Wow. The news has been crazy lately.

It seems we have lost our moral compass and the world is going to heck in a hand-basket. Each new day seems to bring a new disaster. Maybe we should all dig a shelter in the back yard and go hole up for the next  decade or so. Crackers. Distilled water. Army issue blankets.

But that is not what God has called us to do. Jesus has told us we are the light of the world; a city of refuge on a hill. Christians are to engage, impact and transform the culture, not cut and run, happy that we have our fire insurance.

Not out, but in.

I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

John 17:14-19

Verse 15 is kind of rough. Jesus does not pray for God to take us out of the danger and turmoil; He prays for us to be sent in.

Why?

To bring hope. To bring help. To bring Truth. To bring the Gospel. We are the rescue squad. We are of the Word, not the world.

He has placed us here on purpose.

Now read the following verses.

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. – Acts 17:26 (NIV)

The exact times and places. Think about that. You didn’t just happen to live where and when you live. God has placed you on this planet, in your town, in your workplace, in your family, in this time, with your specific skill set for such a time as this. God knew all your days before he fashioned you. When God laid the foundations of the earth, He CHOSE to strategically place you here and now, knowing exactly the conditions in which He created you to live, work and minister. He placed you here because  you have work to do and you can make a difference.

 

“The restoration of America will not come through our next President– if it happens it will be through people like you.” John Stonestreet

“Christians in the West are living in a grand clarifying moment … In many ways we are in the Thursday evening of Holy Week. The cock has not yet crowed, but the angry crowd who would like to see the end of our Lord in the Western world has already seen and heard enough of our early betrayals to believe that it can count on more, and harry us toward ignominious surrender. So this is no time for cowards, for fence sitters or for those who wish to hedge their bets until they hear the judge’s verdict on the contest.” Os Guiness

 

When hard times hit, take encouragement from the Word of God.

From the pages of Scripture we learn God never sleeps. He is constantly at work behind the scenes, strategically placing His people for “such a time as this.” We may argue what can one believer amid such great opposition? We need only look back and read how God used Joseph, Daniel or Esther.  God only needs ONE willing person to stand in the gap and change the destiny of a nation.

It’s up to you and me. There is  no one else. We are the now generation. Will those who come after us find us faithful? Will we step up? Will we do our part? Will we hold our ground and stand in the gap for this generation?

5 things to do when the world has gone crazy.

1. Speak. Speak up. Speak out. Speak truth. Speak love. We must speak the truth in love about every cultural issue or risk being forever silenced. Yes, we need to pray for wisdom and discernment to speak wisely and in God’s timing. Always pray before you open your mouth. And resolve to NOT  speak in a vulgar manner as we see so much on social media. But, find a way to get involved. Click on the link to get involved: Citizens for Community Values
   
2. Learn. We must become informed about what is happening in our cities, states and nation. We can no longer afford to sit back and let someone else do the right thing. We can no longer ignore what is happening around us. Click on the following link to get educated: Politics and Current Affairs
3. Seek: Seek God with all your heart. The only way you can affect the culture for the kingdom of God is if you know His will. You will only learn the will of God from the word of God. Make a commitment to spend time with Jesus each day. Click on the link and start seeking: Seeking God
4. Pray. Pray about everything. Pray for our government leaders. Pray for wisdom to know how to act and speak. Pray for God to make you willing to take a stand. Keep a prayer journal to help you remember what to pray for and to record answers and thoughts/impressions from God. Don’t wait to get involved until you feel ready. Act today.  Please click on the link the join our latest prayer group: 5 Days to Fast and Pray. Finally …
   
5. Live. I believe God spoke to me in my sleep the other night.  He showed me there is nothing Satan would love more than to shut down the influence of God’s people by scaring them into hiding. Do something beautiful and leave a legacy of hope amid the chaos. Overcome evil with good.  Use your gifts. Read your Bible. Continue to minister. Worship God and thank Him for all the good things He’s given you and your family. Help the hurting. Live your life the way God is calling you to live.

