On my coffee table at home I have a few books for “show.” If you know me, you know that I love tea parties! I love to entertain and cook. Having a few close friends over for a special afternoon of tea and goodies is at the top of my list of favorite things to do. My coffee table reflects that interest with a few Tea Party books and magazines. 

Many years ago, after the birth of my son, Daniel, I had a photographer come to the house to take some baby portraits. I ended up buying some package where they would come back year after year. Well, I received a lovely bonus…a very large family Bible (KJV), which promptly became a “coffee table book.” I wasn’t a Christian, although I was raised in a church…and I never owned a Bible…this was my first one! I thought it was pretty neat and besides it had some great pictures in it…and it looked really good on my coffee table!

As I look back, it is so sad. I guess I thought of that Bible as some kind of a “good luck” charm. I never picked it up to read it. Oh, I might have flipped through it a couple times to look at the pictures but really, it just sat on my coffee table gathering dust.

I wasn’t until about 1995 or 96 that I began to read and study the Bible…not the one on my coffee table…but a New Living Translation Bible. Prior to reading and studying the Bible I was very opinionated about it. I would argue about how outdated it was and that it was so full of contradictions. All without ever reading a word!!

When adversity came into my life, I wanted to find out about God and the only way was to read the Bible. I’ve been reading and studying it ever since. Funny thing is…as I read and studied it…God’s TRUTH was revealed to me. In 1998 I accepted Jesus as the Lord and Savior of my life. 

God’s Word is Truth, Life, and Food for your soul. It shows the way to salvation, it teaches and convicts us. There is no other Book like it in the world….because it is God’s own words! 

2 Timothy 3:16-17: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

      You can’t get to know God and the Truth of the Gospel message from the back of a cereal box. The only way to know God and His son Jesus is to read the book He wrote. Do you have a Bible delegated as the “coffee table” book or is it at the bottom of your closet or up on a shelf? Why don’t you dust it off, open it up and read His Story? You’ll be amazed at the treasures you’ll find!

MaryAnn

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 35 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of two grandsons. She serves at America’s KESWICK as the Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.'” Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.   

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.” 

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  Matthew 27:35-50

I know what you are thinking – that I’ve gone off my rocker.  Why this excerpt about the death of Jesus Christ?  Because today we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. 

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. Luke 2:8-12

In the midst of our celebration, let us not lose sight of the truth, that Jesus was born to die. His whole life pointed to His crucifixion and resurrection.  What greater truth do we have to celebrate this day? 

Merry Christmas.

Diane

Well, it’s finally here!! All the packages have been bought and shipped.  The meal has been well thought out.  The hors d’oeuvres are chilling in the refrigerator.  The mouth-watering Christmas cookies are all baked. The house is lit with great care. The gifts are all wrapped waiting to be put under the ornately decorated tree.  The air of anticipation mingles with the distinct fragrance of the tree and the aroma of the mistletoe candle.  

Celebration is soon to begin.  

Did you remember to invite the Guest of Honor?  Have you left room in your heart this Holiday season to meditate on Jesus?  Whether you are celebrating today and tomorrow with family and friends or quietly alone, don’t lose sight of the real reason we are celebrating at all.  JESUS HAS COME!! HALLELUJAH!!!

Diane

When you think about living the dead life does that cause you to pause a moment?  The question itself sounds contradictory.  If you are reading this Victory Call you are alive, living and breathing, physically alive.  If you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you are also spiritually alive.  So where does the dead life come in?  

Romans 6:6-7 “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.”

Romans 6:11a “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin”

“Is it, reckon yourself to be weak in reference to sin? No, it is lower than that. Is it, reckon yourself to be dying? No, lower still. ‘Reckon yourself to be dead (Rom. 6:11) indeed unto sin.’ Some believe they are very weak. But what does that imply? That they have some strength. But when a man is dead he has no strength.”i

If we live as if we have any life [any of the old wo(man)] at all we are not living the dead life. Are not life and death mutually exclusive? 

The truth, the factual truth, is that our old man is dead.  That is fact, the Bible clearly says so.  If this is so, then why do we continue to struggle with our old nature?  Could it be that it doesn’t know it is dead, or perhaps we don’t know or believe that part of us is dead?  Don’t we live out in our reality what feels true rather than what is true?  

“We must act on the fact that we are dead in reference to sin. We shall not then speak of difficulty as to resisting temptation in reference to ourselves. We shall take the lowest place, and say it is impossible.”ii

When we are tempted, our old man doesn’t feel dead, it feels very much alive.  When we begin to consider or toy with the temptation, at that moment we are living in unbelief.  We are living as if God’s word is not true.  

Sister, let us reckon ourselves to be dead indeed to sin and start living the dead life.

