Category Archives: Proven Path Ministries

Proven Path Ministries

The Heart Behind It

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In just over three days our church will present our 2013 production of The Judgment Seat. Let me share with you that A LOT of time, effort, finances, and heart are put into this production from it’s planning to its performance. Let me tell you that literal blood, sweat, and tears are put into this production every year. Let me tell you that actors, counselors, parking guides, registration, group guides, and those serving behind the scenes working to build and decorate sets and provide food and encouragement to all involved sacrifice sleep, paychecks, and healthy bodies in order to present the gospel in this way to their community and those who drive even from other states to experience The Judgement Seat.

As this season’s production quickly approaches… the buzz about this year’s theme and thoughts and concerns about it come with it. Since I just won’t be the one to let the cat out of the bag about the theme, I am going to share with you about the heart behind it, and not just behind this theme, but the heart behind every theme.

The heart behind the theme is that everyone who participates in this production as a servant of it or an attender to it, will seriously consider life, death, sin, and salvation and what the Bible has to say about.

Please know that those of us who write the script and prepare the scenes are well aware of certain things. We are well aware that theatrical licenses have had to be used in order to crunch a lifetime and eternity into eight 5 minute scenes. We are well aware that every year exaggerations have been made and extremes in limits have been pushed in order to drive home the heart of the theme in the best way we know how.

Please know that sleepless nights, quiet moments, Scripture searchings, God’s will seekings, prayer utterings, have been poured into and over every scene. It is with great fear and trembling that we do what we do and write what we write and portray what we attempt to portray. We are well aware that it is us who will stand before our God accountable for every year of this production…

Our themes are usually way out of many’s comfort zones. Our themes usually cause many to ponder some hard questions and have to address some hard issues. Those many being we who present, act, serve, and counsel within it, as well as those who walk through it. The hard things have to be addressed. We can’t be afraid of them. Jesus asked the hard questions and Jesus was willing to be asked the hard questions… so should we as His body. We may not know the answers to them yet, but we should at least be ready to hear and voice them.

What is the heart behind The Judgment Seat?

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…

Romans 1:16

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…for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

Romans 10:13-14

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But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:9-10

There is a saying that goes, “It’s all about who you know”

…and we want you to know Jesus, because we are convinced that He is the Lord, and we are convinced that He alone can save, and we are convinced that if you know Him, then you know exactly who you need to know.

Confessions of a Christian Wife, Proven Path Ministries

It Is Better To Go To A House of Mourning

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A good name is better than a good ointment,
And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.
It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting,
Because that is the end of every man,
And the living takes it to heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter,
For when a face is sad a heart may be happy.
The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning,
While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.

Ecclesiastes 7:1-4

Today I will enter a house of mourning. Today the physical body of my lifelong friend will be laid to rest. Today my friend, will make her last huge, in your face, call to the words of Christ and the truth of the gospel to her community and to those who claim to love her and her family. Today those who come to this house of mourning will have to face the reality that life is fleeting… that death comes to all men… and death is God’s loud shout to all mankind that sin is real, that flesh is weak, that we are not God, that we cannot stop the destruction that the choice of man put into motion way back in the garden…

But we can escape it in and through Christ!

This house of mourning is meant to cause the wise to sit back and reflect and look at their own life and take the death of this one to heart. It is meant to cause us to examine our own hearts, our own lives (or what we call “lives”) and ask ourselves… whether when we come we already know the Lord or not.

Am I really living?

If I were to step outside of my life and look at it from God’s point of view… are the things that I am investing my time, money, and energy into worth dying for? Will the things that I put effort into worrying about matter one hundred years from now… will they bear any measurement in eternity? If that were me laying there up front in this house of mourning, what would be said about my name, my character, my life.  

What happens when we die?

You see something in us knows that this life, this world is not the end. Somewhere deep within the recesses of the places we can’t explain every man knows that there is more. No matter where you go on the globe, no matter the culture, the region, through our myths and legends and religions, and imagination we can see the reality that all mankind has a desire for eternal life… He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart… (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Is the Bible true?

Is the Bible really God’s Word to His creation? Is what is written about creation, about Adam and Eve, about sin, about the flood, about Abraham, about David, about Jesus… about us true? Is it true? Should I believe it? Should I trust this One who says He is the Only Way to heaven? Should I trust this One who claims He died for my sin, was buried, and was raised again in order to provide the way for my forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life? Should I trust the words of this book, even though the world mocks it, other religions condemn it, and I simply don’t understand it? Is the Bible true? Is Jesus the Son of God, Savior of all who will come to Him in faith and believe? Is He?

