Because of Jesus Blog

2008-06-28T22:59:00.008-04:00

She Speaks Conference Testimony

....The following was written by Loren's wife, Nan, in preparation for the speaker's track at the 2008 She Speaks Conference in Concord, North Carolina and this is how she began her 3-minute speech.

* * *

....When we were given the assignment to share a 3 minute testimony and a 5 minute teaching, I sat down to write my speeches. It was then I came to realize that I was in the wrong group and I should have been in the writer’s group!

"Oh, Lord please help me and give me your grace."

.... That’s my testimony. You see my grandmother, who raised me, was a sweet Catholic lady. We were very sincere and devout in our religion yet for all my sincerety, I came up empty and wanting more of God. It seemed there was always a set of rules to abide by in order to please God and I could never measure up. I was ever groping for God, hoping to please Him and not make Him angry.

* * *

....Through a series of events, 29 years ago, I eventually gave my heart to Jesus during the pinnacle of the Charismatic movement (namely, the Word of Faith). For the first time, I heard that God is good and He has wonderful promises for us -- both of which are true, but in order to get His favor for those blessings, I needed to do something. It was like trading my rosary beads for the 7 steps to healing, or the 12 steps to prosperity. The sad part is that I completely stepped over the cross by relying upon my performance to earn His blessings instead of who Jesus is and what He has done for me; I traded one religion for another. Please understand, I’m not coming against any religion, its just that what was terribly missing in my life was a deep abiding relationship with Jesus. My thinking was, if I just prayed more, just read my Bible more, maybe love my neighbor more, while all the while I was becoming more frustrated, religious, tired and judgemental.

....Then, after burning out on religion, the Lord introduced me to His loving grace. Ephesians 2:8 says, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; grace that’s based on His finished work through Jesus, His unmerited favor and free gift of righteousness. If by grace we have been saved through our faith, our trust and reliance upon Jesus, then shouldn’t this walk with Him be the same?

....My 'story' is that I’m still walking out this mindset, still learning to yield to His grace and I’ve been asking Jesus to reveal His love to me and I encourage you to do the same. He loves you dearly, has more than enough grace to give to you and He desires you to know the depth of His love.

2008-05-21T10:58:00.005-04:00

A Talented and Successful Woman
Created to Be a Success

by Regina Thorp —Part 4 of 4

But his/her delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His Law
(the instructions, the teachings of God) he/she habitually meditates
(ponders and studies) by day and by night.
Psalm 1:2

....God knew that in a fallen world the message we would get about ourselves would be that we don't measure up, that we aren't capable of being successful, so He clearly covers this issue for us. He shows us how to dissolve the lies we have been told. He tells us to think about what He says about us, to ponder, to meditate on it day and night.

.... Isn't that what we do naturally with the negative things we have been told? We ponder them, we think on them. It's easy to believe the lie that we are less than. So He clearly gives us a beautiful picture of the woman He designed us to be in the Proverb 31 Woman, but we've allowed people (the world, even the church) to tell us that no woman could be this great, so we disregard her as someone we could never become. God gave us the Proverb 31 Woman to encourage us, not to bring us down.

As a woman thinks in her heart so is she.
Proverbs 23:7

....God didn't put the Proverbs 31 Woman in the Bible to mock us. No, it was to let us know how He sees us. With His help, His strength, and His guidance we can experience the fruit of a virtuous woman in our lives. She is put there in the bible for our benefit and God made it possible for us to become her through His Son. He knew we'd need a picture to look at, besides the one we'd come to see in the mirror. By asking us to meditate, (to ponder, to think on) His Word, we would come to believe what our Heavenly Father says about us. By His grace we can relinquish our negative thoughts of who we think we are, to His positive thoughts of who we truly are in the light of Jesus. We are the Virtuous Woman because of Jesus. We are a success in Him. Thank you Jesus!!

2008-05-14T13:47:00.000-04:00

A Talented and Successful Woman
Divine Guidance

by Regina Thorp —Part 3 of 4

Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who
leads you in the way that you should go.
Isaiah 48:17

....God’s love for us is so clear in this Scripture. God knew in His divine wisdom that we would need and want His guidance, so He made it clear and easy for us to know His plan. In Isaiah He reminds us first that He is our redeemer, that He has redeemed us from the curse of failure. Then He reminds us that He is God. We know that God is all knowing, so we know He has all the answers for our tomorrows.

....Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when he delights in His way [and He busies Himself with his every step].”

....To further understand all that God will do for us, let's look at a couple of the words used here in Psalm 37:23. Direct means, to regulate the course of, to guide, show, point, aim, send toward a place or object, to focus toward a given result, proceeding in a straight line by the shortest course, undeviating, a direct route.

....Establish means, to bring into being on a firm or stable basis, to settle in a position or place, to cause to be accepted or recognized.

....When we look at this scripture outside of Christ, we could put ourselves under condemnation, thinking we don't qualify for this promise, but the truth is, when we understand that Jesus qualified us for all of the promises of God, we can look at this promise and know that it's because of what Jesus did for us that God will direct and establish our steps. This brings me great comfort and peace knowing that it's not about my goodness that will cause God to work on my behalf, but it's all about Jesus goodness!

