Go Dogs and Eat the Garbage….

The Following is an excerpt form Charles Spurgeon, “The Soul Winner” and posted @ www.gracegems.org

Written over 100 years ago this could have been in any newspaper today.

“So that you may become blameless and pure,
 children of God without fault in a crooked and
 depraved generation, in which you shine like
 stars in the universe.” Philippians 2:15

I believe that one reason why the church at this
present moment has so little influence over the world,
is because the world has so much influence over the
church! Nowadays, we hear professors pleading that
they may do this, and do that—that they may live like
worldlings. My sad answer to them, when they crave
this liberty is, “Do it if you dare. It may not cost you
much hurt, for you are so bad already. Your cravings
show how rotten your hearts are. If you are hungering
after such dogs food—go dogs, and eat the garbage! “Whatever is true,
 whatever is noble,
 whatever is right,
 whatever is pure,
 whatever is lovely,
 whatever is admirable,
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy
—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Worldly amusements are fit food for pretenders and
hypocrites. If you were God’s children, you would loathe
the thought of the world’s evil joys. Your question would
not be, “How far may we be like the world?” but your cry
would be, “How can we get away from the world? How
can we come out of it?”

Happy Reformation Day to All…..

It was this day in the year of our Lord 1517 that Martin Luther posted his Ninty-five theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, thus beginning the Reformation.

The Reformation was a rebirth if you will of a full knowledge of salvation by grace through faith alone.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

A firm acknowledgment that as sinners we could in no way secure salvation by anything we did of ourselves.  All our works are but filthy rags.

But we are all like an unclean [thing], And all our righteousnesses [are] like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. Isaiah 64: 6

For many years the Roman Catholic church had been plagued by false doctrine and corruption. In an age where very few could read and even fewer had access to a Bible. The people depended on the clergy for religious instruction and thus were not exposed to the Good News of God’s grace for them through faith alone.

Christians were told they had to perform works for their salvation and more works to atone for the very same sins our Lord Jesus Christ died for. Never knowing when they had done enough unless told by a priest.

“In 1517, Luther (now a Doctor of Theology and a respected professor) was drawn into a controversy over the sale of indulgences.  Indulgences were certificates sold by the Roman Catholic Church that promised people release from works of penance for absolved sins, both in life and in purgatory.  Although Luther would in a few years repudiate the entire Roman Catholic system of works righteousness, he was not ready at this early stage in his ministry to completely reject the prevailing teachings on purgatory and indulgences.  But even prior to 1517 he realized that corrupt practices connected to the sale of indulgences were a blasphemy against Christ and a cruel deception on penitent Christians seeking God’s grace and forgiveness.

It was the sale of a particular indulgence that spurred Luther to action.  Pope Leo X had authorized the sale of special jubilee indulgences in the cities and principalities of Germany.  Half of the money raised was to help finance the building of Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Rome; the other half was to go to Albrecht, the new archbishop of Mainz (who needed the cash to pay off a loan he had taken to buy his archbishopric).  These indulgences were plenary, meaning that all sin and eternal and temporal punishment would be forgiven to those who purchased them.  Elector Frederick the Wise, prince of Saxony and patron of the University of Wittenberg, had prohibited the traffic of these indulgences in his territory, but they were sold in towns and villages just across the Saxon border.  When some members of his parish purchased indulgences and brought them to Luther for his assessment of their validity, he felt compelled act.

Luther drafted a series of ninety-five statements in Latin discussing indulgences, good works, repentance, and other topics, and invited interested scholars to debate with him.  According to Dr. Philip Melanchthon, Luther’s university colleague and author of the Augsburg Confession, Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church on October 31, 1517.  This was not an act of defiance or provocation as is sometimes thought.  Since the Castle Church faced Wittenberg’s main thoroughfare, the church door functioned as a public bulletin board and was therefore the logical place for posting important notices.  Today, a professor might publish an article in a journal or post it on a blog or web site.  By posting his document on October 31, the eve of the All Saints’ Day mass, Luther ensured that his Theses would come to the attention of the throngs of literate Wittenberg residents and educated visitors who filed into the Castle Church for worship the next day.

Luther intended the Ninety-five Theses to initiate an academic discussion, not serve as the agenda for a major reform of the Catholic Church.  However, events soon overtook him.  Within weeks, the Theses were translated into German, reproduced using the new moveable-type printing press, and circulated throughout Germany.  It wasn’t long before they were the talk of Europe.  The publication of the Ninety-five Theses brought Luther to international attention and into direct conflict with the Roman Catholic hierarchy and the Holy Roman Emperor.  A little over three years later, he was excommunicated by the pope and declared a heretic and outlaw.  This was the beginning of the Reformation, the culmination of which was the writing of the Augsburg Confession of 1530, the first official Lutheran statement of faith.” from St Pauls Kingsville site.

On Reformation Day we celebrate a return to the gospel and salvation by grace. We praise God for what He did through the death and ressurection of His son Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The following hymn declares the essence of the Reformation.

By grace God’s Son, our only Savior,
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
That Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
That brought Him from His heav’nly throne.