Am I honoring Christ with this life He has given me?

If my Jesus were to call me home right now, would I stand before Him ashamed? Have I taken His gift of the gospel and hidden it? Am I serving Him or myself? Am I using my life, talent, and spiritual gift, to equip the saints, the church, HIS body? Am I being a good and faithful steward with my money, time, and blessings? Am I sharing them or am I a hoarder of God’s goodness to me? Am I just sucking the life out of the church or am I being used by God to breath life into it? Am I living in obedience to Him and showing the world and my family and my friends by my own actions that I love Him and I believe Him and I trust Him with everything?

Last week I attended a D6 Conference. During the conference every once and a while they would pull someone up to ask them their story. They would ask how had the conference encouraged them… everyone was laughing and having a great time… and I sat there in tears thinking, “you want to know my story?”

I drove here after leaving the bedside of my friend who is dying… and left here on this earth behind her will be her young teenage daughter and elementary age son. They are close to the same age as my own children… and I cannot sit her knowing that, without asking God, If You took me tonight have I impressed Your Word on them enough? Have I taught them to love You with all their heart, all their mind, all their strength, all their soul… and to love others as themselves? Have I taught them to value You and Your Word more than anything in this world, not by my words alone but by how they have seen me live? Have I been purposeful to lay a biblical foundation in their hearts and minds, a foundation on which they will be able to stand in this world that is in open rebellion to Him? Have I impressed the gospel on them? Have I told them about sin and death and the lies of the devil and that Jesus Christ is their hope and their salvation?  Do they know my story? Do they know how God called me unto Himself and brought me to the cross of Christ? If I leave this world tonight would they have peace knowing that I am with God?

All these questions flew through my mind as I sat there… and I pray that when you read my questions… you will make them your own.

Confessions of a Christian Wife, Proven Path Ministries

Just A Little of My Heart

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In just the past few hours my childhood into early adulthood friend went home to be with the Lord. Left behind are grandparents, her parents, her husband, her two young children, her brother and sister and nieces and nephews and  countless other loved ones and friends… and even acquaintances that were touched by her life and by her story…

This was her story. She fought the good fight. She faced the attack of Satan through cancer and she never turned her back on her God.

The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job 2:3-10

 

This was her story. Job faced Satan and won and Beth, she faced Satan, and my friend… she won. Yes, she asked why… no she didn’t understand… but she never sinned against God or cursed Him with her lips… she was faithful until the very end… always turning to her God not away from Him.

She will never be forgotten…

When we impact the lives of others through kindness… through smiles… through joy… through laughter… through sufferings… through forgiveness… through hope… in and through Christ… we will be remembered by all those we touched and our life her on earth will live on, our legacy will continue, through all of them… even while we our selves are in the presence of the One who taught us to live this way by His own life and death. The One who came to save.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written,

‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’

and,

‘On their hands they will bear You up,
So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

Luke 4:1-13

 

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit was led into the wilderness to fight Satan. My friend, Beth, full of the Holy Spirit was led into cancer. We will all face the wilderness. We will all fight Satan… I don’t know what your wilderness will look like… I just know what the One who will bring you through it looks like. He looks like hope and He smells like victory and feels like life and tastes sweeter than honey and the sound of His voice is like a gentle breeze that breathes words of comfort into the depths of my soul.

My friend was a part of my life from at least 2nd grade until well after high school graduation when we both made the plunge and got our first apartment together. We found out that we couldn’t live together… at least not at that time… neither of us was walking with the Lord at that time… and where the Lord is not, there is strife and trouble. My friend and I went separate ways and within that year we both were married and had children and then life just had us in separate directions.

Several years ago we reconnected on Facebook and now I look back and read our Private Messages to one another and I am so thankful I am not a “message deleter”.

You know I can’t remember, what were all the reasons we parted ways back in 1998, when she moved back home and I moved over into a one bedroom. Once we reconnected none of that mattered. It was even as if it never happened. We both had been to the cross since then, we both had been washed clean by then, we both had come to experience the grace and mercy of God in and through His Son Jesus Christ. She had returned and I had finally repented.

What really mattered was that we were now not just friends in the flesh but full sisters in Christ. We will live together again… this time for all eternity… because we will both be home.

I am supposed to go here in a few hours and teach children. I am about to go and try to laugh and sing and dance with preschoolers as they learn about the healing of Naaman and then will be teaching K – 5th grade about the sovereignty of God as we dig into Romans 9:14-18. Right now I am not sure if I will be able to hold it together… but by the grace of God I probably will.