Gods plans for us are good because He has such a great love for us. Soak in that love and allow yourself to receive His promises for His guidance in your life.

2008-05-03T10:13:00.000-04:00

A Talented and Successful Woman
Gifted By His Grace

by Regina Thorp —Part 2 of 4

God's gifts and His call are irrevocable. [He never withdrawls them
when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those
to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]
Romans 11:29 AMP

....When I was a teenager I didn't see myself as someone who possessed any particular gift or talent. I was always comparing myself to others around me whose gifts and talents were more apparent. I would see someone sing in the school talent show, act in the school play, or play an instrument beautifully and I would feel less than them because I thought you were only gifted or talented if you could do something in one of these areas.

....Interestingly though, I was always sitting in my room or at the beach writing poems, short stories or encouraging notes to my friends and family, but it never occurred to me back then that the writing that I was doing was God’s gift to me. I wrote because I loved it, it fulfilled something in my soul. It brought me pleasure to see someone touched by the words I would write with them in mind.

....As the years went on, I took acting classes, voice lessons and guitar lessons, trying to develop what I saw as a real gift that would bless others. There is nothing wrong with taking any of those lessons. It’s a wise thing to develop our gifts, but these weren't my gifts. Along the way, I would have someone tell me that I should write more, but I would say, “Oh, no, I'm terrible at English, it’s my worst subject.” I was diminishing the gift by judging it by the world’s standards.

....My journey may be similar to yours? Maybe you haven't yet figured out what your gift is? I encourage you to ask yourself what is it that you do that brings you joy? Or what do you do that tends to bless others. Whatever your gift is, it's something that you love doing. The Bible says that God has put gifts inside each one of us, so what's yours? Take time to thank Jesus for the gift He has given you.

2008-04-30T10:47:00.000-04:00

A Talented and Successful Woman
A Redemptive Revelation of Jesus

by Regina Thorp —Part 1 of 4

Where there is no vision [a redemptive revelation of God]
the people perish.
Proverbs 29:18

....I had always known Jesus as my Redeemer, the One Who saved me from hell. I use to see being redeemed by Him as a ticket to heaven and little more. It wasn't until I read Deuteronomy 28:13-65 and Galatians 3:13, 14 that I understood that He had also redeemed me from the curse of confusion, failure, and fear, and made me a talented and successful woman.

.... Being saved from hell is only one portion of the story of redemption. Unless we understand and embrace the full meaning of what it means to be redeemed, we will continue to think everything else is still up to us. Thus we’ll walk in our own works trying to be talented and successful, not fully capitalizing on all the benefits of being redeemed. In doing this we diminish it's full power and minimize Christ death on the cross.

....Without a redemptive revelation of Jesus, the Bible says we perish. One definition for perish is ‛to suffer destruction or ruin’. When we don’t see that we’ve been brought into a New Covenant, that has freed us from destruction and ruin and made us a success through Jesus, we won’t walk fully in the redemption that He provided for us.

.... Today as we use the talents He has given us let's remember to thank Him for making us successful as part of our redemption. Let’s walk fully in all that Jesus has done by seeing ourselves as talented and successful women not through our own works, but by His. Romans 12:1 in the Message Bible says, “Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.”

2008-04-24T07:22:00.004-04:00

A Godly Mother
The Power of a Praying Mother

by Connie Witter—Part 4 of 4

The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous
(mother) makes tremendous power available.
James 5:16

....Jesus made you a godly and righteous mother. Your prayers for your children make God’s tremendous power available to work in your child’s heart and bring God’s will to pass in their lives.
....As a mother have you ever worried about your child’s heart? Their heart is their mind, will and emotions. It’s where they decide what they believe, what decisions they will make, and what path they will follow. Their thoughts, attitudes, and actions all come out of their heart.
....One day when I was concerned about one of my children and their heart attitude, the Lord brought peace to my soul by reminding me of what He promised to do in my child’s heart.
....In Ezekiel 36:26,27 God said, “and I will give them a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in them. I will take out their stony heart of sin and give them a new, obedient heart. And I will put my spirit in them so they will obey my laws and do whatever I command.”

....This promise has become an anchor for my soul. God has promised to give my children and your children a new obedient heart with right desires, so that they will follow God’s will for their lives. Even as I write this I’m amazed at the love the Father has for us that He would promise to do such a powerful work in the hearts of our children.
.... All we must do is take our child’s heart to the Lord in prayer and trust Him to do what He promised He would do. We can live free from concern about our child’s heart because Hebrews 10:23 tells us “He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word.”

2008-04-16T11:34:00.000-04:00

A Godly Mother
Believe What God Says About Your Children

by Connie Witter—Part 3 of 4

10 My love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall my covenant
of peace and completeness be removed, says the Lord…
13 And all your children shall be disciples
[taught of the Lord and obedient to His will], and great shall be the
peace and undisturbed composure of your children.
Isaiah 54:10,13

....What a powerful promise in God’s Word! Your Heavenly Father knew there would be times you’d be concerned or worried about your children, but because of His great love for you, He made a covenant promise through Jesus to not only to give you peace, but He promised to teach your children and give them great peace as well.