By Grace I’m Saved, Free and Boundless, by Christian L. Scheidt and Kornelius H. Dretzel

Martin Luther and his colleagues came to understand that if we sinners had to earn salvation by our own merits and good works, we would be lost without hope. Through the working of the Holy Spirit, the reformers rediscovered the gospel — the wonderful news that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again to redeem and justify us.  As Luther wrote in his explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed:  I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. 

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30

When Christ said, “It is finished!” He did not mean it would be finished after we had posted 1,000 hours of prayer to our heavenly account, or when we had reached $ 10,000 in tithes and offerings.

He meant… “It is finished!” 

Dear Father in heaven may we never forget the gift of free grace given to us by the blood of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. A gift granting to us eternal life as your children. Knowing this that it was You who began a good work in us for Your glory and it is You who will perfect in the day of Christ Jesus.  Amen

Scraps and Garbage or Rare Jewels from God?

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13

 Many of you have seen the movie The Miracle Worker , based on the autobiography of Helen Keller. In the film The Keller’s hire a formerly blind teacher from Boston to try to educate and help their daughter Helen who has become deaf, dumb and blind as a result of “brain fever”. Brain Fever is most probably what we would refer to as scarlet fever. Throughout her early childhood she was wild and unruly. The inability to speak, hear or see anything made her like a caged animal.

One of the first scenes in the movie to include Miss Sullivan takes place in the dining room. Everyone is seated for dinner, except Helen.  Helen is seen prowling around the table, sniffing like a dog and snatching food from everyone’s plate. Upon witnessing this behavior Miss Sullivan inquires about the practice of allowing Helen to act in this manner. The Keller’s explain that they have tried to have her sit and eat with no luck.

Helen is snatching scraps from the table. Why does she snatch food? Why does she not sit with others and wait as the food is brought to her? Why? Because she lacks the basic understanding of what dinner table is, for that matter she has no understanding of “dinner.” She does not know? Annie Sullivan starts to educate Helen at this point. Grabbing her and wrestling with her to sit in a chair and thrusting a utensil in her hand.

The mess that is caused by this first attempt is amazing to watch. China goes flying the table cloth is yanked off, chairs are flung around… it is a battle zone.

Fast forward. Within a few short years, the young girl of seven has now been educated and dines with the equivalent of earthly kings. Presidents, royalty, ambassadors, writers and other notables of her day.

The child who prowled around like a caged animal seeking to snatch her basic needs has now become a refined lady. She has been given knowledge and has applied it to her life.

How often do we accept the “scraps” of the world instead of reaching for the abundance the Lord has provided? Why do we “prowl around” pacing with worry and not resting in the peace of the Lord?

The scripture teaches us:

 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

 

Don’t accept the scraps of the world… seek the Lord and reach for the blessings He holds in His hand for us all…

He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”  John 9:25

 We are all sinners; if not then the Father in heaven would not have sent His son to atone for our wrongs. His salvation has provided us the power of the Holy Spirit that we too may see!

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

 

Dear Father,
We praise you and thank you for being our Father and creator, thank you for sending your son Jesus to suffer for our sins, that we may be restored to a relationship with You, and thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The power to change from the unseeing, unhearing lost person grabbing for the scraps of life to a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords… In your son Jesus name AMEN

Was I in My Grave?

Yesterday, I had an experience that I had never had before. As a result, I beleive the Lord has led me to share the following from 40 years ago.

I opened my eyes and looked up, was I laying down? Was I dead and looking up from my grave? So many thoughts ran through my mind. There were people standing all around me, my Mom and Dad at my feet, my brother Charles to one side and other people I did not know. Wait, what was that. Crickets, bugs…. I must be in my grave there were crickets and bugs jumping all over me, but I really did not feel them. Lord where am I?

Then I heard a familiar voice, my Dad. “Cindy, Cindy, can you hear me?”

Of course I could hear him…what is going on…where am I…why is my Father calling me in this manner. The tears began to flow as all my thoughts and fears gripped me.

Then someone I could not see lifted my head and began asking me questions.

Questions, questions, more questions…… what was going on?

Next thing I knew I was being lifted up and placed on a bed… no not a bed a stretcher…. no not a stretcher… a gurney. One of those rolling beds they use in hospitals. Then I saw flashing red lights and sounds of a siren.

Lord will someone help me? What is going on?

Another familiar voice, my Mom. “Cindy, you have had a seizure.” Seizure wait a minute what is a seizure? I searched my clouded mind. I could not really comprehend what my Mom was saying, just that I must be sick.

But wait a minute, where am I, what day is it, what time is it, who are all these people…..

Mom continued, “the ambulance is here and they are going to take you to the hospital. Your Father and I and Charlie will follow in the car.”

More tears, I really could not speak as my mouth hurt and my tongue did not feel right.

Zip, click. They raised the gurney to full height and were rolling me to the ambulance. There was a policeman who had just come up who was talking to my parents. I could not hear anything and just continued to weep.

Zip, click. They rolled me into the back of the ambulance. The EMT started to take my blood pressure and explain that it appeared I had had a seizure. They were taking me to the emergency room in Franklin.

Franklin, what was I doing in Franklin? I lived in Viriginia Beach.