I probably will because Beth is experiencing the reality that I will only get to teach about… the full healing of Creator God in Christ… and she is hearing the words, Well done, my good and faithful servant, well done.

I spent Tuesday morning with my friend, then left that afternoon to head to Kentucky for a D6 conference. I was at this conference Wednesday until Friday late afternoon. This song was sung every day during this time… and my heart sang it in honor of my friend as I prayed for the peace of her God to wash over her… especially the line that sings, and on that day when my strength is failing, the end draws near, and my time has come, still my soul will sing Your praise unending, 10,000 years and then forevermore…

 

 

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries

Where I Want My Kids To Be When

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“And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones

even a cup of cold water to drink,

truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

Matthew 10:42

At my last children’s ministers’ meeting the current president of our group asked us to consider where we wanted our kids to be when they left our ministry and went into the youth. I will be at my first children’s minister conference on the day of the meeting that we will be sharing our thoughts so I have decided to put mine in writing in here.

Where do I want my kids to be? What do I want them to know by the time they leave me? Well here’s a quick top 25:

1) Have a solid biblical worldview

2) Have a strong relationship with their parents/guardians or another adult authority figure within the church

3) Have a full understanding of what the gospel is.

4)  Know that God loves them and that through Jesus they can know God intimately

5) Know all of the books of the Bible and the ability to navigate the Bible

6) Know how to read the Word of God asking who, what, when, where, why, and how

7) Know that Scripture never contradicts Scripture and the Bible must be interpreted within the context of the text

8) Know that they did not become sinners because they sinned, but that they sin because they are born sinners

9) Know that the Bible is the Word of God and it is infallible

10) Know that obedience is evidence of faith

11) Know that real love requires sacrifice

12) Know that salvation is by grace through faith and be able to explain what that means

13) Have the confidence and knowledge to share the gospel with others

14) Be focused on seeking to serve rather than to be served

15) Have a hunger and thirst for more of the Word of God

16) Know that they were created by a Holy God for the glory of God and are meant to enjoy Him forever

17) Know that apart from God they are nothing

18) Have a basic understanding of the doctrine of salvation

19) Know that God never ever ever breaks His promises

20) Know that God always keeps His Word

21) Have such a strong conviction concerning the validity and authority of Scripture that they are not shaken by the questions or mockings of unbelievers

22) Understand that the Scriptures contain everything they will ever need for guidance in this life and know how to seek wisdom from God through His Word and prayer

23) Know how to pray

24) Know that God is sovereign and is actively involved in the things of this world and in their every day lives

25) Know that as long as they have breath they are to serve the Lord, praise the Lord, and honor the Lord.

 

I suppose this could seem like a tall order… but it is my “where I want them to be” list and I believe it is possible because of what I have read in the Word of God concerning other children. Especially the Child who came to us specifically as an example:

And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

Luke 2:42-47

 

In the desire to see the kids under my watch get at least these 25 things, I carefully and purposely choose curriculum and activities that will help engage not just the kids, but their parents. I desire to help equip parents to teach their children at home and I seek to encourage children to respect and honor their parents. I try to look for activities that will build the parent/child relationship. I try to look for children’s events that will help to open the eyes of the kids to their spiritual gifts so that when they enter the youth they are ready to serve and want to serve.

I don’t have any formal training. I really have no clue what I am doing, I just take it one step of obedience at a time. I don’t know if I am doing anything right or the way it is recommended to be done… perhaps I am doing it all wrong according to the status quo. I really don’t know. This keeps a cloud of insecurity over my head, but perhaps that’s there to make sure I don’t get too big for my britches and if that’s the case I am all for it. Pride comes before a fall… and I am tired of falling.

I just love Jesus, His Word, and His church. I just have to trust that a love for God’s Word and a love for His people and a willingness to say “Yes Lord” is enough.

And I suppose bottom line that’s what I want for my kids as well…

When the kids that leave the children’s ministry under my watch enter the youth… I want them to be in love with God, in love with His Word, in love with His church, and I want them to be willing to say, “Yes Lord… whatever it is, yes”

I am thankful that I know that the power of salvation lies in the gospel not in me. I am thankful that God’s purpose stands according to His choice and my works have nothing to do with it, and neither do my kids, but it’s all according to Him who calls… and in that assurance and knowledge I can serve Him in confidence in Him regardless of my own personal insecurities.

