Enjoying God

My pastor preached yesterday from Luke 10:38-42 (the story of Mary and Martha) on enjoying God. I'd never thought of it that way, but it's true. The Lord led me to choose and sing a special number (With All My Heart, by Babbie Mason) that went right along with it, though I didn't know the text in advance. Praise the Lord! Do you take time to enjoy God? Give it a try.

Repentance, Consequences, Ends, Means, Rewards

Continued from 8/26/09. A sin that is the root of something, if it first took place before I surrendered your life to Jesus, I am forgiven. Nevertheless, consequences can continue until He shows me that sin, and I respond with repentance, and with taking responsibility for it. I may or may not be released from the consequences of that sin after that, depending what the sins was. Consequences of sins which affect my health or my relationships, for example, may continue, because of the lasting effects of those sins in my body, or in the lives of people who were affected. Release from consequences may also depend on my learning new habits of behavior. Learning new habits takes time, so I need to be patient. The Lord is. He might take a lifetime to teach me something, if necessary. Is that wasted time? No. The Lord is in control and has a plan. With Him, the means in the end (per Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest). We think we have to measure everything and to have quantifiable results. This is not the Kingdom way. We do have Heaven as a goal. But along the way, the Lord is sanctifying me, and conforming me to His likeness. That is the end. Heaven is the reward. But I can get some rewards in life as well

How Grace Works

How does grace work? God shows me a Truth. I obey it. He gives me the grace to obey. I don't have to do it in my own strength. I grow. God shows me another Truth. I obey it. And the process continues. If I disobey, I get no grace until I repent. If the Lord shows me a sin in my life, and I repent, my life is changed. If the sin is the root of something, the change may be significant. If I don't repent, there is no change for the better, and there may be a change for the worse. The lesson will keep coming up until I repent. A sin that is the root of something will probably come with habits that need to be changed. If they are not changed, falling back into that sin is likely. If I listen to the Lord and stay in the Word, He will show me the steps that need to be taken to bring about change. I need to be attentive and obedient. For book, concert, and Bible study information contact us at leewardhope@yahoo.com.

Grace

Evangelicals talk of grace as God's unmerited favor, or God's riches at Christ's expense. And it is. But it's much more than that. It's strength when I'm weak. Power when I'm faint. Joy when I'm in distress. Provision when I'm destitute. Healing when I'm sick or hurt. Rest when I'm tired. Deliverance when I'm oppressed. Victory when I struggle. Forgiveness when I fall short. His Presence when I'm lonely. Answers to my prayers. Faith when I'm uncertain. Hope when I feel hopeless. Encouragement when I want to give up. A timely word from Scripture. God's grace is multi-faceted. Have you tasted it?

The Joy of Submission

The Lord has sent me a male friend to give me oversight. Over the years, He has sent me mostly men friends, because I need godly leadership in my life. I have had enough ungodly leaders in my life. This friend is a pleasure to submit to because he is not in this relationship to get anything for himself. He obviously has my best interest at heart. He is protective of me, and at this point in my life, I'm glad to have someone who will do that. Much spiritual fruit has come from the Lord as a result of this relationship. My friend is not obligated to me in any way, and is not related, except in the Lord. He is not a potential husband, because he is already married. To submit to him is advantageous, and the scriptural thing to do. Is it always easy? Usually, but not always. Should I submit to an ungodly leader? Yes, unless he or she tries to lead me into sin. Praise the Lord for godly leaders.

Growing in Christ

Long ago, an African elder, in response to my request for advice, said, "I can't answer that for you. You must rely on the Holy Spirit within you to guide you." A number of years later, I ran into some counselors who, if you asked them for advice, and sometimes even if you didn't, would whip out their Bible and tell you what to do. I'll leave you to discern which is the most godly method. We tend to help overmuch, because we don't like to see people struggle. But the Lord works in the struggle, and we can undercut what He is trying to do if we help too much. We need to pray, and trust the Lord to work, then do what He wants us to do. I share this because the Lord is teaching a friend and me this very thing right now. For involvement, you may contact us at leewardhope@yahoo.com.