....The word peace in this verse means safe, happy, health, prosperity, a sound mind, completeness, nothing missing or nothing broken. Doesn’t that pretty much cover everything you could ever want for your children?

....Every time one of my children are dealing with fear, insecurity, negative attitudes, or their heart has been hurt, I turn my thoughts to Jesus and remember this great and precious promise that He purchased for me, and it gives me such peace.

....II Corinthians 1:20 says that because of Jesus, God’s answer to His promise is always, YES!. He says, “Yes, I will teach your children and I will bring great happiness, health, prosperity, soundness of mind, and completeness into their hearts and lives. Yes, I will heal any brokenness in their heart.”

....He is only waiting for you to agree with Him and say, “Amen, Lord, I believe You. Thank you, for being their teacher and giving them great peace, just like you promised.” Jesus said when any two agree in my name, the Father will do it for them. (Matthew 18:19) Wow! What power becomes available to bring God’s promise to pass in your children’s lives when you agree with the One Who gave it!

2008-04-09T11:58:00.000-04:00

A Godly Mother
Jesus Made You a Godly Mother

by Connie Witter—Part 2 of 4

She opens her mouth in skillful and godly wisdom, and on her tongue is
the law of kindness giving counsel and instruction. Her children rise up
and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied).
Proverbs 31:26, 28

....When I was a little girl I dreamed of growing up and being a mother. These verses describe the kind of mother I wanted to be. After I had children, I discovered that parenting, although the most rewarding job in the world, it was also the most difficult. My children were eternal beings and although I could not take any material thing in this world to heaven with me, I could take my children. They would live forever! The responsibility of raising them correctly, being a good example, disciplining them, and teaching them about Jesus concerned me at times because I wanted them to grow up and live for Jesus. As far as I knew this was all up to me. Would I fail or succeed at this very important job that God had given me? Because my focus was on me, I lived under the law when it came to raising my children, and it didn’t bring me peace.

....Then I found a better way in Jesus! The Holy Spirit taught me that Jesus became sin to make you and me righteous and godly mothers (Galatians 3:14,15). What peace fills your soul when you realize that He equipped you with everything you need (His wisdom, His power, His promises) to secure your success.

....When we look to Jesus, He empowers us with His grace to bear the fruit of a godly mother (Phillipians 2:13). When we fail, He reminds us of who we are and redeems all our mistakes. With Jesus, it’s a no fail policy because it’s not about our ability or wisdom, but rather His ability and wisdom working through us. All we have to do is ask and trust Him.

....When we give up depending on ourselves and truly depend on Him, He works powerfully through us and brings Proverbs 31:26 and 28 to pass in our lives. It’s a promise we have in Jesus, and He’s faithful to perform His Word!

2008-04-02T08:59:00.001-04:00

A Godly Mother
A Redemptive Revelation of Jesus

by Connie Witter—Part 1 of 4

Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When He was hung on a cross, He took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through the work of Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, and we Christians receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:13,14 NLT

....Frustration, anger, impatience, worry, fear, guilt—we’ve all felt these emotions as mothers. We’ve all made mistakes. I’m sure there is something we’ve all said or done that we wish we could erase.

.... The good news of Jesus is that He purchased our freedom from the curse of all our mistakes. He erased everyone of them by taking the judgement we deserved upon Himself. He made us a righteous and godly mother through our faith in Him. You are justified in Jesus. It’s just as if you’ve done everything right. You are without fault in the Father’s eyes because of Jesus (Ephesians 1:4)

....When you believe what Jesus has done for you and receive His great love, His grace works in your heart and you live free from every negative emotion. His grace also works in your children’s hearts giving them the desire and power to follow Jesus. You begin to see yourself and your children through the eyes of Jesus —blessed, healed, favored, mighty, righteous and successful on the earth.

....II Corinthians 1:20 says that no matter how many promises God has made, His answer is always “Yes!” in Jesus. Your children are mighty and blessed upon the earth not because you’ve done everything perfect, but because Jesus did everything perfect for you. When you trust Him you don’t get what you deserve, you get what Jesus deserves. Trust Jesus with your children, and rest in the truth that God’s promises are “Yes” and “Amen” in their lives because of Him!

2008-03-26T11:04:00.000-04:00

A Godly Wife
The Power of a Praying Wife

by Rose Karlebach—Part 4 of 4

The earnest (heartfelt, continued prayer of a righteous [woman] makes
tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
James 5:16 AMP

....Because Jesus has made you righteous, your prayers are dynamic in their working, accomplishing what they are sent out to do. As a godly wife, God has given you the opportunity of cooperating with Him in seeing God’s will come to pass in your husband’s life.

....What exactly is this dynamic power that becomes available? Why, the very grace of God! God has such a fantastic plan for your husband’s life that He wants to take away all of the barriers that could hinder it. When you pray you make the grace of God available so that He can go to work on your husband’s behalf.

....How does God’s grace – His unmerited favor and merciful kindness – work on your husband’s behalf?