I simply try to remember why I went off track when I was at that age and I try to teach them what I did not know, and what I did not know how to know, and hope against hope that they become a Joseph, an Esther, a Daniel, a Mary, young but bold and strong in the Lord and unyielding all the days of their lives, no matter their government leaders, their schooling, their family, their circumstances, their trials, their testings, always FAITHFUL to the LORD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries, The Romans Study For Kids

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 8:31-39)

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After a month on a missions focus the children at Shiloh begin digging back into the book of Romans! We begin Romans 9 this coming Sunday… here are the handouts for Romans 8:31-39

Romans 8:31-39

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;

34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 Just as it is written,

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

 

37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

It’s almost time to finish Part Two of our study. These last verses are some of my favorite in the whole Bible.

Read Romans 8:31-34. How many questions are asked in these verses. Circle your answer.

1        3        4        5        7

 

Now let’s look at them one by one.

  1. What shall we say to these things? 

    What things? Could it be all the things that we have learned in Romans from chapter 1 all the way up to chapter 8? Circle your answer.

Yes                    No

2) If God is for us, who is against us? 

     If God is for you, can anyone come against you? Circle your answer.

Yes                     No

  1. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

     If God loved us so much that He gave His Son for us, do you think that He will also help us in every thing else in our lives? Circle your answer.

Yes                       No

 

  1. Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? 

        If God has said you are forgiven? If God has said you are free? Is there anyone who can change that? Circle your answer.

Yes             No 

  1. God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns?

        If God has said you are saved, can anyone else say you are not? Circle your answer.

Yes                 No

 

Read Romans 8:34 again. In Romans 8:26-27 we learned that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. Who we do learn also intercedes for us in Romans 8:34?

__ __ __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 8:35-36. This verse asks the question, who will separate us from the love of Christ? Read through these verses and list the things that it says WILL NOT separate us from the love of Christ.

____________________           __________________

____________________           __________________

____________________           __________________

____________________

Read Romans 8:37. According to this verse how do we respond to all these things listed in Romans 8:35-36?

we overwhelmingly  __ __ __ __ __ __ __  through __ __ __ who  __ __ __ __ __  us.

Read Romans 8:38-39. What else are we to be convinced of that can never separate us from the love of God?

neither __ __ __ __ __

nor __ __ __ __

nor __ __ __ __ __ __

nor __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

nor things __ __ __ __ __ __ __

nor things to __ __ __ __

nor __ __ __ __ __ __

nor __ __ __ __ __ __

nor __ __ __ __ __

nor any other __ __ __ __ __ __ __    __ __ __ __ __

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

Wow! Is there anything left that could separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? So if nothing can separate us, can we ever lose our salvation? Will Jesus ever leave us? Look up and read Hebrews 13:5. I think it’s time for a big “Thank You” to our God! Let’s sing Him a song write now. How about “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!”

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries, The Romans Study For Kids

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 8:28-30)

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After a month on a missions focus the children at Shiloh begin digging back into the book of Romans! We begin Romans 9 this coming Sunday… here are the handouts for Romans 8:28-30.

Romans 8:28-30

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified

Have you ever wondered why bad things happen? We may not always know why some things happen, but as we look at our verse today we will learn something that will help.

Read Romans 8:28. What does this verse tell us that we should know?

we know that God causes __ __ __   __ __ __ __ __ __ to work together for __ __ __ __

Did this verse say that all things were good? Circle your answer.

Yes             No

Who does this verse say that God will cause all things to work together for good for?

those who  __ __ __ __  God

those who are  __ __ __ __ __ __  according to His       __ __ __ __ __ __ __

According to Romans 8:28 what can we know that God will do with all the things that happen to those who love Him? Use the space below to answer in your own words or draw a picture to answer.

 

 

 

 

Read Romans 8:29. Why would God choose to cause all things to work together for good? Whose image is He making us into?

the image of His __ __ __

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

Have you ever played with play-do? If you have any at home go get some and come right back. Have you got it?

Do you have a mold for the play-do or maybe a cookie cutter? If you do, go get it and come right back. Have you got it?

Okay, now look at the play-do, squish it in your hands. Right now, that play do is like you before you have Jesus. It’s formless and without a purpose. 

Now look at your mold or cookie cutter. That mold is an image of something right? 

When you take the play-do and try to put it into that mold you have to tear away the parts of the play-do that do not fit. As you fit the play-do into the mold, you are conforming it into the image. 