I asked the attendant what day it was. Oh the pain to speak.

He told me it was Friday about 6pm. Then he went on to say that I should try not to talk as I had chewed my tongue pretty bad……

Chewed my tongue?

With the sound of the siren in the background I could hear the driver telling someone all about what was happening.

12 year old female traveling in a car with parents appeared to have had a seizure, father said she had been uncoincious for quite a while. He told them my blood pressure and told them it appeared I had chewed my tongue pretty bad. There ETA 10 minutes.

My biggest fear……. what I did not know!

They rolled me into the ER and doctors and nurses were all around.

More blood pressure, checked my eyes, checked my tongue, took blood. I remember a nurse leaning down and asking if I was on drugs. NO!!! I answered. Well it was 1968.

I felt so weak, so tired, so cold. Where were my parents?

Then back to questions:

What day was it? I answered the EMT said Friday.

What was the date? Struggling to remember I began to cry again. I did not know the date, I had know idea what the year was. They asked me what I last remembered? After much time spent thinking I remembered I was sitting in the back seat with my brother…that was all.

The doctor was nice and explained that I need not be worried as it was normal after a grand mal seizure to have a temporary loss of short term memory. He said that I had chewed my tongue and that is why I had a hard time speaking. They were going to give me some medicine and send me home with my parents, but I would need to see my doctor on Monday. He excused himself and said he was going to see my parents and that I should just rest.

I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

Sometime later I opened my eyes, they were removing the IV, my parents and brother were there and they were putting me in a wheel chair. I was going home. Rolling me outside, they put me in the car. I laid down on the back seat with my head in my brothers lap.

Asleep again……

Wake up we’re here. Where? I sat up and glanced outside, we were at the lake. We had a summer place on Lake Gaston and that is where we were. Dad and Charlie helped me into the house and Mom helped me get in bed…… sleep.

For those of you who have never had a seizure it is hard to realize what it does to your body. This seizure had been so bad that I slept solid for almost 48 hours. Each time I awoke I remembered a little more about the time leading up to the seizure. Later I would have my brother and parents to fill me in on the seizure it self.

For the next 14 years I would continue to have uncontrollable grand mal seizures about 4-5 times a year. At 26 after the birth of my third child. They stopped! Just as suddenly as they had started they ended.

To this day I can still feel the deep fear and sadness upon awakening from each seizure. I never knew where I was, how I got there nor anything from sometimes a half day before the seizure.

When I woke up all I knew was…. oh no…not again.

As I said earlier, these began when I was almost thirteen, just going into Junior High and they continued through High School. This is normally a time when youth are their meanest and ugliest to one another.

I would like to say to all my classmates from Plaza Junior High and Kellam High School….you never made me feel like a freak…. as epileptics are often called. I was just another member of the class. Thanks for this memory.

Today I look upon my seizures as but a step in the Lord’s process of molding me into His purpose.  I hope that this story has in someway touched or helped all who have read this.

To God be the Glory…..

Sounds of Sleigh Bells Available

Cindy Woodsmall is a veteran homeschool mom. As her children progressed in age, her desire to write grew stronger. After working through reservations whether this desire was something she should pursue, she began her writing journey. Her husband was her staunchest supporter as she aimed for what seemed impossible.

Her first novel released in 2006 to much acclaim and became a Christian Book Association best seller. Cindy was a 2007 ECPA Christian Book Award finalist, along with Karen Kingsbury, Angela Hunt, and Charles Martin.

Her second book, When the Morning Comes, hit the New York Times best-sellers extended list and the Christian Book Association best-sellers list.

Her third book, When the Soul Mends, hit the New York Times best-sellers list, coming in at number thirteen. It also made the ECPA and the CBA best-sellers list, coming in at number six and eight respectively.

Cindy continues to write and release best-selling works of fiction, and she’s begun work on a nonfiction piece as well.

Her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families enrich her novels with authenticity.

Though she didn’t realize it at the time, seeds were sown years ago that began preparing Cindy to write these books. At the age of ten, while living in the dairy country of Maryland, she became best friends with Luann, a Plain Mennonite girl. Luann, like all the females in her family, wore the Prayer Kapp and caped dresses. Her parents didn’t allow television or radios, and many other modern conveniences were frowned upon. During the numerous times Luann came to Cindy’s house to spend the night, her rules came with her and the two were careful to obey them-afraid that if they didn’t, the adults would end their friendship. Although the rules were much easier to keep when they spent the night at Luann’s because her family didn’t own any of the forbidden items, both sets of parents were uncomfortable with the relationship and a small infraction of any kind would have been enough reason for the parents to end the relationship. While navigating around the adults’ disapproval and the obstacles in each other’s lifestyle, the two girls bonded in true friendship that lasted into their teen years, until Cindy’s family moved to another region of the U.S.

As an adult, Cindy became friends with a wonderful Old Order Amish family who open their home to her. Although the two women, Miriam and Cindy, live seven hundred miles apart geographically, and a century apart by customs, when they come together they never lack for commonality, laughter, and dreams of what only God can accomplish through His children.

Cindy, her husband, their three sons and two daughters-in-law reside in Georgia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her latest The Sound of Sleigh Bells is availble now:

Here is an excerpt:

Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry.

Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?

You can purchase online through:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307446534

 

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

The Sound of Sleigh Bells

 

Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry.

Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?

A wonderful and enchanting story by Cindy Woodsmall:

Cindy is also the is the author of When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and The New York Times Best-Seller When the Soul Mends. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families. A mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband of thirty-one years.

Would you like to know more about the author? You can read about her and her writing at:  www.cindywoodsmall.com

Too busy to go to your local store? This book is available online:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307446534

Would you like the opportunity to recieve a complimentary copy of this book? Just post a comment on the Word4Women blog between October 12 and October 16th on any article not related to this review. All names will be entered in a Drawing and the winner announced Saturday the 17th. If you comment on 3 blog articles your name will be entered three times.  Stay tuned as we will be making a similiar offer over the next few months. Keep for yourself or give it away as a gift. If you win the choice is yours.

 

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

What Can You Learn About God From ER ?

While at the National Conference of the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors, Dr John Street of the Masters College used this video clip to show us how a “therapist” provides no answers and certainly no hope for this dying Doctor….. even the Doctor knows who he needs !!!

Ray Comfort has posted to his Website “The Way of the Master” and  we have re posted here.

 

The Complete Route for the Sacred Friendships Blog Tour

The Sacred Friendship Blog Tour Bloggers:

Kary Oberbruner: http://www.karyoberbrunner.com/

Julie Ganschow: http://bc4women.blogspot.com/

Stacy Harp: http://blogforbooks.com/

Brad Hambrick: http://bradhambrick.com/

Jim Nestle: http://intentionalintimacy.blogspot.com/

Angela Ambroise: http://godandmytalks.blogspot.com/

Angela Dockter Harris: http://angelaadockterharris.wordpress.com/

Aaron Taylor: http://aarondtaylor.blogspot.com/

Sandra Peoples: http://sandrapeoples.blogspot.com/

Lynn Mosher: http://lynnmosher.blogspot.com/

Joshua Young: http://salvationsogreat.blogspot.com/

Bill Higley: http://3rdjohn8.blogspot.com/

Rick Howerton: http://serendipityblog.com/

Cynthia Russell Bailey: http://word4women.wordpress.com/

Ian Jones: http://bcsfn.aacc.net/?page_id=11

Mark Tubbs: http://www.discerningreader.com/blog

Leslie Wiggins: http://www.discerningreader.com/

Phil Monroe: http://wisecounsel.wordpress.com/

Julie Clawson: http://julieclawson.com/

Scott Bane: http://www.the-next-wave.info/

Trevin Wax: http://trevinwax.com/

Dan Lacich: http://provocativechristian.wordpress.com/

Cornelius Jamison: http://duolosslave.wordpress.com/

Mark Kelly: http://gracedependent.com/

Kelly Harbaugh: http://www.tabithas-team.com/Christian-Women-blog.html

Melinda Lancaster: http://dontfaint.wordpress.com/

Lucy Ann Mull: http://lucyannmoll.com/

Cathy Bryant: http://wordvessel.blogspot.com/

Jeff Caldwell: http://thetwobooks.com/

Keiki Hendrix: http://vesselproject.blogspot.com/

Sacred Friendships

Recently I received what I consider to be an honor and a privilege; an opportunity to review the book Sacred Friendships by Robert W. Kellemen and Susan M. Ellis. Though this will be the main body of my review, I can see where I will be revisiting this book on the blog frequently over the next few weeks.

 

As I began to read this amazing book, the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy came to mind, remembering the “genuine faith” Timothy possesses, Paul acknowledges the source of his faith is his Mother Eunice and Grandmother Lois. They had provided sound teaching and soul care for this man of God. Little did they know the impact their exhortations would have on the Christendom.

 

For many years there has been a void in the availability of material discussing the lives of Christian women in the centuries between the Book of Revelation and time period of the Reformation. Sacred Friendships fills this void in a manner which is comprehensive while concise, substantive while readable and educational and applicable.

 

Beginning with Vibia Perpetua’s martyrdom in the year 203 through the death of Betsie ten Boom in 1944, the authors Robert Kelleman and Susan Ellis have provided “a wonderful anthology of the stories and voices of Christian women throughout the history of the church. They steer a robust course between feminist misreadings on the one hand and irresponsible neglect on the other.” (Commendation by Dr. Timothy George)

 

The journey you begin in Chapter one will be guided by the voices of more than 50 godly Christian women, traveling through five continents, spanning nearly two centuries. You guides will be from a vast array of racial, ethnic and socio economic backgrounds. The one constant throughout this journey is all your guides are godly women who have provided soul care in many forms to those whose names are readily familiar and those you have never heard of. As God is no respecter of persons, neither do these godly women discriminate in any manner as they provide the sustaining, healing, reconciling and guiding required of those providers and directors of soul care

 

These women were no light weights simply delivering empty words. These were women who “dealt with suffering and sin, deprivation and depravity, hurting hearts and hard hearts, comforting and confrontation, soul care and spiritual direction.” (Sacred Friendships, pg 13)

 

Many of these ladies and those they cared for are familiar to us, Sarah Edwards, Susannah Wesley, Mary Todd Lincoln, Corrie ten Boom, St. Augustine, Martin Luther, and Ann Judson. But, so many more you have probably never heard of and may not even be able to pronounce. Vibia Perpetua, Felicitas, Macrina the Elder and the Younger, Syncletica, Melania, Dhouda, and they go on and on. Sacred Friendships is an encouragement to all as you read the individual stories of these women and those they have served. Some family members, most were those in need of care sent by God to a particular woman at a particular point in time for the purpose of sustaining, healing, reconciling and guiding.