....First, God’s merciful kindness is available to him when he makes mistakes; to remind him that God has made him righteous and is not holding his sins against him.

....Secondly, His unmerited favor goes to work helping your husband receive the blessings of God that he could never earn or merit in his own strength! If that wasn’t enough, God’s grace also works in his heart, making him more like Jesus. Woo hoo! Now that is truly amazing. What wife would not want that for her husband?

.... Now, interestingly enough, scripture admonishes us never to trust in a man, only in God, and yet, Proverbs 31:11 speaks of a husband’s heart trusting confidently in his wife:

The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies and believes in her securely,
so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.
Proverbs 31:11 AMP

....You see, your husband can trust in you, because you are trusting in Jesus! When you pray God’s word for your husband, you are praying the very will and heart of God. Just think of it, what an awesome privilege, to be counted worthy by God to partner with Him in this awesome plan for your husband’s life. And your prayers demonstrate to your husband, that not only is he loved by you, but by Jesus as well!

2008-03-19T10:20:00.000-04:00

A Godly Wife
Believe What God Says About Your Husband

by Rose Karlebach—Part 3 of 4

There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but perfect love turns fear out
of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the
thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full
maturity of love. We love Him because, He first loved us!
1 John 4:19

....For many years, I nagged my husband into doing God’s will because I was afraid of bad things happening in our lives. The chaos still continued, however, because I was not motivated by faith, but by fear.

....As I began to receive the love of Jesus for myself, something began to change in me; the fear that had gripped my heart for years was slowly being replaced by love. God’s grace began to transform my innermost personality, and I started seeing what a good and wonderful plan God had for me. You see, when we are afraid of bad things happening, it’s because we haven’t fully comprehended just how much God loves us.

....My heart had become hardened by negative circumstances, but as I looked to Jesus, he replaced it with a heart of love.

....In Ezekiel 11:19-20, God says: I will give [him] one heart [a new heart] and I will put my spirit within [him]; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of [his] flesh, and will give [him] a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God], that [he] may walk in My statutes…and do them.

....This Scripture was not only what God said about my heart, but my husband’s heart as well. I Corinthians 2:16 says that my husband has the mind of Christ and . . . he holds the thoughts, feelings and purposes of His heart. Instead of me worrying that my husband might do something to jeopardize our future, I can believe what God says about him and be confident that God’s has put his very heart in my husband’s heart and he will succeed. In Jeremiah 29:11 God says, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” God is waiting to fulfill His plan for your life; trust Him with your husband’s heart!

2008-03-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

A Godly Wife
Jesus Made You a Godly Wife

by Rose Karlebach—Part 2 of 4

He [the Father] made Christ to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in and through Him we might become . . . the righteousness of God
(what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him]
by His goodness.
2 Corinthians 5:21

....My marriage, for years, was anything but blessed. I was trying to be a godly wife, instead of looking to Jesus and receiving the promise that He had already made me one.

.... Now, I’m Italian. Would loading my plate with pasta and meatballs at every meal make me any more Italian than I already am? No, but that would be rather interesting to watch. Well, when we try to be godly in our own strength we are frustrating the grace of God, the very power He provided to help us!

....The truth is, no amount of effort on my part can ever make me righteous or godly enough to deserve God’s blessings. That’s why Jesus had to make the effort for me. He extended his grace — His unmerited favor and merciful kindness — towards me, to do for me what I could never do for myself.

....When I finally realized what Jesus had done on my behalf, it made me love and trust Him even more. And if God has gone through so much effort to make me righteous when I was a sinner, how much more would he work on my behalf now that I am righteous?

....You see, God’s plan has never been a self-help program. As Philippians 2:13 says, [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure. His desire is for me to look to Him and trust Him to do the work in me. And if He started it, I can be sure that He’ll finish it, too (Phillipians 1:6).

....So, stop trying to be who you already are. Agree with what He says about you; trust Him with His plan for your life, and then, relax and enjoy the ride!

2008-03-12T07:55:00.000-05:00

A Godly Wife
A Redemptive Revelation of Jesus

by Rose Karlebach—Part 1 of 4

He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt
and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well
being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him
we are healed and made whole.
Isaiah 53:5

....Jesus died so that you and I could have a wonderful, harmonious relationship with our spouse. For many years, I mistakenly thought that my husband’s bad behavior was disqualifying us from God’s blessings, so I’d constantly be watching his every step to make sure he didn’t do anything to upset the apple cart. If he did anything wrong, I would get mad at him, and he in turn, would get mad at me! I went from being my husband’s friend and confidante to being his enemy and stool pigeon. But my lack of understanding was actually fueling the fires of disharmony. Hosea 4:6 says “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” Oh, yes, we were perishing alright; we were trying to kill each other with unkindness!

....But Jesus paid dearly for us, by taking the punishment we deserved for all the hateful things we could ever do to each other. Things like being angry, hurtful, bitter, and resentful were borne on Jesus’ back and paid for IN FULL. Because of Jesus, we can have each other’s best interests at heart because He already paid the price.