This is kind of like how God conforms us into the image of His Son. Sometimes He has to tear things aways from us, some times He has to squish and shove us, some times He has to press us… but it all will work together for good and eventually we will look like the image of His Son.

Once you get all the play-do in the mold or cookie cutter set it down and read Romans 8:30. 

Read Romans 8:30 and complete the list below.

those whom He predestined He also __ __ __ __ __ __

those He called He also __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

those He justified He also __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Look at your play-do again. Take a moment to slowly pull the mold or cookie cutter away from the play-do. When the mold is removed does the play-do now keep the image? The play-do no longer is formless and without purpose. It now looks like something! It looks like the image it was conformed into. When we are finally glorified, when we finally get our new bodies, we will finally look like Jesus.

Look up and read 1 John 3:2-3. When Jesus appears who will we be like?

We will be like __ __ __

According to this verse, if we believe this, really believe this, then how should it affect our life?

everyone who has this hope fixed on Him                      __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ himself

How can we purify ourself? Look up and read 1John 1:9 to find out. Is there anything you need to talk to God about it? If there is, do it now.

 

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries, The Romans Study For Kids

Romans Study For Kids (Romans 8:18-27)

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After a month on a missions focus the children at Shiloh begin digging back into the book of Romans! We begin Romans 9 this coming Sunday… here are the handouts for Romans 8:18-27.

Romans 8:18-27

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope

21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Have you considered what it means for you to suffer with Jesus? Well let’s begin to think about this by looking at Romans 8:18.

Read Romans 8:18. What does Paul tell us about the sufferings of this present time? Are they worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us? Circle your answer.

Yes                 No

 

Read Romans 8:19. What does creation wait eagerly for?

the __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of the sons of __ __ __

 

Read Romans 8:20-21. What do you learn about the creation? 

it was subjected to  __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

it will be set free from its  __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Look up and read Genesis 3:17. What do you learn was cursed when Adam and Eve sinned?

the  __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 8:22. How does the creation respond to its slavery and corruption?

it __ __ __ __ __ __  and  __ __ __ __ __ __ __

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

When God created the heavens and the earth they were good. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God sin did not just enter them, it entered the whole world. The serpent, Eve, the ground, and Adam were all cursed because of sin. The earth was created to glorify God and to provide the needs of mankind. After sin came, the earth began to die. Today we have tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts, and fires. Today trees die, flowers die, and crops die. Today animals attack, bugs bite, and fish eat each other. This is not the way God created it to be. So even the earth groans and suffers and longs to be free from death and be made new.

 

Read Romans 8:23. Who else groans?

__ __      __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __  groan within

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ , waiting eagerly

 

What are we waiting eagerly for?

the __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __  of our __ __ __ __

Read Romans 8:24-25. How do we wait?

with  __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 8:26. Who helps us while we wait?

the  __ __ __ __ __ __

 

Read Romans 8:26-27. Let’s pay close attention to what we learn about the Spirit of God in this passage. How does He help us and why does He help us? There is chart below. Finish filling in the “How” and the “Why”

 

HOW WHY
helps our __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ we are not yet in our new bodies (Romans 8:23)
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __  for us we do not know how to  __ __ __ __  as we should
searches  __ __ __ __ __ and intercedes for the  __ __ __ __ __ __ He knows what the __ __ __ __ of God is

 

THINK ABOUT IT…

How awesome is it that when we belong to Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside of us and helps us. He helps us pray and He helps us hope. He helps us while we wait to get our new bodies to go with our new heart. Jesus promised us that He would send us a Helper and He always keeps His promises.

Take a moment to look up and read John 14:16-17. Then take a moment to tell Jesus thank you for keeping His promise.

That’s enough for today. 

Confessions of a Christian Wife, Proven Path Ministries

Throwback Thursday

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There’s this theme that floats around Facebook… “throwback thursday”  My husband like to play this theme game. He has some picks that he will “throwback”. He told me last week that he was going to get into my yearbook and get a picture of me to throwback… and I told him, “Throwback Thursday makes me want to throw up!” 

The last thing I have wanted to do since I gave my life to the Lord twelve years ago was throwback to the days before I knew Him. That girl was dead in Christ and I preferred to keep her there in the grave of the past and press forward in this new life that the LORD by His mercy and grace allowed me to have. For a very long time, I simply shut down that part of my brain that held those memories. There was too much shame and hurt attached to them and I needed to heal.

