WHAT’S YOUR MOTIVE?

Dear Sisters,

Merry Christmas, dear sisters! Joining you as you celebrate God’s love to us through the victorious reign of His only Son King Jesus and waiting with expectation for His second return. He is our Divine Love and Eternal King who sits on the throne! Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:1-3).

The next blog entry will come your way on January 4. Have a Merry Christmas and blessed New Year!



WHAT’S YOUR MOTIVE?


"Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his (her) praise from God. "

1 Corinthians 4:5



The Barna Group recently released a report called Six Megathemes from Barna Group Research in 2010. One of the six patterns that were evident in their survey findings is that “Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating.” They identified young adults as the driving passion and energy behind community service activities. Their works of justice and acts of mercy have influenced the church. People are eager to serve others! They have moved from apathy to action!

The report then delivers a warning. “Despite the increased emphasis, churches run the risk of watching congregants’ engagement wane unless they embrace a strong spiritual basis for such service. Simply doing good works because it's the socially esteemed choice of the moment will not produce much staying power.”

If our motive to serve is not pure before the Lord, it will die out. Our motives matter! They matter to God and cannot be hidden from Him. For the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts (1 Chronicles 28:9). All of a man’s (woman’s) ways seem innocent to him (her), but motives are weighed by the LORD (Proverbs 16:2).

In her book Breaking Free, Beth Moore says, “Our motivations for reaching out and serving others aren’t always pure. My dear friend Kathy Troccoli, who ministers full time, asked a critical question: ‘Am I ministering out of my need or out of the overflow of my own relationship with God?’ We would be wise to ask ourselves the same question. Do we crave the affirmation of those we serve and do they help us feel important? Or do we serve because Jesus has so filled our hearts that we must find a place to pour the overflow?”

If our hearts overflow is gratitude for all God has done for us we will offer ourselves in service to Him as those who have been brought from death to life (Romans 6:13). Our incentive to do good deeds will be an overwhelming desire that our Father in heaven be praised and pleased (Matthew 5:16, Romans 14:18)! Our service will win over pagans that, though they accuse [us] of doing wrong, they may see [our] good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (1 Peter 2:12).

PASSION Step: Why do you serve the way you serve ­– to please God or to please people? Ask God to expose and purify your motives for doing what you do.

The more that churches and believers can be recognized as people doing good deeds out of genuine love and compassion, the more appealing the Christian life will be to those who are on the sidelines watching.

The Barna Group


Grace and peace,
Lenae

MEMORIZE THE WORD

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

Psalm 119:11


Two questions:
Do you believe that memorizing Scripture is important?
Do you regularly memorize Scripture?

For more years than I’d like to admit, my answers to those questions conflicted with one another. Yes! Scripture memorization is important! But, do I do it? Well . . . I know the theme verses we’ve studied at GEMS over the years, and Psalm 23, but faithfully memorizing large chunks of God’s Word? Not so much. Rick Warren said, “You only believe the part of the Bible that you actually do.”

A missionary visited our congregation and invited us to join brothers and sisters from North America to Central Asia to be part of The Psalms Project. It’s a seven-year commitment to memorize the Psalms. Year one includes putting 21 Psalms to memory. I signed up, knowing I needed accountability in a spiritual discipline I had sorely neglected. It’s been hard work with rich rewards. My lone regret is that I didn’t do this sooner.

Why should we memorize Scripture? There are many reasons. Here are three:

To know God. In the field of education, professionals tell us that we retain 10% of what we hear, 25% of what we read, 50% of what we study, and 80% of what we memorize. Let’s translate that to knowledge of God. Ten percent of what we know about God will come through what we hear (sermons, seminars, and schooling), 25% through what we read in the Word, 50% through studying the Word, and 80% by memorizing the Word! Do you want to know God more? Then memorize His Word!
To triumph over sin. How can a young man [this applies to young women at heart, too!] keep his [her] way pure? By living according to your word. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you (Psalm 119:9, 11). When we memorize Scripture the Holy Spirit has quick and immediate access to the Word that gives clear direction to His commands and equips us to stand firm in Christ.
To imitate Christ. As Christ’s disciples our deepest desire must be to follow Him and to incorporate His actions and words into our lives. To imitate Him, we must abide and remain in Him and His words must abide and remain in us (John 15:7).

PASSION Step: Choose a passage of Scripture that you will memorize before January 1, 2011. Begin memorizing today.

Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization.

Dallas Willard

Grace and peace,
Lenae

GO TO THE WORD

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

Psalm 119:105


Within his book, Spiritual Rhythm – Being with Jesus Every Season of Your Soul, author and pastor Mark Buchanan writes, “I have reached a point of holy impatience about this: when someone comes to me and tells me their marriage is crumbling, or their anxiety is skyrocketing, or their addiction is spiraling, or (fill in the blank), I first say, ‘Tell me what God is saying to you in His Word.” His direct question either elicits blank stares or a bunch of excuses for not reading their Bibles.

Amos writes, “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD,“ when I will send a famine through the land – not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Men [women] will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it” (Amos 8:11-12). My Bible study notes read, “Because of their apathy, God said He would take away even the opportunity to hear His word.” Because of our apathy, we neglect our opportunity to even read the Word!

Are you discouraged? Go to the Word. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4).

Do you feel isolated or weak? Go to the Word. David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him . . . But David found strength in the LORD his God (1 Samuel 30:6).

Sometimes our questions are found in the Word, and His answers are clear. Should I steal? No (Deuteronomy 5:19)! Should I seek revenge? No (Leviticus 19:18)!

Sometimes our questions aren’t found in the Word, but make no mistake His answers are there! A dear friend of mine was praying through a significant decision: Should she purchase a home? She needed to let the realtor know by Monday. On Saturday as she was doing her normal daily Bible reading (she’s going through the Bible chronologically) she said to the Lord, “God, if there is anything you can encourage me with right now, I’m all ears.” She then proceeded to read Ezra chapter three as allotted on her schedule. The passage is about rebuilding the temple and the phrase “the house of the LORD” was repeated often. It talked about resistance (which she was feeling) and then came around to God making everything work out according to His plan. On Sunday, she read Haggai and put a little note in the margin by chapter 2, verse 7, “’I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.” She bought the house and His glory is on display!

PASSION Step: Need to make a decision today? Go to the Word. Ask God, “What do You have to say about this issue?”

The study of God’s Word, for the purpose of discovering God’s will, is the secret discipline that has formed the greatest characters.

James Waddel Alexander


Grace and peace,
Lenae

STUDY AND OBEY

"For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel."

Ezra 7:10


After 70 years in exile, the captives from Judah returned to their homeland where they rebuilt the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia (Extra 6:14). It was a time of building and prosperity under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah (Ezra 6:14). The people of Israel – the priests, the Levities and rest of the exiles – celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy (Ezra 6:16).

Fifty-seven years later when Ezra returned to the land with a second group of exiles (Ezra 7:8), he discovered a solid temple, but a shambled people. They knew God’s Word, but failed to obey it. They compromised and conformed to the world by intermarrying neighboring peoples with their detestable practices (Ezra 9:1). The leaders and officials who should’ve been teaching them the Word of God led the way in this unfaithfulness (Ezra 9:2).

Ezra was a priest, a scribe, and a great leader who knew the Word and obeyed it. Through his humble and obedient leadership, he helped lead the people back to God. He has much to teach as we seek to be humble leaders that feed the fire among a people that have conformed to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2).

Know the Word. Ezra was well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given (Ezra 7:6). He devoted himself to the study . . . of the Law of the LORD (Ezra 7:10). He not only had the law of God in his hand (Ezra 7:14) it was in his heart. When he heard of their intermarriage, his knowledge of Scripture made him immediately conscious of sin (Romans 3:20, Ezra 9:6). Are we well versed in the Word? When we waste time at work, gossip, judge the person sitting at the end of the pew, and miss opportunities to do good to all people, are we immediately conscious of our sin?

Obey the Word. Ezra devoted himself to the observance of the Law of the LORD (Ezra 7:10). He didn’t just know it; he obeyed it and through his example led others to do the same. When he heard of their intermarriage and compromise with the culture around them, he prayed, fasted, confessed, and wept. He threw himself down before the house of God and a large crowd of Israelites followed suit. They wept bitterly, confessed their unfaithfulness to God, and renewed a covenant with Him. All of it was done according to the Law (Ezra 10:1-4). Do we obey the Word in such a way that others desire to repent and return to God? As His disciple makers do we practice what we preach, and teach others to obey Jesus’ commands (Matthew 28:20)?