 

Two areas in particular appealed to me personally: first, those women who were the soul givers for some of the early church fathers. I found this particularly enlightening in view of the statements made about them or the church father by some feminists making a case for how ill treated women have been as a result of these men.

 

The most touching was the picture of Monica and her son, later to become St Augustine. You get a clear picture of a godly woman raising a young son and teaching him all she could about the church and scripture. A young man who becomes a prodigal eventually coming home having been saved by the Grace and Blood of Jesus Christ. In his grief Augustine refers to her holiness, gentleness, compliancy, and finally wept at the loss of his mother, his spiritual director and the most important person in his life.

 

The other time period I found interesting is that of the middle ages, can any of you recall the name of one godly woman of the Middle Ages? During this period of time, we learn, there were only two groups of men who wrote about women. One was the clergy and the other the aristocracy.  The women of this era were so well respected it is said, “And so in our days… has art arisen amongst women. Lord God, what art is this that an old woman better understands than a man of wit” (Sacred Friendships pg 95)

 

Women of the middle ages lived capax Dei: a capacity for God. They understood we were created as spiritual beings to glorify God. They understood that the creator had written Himself on the hearts of all His creation. One of these medieval women offered her soul care though confined to bed for decades.

 

I trust that the preceding has but wet your appetite to learn more about these women. The book Sacred Friendships has infinite possibilities for its audience. From use as a personal devotional, reading and meditating on the lives of these women and the scriptures they represented to a core text for a college or seminary class entitled History of Christian Womanhood 101…. There are endless uses. Whatever your age, education level or pursuit read this book. You will be richly blessed.

Below we have posted some Q & A’s from our authors:

What were the ministries of Susannah Wesley, Margaret Baxter, Sarah Edwards, and Susannah Spurgeon like?

Though each woman was unique and special in her own right, they shared in common “feminine encouragement.” They expressed the gentle strength that en-courages—that plants the seeds of courageous resilience into the soil of souls ready to wilt.

Susannah Spurgeon’s ministry to her discouraged husband, Charles H. Spurgeon captures such encouragement. Pastor Spurgeon faced vicious criticism throughout his ministry and it often led to severe bouts of self-doubt and spiritual depression.

 Susannah’s biographer, Charles Ray, in The Life of Susannah Spurgeon, extols her life-giving words. “When the storms of abuse and slander broke on her loved one’s head, she might well have been crushed and broken, but she bore up and by her words of comfort, her strong affection and her piety and faith, helped him to weather the gale.”

Early in his ministry, Spurgeon’s preaching became so famous that his church could not hold the crowds. So his congregation rented the Surrey Music House. The first night some hooligans yelled, “Fire!” Some in the crowd fled in panic, with seven dying and dozens injured. Spurgeon urged everyone to stay while he continued to preach, unaware that several people had already been crushed to death. Moments later, another panic arose. This time Spurgeon fainted and had to be carried away.

Experiencing guilt, and battered in the local press, Spurgeon plunged into depression. Susannah records their resultant mutual despair. “I wanted to be alone, that I might cry to God in this hour of darkness and death! When my beloved was brought home he looked a wreck of his former self—an hour’s agony of mind had changed his whole appearance and bearing. The night that ensued was one of weeping and wailing and indescribable sorrow. He refused to be comforted. I thought the morning would never break; and when it did come it brought no relief.”

The ensuing days were no better, as Susannah recounts. “The Lord has mercifully blotted out from my mind most of the details of the time of grief which followed when my beloved’s anguish was so deep and violent that reason seemed to totter in her throne, and we sometimes feared he would never preach again. It was truly ‘the valley of the shadow of death’ through which we then walked; and, like poor Christian, we here ‘sighed bitterly’ for the pathway was so dark that oft times when we lifted up our foot to set forward, we knew not where or upon what we should set it next.”

 Susannah shares her account of her husband’s recovery. “We had been walking together as usual, he restless and anguished; I sorrowful and amazed, wondering what the end of these things would be; when at the foot of the steps which gave access to the house, he stopped suddenly, and turned to me, and, with the old sweet light in his eyes (ah! how grievous had been its absence!), he said, ‘Dearest, how foolish I have been! Why! what does it matter what becomes of me, if the Lord shall but be glorified? And he repeated with earnestness and intense emphasis, Philippians 2:9-11.” By an amazing inner working of the Holy Spirit, Spurgeon was able to take his eyes off his own agony, placing them instead on God’s glory.

Though Spurgeon began to recover his mental and spiritual equilibrium, upon his return to London even more critics wrote even more critical articles about him and his ministry. Spurgeon actually collected every critical article into a book, on the cover of which he wrote the title Fact, Fiction and Facetiae.