.... In Jesus’ own words, He said, I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [John 10:10 AMP]

....You see, the abundant life that Jesus promises me hinges on my understanding just how much I mean to Him and what He accomplished on that cross. Since Jesus has already paid IN FULL for anything I might do or have done, I’m off the hook, and so is my husband, too. We don’t have to micromanage each other and make each other pay for our sins. Instead, we can look to Jesus and thank Him for all He’s done on our behalf. And we can extend mercy and forgiveness to each other and not sweat the small stuff, knowing our future is secure, filled with hope and promise. And if I’m not mistaken, that’s exactly the kind of abundant life Jesus said He came to give us.

2008-03-08T09:12:00.000-05:00

Salvation for Your Family
God is Faithful to His Promise

by Connie Witter—Part 4 of 4

She fears not the snow for her family,
for all her family is doubly clothed in scarlet.
Proverbs 31:21

....As a virtuous woman, you can live free from concern for your family because they’re covered with the blood of Jesus. His blood is your guarantee that God will be faithful to answer your prayers.

....Hebrews 10:23, 35-36 says, “23 Let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is faithful to His Word. 35 Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. 36 For you have need of steadfast patience, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus and receive and carry away and enjoy to the full what is promised.

....It’s the will of God that you receive and enjoy to the full what He has promised. Sometimes we face negative circumstances when it comes to our family. Yet, God tells us not to throw away our confidence in Him. No matter what the circumstances look like, God wants you to keep your eyes on Jesus and the promise you have in Him.

....Many times the circumstances don’t change immediately when you begin trusting Jesus to deliver your family. The situation may even seem to get worse before it gets better. It’s at these times that many people give up and quit trusting in God’s promise. This is why the Bible says in verse 36 that we have need of patience.

....Patience means “endurance through any trial; the quality that refuses to give up; the quality that does not surrender to circumstances or give up under trial.” When you add patience to God’s promise, you refuse to give up no matter what negative attitude your family may have and no matter how long it takes. Jesus already won the battle for you. He says the same thing to you that He said to King Jehosophat in II Chronicles 20:17: “You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your position (in Christ); stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord.”

....You can put your confidence in Jesus and see the deliverance and salvation of your family because God is faithful to His Word!

2008-03-05T10:31:00.001-05:00

Salvation for Your Family
The Life-changing Power of God’s Grace

by Connie Witter—Part 3 of 4

“The grace of God (the unmerited favor and merciful kindness by which God,
exerting His holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, and keeps,
strengthens, and increases them in Christian virtues).”
II Corinthians 1:12 AMP

....This verse reveals what God’s power is able to accomplish in the lives of your family. The soul of man is his mind, will and emotions. According to this verse, the grace of God is the power of the Holy Spirit exerting His holy influence upon a person’s mind, will and emotions, turning their heart toward Christ, and increasing them in Christ-like character. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit that draws a person to Jesus and changes their life. In John 6:44, Jesus said, “No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me…”

When does God’s power become available to change a person’s heart and life?

....James 5:16 says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” Because you’re righteous in Jesus, when you pray for your family, God’s tremendous power becomes available to influence their hearts. The Holy Spirit begins to attract and draw them and gives them the desire to come to Jesus.

.... I Timothy 2:1,3,4 says, “1 I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men. 3 For such praying is good and right and it is pleasing to God our Savior. 4 Who wishes all men to be saved and to perceive and discern and know precisely and correctly the divine Truth.” It pleases God to hear you pray for your family because it’s His will that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He promises to answer your prayers.

.... I remember the peace that came over me the day I put the care of my dad’s salvation into the hands of God. I put my confidence in God and the life-changing power of His grace. I knew He was at work drawing him and giving him the desire to come to Jesus. I encourage you to put the care of your family’s salvation into God’s hands. You, too, will enjoy His peace as you rest in His promise.

2008-03-01T10:13:00.001-05:00

Salvation for Your Family
Authority Over the Enemy

by Connie Witter—Part 2 of 4

“The god of this world has blinded the unbelievers minds
[that they should not discern the truth] preventing them from seeing
the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
Who is the image and likeness of God.”
II Corinthians 4:4

....The Bible teaches that unbelievers are unsaved because they are blinded to the truth. For many years, I thought my dad was unsaved because he just didn’t want to be a Christian. But then I realized from this verse that he was actually being blinded by the devil. According to this Scripture, the devil was preventing him from seeing the truth.

What could be done about it?

....The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that He has given us authority over the enemy and his deceptive devices. Luke 10:17-19 says, “17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!” 18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan falling like a lightning flash from heaven. 19 Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.” Jesus has given you and me, His disciples, authority over all the power the enemy possesses. Luke 10:17 says that when you use the name of Jesus, the devil must obey you.

.... I remember the day this became a revelation to me. I spoke out loud: “Devil, I take authority over you. In the name of Jesus, I forbid you from continuing to blind my dad from the truth.

....WOOHOO! I had used the authority Jesus had given me and it felt good! Then I simply asked the Holy Spirit to begin to reveal the truth about Jesus to my dad. I knew it wouldn’t be long before he was saved.