PASSION Step: Study and obey. Like Ezra, your leadership and example is needed in today’s compromised world.

Revival comes when God’s people heed God’s Word and do what God tells them to do.

Warren W. Wiersbe


Grace and peace,
Lenae

STUDY GOD’S WORD

"But his (her) delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he (she) meditates day and night."

Psalm 1:2


When it comes to food, I have an acquired taste for lettuce. For the first half of my life I made sandwiches without it, and always ordered soup instead of salad. As an adult, I started adding one small leaf of lettuce to my BLTs to keep it true to its name and over time I began eating lettuce salads, first because I had to (it was good for me!) and now because I want to (I’ve acquired the taste!)

In his book, Spiritual Rhythm – Being with Jesus Every Season of Your Soul, Mark Buchanan writes that studying and feasting on God’s Word is mostly an acquired taste. He says, “Few people leap from the womb with an instinctual hunger for the Word – or they do, but the hunger gets damped by long years of gorging ourselves on everything and anything but the Word: trashy books and inane television shows and gory movies and rounds of gossip and the endless swapping of opinions.”

To acquire the taste for God’s Word requires delight and meditation. Psalm 1:1-2 says, Blessed is the man (woman) who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the set of mockers. But his (her) delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he (she) meditates day and night.

Like so many things that are good and necessary, it begins with a choice.

Choose to value God’s Word. If the amount of time you read your Bible were clocked, would it be measured as your most treasured possession? In Psalm 119 the writer unabashedly declares his love for God’s Word! Oh, how I love your law! (v 97a). It is sweeter than honey (v 103) and I love it more than gold, more than pure gold (v 127).


Choose to delight in God’s Word. What’s your attitude toward studying God’s Word? Is it dread or delight? Duty or desire? Sitting down to read God’s Word everyday may begin as a duty, but He will move it to delight if you pray for it. It’s your responsibility to get to the table to eat. Ask Him to acquire your taste.

Choose to meditate on God’s Word. What’s your course of action to reading God’s Word? Do you meditate on it – thoughtfully deliberating the implication it has for your life and obeying what He reveals to you? Or do you thoughtlessly snack on meager helpings? The more you read God’s Word, the more you won’t want to miss a meal! I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word (Psalm 119:6).

PASSION Step: What do you want your legacy to be when it comes to reading, studying, and memorizing God’s Word? Write it down in one sentence. Begin today.

He who loves the Word and purity of its precepts cannot turn traitor.

William Gurnall


Grace and peace,
Lenae

GET IN THE WORD

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly."

Colossians 3:16a


As a mom of adult children, I’m still learning when it’s time to listen and when it’s time to give a sermon. When I get that wrong, my daughters let me know. “I don’t need a sermon right now, Mom.” That’s when I lean in, listen, and sometimes give a loving sermonette anyway.

In Hebrews 13:22 the unidentified author of the book says, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written you only a short letter. Granted it’s fairly short and in letterform, but let’s call it what it is: It’s a sermon. It’s a sermon that exhorts and encourages its readers to leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity (Hebrews 6:1). It’s a book that prompts us to quit playing with matches and go feed the fire!

One of the ways we grow up in Christ and become mature in our understanding of Him is to get in the Word. Maybe you’re thinking, “I don’t need a sermon about studying the Bible more. It’s all I can do to read the few verses I’m reading.” The writer of Hebrews leans in and gives us the sermon anyway.

Pay careful attention to the Word. We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away (Hebrews 2:1). Get in the Word. Listen intently when it’s being read, read it slowly when you’re studying it for yourself, and apply its truth to your life. If we neglect the Word we’ll drift, and there’s nothing passionate, zealous, or mature about drifters (Revelation 3:15-16, Romans 12:11).

Eat the Word. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:13-14). “Milk” is the basics of God’s Word, the elementary teachings of Christ that must be learned when we come to Him. Although we always treasure the milk of God’s Word, we must add “solid foods” to our diet. Get in the Word. Dig deeper than you have in the past. Let it be training grounds to differentiate between right and wrong. Training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17) comes by constant use (Hebrews 5:14). ­If we’re not constantly in the Word, we’ll be as immature as infants, instead of doing what ought to be done – teaching others the elementary truths of God’s Word (Hebrews 5:12).

Let the Word penetrate your life. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Get in the Word. Prayerfully read it and allow God to reveal your true spiritual condition. Listen, obey, and let it shape your life.

PASSION Step: Get in the Word.

Do not be surprised when the world around you rips away the Word of God. Sometimes we don’t even listen.

Jon Bushnell


Grace and peace,
Lenae

PRAY CONSTANTLY AND STUDY GOD’S WORD

"Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees."

Psalm 119:33a


During the 2010-2011 GEMS season girls and counselors are feeding the fire by making these PASSION disciplines part of their day-to-day lives:

Pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
And
Study God’s Word (Psalm 119:105)
Serve others (Ephesians 6:7-8a)
Interact with God’s people (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Open up and talk about God (Matthew 28:19)
Notice God in the Ordinary (Jeremiah 29:13)

Although Pray constantly And Study God’s Word fit neatly within the acronym, the conjunction that joins those two disciplines runs deeper than mere convenience. They’re dependent on one another! Prayer is talking and listening to God and one of the primary ways that God speaks to His people is through His Word. And to rightly hear and understand God’s Word, we need prayer. We should always ask the Author of the book and of our lives to teach us to understand His Word. Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands (Psalm 119:73).

Each time you open your Bible, pray that God will meet you and that you will experience Him in His Word. Be expectant that He will surprise you with a new insight. Anticipate that He will give you new discoveries even within your favorite and most familiar passages!

Within his book When I Don’t Desire God, John Piper introduces the acronym I.O.U.S. to guide our prayers before reading God’s Word.

Incline my heart to You, not to prideful gain or false motive. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain (Psalm 119:36).

Open my eyes to behold wonderful things in Your Word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

Unite my heart to fear Your name. Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name (Psalm 86:11).

Satisfy me with Your steadfast love. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days (Psalm 90:14).

PASSION Step: Each time you open God’s Word stop and pray before you read. Expect God to speak to you.

Triumphant prayer is almost impossible where there is neglect of the study of the Word of God. If we then let the words of Christ abide in us, they will stir us up in prayer.

Reuben Archer Torrey


Grace and peace,
Lenae

TEACH US TO PRAY

"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Luke 11:1


Scripture never records that the disciples asked Jesus how to preach, but it does say that they asked Him how to pray. From their request we receive Jesus’ teaching on prayer known best as the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4). Christ alone is our prefect prayer teacher.

Other prayer teachers in Scripture include Hannah who teaches us to pour out our soul to the LORD when we are deeply troubled (1 Samuel 1:15), Jonah who teaches that prayer can indeed take place anywhere, including the inside of a fish (Jonah 2:1), Daniel teaches us to be faithful and courageous in prayer even when it may result in our being lunch to lions (Daniel 6), Nehemiah teaches that the first step into any undertaking is prayer and that every step that follows demands persistence in prayer (Nehemiah 1), and Epaphras teaches us to wrestle in prayer for the body of Christ (Colossians 4:12).

Prayer teachers are not limited to God’s Word. It is also right and good to be encouraged and challenged by one another. I have the privilege of participating in a monthly Bible study with the GEMS leaders from my local club. We’re joining many other clubs across the continent in studying the book, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. During one of our studies, a dear sister in Jesus admitted that she has attention deficit when it comes to prayer – it’s just so hard for her to stay focused. Heads nodded, we identified, and began to learn from each other.

One lady said she taught herself to pray before her third child was born. She sat at a table with her pen and notebook and by writing down her prayers, she learned to pray. She now has a sizable stack of journals that will be a treasured heirloom to future generations. Another lady said she’s started to practice what Francis talks about in his video by stopping for 30 seconds before she prays, picturing God, and then speaking to Him. It’s changed everything for her.

As meaningful as it is to think of all the people, places, and books, we can go to learn to pray, it’s important to remember the wise words of another prayer teacher, E.M. Bounds, who said, “Prayer is not learned in a classroom but in the closet.”

PASSION Step: Think of someone whose prayer life you really admire? Go to her. Ask her questions. Don’t be afraid to say, “Will you spend some time with me? I want to learn from you about prayer.”

The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time and pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. This something else is important. Very important, and pressing, but still less important and pressing than prayer.