By Mary Kane and Jane Vanosdol

All rights reserved.

Copyright 2016

 

Simply Study

Short-term Bible studies for busy people.

We are glad you are joining us for a week of Bible study. Down below is your Bible study work for this week. Each day consists of two links—one link is the daily scripture reading. The other link is a short Bible study or devotional reading.

We suggest you follow the  steps below:

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give you insight and wisdom
2. Read the scripture portion first
3. Do the Bible study or devotion
4. Comment on what you learned from your study time.

Finally, to deepen your experience, ask a couple of friends to join you. You can start a small Bible study group at your house or favorite cafe. God will bless you for the time you spend in Hid word.

In Christ,

Jane and Mary

 

Day 1: Simple Trust

Simple Trust Scripture

 Simple Trust Devotion

 

Day 2: Simple Sabbath

Simple Sabbath Scripture

Simple Sabbath Devotion

 

Day 3: Simple Peace

Simple Peace Scripture

Simple Peace Devotion

 

 

Day 4: Simple Rest

Simple Rest Scripture

Simple Rest Devotion:

 

 

 

Day 5: Simple Restoration

 

Simple Restoration Devotion

Simple Restoration Scripture

 

 

 

Click the play button below for a little study music.

 

 

All rights reserved

Copyright 2016

To Do-ers List: Back to School, Test

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Malachi 3:10

Test Me in this.

There is an occasion in the Bible, however, when God asks us to test Him. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty …”

The Teacher takes the test.

In fact, the Master Teacher longs for us to test Him. Why? So He can bless. The Hebrew word used for test in this verse is bachan, which means “to try, to prove, to lookout for, to watch.”

What kind of test are we to give God?

The giving test.

Giving.

Giving deep.

Giving till it hurts.

Out on a limb kind of giving where only God can pull it off. We give and what does God do?

God pours out.

” Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it…”

Funny. I have always approached this verse in a very self-centered manner. Prior to writing this study, I believed the verse read something like, “Give your tithe and I will pour out My blessing upon YOU.” I give my little sacrifice and God pours down blessings on little ol’ me. The one receiving my “sacrifice” benefits a little, while God pours His blessing down on me …

The verse doesn’t say that. It says, give your tithe, and

A continuous flow in the direction it was given–like the boy with the five loaves and two fish. He gave Jesus his boy-sized snack and ended up with lunch for 5000 … alfresco … plus doggie bags. Amazing. The blessing wasn’t just for the boy. Jesus poured forth blessing in the direction it was given, to feed the crowd. What would the boy have done with food for 5000? It would have spoiled. Hmm …

… I wonder what happens when we try to hoard our gifts?

For today: take the test.

God asks us to test Him by giving. Start by praying. Ask God to show you opportunities to give today. What shall we give? Our money? Yes, but not only  our money, but

• our time,
• our talents,
• our gifts,
• 0ur possessions and
• any other thing we can think of.

We can’t wait to hear how your day went! Remember, God is waiting for His test.

Let’s do it!

if you need to catch up, click on the links below!

Day 1: New Clothes

Day 2: The Book

Day 3: Pack a Lunch

Day 4: Listen to The Teacher

Day 5: Study!

Day 6: Obey the Rules

All rights reserved.

Copyright 2015

To Do-ers List: Back to School, Study

10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.”

Acts 17:10-12

“… and [they] searched the Scriptures daily …”

Study. Examine. Search. Searched in the Greek transliterates as anakrin, which means “to examine, to scrutinize, sift and question, to examine specifically in a forensic sense of a judge to hold an investigation.” What did they study? The Word of God. Why? To see if it contains the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

The final verdict? God’s Word has stood the test of truth. Communism couldn’t silence it. Hitler couldn’t destroy it. Voltaire couldn’t banish it. God’s Word is eternal. No force, power, religious system, political regime or law can silence it.  And God’s Word will continue to witness of His power and majesty forever and ever, amen. It’s time to go back to school and study.

Read or study?