....You, too, can take authority over the enemy and forbid him from continuing to deceive your family. I encourage you to take a few minutes right now and use the authority that Jesus has given you. Begin to rejoice in the promise you have in Jesus and get ready to see the Holy Spirit do a powerful work in their hearts and lives!

2008-02-27T10:14:00.003-05:00

Salvation for Your Family
The Blood of Jesus

by Connie Witter—Part 1 of 4

She fears not the snow for her family, for all her household are
doubly clothed in scarlet.
Proverbs 31:21

....Throughout the Bible, the color scarlet is symbolic of the blood of Jesus. If we look at Proverbs 31:21 in the light of Jesus, it reveals that as a virtuous woman in Christ, you have no fear for your family for they are covered with the blood of Jesus.

.... Throughout the Bible, God promised household salvation to those who trusted Him. We find examples of this in the story of Noah (Genesis 6-8), Abraham (Genesis 18-19), and the children of Israel (Exodus 12).
One such person was a woman named Rahab. In this story, God gives us a beautiful picture of the power in the blood of Jesus to protect, deliver and save an entire household.

....In Joshua chapter 2, God had pronounced judgement on the city where Rahab lived. He was going to destroy it because of their sin. Yet, Rahab dared to put her trust in God and ask for the deliverance of her entire family. She asked for a guarantee that her family would be saved and the spies gave her a scarlet cord (that represented the blood of Jesus) to hang out her window. As a result, her entire family was saved (Joshua 6:20-25).

....Acts 16:31, says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

....Several years ago, my dad was the only member of my immediate family who had not accepted Jesus as his Savior. After seeing the truths that I shared with you today, I realized that the blood of Jesus was my guarantee that God would answer my prayers concerning him. With a new found confidence, I went to the Lord in prayer and asked for the salvation and deliverance of my dad. Within 6 months, my dad received Jesus as his Savior, and I too experienced the promise of household salvation.

....Take time today to ask God to deliver and save your entire family, and you too will see them come into the kingdom of God. You can live free of fear concerning your family because they are covered with the blood of Jesus!

2008-02-20T10:53:00.000-05:00

Renewing Your Mind
Focus on Jesus' Obedience

by Connie Witter—Part 2 of 2

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
II Corinthians 10:4,5

....These verses show us that the spiritual battle we face on a daily basis is going on in our minds. The battlefield is our mind and the question is who are we going to believe: the lies of the devil or the Truth of Jesus? A stronghold is created in our minds when we accept the enemy’s lie as the truth.

.... The devil wants to deceive us just like he did Eve. The Bible says that the devil trys to corrupt our minds from our pure devotion to Jesus. (II Corinthians 11:2-3) When the devil presents a lie, he always turns the focus to you. It’s all about what you have or haven’t done. When the Holy Spirit presents the Truth, He always turns the focus to Jesus, and reminds you of what Jesus has done for you (John 16:13,14).

.... II Corinthians 10:5 says that we can be free from strongholds by casting down the devil’s lies and bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. I used to think this verse said “in obedience to Christ,” but it doesn’t, it says, “to the obedience of Christ.”

.... There is a huge difference between the two. “In obedience” is a focus on your obedience, but “to the obedience of Christ” is a focus on His obedience.

.... For example, if the devil trys to corrupt your mind by telling you that you don’t qualify, your not good enough, or you have to pay for your past mistakes, the Bible tells you to cast those lies down and bring your thoughts to the obedience of Christ. His obedience made you righteous, justified, and without fault in the Father’s presence. (Romans 5:18,19; Ephesians 1:4). Because of Jesus’ obedience, you qualify for all of God’s promises (Colossians 1:12).

.... When you cast down the lies of the enemy that cause you to focus on you, and fill your mind with what Jesus’ obedience accomplished for you, you’ll live free from every stronghold. Jesus already won the battle for you. All you have to do is rest in His victory!

2008-02-13T10:12:00.001-05:00

Renewing Your Mind
Put on Righteousness

by Connie Witter—Part 1 of 2

Her clothing is of linen, pure white, and fine and of purple.
Proverbs 31:22

....Revelations 19:8 says that fine linen represents righteousness. In Isaiah 61:10 the Bible says that Jesus has clothed you with a robe of righteousness. When the Father looks at you He sees a virtuous woman.When the Lord first taught me this truth I didn’t see myself as a virtuous woman nor did I see the fruit in my life, but the Holy Spirit taught me how to put on the clothing that Jesus had given me.

....Ephesians 4:22-24 says, “Strip yourselves of your former nature which… becomes corrupt through desires that spring from delusion. And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new nature created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.”

....The Scripture says our old nature springs up from delusion. Delusion means a false belief or opinion. When we have a false opinion of ourselves it produces the fruit of our former nature.

....Have you ever been tempted to be offended? I know I have. Has judgmental and critical thoughts ever flooded your mind toward someone? When this happens our old nature, that died on the cross with Jesus, is trying to rise up from the dead. Like my friend, Rose once said, it is a case of “the night of the living dead.”

....In order to strip ourselves of our former nature we must recognize that is not who we are in Jesus. I've learned that my only way of escape from negative emotions is to turn my thoughts toward Jesus and renew my mind to His opinion of me. He has made me a virtuous woman. He has given me a new nature of love that refuses to take offence. His love and grace sets me free!

