared to stand for Him in Victory!)

Today I would like to share a personal testimony about one recent HUGE spiritual battle I was in and how GOD WON THE SPIRITUAL WAR…4 months ago my mother went to be with the Lord after a very quick sudden death from cancer that was found after gall-bladder surgery…you must remember as I have shared in previous blogs that I am a first-generation Christian, and when I became a believer and follower of Jesus I began to witness to my immediate family and the battle began and much of this battle looked & felt like this: rejection, fear, emotional pain, nothing in common anymore, loneliness, burdened, brokenhearted, misunderstandings, and much more that every witness walks through as we battle “spiritual forces & evil tactics of the devil”! The exciting part of this testimony is what God does after every spiritual war, even if it takes YEARS…THE VICTORY, after every Spiritual battle we fight as His witness He brings THE VICTORY…it may not come about like we would like or the way that is the easiest, but the cheer is still the same V-I-C-T-O-R-Y…victory victory is our cry!!! It is my joy to share with you that after many battles and many tears, I had the privilege of leading and witnessing my mother come to the Lord on 2/15/92!! PRAISE YOUR NAME JESUS=VICTORY!!!! After many many years of fighting the enemy through love & prayer…GOD WON THE WAR!

Fast forward to April 3rd, 2009…my mother went to be with the Lord and at her memorial service I knew that she wanted me to share her testimony and that is what I did, by the Grace of God, but it was after much warfare because the entire room was full of extended family members and her friends that NEEDED TO BE SAVED!!!

The battle was intense the days before her memorial service, the day of her memorial service, and even today-the days after her memorial service and the battle looks like this from those that surrounded me that still need Jesus: distance, rejection, anger, accusations, lies, judgement, withholding of love, the lost & backslidden medicating their pain/grief with alcohol, darkness, confusion, the enemy actually trying to cut me off from my praying friends through lack of the ability to communicate by cellphone & computer networks that were down, so much more it would take an entire chapter to describe…fast forward to the memorial service where GOD brought His VICTORY…God led us to an anointed pastor & his wife, Brother Tony Lynn, through one of our praying friends in Michigan, Julie Scheving (Julie is a State Women’s Evangelism leader in Michigan and she has recently had a stroke-one week after my mother’s memorial service, please pray for Julie as the Lord keeps healing her) My mom had recently relocated to Toledo Ohio/Erie Michigan area to be closer to her younger brother, my Uncle Larry (and one of the biggest hearts desires my mother had was that my Uncle Larry would accept Jesus as his Savior)…as my mother’s memorial service was being planned, the Lord laid it on my heart specific worship songs to be played (one of them can be heard at the bottom of this blog) and specific words to share as I opened up my mother’s Bible and shared specifically from what she had written in it…as Brother Tony offered an invitation to accept Jesus at the end of my mother’s memorial service. As Bro. Tony led everyone in an invitation to accept Jesus prayer, word for word, seated behind me my 66 year old Uncle Larry ACCEPTED JESUS AS HIS PERSONAL LORD & SAVIOR!!!!! All I could do was cry out to God with Persevering PRAISE and visualize my mother in heaven having one of the greatest prayers and desires of her heart answered by God through her death and her testimony being shared after MANY spiritual Battles…GOD WON THE WAR!!!!VICTORY VICTORY that’s the Christian Battle CRY!!!!!!! The picture above is a picture of my dear SAVED 66 year old Uncle Larry pictured with my mother that is now rejoicing in Heaven for ONE dear soul that has been saved through her TESTimony!! I pray this blog and one of the worship songs that the Lord led me to share at my mother’s memorial service will encourage you in the battle you may be in or may be about to enter…let us all remember that there is always VICTORY in JESUS!!

The above was written by Tracey Jones and originally printed @

http://jayemartin.blogspot.com/

Counseling Ephesians

Several days ago I posted a book review by Dr. Robert Kelleman of the book Seeing Through New Eyes, by Dr. David Powlison. In the introduction to the review I recalled having to write a reaction paper to the article Counseling Ephesians, by David Powlison in the Journal of Biblical Counseling, Volume 17, Winter 1999….Today I found my paper.

In reading my thoughts from ten years ago, I found several that are useful for today. As the author assures the reader he is not presenting a “comprehensive hermeneutic philosophy and exegetical methodology as they bear on counseling’, he does present three distinct points central to his theory of using Ephesians to counsel.

1. Ephesians is practical theology;
2. Ephesians opens the door to the reat of Scripture;
3. He concedes Ephesians is sometimes difficult to understand (though this should not discourage the reader).

As I read on I realized the cornerstone of this article as well as any article written on biblical counseling is that the scripture… in this case Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians is practical theology. Biblical truth in Action!

As you read through the epistle you are experiencing actual ministry. The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church at Ephesus for their edification. You may ask what does ministry have to do with counseling? My answer would be what is counseling if not ministry for life. A life that glorifies God.

The final point hta can be made for considering Ephesians as practical theology is that Paul has lived and seen what he is teaching. His personal testimony jumps off the pages.

Having accepted Ephesians as practical theology, you may now consider how scripture seems to open up as we read and study this book. Paul shows us hos Jesus Christ “super fills” the Old Testament, how Christ becomes the source of the old and new in many areas of scripture. He encourages us to live the Psalms and uses Proverbs ro re-explore wisdom and folly. Paul applies the Ten Commandments and “reworks the scripture to put the scripture to work”.