Of these, Susannah reflected years later: “At the time of their publication what a grievous affliction these slanders were to me. My heart alternatively sorrowed over him and flamed with indignation against his detractors.” Every ministry spouse can relate.

Caring deeply for her husband, Susannah set about the task of ministering to his soul.

“For a long time I wondered how I could set continual comfort before his eyes, till, at last, I hit upon the expedient of having the following verses printed in large old English type and enclosed in a pretty Oxford frame: “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you”—Matthew 5:11-12. The text was hung up in our own room and was read over by the dear preacher every morning, fulfilling its purpose most blessedly, for it strengthened his heart and enabled him to buckle on the invisible armor, whereby he could calmly walk among men, unruffled by their calumnies, and concerned only for their best and highest interests.”

Amazing. What men meant for evil, God wove into good—through the good counsel of God’s good Word and a good spiritual director—Susannah Spurgeon.

 Sacred Friendships examined the lives of women care-givers in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Who stood out and what can we learn from these women heroes?

Catharine Brown was a Cherokee woman born around 1800. In her late teens, she learned about a school run by missionaries and asked her parents to let her go which they eventually did. When we read snippets of her writing or read what others had to say about her, we see an amazing young woman, humble beyond words, who loved and adored the Lord with every fiber of her being.

She loved her people as well and poured herself into her biological family and into the Cherokee nation, praying for them, ministering to them, being a godly example for them day in and day out, often at a great cost to her personal desires.

There’s no question that her life mattered. In the six short years between her conversion and her death she saw both parents, at least two brothers and a sister come to faith in Christ. And yet, if Rufus Anderson had not written a brief account of her conversion and short life no one today would ever have heard of her. As it is, I imagine very few people know anything about her.

That’s what’s so appealing about Catharine. Here was a woman who quietly committed herself to the Lord and lived for Him and those He put in her path. She wasn’t concerned about making a name for herself; in fact, she was quite embarrassed by the attention she did receive. She wasn’t looking for a more exciting ministry. She did what she could for the people in her life. She wasn’t waiting anxiously for the next book on spiritual disciplines to be published. She simply spent time with God. One day she became so engaged in prayer for her brother that the entire day passed without her realizing it until it became dark. We don’t have to be famous or do something with a huge wow-factor to matter and have impact. We just have to be intimately connected to God. The rest will follow.

Betsy ten Boom is another woman who stands out. Her situation is very different from Catharine’s. Betsy grew up in a devoutly Christian home and found herself, along with her very well-know sister, Corrie, plunged into dire circumstances. Most people know that Corrie and Betsy were held in Nazi prison camps because they were part of an underground network that helped Jews escape the Nazis.

Most of us are also familiar with The Hiding Place, written by Corrie after her release from the camps. Unfortunately, Betsy did not survive the camps, but we learn a lot about her from Corrie. As Corrie unfolds their story, it becomes very apparent that Betsy’s faith is extraordinary. While Corrie was a believer before their time in the camps, her faith faltered along the way and Betsy basically discipled her in the midst of their living hell. Sometimes she very tenderly and compassionately eased Corrie’s fears and sometimes she absolutely insisted that Corrie do the right thing, no matter how hard or inane it seemed. Corrie eventually took that faith whole-heartedly as her own and went on to live out a life of reconciliation.

 Betsy is a great example of a prepared life. She took her faith and her relationship with the Lord seriously and internalized it in the ordinary routine of a simple life. It was that preparation that empowered her to keep loving, to care about her enemies, and to provide soul care and spiritual direction to her sister. Betsy never knew this side of heaven just how much God used her. It’s a good reminder that we don’t always get to choose our circumstances and we don’t always get to see the results of our ministry.   

 

Bob, tell us about your speaking, writing, and consulting through RPM Ministries.

I believe that most Christians care deeply, but struggle to speak the truth in love. RPM Ministries exists to equip lay people, pastors, educators, students, and Christian counselors to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth. We do so by speaking, writing, and consulting about Christ-centered, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed biblical counseling and spiritual formation.

Our passion is to empower the church and para-church to care like Christ. As a result, God’s people enter deeply into one another’s lives and make a significant different in the lives of hurting and hardened people.

 RPM is our acrostic for Resurrection Power Multipliers. We based the concept upon Paul’s prayer in Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.”

 We want to raise up a new generation of biblical counselors and spiritual friends who live out 1 Thessalonians 2:8. “I loved you so much that I gave you not only the Scriptures, but my own soul, because you were dear to me.”

 To learn more about RPM Ministries, please visit www.rpmministries.org.

 How can people get in touch with you and how can they learn more about your ministry and about Sacred Friendships?

 I can be contacted by email at: rpm.ministries@gmail.com 

 A free sample chapter of Sacred Friendships is available at: http://bit.ly/1S1haj

 Sacred Friendships is on sale at 40% off for $12.99 at: http://bit.ly/MG1l5

 To learn more about RPM Ministries, please visit: www.rpmministries.org

Susan what can you share with us about yourself?