....When your old nature tries to rise up from the dead, remember, you have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer you who live, but Christ lives in you (Galatians 2:20). Put on your new nature of righteousness. Renew your mind to who you are in Jesus. Fill your thoughts with His great love, and the fruit of who you truly are will come out in your life.

2008-02-09T11:11:00.000-05:00

Abiding in Jesus
Rejoice In Him With A Heart Of Thanksgiving

by Nancy Fite—Part 4 of 4

“Thank (God) in everything (no matter what the circumstances may be.
Be thankful and give thanks) for this is the will of God for you (who are) in Christ Jesus.”
I Thessalonians 5:16-18

....When I think upon God’s love for me, He creates in me a thankful heart. I no longer focus on my fears, but rejoice over all that Jesus has given me. My heart has become so intertwined with God that besides being thankful for my children, family, and friends, I am deeply grateful that He delivers me from all my fears.

....There are many different levels of thankfulness and they all come from God. When someone opens the door for you, you say “thank you”. When someone gives you a present, their thoughtfulness touches your heart and you are thankful. The other day my friend Rose shared with me how thankful she was when her daughter walked away unharmed from a car accident. That’s a thankful heart.

....Jesus wants us to have a lifestyle of thanksgiving. But the only way we can truly have a thankful heart is to realize that all blessings come because of the price Jesus paid for us on the cross. He paid for our healing, our salvation, broken relationships, our poverty, and for our unsaved loved ones, and all blessings we experience on this earth.

II Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory (the Greek word Doxa-which means praise/worship) and virtue.

....There was a time in my life when I struggled with an illness that lasted for years and doctors gave me no hope. When I was tempted to fear, I would turn my thoughts to Jesus and begin to thank Him for healing me. I focused on what He had accomplished for me on the cross. Within six months I was healed. That was 16 years ago and I have been thanking Him ever since.

....Start today and receive Jesus’ love and He will give you a thankful heart.

2008-02-06T09:51:00.000-05:00

Abiding in Jesus
Cast Your Cares Upon Him

by Nancy Fite—Part 3 of 4

“Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure;
she rejoices over the future”
Proverbs 31:25

....In Proverbs 31:25 the word secure means “free from care or fear.” No matter what circumstances that comes our way we can live a life free from the bondage of fear by casting our cares upon Jesus.

....When I was pregnant with my second child my father died of cancer. He was only 45 years old. I thought that cancer would never touch our family. After I had my little boy my fears escalated to the point I could not leave my home I battled thoughts like, “If my dad died then I could die.” My fears were endless. I was afraid for my children. I was afraid of everything. My thoughts were dominated by worry and dread. My body ached. One day I confided to my sister about how desperate I was and then burst into tears. In her attempt to console me she quoted I John 4:18:

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.
He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

....When I hung up the phone I had no revelation of Jesus’ love, but I began to quote that scripture over and over again. When I was tempted to become overwhelmed I would ask Jesus to show me His perfect love. I would quote that scripture and hide myself in Him.

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”

Psalm 91:1

....He became my refuge and began to show me daily how much He loved me personally, and how much he loved my children and my family. I quoted I John 4:18 day in and day out. My life was transformed. As Jesus revealed his love to me I was able to leave my home and live my life again. That has been 33 years ago and when I become anxious I run to my Jesus in whom I can trust.

....When you feel anxious, cry out to Jesus. He will show you His love and set you free, just like He did me.

2008-02-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

Abiding in Jesus
Draw Your Strength from Him

by Nancy Fite—Part 2 of 4

Jesus said, “Abide in me and I in you.
As the branch cannot hear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine
so neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine you are the branches; he who abides in me and I in Him, he bears much fruit, but apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4-5

....Being a patient and kind and loving mom to three boys can be tough at times. Our first two turned out great and are now raising children of their own. Our third son, a mother could not have loved him more. He is now in his first year of college. During his teenage years I would catch myself becoming irritated and critical of him – “Clean up your room! Go to bed!” And he would snap back at me. Situations would come up that I didn’t know how to fix and I began having negative emotions. I had no fruit in my life concerning this situation. I realized that I had cut myself off from Jesus who was the Vine, and apart from Him I could do nothing.

“Let us strip off every weight that slows us down,
especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress.
And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”
Hebrews 12:2

....My son was not the problem. The problem was that I was not drawing my strength from Jesus. I began to look to Him and say, “Lord help me,” and He did. He showed me who my son was in Jesus. He was God’s child and had His nature. I began to meditate on all of the wonderful ways I saw Jesus in him. God’s love flowed through me toward him, and He empowered me to be patient and kind mom. When he did do something wrong I would say to him, “Son, that’s not who Jesus has made you”. Our relationship has grown so strong and Jesus has blessed it.

....If you find yourself feeling frustrated as a mother, turn to Jesus and draw your strength from Him. He will help you see your child through His eyes and empower you to bear much fruit.