A closer review of the book of Ephesians will show the first three chapters are primarily theological and the last three chapters are practical.

Reaching outside of this article I went to my copy of Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling. Upon review you will see seventy nine areas of need mentioned. Over 25% refer you directly to a passage in Ephesians. Of the remaining 75% most could be readily handled by referring to the book of Ephesians.

In closing let me say that in light of Counseling Ephesians as a great start for anyone counseling another. We must never forget the Whole Counsel of the Word of God.

I encourage everyone, especially my Gifted2Go friends to read the book of Ephesians in light of this article. Then ask yourself can you evangelize and show Christian care for others from these words of Paul’s.

Please leave your comments and share any experiences of “Counseling
Ephesians”.

Choosing to Serve

As I worked with all of my new sisters in Christ at Southern Seminary this week, I began to wonder: How is it that there are so many gifted women throughout the body of Christ and yet at the sametime such division and chaos? My mind began to wander back to a time in the past when I had asked a sister in Christ, why she was serving in the position she was? Her answer was very simple…,” because they needed someone to do the job.”

Have you ever been asked to fill a position in the church and did so for the sole reason that no one else would? If you are like me the answer is yes.

Is this what the Lord intends? My belief is no.

Certainly we like Christ are to serve the body, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,” Matt 20:28a and yes we are to serve one another, For you were called to freedom, brethren; only {do} not {turn} your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Gal;atians 5:13.

Look carefully though in Galatians 5:13. In this Paul puts a condition on our service. He shows that our service should not be for any fleshly reason, but only through the love of Christ.

Towards this end Paul shows in Romans:  “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, {each of us is to exercise them accordingly:} if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith” Romans 12:6.

Clearly indicating that we have not all received the same gifts. As we have received individual gifts, thus we are called to serve in differing capacities.

We were created for God’s glory and so we should only use our gifts as He directs. One of the ways He directs is in the manner of our spiritual gifts. Additionally we must seek Him to determine if NOW is the time for serving.

In Acts 16:6 Paul is headed to Asia to spread the gospel to all of the people of the region, but God had another idea.

“They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the Word in Asia”

Had God not gifted Paul as and evangelist? Was he not an apostle? Were there not many in Asia who desperately needed the Word of God?

The answer to all of these is YES!!

But through His omniscience God saw a “better way” and directed Paul to Macedonia.

Our God is not a God of chaos. He has established His ways and He directs our path. May we all remember Paul in Acts 16:6 the next time anyone in the church asks us to serve. By doing so our God is glorified and peace prevails.

First Gifted2Go !!!

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation – created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them” Ephesians 2:8-10 , HCSB.

This week beginning on Tuesday, about 20 of us met in Louisville, KY for the first gifted2go training/testing. Words cannot even express the blessing that these women have been to me. They came from all over – Texas, Ohio, Florida, Mississippi, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina and who knows what I am leaving out. They represent women’s state evangelism leaders, WMU leaders, associational women’s ministry leaders, children’s leaders, local church staff, seminary grads, church planters, retreat directors, ministry coaches, teachers, seminary staff, and the list goes on. All walks and seasons of life are represented in this one small group. They brought their giftedness of exhortation (encouragement), mercy, teaching, proclaiming, shepherding, service, faith, discernment, apostleship, evangelism, and more. They have shown the fruit of the Spirit through their love, joy, peace, patience, and self-control. They have been excited about what God can do through women and have been essential in helping me to see what we need to include in a new resource for women about how to use their spiritual gifts to further the kingdom. What an incredible picture of the body of Christ we have seen this week!

I will be sharing photos and more but for now, pray for us this morning as we finish up and this afternoon as many of them travel home. God is at work in the lives of women. He never intended for us to go into the world alone – He is still here, still with us, and still on the throne! He loves for women to use their spiritual gifts and talents to share Christ! Pray for us as we close today.

Originally posted at: www.jayemartin.blogspot.com

Idiots Catching flies?

Most people are not seeking to escape from the
wrath to come- they are busy in worldly things
while hell is near them. They are like idiots
catching flies on board a ship which is in the
very act of sinking!

We see many people busy about their bodies,
decorating themselves, when their soul is in ruin.
They are like a man painting the front door,
when the house is in flames!

Men are in a restless pursuit after satisfaction in earthly things.

They will hunt the purlieus of wealth, they will travel
the pathways of fame, they will dig into the mines
of knowledge, they will exhaust themselves in the
deceitful delights of sin, and, finding them all to
be vanity and emptiness, they will become very
perplexed and disappointed.

But they will still continue their fruitless search.

Though wearied, they still stagger forward under the
influence of spiritual madness, and though there is
no result to be reached except that of everlasting
disappointment, yet they press forward with much ardor.

Living for today is enough for them– that they are
still alive, that they possess present comforts and
present enjoyments, this contents the many.

As for the future, they say, “Let it take care of itself.”

As for eternity, they leave others to care for its
realities; the present life is enough for them.

Their motto is, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

They have no forethought for their eternal state;
the present hour absorbs them.

Carnal minds pursue with all their might earth’s vanities,
and when they are wearied in their pursuit they but change
their direction, and continue the idle chase.

They turn to another and another of earth’s broken
cisterns, hoping to find water where not a drop was
ever discovered yet.

From a sermon by Charles Spurgeon entitled,
“Hope, Yet No Hope. No Hope, Yet Hope”