When I met my husband, I began to walk away from the things that were in my life before him and began to cling to him. I had met the man of my dreams and I did not want to do anything to mess it up. I was the first of my girlfriends to marry, so in becoming a wife,and an immediate mother of an eight year old at the altar, my life pulled inward into family… which was exactly what it needed to do for God to get my attention and for Him to get me moving in accordance with His will.

For the past fifteen years my eyes have been focused forward. Seeking to walk in the will of my Savior and to grow in the grace and knowledge of God and striving to become the woman, wife, and mother that God saved me to be.

So Throwback Thursday has never held any appeal to me.

However today, one of dear friends, a friend I have known since grade school, a friend who I played ball, cried with, fought with, spent most of my summers with is in the final stages of cancer. Having conquered melanoma in 2010, today she is on her way home from Houston to receive treatments here so that she can be with family and friends. Tumors on her brain, in her jaws, on her liver and kidneys, continue to grow at a massive rate… and for days my heart has broke for her and her family. She has at home a young barely teenage daughter and a rambunctious young boy just now loosing his first teeth. She has the brother and sister that I grew up loving as my own and parents that were one of my second sets. My heart breaks for them…

Many are praying for a miracle… many are praying that God would just remove all the tumors… perhaps He will. Perhaps He will use my friend to display His glory in this way… but just in case He does not let us never forget that there is no greater miracle than that of salvation and resurrection!

By His stripes we are healed of the SIN, the sin that condemns all men. By His death He defeated death and our death is defeated the moment we die in Him (Romans 6). Those in Christ NEVER LOSE A BATTLE TO ANYTHING! Our victory over death and all things of this world came the moment WE BELIEVED (Romans 8:31-39, 1 Corinthians 15:53-57).

You see we bring Him glory in life and we bring Him glory in death because we have a Savior. We are children of God! We are the redeemed! The chosen in Him…

So to my friend Mary Beth Wallace Lee , YOU WON the moment you said, Yes Lord, I believe the gospel. You won the moment you said, I believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and whosoever calls upon Him shall be saved. I believe He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but through Him. You won the moment that you believed that on that cross He died for your sin and by grace through faith you came to Him for salvation and because He lives you live with life eternal.

Beth, I refuse to give cancer power over you. If you leave this life it is because the One who holds the keys to life and death says, I am bringing My daughter home!

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing… The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen”

2 Timothy 4:6-8,18

To live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Precious sister, you are in a WIN WIN situation! You are victorious either way! Our Lord Jesus Christ reigns and in Him is your future and in Him is your hope… He holds you and He holds your precious children and your precious family in His hands of grace. God has used your body to bring two eternal lives into being… He has used you for His glory and as a testimony to His Son and His glorious gospel. He has used your suffering to bring many to call upon Him in prayer… only in eternity will we know how He wove your life, this story, this fight, this suffering in His grand plan of redemption, but make no bones about it, He has and He will use this for His glory and the glory of Christ!

“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them”

John 17:22-26.

Today “Throwback Thursday” doesn’t make me want to throw up. Today “Throwback Thursday” reminds me of the girl I totaled my first car with, the girl I got my first apartment with, the girl I used to stay up all night playing Mario with, the girl I used to play cupball with, the girl I used to trade books with, the girl I used to walk down a gravel road to her grandparents with, the girl I still hung out with once high school was behind us, the girl I used to get into a lot of trouble with, and the girl that also came to know the Lord as her Savior, the girl that I know even when this life is over for the both of us, I will get to spend eternity with…

Beth, this life took us in different directions but I hope you know that I love you and you are forever a part of me and I will see you again my friend! 

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*** Beth went home to be with the Lord late Saturday night, October 19th, 2013. She rose to her glorification Sunday morning just like her Lord! She worshiped Sunday morning in His physical presence in the heavenly temple with all the saints of God that have already went home before her. My, I bet it was AWESOME! Our God is good… Jesus just simply could not go another day without wrapping His nail scarred arms around her.

Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

~ Jesus

Children's Ministry, Proven Path Ministries

Around The World

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Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20

On Saturday Sept 28th, I had the privileged of taking some of my kids on a field trip. We loaded up the church van about 6am that morning and headed south to Lineville, Alabama. I had heard about this place through one of our homeschool co-op mom’s. Her and her daughter had been a few years before.

As a children’s ministry leader I am always looking for opportunities for my kids to learn how to flesh out the gospel. I want to expose them to all the different opportunities I can so that maybe, just maybe, a fire will be ignited within them at an early age with a passion for the great commission. I believe that we can raise Joseph’s and Esther’s and Daniel’s and Mary’s. I simply don’t buy our backwards American culture that says every child has to be a rebel without a cause with a past full of regrets being dragged behind them into adulthood. I believe rather that they can be a rebel against this culture with a cause… the cause of Christ!