I have a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland. Then I waited 17 years before going back to school to get my M.A. in Christian Counseling and Discipleship (MACCD) from Capital Bible Seminary (CBS) in Lanham, MD. I started working in the MACCD department the week I started classes. I wore many hats at CBS, including Women’s Mentor, Adunct Professor in the Women’s Concentration, Academic Advisor, Director of MACCD Student Services, and Department Coordinator.

 Prior to returning to school, I was a counselor and the Director of Development at an area pregnancy center. At the local church level I’ve been on leadership teams for Discipleship, Moms, Women’s, Counseling, and Retreat Ministries; provided lay counselor training; and ministered through speaking at women’s events. Most recently, I have launched Eternal Community (www.EternalCommunity.org), a ministry devoted to equipping, empowering, and encouraging professional counselors, the clergy, and lay men and women in the art of biblical counseling, discipleship, and spiritual formation through writing, speaking, and consulting. I also partner with RPM Ministries.

Some Other Comments on Sacred Friendships

  

 

 

 

 

 

What Others Are Saying about Sacred Friendships

 

“Dr. Bob Kellemen and Susan Ellis, in their compelling work, Sacred Friendships, provide a voice for the voiceless. Like never before, they tell “her story”—the story of our great female forbears in the faith. As they tell it, and as we listen, we do not simply learn historical facts; we are empowered and equipped to practice soul care and spiritual direction today. By the way, please do not assume that Sacred Friendships is for women only! Nothing could be further from the truth. Sacred Friendships is a gift from women of the past to women and men of the present—a gift that teaches all of us how to use Christ’s changeless truth to change lives in our ever-changing times. That said, Sacred Friendships is also a gift to women. It validates the twin truths of the spiritual equality of women and of the spiritual giftedness of women. I promise you, you can’t read this book without praising God for how He has and will continue to use women to advance His Kingdom purposes. As you read the previously untold stories of over fifty extraordinary women, if you are a woman, you will never look at yourself the same way again. If you are a man, you will never look at your wife, daughter, mother, or sister the same way again.”

—Julie Clinton, President, Extraordinary Women

               

“Dr. Robert Kellemen and Susan Ellis have done a masterful job bringing together here a wonderful anthology of the stories and voices of Christian women throughout the history of the church. They steer a robust course between feminist misreadings on the one hand and irresponsible neglect on the other. A superb presentation!”

—Dr. Timothy George, Founding Dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University; Senior Editor, Christianity Today

 

“Sacred Friendships was exhilarating to read! I am recommending it to our students and professors ASAP. It unveils the rich heritage of diverse women in Christian ministry from a global perspective and presents a model of soul care that is powerful. It suggests an approach that provides all of the elements necessary for authentic spiritual transformation. This is a refreshing portrayal and celebration of the impact that women have made in the lives of others that has reflected the image of God in the healing process for those who are suffering. At last we see a book that promotes the fusion of biblical truth and loving grace as the foundation for the complexities of the sanctification process.”

—Catherine Mueller-Bell, MA, LPC, Assistant Professor of Counseling, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary

 

Though silent these many years, even centuries, the remarkable compilation in Sacred Friendships allows these world-influencing women to speak to us even today. We all will be wise to heed their many voices. These women’s influence and spiritual vitality throughout history—captured and arranged so thoughtfully in Sacred Friendships—will both inspire your personal devotion and spark your imagination.

—Mindy Caligure, Founder and President of Soul Care; Author of Faith Books and Spiritual Journaling

 

“Dr. Robert W. Kellemen and Susan M. Ellis have sketched clearly and powerfully the portraits of the forgotten history and vision of women. Their echo of sacred friendship in the lives of women is irresistible. A ‘must read’ for every women soul care-giver and spiritual director, and for all men who want to learn from these great women of the past.”

—Jayanthi Benjamin, Director of Field Education and Women Student Development, Moody Graduate School

 

“An inspiring read! Forget legacy, forget praying wallflowers, and insipid backstage facilitators. I am wowed by these gutsy, practical, courageous and compassionate women of God. Thank you for allowing me to see real women “live Jesus” in each century, caring for and guiding women and men in their sphere of influence. As I walked this women’s Hall of Faith it has freed me to minister more fully to others from my God-empowered woman’s heart, doing my part to accomplish His purposes. The entire book was totally applicable to my daily ministry among Internationals, women, and church staff. It is incredibly expansive in scope and insightful in viewing how God has designed and is using women to further His Kingdom. Super encouraging to me personally. I have and will be encouraging all to read it.” 

—Dr. Julie Stoll, Director of Cross-Cultural Ministries and World Missions, McLean Bible Church, McLean, VA

 

“With a flair for history and facility for detail, Sacred Friendships unfolds the edifying soul care ministries of godly women through the centuries. As a spiritually enriching and biblically faithful sequel to Beyond the Suffering, this work breaks fresh ground in the burgeoning field of spiritual formation and direction. Equally, it encourages us today to become more effective, Christ-centered physicians of the soul. I heartily endorse it!”