S.D. Gordon


Grace and peace,
Lenae

BELIEVING PRAYER

"Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him (her) from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand."
Psalm 20:6

In his book, The Christian Atheist – Believing in God but living as if He doesn’t exist, Craig Groeschel writes about a pastor who asked his church to pray that God would shut down a local bar. The church held a special prayer meeting, and a few weeks later, lightening struck the bar and it burned to the ground.

The bar owner heard about the prayer meeting and sued the church. In court, the owner of the bar pleaded his case – God struck his bar with lightening because of the prayers of this church. Then the pastor stood before the judge and admitted they prayed, but they really didn’t expect anything to happen.

Groeschel writes, when the judge finally spoke he said, “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Right in front of me is a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer and a pastor who doesn’t.”

That scenario is as old as the early church. When Peter was arrested and in prison, the church was earnestly praying to God for him (Acts 12:5). Yet, when an angel of the Lord miraculously helped Peter escape and he was standing at the front door of the house where the prayer meeting was taking place, Rhoda was initially too surprised to open the door, and the rest of the group was astonished (Acts 12:12-16). Did they not believe in the power of prayer? Do we?

What best describes our prayers – babbling or belief? Don’t babble! “When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matthew 6:7). Instead, believe! But when he (she), asks he (she) must believe and not doubt, because he (she) who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man (woman) should not think he (she) will receive anything from the Lord; he (she) is a double-minded man (woman), unstable in all he (she) does (James 1:6-8).

In light of that truth, however great our faith, if we pray something that is contrary to God’s will, He mercifully won’t give it to us. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him (1 John 5:14-15).

Maybe your prayer life is marked by rote or routine, instead of passion and power. Most of us don’t need another devotional about prayer. What’s needed most is the passion to do it – moving from a lukewarm prayer life to a passionate one, and belief in its power ¬– the prayer of the righteous man (woman) is powerful and effective (James 5:16b).

PASSION Step: Pray with passion and belief that the LORD of heaven hears and answers your prayers (Psalm 20:6).

Effective prayer is prayer that attains what it seeks. It is prayer that moves God, affecting its end.
Charles Finney

Grace and peace,
Lenae

PRAY CONSTANTLY

Dear Sisters,

Happy October, dear sisters! His world is in glorious color and the transition into another season is all around us. Maybe there are transitions taking place in your life, too. There certainly was for the Israelites as they stood on the banks of the Jordan and prepared to cross into the Promised Land. May all our transitions be done in humble, prayerful dependence on God, being reminded of the amazing promise that the Lord our God will be with us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9).

Have a prayer-filled, beautiful week!


"Pray continually."

1 Thessalonians 5:17


Fall is filled with GEMS firsts – the first club meeting, the first ACTS Workshop, for some, the first year as Club Coordinator, counselor, or CIT, for others the first year in existence as a club. And in all that newness is a keen awareness that we can’t do it alone. We must humbly and prayerfully depend on God.

Joshua knew all about firsts. God commissioned him to be the first successor to Moses (Number 27:12-23). After 40 years of wandering in the desert, a new generation of Israelites would follow their new leader into a new land – the Promised Land. And Joshua did so in humble, prayerful dependence on God.

Camped along the east bank of the Jordan River on the edge of Canaan, God assured Joshua of His promises and reminded him that he wouldn’t go alone. Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

Before they stepped into the new land they consecrated themselves, the ark of the covenant of the Lord went ahead of them, and the Jordan waters that were at flood stage stopped flowing upstream when the priests’ feet touched the water’s edge (Joshua 3). The Israelites humbly walked on dry ground.

The first place of battle in the Promised Land was the city of Jericho. As Joshua stood before the city, his next big first, the commander of the army of the LORD met him. Joshua fell facedown in reverence, for the place where he was standing was holy. The Israelites humbly and repeatedly walked around the walls of Jericho and the Lord gave them the city (Joshua 6).

The second place of battle was in Ai. It looked like an easy win, but Ai’s few foot soldiers chased Israel’s 3,000 men out of the city and down the slopes, killing thirty-six of them. Why? Israel’s walk had become complacent. Achan stole some of the devoted things and lied to God. The Israelites humbled themselves once more (Joshua 7) and then God gave victory over Ai (Joshua 8).

Israel forfeited the next battle. The deceptive Gibeonites greeted the Israelites in worn and patched sandals, with a dry and moldy food supply, and said they were from a distant country and wanted to make a treaty. The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord (Joshua 9:14). Israel became complacent in prayer. They failed to pray and made a treaty with one of Canaan’s inhabitants – people God had forbid them to make peace with!

It’s October already and maybe some of the humble prayerful dependence you had on God during your first club meeting is being replaced with complacency. Be women of prayer. Talk to God frequently (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Begin and end your club nights in prayer. Seek His leading and guidance when the walls look impossible to crumble (Jericho) and when it looks like an easy club night (Ai). Young hearts are at stake! Don’t make peace treaties with the enemy (Gibeon), but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord (Romans 12:11).

PASSION Step: During October girls will focus on the PASSION discipline “Pray constantly.” Intercede for girls and clubs. Pray that we never become complacent in prayer.

May we learn to intercede so wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ will be completely and overwhelming satisfied with us as intercessors.

Oswald Chambers


Grace and peace,
Lenae

TITUS 2 PERSEVERANCE

"Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

Titus 2:3-5

One of the sectional leaders at the 2010 GEMS Annual Counselors’ Leadership Conference was Marianne, an eighty-year old sister in Jesus. Here were some of the reviews that she received from her sectional: * Was wonderful to be mentored by a sweet, sweet lady. * Very funny, good info. * What a wonderful Christian example! * Phenomenal! * Marianne was great – full of zeal, full of life, a great example to keep the faith. * Appreciate her honesty – she’s still growing and learning. * Loved having an older, mature woman to learn from – Titus 2!

In the last six months I’ve heard more than one woman question if she’s getting too old to continue to lead in GEMS. Should I retire? When is old too old? Is it time for me to step down? The answer to when we should step out of GEMS must be based on the prompting from the Spirit, not from the dates on our birth certificates!

Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:7) and they did a lot of living after that! Moses and Aaron served the Lord until the day they died. Moses was 120 years old; Aaron was 123 (Deuteronomy 34:7, Numbers 33:39).

The number of our days and years were ordained and written in God’s book before the day of our birth (Psalm 139:16). Life passes quickly like an evening shadow, withered grass, or mist (Psalm 102:11, James 4:14). Let’s pray with Moses, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Teach us to number our days so we can teach as many young girls and women as possible to be self-controlled, pure, kind, and reverent in the way they live (Titus 2:3-5).

As mentors within and outside of the GEMS ministry, we must zealously persevere in the face of inconvenience, challenges, weariness, disappointments, or anything else that would drain our zeal to live as He requires. This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus (Revelation 14:12). Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the LORD, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

PASSION Step: Read Chapter 2 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Ask the Lord to help you zealously persevere in Titus 2 ministry no matter what your age.

"A long, hard, steady, hold-the-course obedience is a rare and wonderful thing."

~John Piper~


Grace and peace,
Lenae

NO COMPROMISE

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

Daniel 3:17-18


Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego didn’t just feed the fire they walked in it. Their lives were marked by no compromise. Even though their Hebrew names were changed to Babylonian ones to assimilate them to the culture, they remained true to God alone. They rejected defiling food and wine from the king’s table for vegetables and water, and even when given a second chance to bow to the image of gold, they chose to be bound and thrown into a blazing furnace.

The church in Pergamum, one of the seven churches in the book of Revelation, knew the pressure to compromise. Their sophisticated city was center to four idolatrous cults: Zeus, Dionysius, Asclepius, and Athene. John called the city where they lived “where Satan has his throne” (Revelation 2:13).

Although Antipas, one of the faithful from their church who was martyred, did not compromise, there were those in the church who were and Jesus held it against them. You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolatians. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth (Revelation 2:14-16).

When Anne Graham Lotz visited the ruins of the old city she said the ancient church was attached to a pagan temple! She wrote, “Instead of making an impact on the world, the world made an impact on the church. [The church of Pergamum] became irrelevant, powerless, and, in the end, nonexistent.”

The Encarta World English Dictionary defines compromise as “a settlement of a dispute in which two or more sides agree to accept less than they originally wanted.” When living as aliens and strangers in this world (1 Peter 2:11), disputes will arise. God’s Word tells us if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18).