Any serious student can tell you there is a big difference between reading and studying. We can read the Word of God and let its truths skim the surface or we can study the Word of God and plant it deep in our heart. Reading takes a little effort. Studying requires energy, perseverance, and a willingness to learn. Verse 11 lists a crucial aspect of Bible study. Readiness.

How do we become ready to study?

1) By opening our minds, 2) By not having made a prior decision the Bible is just a book of stories, 3) By being teachable. The Bereans were teachable. Eager to learn. They did not judge The Book by its cover; they judged it by what’s between the covers. They studied. The result of their open-minded study of the Bible was … many of them believed …

Salvation. Redemption. Restoration.

Study.

I cannot study in a noisy room with the television blaring. I need to set the stage for spending time with God-a quiet comfortable place a part from the busyness of the world. I have a small bedroom in my house that serves as my study place. It is furnished with a comfy chair, Bibles, commentaries, colored pencils, notebooks and (of course) electronic devices! Find a quiet place and meet consistently with God.

For today:

It’s time to get your study on. We are not talking reading the Word, but studying the Word.  Follow the steps below.

1. Choose a verse for today and write it on a note card. Carry it with you wherever you go and pull it out and meditate on it as often as possible.
2. Study your verse at www.blueletterbible.org Click on the link to the left, view the short tutorial and invest some time in the Word of God. God will reward you richly for your study.
3. Do your verse. Pray and ask God to give you the strength and opportunity to be a Doer of the Word.
4.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to open your mind to the truth of God’s Word.

School is in session. Study!

Previous Sessions of To Do-ers List, Back to School:

Day 1: New Clothes

Day 2: The Book

Day 3: Pack a Lunch

Day 4: Listen to The Teacher

all rights reserved

copyright 2015

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved [Jesus].” Acts 4:12

We all remember taking tests in school. Fill in the dot, multiple choice (otherwise known as multiple guess), true and false, short answer, and the dreaded essay question.

If I had prepared for THE TEST, I actually liked working through the process of multiple choice questions using the “Cross Out Strategy.”

The Cross Out Strategy:

1. Know the truth.
2. Examine all the questions and search for truth.
3. Cross out the obvious wrong answers.
4. Analyze remaining answers.
5. Cross out answers that contain a bit of truth.
6. Circle remaining answer.

The key to the Cross Out Strategy is knowing the truth. Without having access to the true answers, the Cross Out Strategy is futile.

The same strategy works when looking for the answer to life’s biggest question: How may we be saved?

1. Know the truth.
2. Search for the truth.
3. Cross out wrong answers that contain a bit of truth.
4. Accept the correct answer.

The answer to our biggest question is contained in our verse above: There is no other name by which we must be saved. Jesus. It is only by accepting His sacrificial death on the cross that we are saved.

It all comes down to the cross: cross out all other answers.

Action Points:

1. Is Jesus your Savior? Have you crossed out all other options?
2. Do you depend only on Him for salvation, restoration and forgiveness?
3. Do you allow others to rest only on Jesus, or do you require others to continually pay for their sins?
4. Are you hanging on to something Jesus has already nailed to the cross?

Life is sweet.

 

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18

I love words. When I was a child I would repeat multi-syllabic (now that’s a good word) rhyming words over and over; fascinated by the way they rolled off my tongue. Long words, archaic words, unusual words, foreign phrases, and word origins are very intriguing to me.  Because I love words, I also love crossword puzzles. For years, the only reason we subscribed to the Sunday edition of the newspaper was so I could get the crossword puzzle. Crosswords … cross words.

Cross words.

The cross is full of words also.

love … sacrifice … joy … pain … forgiveness … hope …

restoration … redemption … blood … healing … purpose

life … grace … peace.

Cross words are powerful words; foolishness to the world, but salvation to those of us who love cross words.

Action Points:

1. What cross word is most meaningful to you?
2. Pray your cross word into your life today.
3. Listen for God to speak your cross word to you through music, other people, radio messages, billboards, etc.

Life is sweet!