2008-01-30T10:09:00.000-05:00

Abiding in Jesus
Seek To Know Him

by Nancy Fite—Part 1 of 4

Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong
and secure and she rejoices over the future.
Proverbs 31:25

....With our lives filled with so many conveniences that were not available in past generations, it seems that we would be able to slow down and enjoy life more. But we find ourselves on too many committees, meeting deadlines, shuttling kids to and fro. And our minds develop a “low grade worry” as my friend commented. We run around half sick and quote our scriptures as the situation calls for it, but still greeting people with a smile on our face.

Jesus says, “I want you to be in perfect peace always thinking about Me”. Isaiah 26:3 NLT

....When I think about strength and dignity being my clothing, I think about Jesus holding my coat and placing it on my shoulders: Him standing at my right side and as long as I recognize His presence I don’t waver; I feel secure and I am so happy knowing He has a wonderful future ahead for me. He is my friend and we are deeply acquainted with one another. (John 15:15) He is always there, even when I don’t think about Him. He will never leave nor forsake me. (Psalm 139:8).

....How do I know Him more? By learning about Him through His Word.

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Proverbs 4:20-22

....As you go about your day and you have a situation that makes you feel stressed, find out what Jesus says about it and surrender your old worrisome thoughts to Him and meditate on what He says instead. And then His peace will flood your soul.

....Maybe you are struggling with fears or circumstances that seem too be spiraling out of control. Log on and we will pray with you and point you back to Jesus.

2008-01-26T08:34:00.000-05:00

A Covenant of Grace
God’s Unmerited Favor and Blessing

by Shannan Orr—Part 4 of 4

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.
Galatians 2:21

....When we think of the word “grace” it is usually referring to something pleasant; like a graceful dancer or a gracious host. In most Christian circles, grace is referred to as the unmerited favor of God. That sounds nice too—who wouldn’t want God’s blessing and favor?

....Disagreement arises however, when believers talk about how we receive that favor. Many try to earn God’s blessing in the way of the old covenant by obedience to the law, but Galatians 3:10 informs us that when we seek justification that way, we are under a curse—not blessed. The Amplified Bible describes cursed as “doomed to disappointment”.

....Self-righteous living under the law always produces disappointment because we expect the blessing of God to come as a payment for the things we do. If we do something right, we think God “owes” us. If God doesn’t do things the way we think He should, we hold our “righteous” deeds up to heaven and proclaim God’s unfairness.

....The flip side of “law-living” is the condemnation and unworthiness that comes when we disobey God’s commands. We expect nothing but judgment from God because we know we are disqualified by our failure. Either way, it’s disappointing both for those who keep the law and also for those who don’t.

....We forget the unmerited part of grace. It’s important to recognize that this blessing comes purely from the magnificent love of God and if it could be earned, Jesus died needlessly. It’s called unmerited favor because we don’t deserve it. If we attempt to be declared righteous and worthy of blessing through right behavior, by definition we separate ourselves from grace in Jesus who purchased what we could never merit.

....This is what Paul was talking about in Galatians 5:4 when he told them they had “fallen from grace”. It wasn’t because they had sinned or lost their salvation. Looking to the law to be qualified, they re-shackled themselves to the curse of the law by counting Jesus sacrifice as less important than their own works.

....We’re free from the curse and abundantly blessed because of God’s great gift of love- Jesus. He gave us what we don’t deserve. Aren’t you glad?

2008-01-23T07:59:00.000-05:00

A Covenant of Grace
Obedience is a Promise

by Shannan Orr—Part 3 of 4

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and power to do what pleases Him.
Phillipians 2:13 NLT

....The first twenty five years of my Christian life were spent “working my head off to please God.” (See Galatians 3:2 in The Message) I was like a little self-righteous gerbil on an exercise wheel, working and working and getting nowhere.

....Most of us who call ourselves Christians have a heartfelt desire to please God. Unfortunately, we tend to think that what pleases God is our obedience to the law. But both in Abraham’s covenant, as well as our present covenant of grace, we find that what really pleases God is when we trust him. In fact, Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith (trust) it is impossible to please Him.

....So we want to trust God, but even our own efforts to trust can become a dead work when we make it a law to read a certain number of chapters, memorize, confess, or pray enough. Without a doubt, these things are all wonderful ways to draw closer to God, but when we work them like a magic formula, believing that our work will qualify us for something from God, we’ve got it backwards.

He is the one who puts the fear of God in our hearts (Jeremiah 32:40-42 AMP). He is the one who strengthens and equips us to be pleasing (Hebrews 13:20-21 AMP). He is the one who works in us to create power and desire for His pleasure (Philippians 2:13AMP)

....We must realize that it is not our trying that brings faith; it is His loving grace that will bring the reverential fear of God to our hearts. Isn’t that wonderful? We can trust Him to help us trust Him! Our faith in Jesus’ finished work gives us the power to do all those things we thought we had to do by our own strength. Obedience is the fruit that springs from God’s promise of a renewed heart. This is why it is a covenant of grace—because it all a gift from Him, not of ourselves (Ephesians 2:8)

....What great love our Father has for us that he equips us with everything we need to accomplish the work He requires of us to be pleasing in His sight, which is—trusting Him.