But peace must not trump godly living! Being tolerant and opened minded must not trump radical, wholehearted love and obedience to God alone.

The church of Pergamum chose compromise and their church’s building addition was a pagan temple. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chose no compromise and when they were thrown in the fire, the Most High God walked with them” (Daniel 3:25).

PASSION Step: Identify places in your life that you’ve chosen to compromise. Repent and return to God.

If all church members were like you, would the church be more like the world? Or, would the church be more powerful in its witness – making an impact on our generation for the kingdom of God?

Anne Graham Lotz



Grace and peace,
Lenae

FIRE IN MY BONES

"But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."

Jeremiah 20:9



Have you ever been knee deep in ministry that you were certain God called you to when frustration set in? Everything that can go wrong does. You come against unforeseen obstacles. People gripe about things you thought they’d be grateful for. Maybe you even said to God, “Did I hear You correctly? Am I really supposed to do this?”

If that describes you, you have a kindred spirit in Jeremiah. His calling to be a prophet was certain. The word of the LORD came to him and said, “Before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5b).

Even with a sure call, Jeremiah questioned if he was the person for the job. The LORD countered his apprehension with assurance. “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord (Jeremiah 1:7-8).

God called Jeremiah and assured him that He would be with him, and Jeremiah obediently stepped into his assignment. It feels quite happily ever after, doesn’t it? Not even close. In chapter twenty of his book, Jeremiah lays out his complaints against God.

This isn’t what I signed up for! “O LORD you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed” (v 7a).
I’m being poked fun of and insulted! I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me (Jeremiah 20:7b). The word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long (v 8).
I’m ready to quit! But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot (Jeremiah 20:9).

Jeremiah was ready to quit, but he couldn’t. His passion to proclaim God’s Word was like fire burning in his bones. Although he experienced sorrow, persecution, insults, and contempt, he needed to do what God called him to do.

Has God given you a difficult assignment? Has He called you to do something that feels too difficult to complete? Follow Jeremiah’s example and go to God. Cry out your complaints to Him (Jeremiah 20:7-18). Claim His promises and strength, The LORD is with me like a mighty warrior (Jeremiah 20:11), and give Him praise, Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD (Jeremiah 20:13a)!

PASSION Step: What is the biggest challenge you face today? Thank God. He is greater than that challenge.

Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it.

Lilias Trotter

Grace & peace,
Lenae

PLUMP GRAPES

Jesus said, “Thus by their fruit you will recognize them.”

Matthew 7:20



My morning quiet time typically flows with this rhythm . . . prayer, a devotional from Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest, Bible reading, and prayer. On Thursday morning Chambers’ reflection was on Jesus’ words in John 7:37-38, On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

Chambers likened the streams of living water to grapes. He wrote, “God’s purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us.”

Ponder the questions like I did. Am I a plump grape or a dried up prune? When I’m squeezed by conflict and troubles – whether in my relationships, health, finances, or ____________ ­– what comes out of me? Sweetness? Or am I a sour grape?

Remember, there are no such things as coincidences, only God-incidences, and He obviously didn’t want the thought of being a grape to be fleeting. I opened my Bible that I’ve been reading in chronological order. The day’s passage was Isaiah 5. The chapter heading was The Song of the Vineyard. My mouth dropped and my ears opened. OK, God. I’m listening.

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard; My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit (Isaiah 5:1-2). God looked at His vineyard, His chosen nation that was to bear a crop of good grapes, and for all his pains he got junk grapes (Isaiah 5:2b, MSG).

God loved His vineyard; He tended it and watched over it, yet it still bore bad fruit. He asked, “What more could have been done for my vineyard then I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad” (Isaiah 5:4)?

Let’s make that personal. Can you join me in testifying how much God loves us, how faithful He’s been to us, how He has carefully tended and watched over us through His Word, His Spirit, and through His people – including the sisters at GEMS? He can rightly ask, “Can you think of anything I could have done to my vineyard (anything He could have done for you and me) that I didn’t do?” (Isaiah 5:4a, MSG).

He not only knows our deeds (Revelation 3:15-16), He’s in the vineyard checking to see if we are plump or junk grapes.

PASSION Step: Honestly ask God, what kind of grape am I? Then surrender yourself to His pruning.

Trees have seasons at certain times of the year when they bring forth fruit; but a Christian is for all seasons.

Ralph Browning


Grace and peace,
Lenae

Count the Cost

Dear Sisters,

Good morning! There seems to be a lot of countdowns going on lately. We’ve been counting down the days until school starts; our fall workshops take place, and the kick-off meetings to our local GEMS season. We understand countdowns and what it means to count the cost of ACTS budgets for our areas and school supplies for the kids. Yet, the most important cost we need to examine in our lives is the cost of being His disciple. Let’s think on that together this week.

COUNT THE COST


"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?"

Luke 14:28



As middle daughter Stephanie and I were unloading her groceries into the pantry of a small on campus apartment she’s sharing with five other girls this school year she told her friends, “I’ve got food! I figured I better stock up while my mom was here with the checkbook!”

They laughed and identified. With tuition, books, plus the responsibility of purchasing and preparing their own food, they were indeed counting the cost.

When Jesus taught about counting the cost of being a disciple He compared it to tower building and military strategy. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way of and will ask for terms of peace” (Luke 14:28-32).

To be Jesus’ disciples we must also count the cost. True disciples that are feeding the fire do not coast into the Kingdom or compartmentalize their love for God into a 15-minute devotional time in the morning and their service into an every other week GEMS Club night.

To be a passionate disciple of Jesus comes with conditions. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27).

“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple” (Luke 14:33, MSG).

Oswald Chambers wrote, “The only men and women our Lord will use in His building enterprises are those who love Him personally, passionately, and with great devotion – those who have a love for Him that goes far beyond any of the closest relationships on earth. The conditions are strict, but they are glorious.”

PASSION Step: List the people, plans, and possessions that are dearest to you. Do you love these things less than Christ?

Our LORD was not referring here to a cost which we have to count, but to a cost which He has already counted.

Oswald Chambers


Grace and peace,
Lenae

GOOD ZEAL

Dear Sisters,

Hello! How are you? This morning we’re going to think on our priorities together. As you and I personally evaluate our priorities, we must be truthful with ourselves. I know what I want my priorities to be, but is what I want them to be really the way I’m living? How do we truly measure what’s most important to us? Think about what you think about most, what’s filling your calendar, and where your purse frequently travels. Evaluating it all with you, dear sisters, in light of His glorious Word. Have a blessed, God-first week!

"It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you."

Galatians 4:18



What are you most passionate and zealous about? The Barna Group recently released a study that tracked America’s priorities. They reported, “Family and faith continue to be the most common priorities of Americans, though these have waned in importance since 2006. Meanwhile, other elements such as health, leisure, money, and professional success are more likely to be identified as American’s top priorities.” Over the past few years, family and faith have shown a drop in priority, while health, wealth, leisure, personal comfort, success, financial stability, and lifestyle balance are on the increase. Do you and I identify with these statistics?

In the book of Galatians Paul wrote, It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good (Galatians 4:18a). Paul knew all about being zealous for wrong things and even confessed that to the Galatians earlier in his letter. You have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers (Galatians 1:13-14).

Paul was a zealot for destroying God’s church, and an enthusiast for the traditions of men. The horrors! Yet to the Jews he was a hero! His actions were progressing his career path at rates beyond his peers. His persecution campaign had the stamp of approval from the high priest who provided arrest warrants for any disciples that Paul found in the synagogues.

How clearly we see that Paul was zealous for the wrong things! Is it as easy for us to notice when we’re zealous for the wrong things? When we compare our lives to the world and sometimes even to the church, we may see heroism. Yet, when we make the correct contrast, comparing our lives to God’s Word instead of the world, we may see the horrors of our priorities – bowing down to other gods instead of God who must be our first love (Exodus 20:3-6, Mark 12:30-31).

God’s Word says, Be zealous for the fear of the LORD (Proverbs 23:17b). Be an enthusiast for demonstrating fear, reverence, and piety to God. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10). When we fear God, we’ll get wisdom to choose His priorities and have knowledge and understanding to how the Holy One desires for us to live.

What are you most passionate and zealous about? Remember, it is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good (Galatians 4:18). Look to the Good Book to learn what God says is truly good.

PASSION Step: Evaluate your priorities. Make course corrections as necessary.

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good;

but that which is good is always beautiful.