Diane

i Miles Stanford, The Complete Green Letters, page 42

ii ibid

Tonight I heard Joseph Bonsall read his story of An Inconvenient Christmas. Have you ever had an inconvenient Christmas? Actually, I suppose the question should be have you ever had a convenient Christmas?

The Christmas my parents forgot to bring my presents to Grandma’s house was certainly an inconvenient Christmas. For a ten-year-old, how could it be Christmas without any presents?

The Christmas Eve of 1963, we were traveling to my parents in Michigan from our home in Indiana. Matt was 4 and Mellyn was two. I was great with child; the baby was due in May. Our car broke down and we were stranded about 60 miles from my parents’ home. The gas station owner explained he was late for a family dinner and he needed to close up the station. He kindly left the women’s restroom open. Even though it was crowded with all of us huddled in there waiting for Grandpa to come, at least it was heated. That Christmas was very inconvenient. We were cold and hungry by the time we got to my parents’ home. Christmas definitely did not proceed on schedule.

Christmas eve of 1965, I was sitting in the Lazyboy chair with Glen kneeling beside me, holding my hand. I heard three-year-old Mellyn whisper to five-year-old Matt, “The babies are coming!” She was right. The babies were coming several weeks early. I managed to stay at the house long enough for my mom and dad to arrive from Michigan. I gave my mother instructions about Christmas dinner and where some of the kids’ toys were hidden, to be wrapped after they went to sleep. 

Then Glen and I left for the hospital. The timing was certainly inconvenient, but once I got to the hospital I was greeted by those who were prepared to help me deliver my babies. Nathan and Ethan arrived around 3:00 am Christmas morning.

Perhaps we could conclude that the first Christmas was the most inconvenient. Mary certainly didn’t plan to become pregnant. Joseph didn’t plan to marry a woman who was already pregnant. Neither Mary nor Joseph planned that the baby would be born so far from home, let alone in a stable. For the shepherds, a trip to Bethlehem was not on their schedule for that night.

How about now? Is this an inconvenient Christmas for you? Do you still have so much to do to get ready? Are you wishing you had just a few more days? Would Christmas be more convenient if you could postpone it for a while?

Ah, but the Scriptures say, “In the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son….” The time was just right for God to send His Son into our world. Let’s strip away all of the trappings of Christmas and make sure we are ready to welcome Christ into our busy lives. Let’s make this a convenient Christmas.

MWH

Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (NKJV)   In other words “God means what He says.  What He says goes. His powerful Word is sharper than a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey.”1 (The Message)  

The thought of being cut by something so sharp is frightening!  To have my thought-life laid open to reveal all its secret places is something I dread and long for simultaneously.  Yet, in order for me to come to the place of obedience, I know that I must choose exposure to and saturation by the living and powerful Word of God.   Then and only then will any desire I have to “speak the truth in love” be marked by the sincere desire for what is best for the other person, rather than a desire to “speak my mind.”

As the writer of Hebrews says, only God’s Word has the power to reveal the thoughts and attitudes of my heart or yours.  That means I must be slow, very slow, to speak and pray what the writer of Psalms 12:3-4, so rightly penned, “May the Lord cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaks proud things, who have said, ‘With our tongues we will prevail.’  Our lips are our own, who is Lord over us?”

Simply put, I do not own me; my lips or my heart!  God owns all of me!  He is Lord over me and He would have my words be seasoned with grace and thus be an instrument for His righteous purpose…not mine.

My question for you: Are the words that you speak to others seasoned with grace and love? Are they instruments for His purposes?

Selah

Stephanie

1 http://www.biblegateway.com

Every so often it is necessary to speak truth to someone.  As I prepare to do so, I sometimes think, “this is a good thing” because he or she “needs” to be shown this area of possible blindness in his or her life.  In the past it would be unlikely that I would first, search my own heart and see how that very thing might lurk within me.  

Today, however, the story is different because I know how deceitful sin is and how cleverly our flesh disguises, hides and then denies its existence.  Praise God that He is bigger than my deepest, most hidden sin and that He is committed to nothing less than holiness for His children!

Proverbs 15:33 reads, “The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” Lately, with each opportunity to go and speak, my gracious Father has shown me a pride in my heart that was lurking just around the corner, out of sight. So before I could attempt to address the speck I had to repent and remove the beam. I had to confess, repent and offer my thoughts and my mouth to God for cleansing and purification.

“Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.” Romans 6:13 1 

“Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:5 2

Today, once again, I offered my tongue as an instrument of righteousness rather than for any form of wickedness.  From Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:3 I read, “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance – for the Lord is a God who knows and by Him deeds are weighed.”3

    

Who am I to weigh the thoughts, deeds and heart of any other person?  Only God has the power to know the thoughts and intents of my heart or yours and, His call is for us to daily examine our life for anything that exalts itself above the knowledge of Him.