Grace and Discipleship

I've been looking at some study material. God's Word is powerful! It can come alive in our lives by God's grace. It has in mine. I think the reason I like Christian biographies, and the stories in the Bible is that I can see God's grace working in people's lives. We need sound doctrine so we don't go astray. But we also need discipling, because it's a good way to see God's grace at work, and it keeps grace from being an abstract thing. The book is moving along, and we are getting more performance opportunities. Contact us for involvement. leewardhope@yahoo.com

Representing Our Lord

The Lord has been teaching me about representing Him well. Christians represent God all the time, whether we want to or not. In Numbers 11-20, the grumbling, rebellion, and victim mind- set did not represent God well. Moses' disobedience misrepresented the Lord. And there are a multitude of other examples in the Bible. We are not allowed to "coast" to the finish. We must "power" all the way to the end. May we be diligent in our walk. Everything we do sends a message to the world about the character of our God. Contact us at leewardhope@yahoo.com for concert and book information, or to join a Bible study in Indianapolis, IN. God bless you.

Testing

The other day I mentioned the Lord had showed me an important truth about my faith journey. Already the Enemy is testing me on it, trying to get me to focus on the fact that it took me a life-time (almost) to learn it, and trying to get me to think I wasted my whole life by not knowing it. God is in control! Hallelujah! He knows what information I need and when I need it. Nothing has been wasted! I can use the new insights to help others, regardless of when I learned it. Thanks be to God Who gives me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Contact us for Bible study information, updates on the book - An Exquisite Grace, and to book a concert. leewardhope@yahoo.com

Ministry Update

We had a good concert at Salvation Army Harbor Light Center in Indianapolis yesterday evening. It was obvious the Lord touched some hearts. And He is opening other ministry opportunities. Praise His Name! The work on my book, An Exquisite Grace, is progressing. I've changed my mind about the name of our singing group. Pastor Maupin's Mission doesn't seem to fit. A new name will be forthcoming soon. Contact us for progress on the book, to join a Bible study in Indianapolis, IN, or to book a concert (on a love offering basis). leewardhope@yahoo.com

Little Things

The Lord is showing me more and more about myself as I write this book. Perspective changes alot of things. I'll not share the specifics here, because I want you to read the book. But finding out I am responsibile is very freeing, because I can make the choice, in Christ, to change. The book becomes more and more surprising as I go along. Keep looking for updates and publication. Please contact us for Bible study information or to book a concert. leewardhope@yahoo.com.

End Times

Back in the early days of our nation, George Washington had a vision and prophesied that the US would go through a time of extreme hardship. For years, people from closed countries have been telling us that the Church in America will be persecuted. The historical church believed in a post-tribulation rapture, until the early 19th century. The time is near. Persecution and tribulation aren't the same. Persecution is the devil's wrath against Christians. Tribulation is God's wrath against the kingdom of this world. Many would like to believe that the Church will be raptured before the start of trouble in the US. But trouble in the US doesn't signal the start of tribulation. Who are we to think that we will be spared any more than the Church in other parts of the world? The whole history of the Church is the history of persecution. The Church in Cuba, China, Southeast Asia, North Korea, and Muslim countries was not raptured before takeover by oppressors. In fact, when Communists took over China, Christians who believed the church would be raptured before the tribulation stayed in the cities, and were killed. Christians who believed the Church would go through the tribulation fled to the mountains (Matthew 24), and lived. The global government is ready to roll. Be prepared to suffer, Church in America.

Book Update

It looks like the book will be a powerful testimony of the Lord's deliverance and transformation in the life of one who has experienced abuse. It also displays God's love and intimacy, as well as His power. It offers hope to sufferers of all kinds. Fast-paced, and hard-hitting, it will challenge the reader in many areas. This story is real and raw. Our prayer is that God will be abundantly glorified, and many lives touched and changed. Publication date is yet undetermined. Contact us at leewardhope@yahoo.com for concert bookings (with love offering), or to join a Bible study on suffering. God bless you all.