Anne de 1 Enclos


Grace and peace,
Lenae

THE BATTLEFIELD

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. " Ephesians 6:12

God’s Word is filled with stories about men and women who passionately pursued God and zealously served others. They fed the fire! Here’s Deborah’s story and song on the battlefield as recorded in Judges 4 and 5 after she lead the Israelite army against Hazor. The victory was complete when Jael picked up a hammer and drove a tent peg through the temple of Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army.

To feed the fire on the battlefield, you must be willing to fight! Deborah sang about the princes in Israel who took leadership in battle and the people who willingly volunteered and were available when summoned (Judges 4:10, 5:2, 9). Are you a willing leader? Do you crusade for justice or retreat from conflict?

To feed the fire on the battlefield, you must know and follow the Leader! When the Israelites went out from Seir, it was not Deborah who took the lead, but God. When the Lord marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel (Judges 5:4b-5). Do not run before Him, lag behind, or chart your own course. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him (Deuteronomy 13:4).

To feed the fire on the battlefield, do not allow others to discourage you! Four tribes did not lend a hand in the battle. They stayed among the campfires, lingered by the ships, and remained on the coast, rather than joining the battle they had been called to (Judges 5:13-18). They did not come to help the LORD, to help the LORD against the mighty (Judges 5:23b). Do you get discouraged when others refuse to help, preferring to linger by the lukewarm waters or remain on the coast of apathy? Don’t let their choices put out the fire He has flamed within you. Let His Word and Spirit encourage you, and seek out relationships with God’s people who will urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:1).

PASSION Step: Deborah arose and made a difference on the battlefield the Lord assigned her (Judges 5:7). Will you do the same? If so, how and when?


"We are spiritual pacifists, non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle-to-the death with principalities and powers in high places. Meekness must be had for contract with men, but brash, outspoken boldness is required to take part in the comradeship of the Cross. We are "sideliners"- coaching and criticizing the real wrestlers while content to sit by and leave the enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us, we are too much like its own. Oh that God would make us dangerous! "

Jim Elliot

Grace and peace- Lenae

DO WHAT YOU CAN

"She did what she could."
Mark 14:8


She’s said it dozens of times over the years: I don’t have any gifts. I’m not good at anything. And each time this subject pops up in our conversation, I counter the lies with His truth:

God has given you gifts! We have different gifts, according to the grace given us (Romans 12:6).

Use whatever gifts He’s given you! Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:10).

No matter what your gifts, gratefully do your best. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:23).

Lazarus and Martha’s sister Mary (John 12:1-7) was described in Luke as a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town (Luke 7:37). With that kind of reputation, she could’ve duped herself into thinking she was useless to the Kingdom, too. Instead she took the gifts that she had – a passionate love for Jesus and an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume – and anointed her Lord. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head (Mark 14:3).

Using our gifts to passionately pursue God and zealously serve others will not always be received well by those around us. There’s a risk when we serve in out of the ordinary ways, and being His disciple comes with a cost (Luke 14:26-27).

That was Mary’s experience. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly (Mark 14:4-5).

Jesus saw her heart and came to her defense. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. She did what she could” (Mark 14:6, 8a). Mary’s wholehearted devotion and service to Jesus is her legacy. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her” (Mark 14:9).

If you look around at other people’s gifts, you’re sure to find a gift that’s not part of the way God wired and designed you. That’s OK. He’s not asking you to serve Him with gifts He hasn’t given you! Instead, follow Mary’s example: She did what she could (Mark 14:8).

PASSION Step: What will you do to passionately pursue God and zealously serve Him today? Do what you can (Mark 14:8).

You are not a reservoir with a limited amount of resources; you are a channel attached to unlimited divine resources.

Unknown


Grace and peace,
Lenae

Who's Walking Who?

Hi ladies!!
I hope you're enjoying your summer and have been able to have a bit of a break from the regular routine of school, ministry and other activities.
As you know, many GEMS counselors are travelling to conference in Minnesota this week. Please pray for these women as they get ready to leave their families behind to attend conference. Pray for safe travels, peace of mind as they are away, and that they would be refreshed, inspired, and return with renewed faith.
Because of conference, Lenae has not written a devotional for this week. I've posted a devotional I really enjoyed written by Amy from the GEMS staff blog. (a link to their blog is under favorites to the left of your screen.)

Have a blessed week!

I like dogs. Not a ton, but just enough to find enjoyment in my weekly walks with Amber – my elderly friend’s golden retriever. After four years of strolling down the same stretch of pavement every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, we’ve established a good routine.

Depending on the day, we pass a variety of people as we walk. Some stop and chat, others just smile and nod.

There’s the man who carries his oversized golf umbrella – rain or shine. He walks briskly and offers a quick wave with his free hand.

There’s the middle-aged woman and her mother who, every spring, relinquish their Curves memberships in exchange for afternoon walks together. We usually pause briefly to comment on the weather; they like to gauge how much longer they have to enjoy this tradition before the snow forces them back to the gym.

There is the old Jewish man who walks to the Synagogue with his head down and his hands clasped easily behind his back. He never fully acknowledges our presence, but he always smiles as he ambles slowly along.

The guy who mows his lawn twice a week knows Amber by name, as do the three children who ride their bikes with their dad after school in the fall. We always stop for these people, since Amber relishes the attention they give her.

The elderly gentleman who sits in a folding chair in the doorway of his garage will usually wave enthusiastically over his head, but as the days get cooler he calls out friendly reminders, encouraging me to wear a hat to stay warm.

The lady with the little white dogs we usually try to avoid. Her dogs aren’t too fond of Amber, so she crosses the street when she sees us, offering a knowing and apologetic smile as she does.

And then there’s the older gentleman who rides his giant adult-sized tricycle up and down the sidewalk, the woman who power walks to the grocery store, the guy with the fake flowers planted in pots around his yard, the lady who incessantly shovels her driveway each winter, and the couple that circles their block at the same time each Saturday.

I’ve literally interacted with these people hundreds of times. I can anticipate how they will respond to our approach, and I react accordingly.

Until about a month ago.

I had just gotten off the phone with a friend who was struggling. I was praying silently for her as I walked. I’ll do anything for my friends; I fight fiercely for the people I love, but that particular day I felt incapacitated by my own disappointed with God. His seeming lack of action in her situation left me confused and, I’ll admit, a little angry.

That’s when I saw him coming. For four years I’d heard him make the same bad joke every single time we passed him. I’ve never been able to place him: I don’t know where he lives, I’m not sure where he’s going, and I have no clue why he walks the same stretch of sidewalk week after week.

He started laughing to himself as we approached – already amused at his forthcoming wit. He grinned. I was annoyed. I braced myself as he carelessly questioned, “Who’s walking who?” before busting into a belly-laugh and continuing on his way.

I rallied a smile and opened my mouth to offer my usual courtesy laugh, but, for the first time, nothing came out.

As I walked along rationalizing my frustrations to God, the man’s question had forced me to stop. I had expectations of God. Just like the people I meet on my weekly walks, I had my response prepared, and I was anticipating what God would do. I had completed my part of the routine; now I was demanding to know why He wasn’t doing His.

He wanted to know why I insisted on being in control. Who’s walking who, Amy? Who’s in charge? Who’s following whose lead here, anyway?


Right. How silly of that to slip my mind. Insert an attitude adjustment and a realigned prayer for my friend.

It’s easy to invite God into our plans and request His blessing along the way. It’s harder to ask Him to lead us in the routines of everyday life – not to mention the big circumstances and decisions we face. Are you really, honestly, and truly trusting the Good Shepherd to set a path before you? Or are you projecting your dreams and desires onto Him and asking Him to follow along, just in case you need Him along the way? It’s easy to confuse the two; but God definitely knows the difference! Choose to follow His lead.

"I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths." Proverbs 4:11

HEED THE WARNING SIGNS

"Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

James 4:8


Warning alarms come in all shapes and sizes. There are smoke alarms that alert people to the danger of fire, house and car alarms to warn if a break-in or theft is attempted, back-up warning alarms signal that vehicles are going in reverse, and civil defense sirens warn communities of approaching danger.

Second Chronicles 29 contains multiple warning signs that the fire was extinguished in the Temple and in their hearts. It’s a chapter that details how King Hezekiah purified the Temple in the first month of the first year of His reign.
The doors were closed (2 Chronicles 29:3). Closed doors, closed hearts, closed eyes and ears all indicate that the fire has grown cold. God told Judah through the prophet Jeremiah, “To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it” (Jeremiah 6:10). Open wide your mouth and God will fill it (Psalm 81:10), open your eyes to see wonderful things in His law (Psalm 119:18), open your lips and declare His praise (Psalm 51:15). Feed the fire by opening the doors of your heart!