My heart, while the Lord allows it to beat, is to teach every child (and every adult) that the Lord allows me to teach, to have a passion for Christ, a passion for His Word, and a passion for His people.  I have such a strong desire to teach these children to see outside themselves and realize how big this world is and yet at the same time see that it is so very small… I want them to learn to be content with what they have and not live life for the next big thing, or new thing, or gotta have it thing, but to live it for the glory of God.

Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I heard about SIFAT, Servants in Faith and Technology.

SIFAT

The morning began with the introduction into what SIFAT stood for… our guide asked the kids, “What do you think of when you hear the word technology?” They began to respond with Ipod, Ipad, Xbox, DS, etc. Our guide then asked them, “Well, if you lived in a place where there was no electricity how much would this technology benefit you?” The kids quickly responded with, “It would only be good for one charge and then it wouldn’t be good anymore”

Hmmmm… have you ever thought about that? We pay hundreds of dollars for items that are completely worthless if they have no access electricity. There is no alternative use or worth for them. Apart from a plug, uncharged, they are just a piece of junk.

Anyway.

Our guide shared with the children that SIFAT works to create appropriate technology and brins it into these countries and areas that we were about to pretend to visit. She explained that appropriate technology was technology that was actually useful for the people where they were at. One of the examples that the children would see would be a smokeless wood burning oven…

Our trip began in the rural mountains of Bolivia:

Bolivia

 

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The kids learned that the Bolivians lived in small huts, slept on blankets on dirt floors, and raised guinea pigs for food and farmed on the side of the mountains. They thought Bolivia was pretty cool…

Next we visited Guatemala and the kids got to make homemade tortillas and eat them!

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So they thought Guatemala was awesome as well.

Next we visited the Philippines.

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While visiting the Philippines they learned about tinikling…

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We visited several other rural settings in several other countries. I believe we visited Uganda, Liberia, Nepal, and Malawi…

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and the kids also learned about to make bricks for building some of the homes they visited…

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I was beginning to wonder if they were going to get it.

You see all my kids are outdoors kids. These are farming kids and hunting kids and just get outside and play kids. They walked around these rural villages thinking they were the coolest “tree houses” and “club houses” they had ever seen. They were fighting over whose house was the boys house and whose house was the girls house. They thought all the woods and bridges and trees and walking sticks were great. They were a little unnerved by the lack of bedrooms and the fact that everyone was all in one room and they would have to share beds with their brothers and sisters, but over all. I could see their minds thinking that this would be like the most awesome camping trip ever. They were having a blast.

Then it was time for our last “village”.

The slums.

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Our guide set all the kids down and explained to them what they were about to see. Then he shared with them that over one million people lived in slums, and these slums are found in every country in the world. He also told them that before they went in they were to walk through and think about the things that would be difficult about living here. He also shared with them that they were to be respectful, for many people, this was home. They were to refrain from being rude about the living conditions.

I was concerned before the children went in… I wondered how they would react…

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The kids were quiet.

They walked through and you could tell they were thinking…

For the first time that day I believe it finally hit them. In this village no one was running in and out of the homes fighting over whose house was whose. There was no picking the girls house or the boys house. This was not a place they wanted to call home.

After they spent some time in the slums our guide began asking them questions about what he asked them to think about before they entered the village… and I loved hearing them answer because it showed they were really seeing.

I don’t know if this trip has planted a seed for the desire to serve in a foreign land in the hearts of any of these children… but I do pray that at the very least it opened their eyes to their abundance of so many things… so that when they hear of need they would meet it.

Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.

Titus 3:14

Hopefully one day they will at least be able to decide that sending an orphaned child to a school that will teach them the Word of God and providing for their medical needs will be more important than that daily Starbucks stop. Perhaps they won’t grumble and call themselves poor and broke simply because they can’t afford that new car or that satellite upgrade.

Hopefully it was enough to plant a seed of awakening to the needs of others more than their own… Perhaps it will encourage them to be good stewards of the grace of God and His gospel… Perhaps it is a start in the end of the “me generation” and spark for a Psalm 24:6 generation…

This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face…

Psalm 24:6

 

*******

For more info on SIFAT click here: Servants in Faith and Technology

 

Confessions of a Christian Wife, Proven Path Ministries

God Forbid It! (continued)

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Yesterday I wrote a post, God Forbid It!, but time (and already being way over the recommended blog post word count) didn’t allow me to complete my train of thought. Today I hope to come closer to completing it, though probably not, because on this side of eternity and with this finite mind it’s simply impossible to complete any thought on our God, except the thought that He is indeed GOD.