—Dr. Bruce Demarest, Professor of Christian Theology and Spiritual Formation, Denver Seminary

 

“Great read! These are important stories to tell and vital stories to read—great men of God were influenced and encouraged by great women of God. Sacred Friendships retraces the lives and perspectives of many women who walked their lives in faith. The authors sketch the spiritual words and deeds of women whose relationships with God caused them to minister grace and truth to those around them. This ‘cloud of witnesses’ humbled and challenged me all at once, and inspired renewed commitment to live each day with an eternal perspective.”

—Lynelle Buchanan, MA, Chair, BA in Counseling, Baptist Bible College, Clarks Summit, PA

 

“Sacred Friendships is a heartwarming historical anthology of women whose conviction and pluck shaped history. Rarely have I picked up a book to read that has so encouraged me to use my gendered gifting as a means to promote the growth of others. The stories contained in this book elevate the role of sister, friend, daughter, mother, wife, counselor, and spiritual director as the means God will use to shape lives. I learned there are no ordinary women: like the women in Sacred Friendships we leave a story behind to be told no matter when we live, or who we live among. What historical story will others tell about how you used your gift? The women in Sacred Friendships shaped ancient history, stepped up to be martyred for their faith, spoke words of comfort to soothe those they served, fought for justice when prejudice was unbridled, used wise words to encourage depressed church fathers, mentored theologians, and rebuked authorities. Each woman chose to follow in the footsteps of the Maker of gender by using her mind and words to reflect Him in unique ways.

—Dr. Penny Freeman, Associate Professor of Graduate Counseling, Philadelphia Biblical University

 

“What a blessing to be exposed to Sacred Friendships. It came at a great time, because I had just been wondering if we had any strongly historical books on women in ministry. This will be a great aid to those of us teaching in the area of women’s ministry. I also see it guiding ministry approaches to both men and women in the area of spiritual formation. Sacred Friendships is a needed guide to understanding how the past can shape our theory and practice in the present-day conundrum of Christian counseling and ministry issues. Kellemen and Ellis have done a masterful job of interpreting the words and works of godly women from church history and have gleaned guiding principles for ministries concerned with spiritual formation in our day and age. Sacred Friendships is not just an anthology of these women’s voices, but a thoughtful reflection on what they uniquely add to the stream of Christian counsel flowing through the waves of human history. The insights gathered by the authors and the penetrating discussion questions posed in each chapter provide helpful guidance for those who are interested in equipping others in soul care professions and ministries. This book would be useful for training soul care workers in academic and church-type settings because it enlists a broad spectrum of scholarship, but also connects that scholarship to practical issues. Bravo!”

—Dr. Christy Hill, Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation and Women’s Ministry, Grace Theological Seminary

 

“The stories of guides on the path to God are an important part of the resources that God has given us to educate us in spiritual guidance. But most of the stories we have been told are stories of men, which means only half of the history of the Church is being recited, and this in an area where women have contributed so much. In such a context, Sacred Friendships must be counted a special treasure. Containing fifty-two stories of female travelers and guides to God, sampled from the breadth of church’s history and interpreted from a classical Christian perspective, this book does more than fill a void. It allows the lives of these women to educate us today, and by their example, to draw us into the holy love of God.”

—Dr. Eric Johnson, Professor of Christian Psychology, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Founder and Director, Society of Christian Psychologists

 

“Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care-Givers and Spiritual Directors is a remarkable work! I invite you to come and be refreshed as you are enlightened by the many discoveries presented in this masterpiece. Every woman will see herself in this book and sometimes more than once. Every man will develop a deeper appreciation for the struggle, sacrifice and sensitivity for soul care of the women they have encountered. Bob and Susan take us on a journey of hope, help, and healing as they uncover the treasured stories of women who loved God and demonstrated their spirituality in numerous ways worth emulating. Through sustaining, healing, reconciling and guiding, the women of Sacred Friendships nurtured to maturity men and women of their day. And now we too can benefit from the graces they extended. The “Learn Together Lessons” at the end of each chapter are also very helpful as we hear their hunger and thirst for righteousness. You can share in the dialogue of lessons they have learned while implementing practical application strategies from the context of the culture in which they gave their clarion call for Christlikness. This text will help counselors, professors, pastors, ministry leaders, and care-givers move beyond ethics and skills to a place of compassion and mercy.

—Dr. Sabrina D. Black, Clinical Director, Abundant Life Counseling Center and A Healing Place Ministry

 

“In a time when much is being said about advocating for the voiceless, little has been done to memorialize the specific contributions of godly women who teach, challenge, and encourage us to live lives worthy of the God who calls us His. Sacred Friendships fills a much needed void by recording the imprint that known and unknown women have left throughout time on their families, their churches, their communities, and our history. I found myself hungry to read the stories of these women who made such a difference in their own unique and female way.  Women whose strength and courage, wisdom and insight, leadership and followership challenged me as a woman to consider what my Father may be calling me to fulfill in the chapters of His story. Adding this important feminine element to our Christian heritage does not negate the powerful ways men have led, but rather gives a truer, more holistic, and richer perspective of the impact and modeling made by both genders. Women and men alike will be encouraged, inspired, surprised, transformed, and challenged by the stories and lessons found in the pages of Sacred Friendships.

—Deb Musser, MA, Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling and Interpersonal Relations, Grace College