The lamps were put out (2 Chronicles 29:7a). When we put out our lamps by hiding them under a bowl, we fail to be the shining lights in this dark world that God intends for us to be (Matthew 5:14-15). Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Feed the fire by shining brightly in your home, your neighborhood, your workplace, and your church!

The incense altar was cold (2 Chronicles 29:7b). No burning incense indicates that there were no prayers. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice (Psalm 141:2). Leonard Ravenhill wrote, “This much is sure in all churches, forgetting party labels; the smallest meeting numerically is the prayer meeting. If weak in prayer we are weak everywhere.” If you typically prayer for 10-minutes a day, pray for 15. If you pray for an hour a day, pray for an hour and 15 minutes. No matter how shallow or deep our prayer life, we can and should pray more (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Feed the fire by being a woman of prayer!

PASSION Step: Are there warning signs that the fire in your heart has been extinguished? If so, purify it (James 4:8).

The Pharisees minded what God spoke, but not what He intended . . . They were busy in the outward work of the hand, but incurious of the affections and choice of the heart. So God was served in the letter, they did not much inquire into His purpose; and therefore they were curious to wash their hands, but cared not to purify their hearts.

Jeremy Taylor



Grace and peace,
Lenae

YOUR RIGHT ARM

"And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."

Matthew 5:30


I’m attached to my right arm. Literally. It’s my go-to, preferred arm in all that I do. Unless you’re left-handed, the same is probably true for you.

A few years ago my Aunt Caroline needed to make a choice with her right arm. Either she kept her arm and the cancer would continue to spread throughout her body, or she could allow surgeons to cut it off at the elbow and live. She chose the later. Cutting off her right arm literally saved her life.

The same is true for you and me spiritually. Jesus said, And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell (Matthew 5:30).

In his devotional book, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers writes, “Your right hand is one of the best things you have, but Jesus says that if it hinders you in following His precepts, then ‘cut it off.’ The principle taught here is the strictest discipline or lesson that ever hit humankind.”

Chambers reminds us that just because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. There is a time when even good things must be cut out of our lives if they deviate our eyes from being fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). He writes, “There are many things that are perfectly legitimate, but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them.”

It’s perfectly legitimate to shop, to hang out with friends, to surf the Internet, to text or talk on the phone, to go on vacation, to remodel your house, etc. But if one or all of these things keep us from concentrating on God they need to go! We need to cut them out of our life!

Eugene Peterson puts it this way in The Message, And you have to chop off your right hand the moment you notice it raised threateningly. Better a bloody stump than your entire being discarded for good in the dump (Matthew 5:30, MSG).

Like me, maybe you’ve heard passionate people who really want something badly, say, “I’d give my right arm for ___________________ to happen.” Or, “I’d give my right arm if I could see ___________________.”

To feed the fire in our hearts, Jesus is asking us to give our right arm. Passionate disciples count the cost (Luke 14:26-27, 33) and cut out everything in their life that keeps them from loving God and zealously serving others.

PASSION Step: What seemingly good things need to be cut out of your life so you can be a passionate disciple of Christ?

It is better to enter into life maimed but lovely in God’s sight than to appear lovely to man’s eyes but lame to God’s.

Oswald Chambers


Grace and peace,
Lenae

FIRST LOVE

"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love."

Revelation 2:4


The church in Ephesus was filled with doers. They did good deeds, worked hard, and persevered. They were people of principle. They endured hardships for the sake of Christ, couldn’t stomach wickedness and sin, and even tested apostles to see if they were men of integrity or imposters. In all these admirable qualities that you may be even be longing for in your own church today, they did not grow weary (Revelation 2:2-3).

Do you think they were shocked when Christ gave them correction instead of commendations? He said: Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love (Revelation 2:4).

When Dr. Helen Roseveare was serving as a medical missionary in Nebobongo a rainstorm in the dry season soaked the few items that were contained in her thatched roof home. She sat “cross-legged on the pillow, with the umbrella over [her] head, an open Bible on [her] knees, a flashlight in [her] hand . . . – and wept.”

Thirty-six hours later while she swept the house, dried out the mats, and mopped the books she felt a voice asking her, “Do you love Me more than these?”

In her book, Living Sacrifice – Willing to be Whittled as an Arrow, she writes, “There was nothing wrong with having pictures on the walls, mats on the floors, or books on the shelves, as long as they were not important in my life. If they began to take the place of my ‘first love,’ they would have to go.”

What or who is your and my first love? Is it financial security, good health, achievements, recognition, or family? Is it hard work in GEMS, good deeds within your community, or perseverance in the church? If the Spirit were to ask you right now, “Do you love Me more than these?” What would the “these” be for you?

If we’ve fallen from the height of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Revelation 2:5a, Mark 12:30), we must heed the course correction that Christ gave to the church in Ephesus: Repent and do the things you did at first (Revelation 2:5b).

To refuse to do so comes with serious consequences. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place (Revelation 2:5b. See Revelation 1:20). To return to your first love is to receive an eternal promise: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).

PASSION Step: Feed the fire by guarding your heart and keeping Jesus Christ your first love.

Jesus desires your love more than all of your service and obedience combined. Don’t put your work before your worship; give Him your heart.

Anne Graham Lotz

NOTICE GOD IN THE ORDINARY

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Jeremiah 29:13


Esther is the only book in the sixty-six books of the Bible where God’s name is not mentioned – not even once. We might be tempted to think He’s not involved in her story because we can’t see His name. Not so! Just check out these amazing God sightings – evidences and signs of His presence!

Fact: King Xerxes’ search for a queen was done in every province of his realm. The girls needed to be beautiful, young virgins.

God sighting: Esther, the girl God chose to use to save His people, lived in King Xerxes’ kingdom, and was a beautiful young virgin (Esther 2:7).

Fact: Mordecai was Esther’s older cousin who became her foster father after her parents died. Mordecai was also a Jew. Because he was a Jew and refused to bow before Haman, the king’s highest ranking noble, Haman built a gallows, 75-feet high, and made a plan to hang Mordecai.

God sighting: On the night that Haman was building the gallows, God kept the king awake – he couldn’t sleep! Wide-awake, the king ordered the record of his reign be read to him. He discovered that Mordecai saved his life when someone was trying to assassinate him. The king wanted to recognize Mordecai for his help, and whom did he ask to help? The man who wanted to hang him – Haman himself (Esther 6:10-11)!

Fact: Haman plotted to kill all the Jews and received the unsuspecting king’s approval to do it.

God sighting: Esther was queen and no one suspected she was a Jew. God placed her in a unique position to go into the king’s presence and beg for mercy for his people (Esther 4:14).

Fact: Evil Haman is second in charge in the kingdom, and fully expected that everything be done according to his plan.

God sighting: God used Haman’s evil wife Zeresh to speak truth to Haman about Who is really in charge and directing all the plans (Esther 6:13).

Fact: God sightings are not unique to Esther’s story. The same is true for you and me! If we want to find God in our story we must look for Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

God sighting: Your turn. Where do you see Him in your story today? Feed the fire by being on watch for God in all places, at all times by noticing Him in the ordinary.

PASSION Step: The book of Ruth is packed with God-sightings, too. Read it this week (and Esther, too!) and count how many you can find!

How often do we need to see God’s face, hear His voice, feel His touch, know His power? The answer to all these questions is the same: Every day!

John Blanchard

OPEN UP AND TALK ABOUT GOD

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:19-20


One of my favorite Christmas carols to hear and watch children sing is Go Tell It On the Mountain. Children sing with passion and are free of inhibitions. They proclaim Jesus’ birth without fear of how people will respond, without wondering if they’ll be rejected or scoffed at, and without questioning whether they’ll be able to answer theological questions about His virgin birth or prophecy fulfilled. They simply open up and sing!

When Jesus rose from the dead Mary Magdalene and the other women became the first heralds of the good news. When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene . . . She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it (Mark 16:9-11).

When Jesus told them, “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (Matthew 28:10), the women obeyed. They went and opened up and talked about God. Some who heard doubted them (Matthew 28:17). Some who heard refused to believe (Mark 16:11). Their negative responses didn’t hinder the women from sharing the good news and planting seeds. They understood that God is the One who makes those seeds grow (1 Corinthians 3:6). The results are in His hands.