You can read yesterdays full post by clicking the title of it above. I am beginning this post by copy and pasting the ending of the it:

I have learned that before I pray, I am to ask God how I am to pray, because I do not know the greater purpose behind the circumstances.

Our human reaction to suffering is to remove it from ourselves and others as quick as possible… but sometimes, no most of the times, the sufferings are meant to bring us into the very presence of God, because without them, sin and Satan convince us that we don’t need Him…

In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

Hebrews 5:7-9

So how we do know what to pray when we are faced with suffering… or we are faced with the suffering of the ones we love?

In the above passage in Hebrews, did you notice how Jesus approached His suffering?

…with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death

Did it sound like Jesus was super duper excited about His sufferings or not concerned about it all?

Absolutely not!

Yes, He is God, but let us not forget He is also the Son of Man. He came to be the answer to all our questions… He came in the flesh so that He would be able to sympathize with everything that we will ever go through. As we consider how to handle suffering and what to pray when faced with suffering, we don’t have to look any further than our Jesus… who came to teach us all things.

In the gospel of Mark we read

And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Mark 14:34-36

Jesus called out to His Father in heaven and said, “All things are possible for You” He had no doubt that God could keep Him from going through this suffering. ALL THINGS are possible for God. Jesus never had a doubt concerning the authority, power, or ability of God. Jesus knew that God was not up in heaven wringing His hands together, pacing the streets of gold, racking His brain, trying to figure a way out of this mess so that His Son would not have to suffer. Jesus fully knew with absolute certainty that with one thought His Father in heaven could remove this cup from Him. Ability and possibility was never the issue.

The issue was always the will of God.

The soul of Jesus was grieved. He was hurting. The agony of His heart is clearly seen. It has been recorded here for us, I believe, so that we can know that the pain we feel, the grief we experience, the agony that comes from suffering does not mean we doubt our God, nor does it mean we lack faith… it simply means this hurts.

We see this again, as we see our Jesus respond to the suffering of others.

Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”  

John 11:32-36

Jesus saw their weeping and was deeply moved and troubled and He Himself wept. He saw their suffering and it broke His heart. He wept with them… He wept with them KNOWING He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. The fact that He knew eternal life was coming did not negate the fact the separation of death hurt. And the fact that the separation of death hurt did not mean that Jesus lacked faith or assurance in the resurrection.

Jesus also wept knowing that Mary’s accusation was true. He didn’t rebuke Mary for her words. Jesus did not have to let Lazarus die. However, this was the will of God. He was to die… He was to die because Jesus was to raise him from the dead, so that all who were watching would see the works of God displayed!

Beloved it’s okay to weep. It’s okay to hurt. Death’s separation hurts… and just because it hurts it does not mean that we doubt that those in Christ live even though they die. It doesn’t mean we lack faith. It doesn’t mean we love our God any less… it simply means this hurts.

Jesus rebuked Peter when he said, “God forbid it!” but He did not rebuke Mary when she said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 

So how do we pray and what do we pray?

“Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

We pray in faith, knowing that God can do all things, yet we pray in humility and trust, ready to accept His will, even when we don’t understand.

We, here in the States, live in a day when it seems that we should have the means and ability to save everyone from physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual pain. We have a self-help books and universities full of people seeking for the right pill and method to stop suffering. Yes, I believe medications and treatments are gifts from God to help us in this fallen world, but they are not our salvation. God’s word has told us to pray for the sick and the suffering, but let us pray also remembering that suffering is never needless nor is it ever without purpose.

 The sufferings remind us that we are fallen.

The sufferings remind us that we are helpless.

The suffering remind us that we need a Savior.

The sufferings cause us to look out from ourselves.

The suffering allow the works of God to be displayed in us…

Our human reaction to suffering is to remove it from ourselves and others as quick as possible… but sometimes, no, most of the times, the sufferings are meant to bring us into the very presence of God, because without them, sin and Satan convince us that we don’t need Him… 

Sin, suffering, mercy, grace, judgment, joy, love, peace, and everything in between either draws us to the cross of Christ or causes us to run from it… My hope is that no matter what you suffer, or how you see others suffer, this suffering causes you to run to the cross of Christ, to the throne of grace that His suffering made available to all who would come through Him.

Most of all, let us never forget that this world is not our home.