My question for you: Do you see signs in your own life of a prideful heart? What is the fruit that has been produced by it?

Selah

Stephanie 

1 http://www.biblegateway.com

2 ibid

3 ibid

Jesus is our hope – our only hope. Apart from Jesus there is no other hope.  It’s Jesus and Jesus only.  Anything else that you hope in or cling to is less than the enduring, sustaining hope found in Christ and Christ alone.

“In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song.

This cornerstone, this solid ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.”1

Dear sister, are you in a drought or a storm? Regardless of where you are, Jesus is the solid ground. He is your strength, your light and the song your heart beats to sing. Crawl, walk, skip, run to Him who is your hope and rest, knowing that in His presence is where you belong.

“What heights of love, what depths of peace, 

What fears are stilled when strivings cease.

My Comforter, my All in All;

Here in the love of Christ I stand.”2

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)3

May it be so, in Jesus’ name that you know, believe and stand firm in this truth: Christ and Christ alone. In Him and through Him is your hope, your strength, you life, your being.

Selah: Are you persuaded?

Stephanie

1 In Christ Alone by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

2 ibid

3 http://www.biblegateway.com 

It’s December, once again. For most people, December means presents, parties, preparations, and programs. It also means traditions, meeting expectations, family gatherings, and with all of that there may even be some fun and excitement in the mix. However, for some Christmas means trying to act happy, meeting expectations, going through the motions, when in reality their hearts are breaking. The magic of Christmas seems more like the misery of Christmas. This has been a rough year. A marriage has ended, a relationship has been broken, a job has been lost, the positive financial picture has shattered, a loved one has died. Do you know someone who fits that situation? If so, now is your chance to show the love of Christ to that person or family. 

If a mom is trying to hold the family together after a divorce or death of a spouse, you can reach out to her by offering to sit with the kids while she shops, do some shopping for her, help her put up the Christmas tree, or even buy a tree for her.

Do you know someone whose finances are exhausted? Wouldn’t they be surprised if they found a bag of groceries on their porch? I remember the night my daughter and I parked a few houses away from an unemployed friend. We silently crept to the porch and placed a canned ham there and then we ran after we rang the doorbell.

Do you know someone who is facing the holidays for the first time without a loved one? Take them a memento to remind them of their loved one. Buy a special ornament for their tree. Do their shopping for them so they don’t have to face all of the holiday shoppers and music.

Most of all with anyone who may be dreading the holidays make sure they are not alone. Let them know you remember their difficulties.

You can be “God with skin on.” Now’s your chance. Don’t let it slip by. Reach out to God’s hurting children.

“Comfort ye; comfort ye My people, saith your God,” (Isaiah 40:1).

MWH

When I think about Christmases gone by, I remember Christmas Eve dinners. Momma always in her apron would have cooked all the traditional Ukrainian foods. My Poppa always had a big smile on his face at seeing his whole family together…four daughters, one son (all with spouses) and 14 grandchildren. Children would be running everywhere, laughter and joy just bursting out of their small home. I’m sure you have similar memories that bring a sense of joy and warmth to your heart.  I remember the last Christmas that my family was all together at my parents’ dining room table…Christmas of 1975. Everything would change in November 1976 with the death of my brother Adolf.

      As joyous as Christmas can be, it can also be a very difficult time of year for those who are in grief over the death of a loved one. And out of all the holidays, it seems that the first Christmas without a spouse, parent, sibling, or child is the most difficult. Most of us want to just pull the covers over our heads and hide from Christmas…it seems just too painful. A dear friend of mine, Debbie, recently lost her husband, Bob, after a painful bout with pancreatic cancer. Although I haven’t experienced the loss of husband, I have experienced the loss of my brother and my parents and I know how difficult that first Christmas can be. 

      Debbie shared this story with me, and with her permission, I share it with you. Debbie’s pain and sadness is so fresh and still raw. Every year Debbie has prepared for Christmas and decorated almost every room. But this year is different; her husband of 30 plus years won’t be by her side. Debbie told her sister that she just wanted to bypass Christmas. She didn’t want to decorate and do all the things she had done in the past because the pain and sadness are too great. “You can run from Christmas but Christmas will find you, Deb” was her sister’s reply.

      As Debbie was out shopping, there on a shelf at eye level…Christmas found her by way of a precious nativity set. There before her eyes was the baby Jesus in a manger…a reminder that it’s all about Jesus. It didn’t take away the sadness, pain or grief she felt, but there in baby Jesus is hope and the reason for the season.

Luke 2:8-15 “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven-praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’ When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'”1

      Debbie bought that nativity set and has placed it in a prominent place at eye level for all to see as they enter her home and a place she walks by continually. You can try to run from Christmas….but Jesus will find you.

MaryAnn

1 http://www.biblegateway.com accessed 12-11-07 The New Living Translation