How often do you open up and talk about God to people who need to hear about Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection? Are you proclaiming it from the mountaintops with child-like passion? Are you obediently going and telling? Or are you tongue-tied, fearful, or silent?

In Greg Laurie’s book, Making God Known – How to Bring Others to Faith, he writes, “According to one poll, nine out of ten American adults cannot accurately define the meaning of the Great Commission. Seven in ten adults have no clue what ‘John 3:16’ means. But the most alarming statistic of all is that 95 percent of Christians have never led another person to Christ.”

We must quit overcomplicating things! We are Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), empowered to be His disciple-makers (Matthew 28:19), and chosen to be His royal priesthood that we may declare the praises of him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). You are needed to go and tell! The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few (Luke 10:2).

PASSION Step: Feed the fire: open up and talk about God to someone who doesn’t know Jesus.

"The evangelistic harvest is always urgent. God will hold us responsible at the Judgment Seat of Christ for how well we fulfilled our responsibilities and took advantage of our opportunities."

Billy Graham

Grace and peace,

Lenae

INTERACT WITH GOD’S PEOPLE

Dear Sisters,

Happy June! What special summer plans do you have in place? Bar-B-Que’s, camping, trips, and picnics? Summer schedules tend to be more relaxed. It’s a good and needed season to the rhythm of life. But to feed the fire, we must not relax and retreat to the point of missing opportunities to interact with God’s people at worship. Keep on meeting together, dear sisters! As we enjoy the sun, may we not miss the Son!


Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25


Jesus said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). That was certainly my experience around the kitchen table with Jo and Maria on Tuesday night. It was the first time I met Maria. She’s a beautiful Hispanic sister in Jesus whose love for God glows and gushes from her tiny frame. Her single-minded life purpose and focus is to share God’s love with people.

In our two hours together the only thing that interrupted our discussion and the prayers that Maria seamlessly and spontaneously wove into our conversation was her ringing cell phone. How rude, right? Someone needs to take Cell Phone Etiquette 101. Not Maria.

Hurting women were calling Maria because they needed prayer. Maria was a safe place, an ambassador of love that provided something these women hadn’t experienced in the church. Her tears flowed for the women; my heart broke that the church had failed to be the Church.

God has given His people a number of one-another commands. When we gather at church, GEMS, and around kitchen tables with brothers and sisters in Christ, are we “one-anothering” each other? Check the ones that are true for you:

_____You live in harmony with one another. You are not proud, but are willing to associate with people of low position (Romans 12:16).



_____You love one another. Not just the gals you drink coffee with, but you have a huge debt of love for the people in your congregation who are doing everything wrong (Romans 13:8).



_____You offer hospitality to one another without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9). You provide practical and genuine care even when it’s not convenient or easy.



_____You speak to one another (not just about the weather or your kids), but with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, you make music in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).



_____You encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Not just at Bible Study or GEMS, but every time you connect with God’s people you encourage them to press on and strain toward the prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14).


PASSION Step: Look up all the one another commands in Scripture. Feed the fire by obeying them in every relationship.

The church is not something additional or optional. It is at the very heart of God’s purposes. Jesus came to create a people who would model what it means to live under His rule.

Tim Chester and Steve Timmis



Grace and peace,
Lenae

SERVE OTHERS

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

Before King David gave his son Solomon the plans for The Temple complex he said, “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts” (1 Chronicles 28:9a).

Confession time. More often then I’d like to admit when God searched the motives behind my service, they fell far short of His command that my attitude be the same as that of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). I’ve volunteered out of a desire to fix and rescue the project, rather than to love and serve people. I’ve stepped into neighborhoods that looked different than mine out of selfish ambition or vain conceit instead of humbly considering them better than myself (Philippians 2:3). That service may have looked admirable on the outside, but the lukewarm waters that God saw when He searched my heart and mind must’ve made Him sick.

Four years into Dr. Helen Roseveare’s twenty-year service (1953-1973) to God in Africa she became aware of some wrong motives in her service, too. It was a Sunday evening when Pastor Ndugu and his wife Tamoma called her out to the fireside to talk and pray. He showed her some hidden areas of her heart that pertained to race prejudice. She said, “The Spirit forced me to acknowledge that subconsciously I did not really believe that an African could be as good a Christian as I was, or could know the Lord Jesus or understand the Bible as I did.”

Pastor Ndugu opened his Bible to Galatians 2:20. With his heal, he draw a straight line in the dirt floor. “I,” he said, “The capital I in our lives, Self, is the great enemy . . .

“Helen . . . the trouble with you is that we can see so much Helen that we cannot see Jesus.”

Her eyes filled with tears. Pastor Ndugu’s object lesson continued. He drew another line in the dirt across the I he had previously drawn and said, “May I suggest that you lift your heart to God and pray, ‘Please, God, cross out the I.’”

Helen wrote, “There in the dirt was his lesson of simplified theology – the Cross – the crossed-out I life.” I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).

PASSION Step: What is central to your service: Your ego or Christ’s life in you? Zealously serve with a crossed-out I life.

The greatest competitor of true devotion to Jesus is the service we do for Him. It is easier to serve than to pour out our lives completely for Him. Are we more devoted to service than we are to Jesus Himself?
Oswald Chambers

Grace and peace,
Lenae

STUDY GOD’S WORD

Happy Monday! I pray that you’re continuing to feed the fire by practicing the spiritual disciplines of PASSION. This week we’ll focus on studying God’s Word.

In David Nasser’s book, A Call to Die, he asks, “Can you walk with God and not know God’s word? That’s a good question. Many people believe that God will somehow give them His treasure of wisdom and insight by osmosis. It doesn’t happen like that. We have to mine for it, and the mine shaft goes through the pages of the Scriptures.”

Let’s go mining together, Sisters! Have a Scripture-saturated week!

STUDY GOD’S WORD

"Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws."

Psalm 119:42


You are what you eat is a well-known phrase that the food one eats comes with consequences to a person’s mind and health. Eat good food: experience good health. Eat junk food: experience poor health. Food becomes part of our inner being – strengthening or weakening our bodies.

What’s true for feeding our physical bodies is true for our spiritual health as well. In the book of Revelation when John went to the angel and asked him to give him the little scroll, the angel said to him, “Take it and eat it” (Revelation 10:9). Eugene Peterson writes, “The book he ate was Holy Scripture. John got it into his nerve endings, his reflexes, his imagination.”

Chew your food. We chew on Scripture through meditation, understanding, and obedience. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8). Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly (Colossians 3:16).

Clean your plate. Like children who eat their favorite part of the meal and shove the vegetables under their napkin hoping no one will notice, there’s a temptation to feast on our favorite Scripture passages and push verses like love your enemies (Matthew 5:44) and forgive your brother and sister from your heart (18:21-35) to the side. We mustn’t read our Bibles like picky eaters – picking and choosing what we want to hear. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

Fresh is best. Warren Wiersbe writes, “Just as the Jews could not live on yesterday’s manna, so you cannot live on yesterday’s spiritual diet.” Don’t live on the leftovers of Sunday’s sermon. Get in the Word yourself, every day! Love God’s Word and meditate on it all day long (Psalm 119:97). I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word (Psalm 119:16).

Feasting on God’s Word will keep us pure, counsel us, preserve our life, strengthen us, cause us to walk in true freedom, comfort us in suffering, encourage us in affliction, light our path, give us understanding, sustain us, and uphold us. (See Psalm 119 for a full listing of spiritual health benefits.)

These blessings won’t through a drive through window of a short devotional or power verse for the day. Feed the fire by studying God’s Word, listening to it, and doing what it says (James 1:22).

PASSION Step: Ask God to increase your hunger pains for His holy Word.

If all church members were like you, would the church be more like the world? Or would the church be more powerful in its witness because it would be deeper into the Word?

Anne Graham Lotz



Grace and peace,
Lenae

PRAY CONSTANTLY

"Pray continually."

1 Thessalonians 5:17


In 1 Samuel 7, the Israelites assembled at Mizpah for Samuel to intercede with the Lord for them. When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted” (1 Samuel 7:5).

The Philistines mistook the Israelite prayer meeting as a preparation-for-war assembly. Their leaders came up to attack the Israelites. When the Israelites heard that the Philistines were coming they were afraid and said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 7:8).

Samuel took a young lamb, offered it as a whole burnt offering, and prayed fervently to the LORD, interceding for Israel. And GOD answered.

The Israelites were not physically equipped for battle, but through prayer they fought with weapons that are not the weapons of the world. They had God’s divine power to demolish strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).

The LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car (1 Samuel 7:10b-11).

Samuel fed the fire by praying constantly. He was born in prayer as an answer to his mother’s petitions for a child (1 Samuel 1:15-17). He started talking and listening to God as a young boy (1 Samuel 3), and he lived in dependence on prayer from boyhood to his farewell speech when he said to the Israelites, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you what is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you” (1 Samuel 12:23-24).

As you think about the children in your sphere of influence within your family, neighborhood, and at the GEMS Club down the street or in Zambia, are you an intercessor like Samuel? Can it be said of you and I that we never fail to pray for these little ones? Do we teach them what is good and right?

Oswald Chambers gives this challenge to intercessors. “Get involved in the real work of intercession, remembering that it truly is work – work that demands all your energy.” It’s a work of passion and action. May the LORD never look at us and be appalled at the lukewarm hearts because there was no one to intervene in prayer (Isaiah 59:15-16).

PASSION Step: Renew your commitment to intercede for children. What will you do this week to pray for them more?


Do you find yourself thinking that there is no one interceding properly? Then be that person yourself.

Oswald Chambers



Grace and peace,
Lenae

PASSION

Good morning, sisters! Humming, rocking, and singing lullabies are just a few of the ways that mothers bring comfort to their babies. Nearly everyone loves rocking babies or teasing toddlers, but once they start to cry, they’re quickly returned to their mothers’ arms for no one seems to understand a baby’s tears or needs like his or her mother.

To help us picture God’s tender love for His children, God’s Word points us to a mother and her child. Isaiah 66:13 says, As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you. God’s compassion goes beyond the best of the best mothers! God says through Isaiah in chapter 49, verses 15 and 16, Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.

And like a mother singing a lullaby over her baby, God sings over us with deep love and pure delight. Zephaniah chapter 3 verse 17 reads, The Lord your God . . . will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Whether you spent yesterday remembering your mother who is now with Jesus, or you continue to experience her love and care today, consider how she is an earthly picture of the Heavenly Father’s everlasting, unconditional, and perfect love for you and me.

Have a great week!



PASSION

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

1 Timothy 4:16


Within the concise, but commanding book, Stand – A Call for the Endurance of the Saints, Randy Alcorn writes about when he and his wife Nanci attended a thirty-year reunion of their church college group. He recorded that forty came and five of their original group had died. He hinted at the losses that many had experienced in their lives, yet there was beauty in that night as person after person talked about God’s faithfulness.

Some were unable to attend the reunion due to practical challenges like scheduling conflicts, distance, and poor health. Others intentionally stayed away because their love for Jesus had grown cold. Why didn’t these saints endure Randy asked. His answer? “Their hour-to-hour and day-to-day choices set them up for spiritual distraction and failure.”

The choice to sleep in or to set the alarm clock earlier than yesterday so we can talk to God will determine if we’re going to be women of apathy or of action. The choice to go with the flow of the culture or to move in what Eugene Peterson calls “a long obedience in the same direction” will guide us into casual Christianity or Christ-like living. The choice to just live life as it comes or to establish and persevere in spiritual disciplines will lead to warming the pews or feeding the fire.

To be women of PASSION that love God and serve Him by serving others there are six spiritual disciplines that we must add to our heart’s fire. (We’ll dig deeper in the weeks to come.)

P ray constantly. Make the day-to-day choice to talk and listen to God (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

A is for And,

S tudy God’s Word. Make the day-to-day choice to read your Bible to learn how God wants you to live (Psalm 119:9).

S erve others. Make the day-to-day choice to serve others no matter what the task (John 13:14-15).

I nteract with God’s people. Make the day-to-day choice to encourage one another in the Lord (Hebrews 10:25).

O pen up and talk about God. Make the day-to-day choice to tell people about Jesus’ love (Matthew 28:19-20).

N otice God in the ordinary. Make the day-to-day choice to seek God and to take note of all the tender ways He cares for you (Jeremiah 29:13).

PASSION Step: What PASSION discipline will you choose to establish this week?


We never grow closer to God when we just live life; it takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness.

Francis Chan



Grace and peace,
Lenae

Feed the Fire

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."
Romans 12:11


Although the old saying, “A watched pot never boils” may seem accurate when we’re in a hurry to make pasta for dinner, any pot of water left long enough on the right temperature will eventually boil. It’s not boiling water, but boiling spirits that is contained in God’s command for His children in Romans 12:11, Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. The word fervor comes from the Latin word fervens, which means, “boiling.” To have great spiritual fervor is to have a boiling heart for God!

Boiling hearts chill when we serve God and Money (Matthew 6:24), worry (Matthew 6:25-27), are timid in testifying about our Lord (2 Timothy 1:7-8), participate in godless chatter (2 Timothy 2:16) and foolish and stupid arguments (2 Timothy 2:23), walk in darkness (1 John 1:6), are lukewarm (Revelation 3:15-16), turn away from our first love (Revelation 2:4), and love the ways of the world (2 Timothy 4:10).

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world – wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important – has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him (1 John 2:15-16, MSG).

Sin isolates us from God and extinguishes flames! To feed the fire of love for God and zeal to serve others we must ruthlessly eliminate sin from our lives. Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles (Hebrews 12:1), get rid of it (Ephesians 4:31), take it off (Ephesians 4:25), and put it to death (Colossians 3:5). If we become apathetic to sin and get comfortable with the things that God has told us to strip out of our lives there is a consequence for our choice. Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21).

Although a watched pot will eventually boil, a heart that houses sin won’t. If your heart isn’t boiling, take a look at what’s hindering the heat. What sin has entangled you?

Once we’ve repented of sin, we can persevere in the race that He’s marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1). Keep your spiritual fervor by fixing your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead (Philippians 3:13). With Paul, let’s press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

PASSION Step: Ask God to reveal any sin that is keeping your heart from boiling with spiritual fervor.


Spirit filled souls are ablaze for God. They love with a love that glows. They serve with a faith that kindles. They serve with a devotion that consumes. They hate sin with fierceness that burns. They rejoice with a joy that radiates. Love is perfected in the fire of God.

Samuel Chadwick


Grace and peace,
Lenae

Hot, Cold, or Lukewarm

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:15-16


Jesus was the originator of object lessons. He spoke of the things of God in relation to what people could easily identify with. He invited His fisherman disciples to “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). He told the crowds who sat under His teaching that they were salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16), and described the Kingdom of Heaven being like a field of wheat and weeds, mustard seed, yeast, hidden treasure, a merchant looking for fine pearls, and a net that is let down into a lake (Matthew 13).

When Jesus spoke of hot, cold, and lukewarm water to the church in Laodecia, He was also speaking a language they could understand. Hierapolis was about six miles from Laodicea and was known for its hot waters that were good and healing. The baths of the Hierapolis were so immense that hundreds of people could bathe at the same time. “People from distant regions came to soak in warm baths and seek healing for arthritis, skin diseases, and even abdominal problems” (Ray Vander Laan).

The city of Colosse is eleven miles from Laodicea and it was known for its cold, refreshing drinking water. Located at the foot of Mt. Cadmus, their streams remained icy and pure because of the snow and rain that flowed from the peak of Mt. Cadmus.

Sandwiched between the hot water of Hierapolis and the cold water of Colosse was lukewarm Laodecia. Their stagnant water was full of minerals, gross, useless, and undrinkable. God looked at the city of Laodecia and saw lukewarm water that made them sick. He looked at the people of Laodecia and saw lukewarm hearts that made Him sick.

Within his website, followtherabbi.com, Ray Vander Laan, applies the truth of this verse: In light of the water for which the cities of Hierapolis, Colosse and Laodicea were known, the apostle John might have been saying, “If you were hot, like the springs of Hierapolis, you’d bring healing, restoration, and comfort to people who suffer. If you were cold, like the water in Colosse, you’d refresh and encourage people who are hurting. Instead, you are lukewarm. You don’t do anyone any good and you make me sick just like your own water.”

As you prayerfully and honestly do a water temperature test on your heart, what does it read? Make no mistake, the warning in Revelation goes beyond the ancient city of Laodecia. Its truth must be applied to the waters within our hearts, clubs, and churches today.

PASSION Step: Do not measure the temp of your heart to those around you. Compare your heart’s water to Jesus alone!


Apathy is the acceptance of the unacceptable.

John Stott


Grace and peace,
Lenae