A Welcomed Visitor with a Word

"...a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home..." Luke 10:38

Martha invited Jesus into her home. In fact, she welcomed Him into her personal space. Yes, she got distracted by all the preparations, but we must not lose focus on the fact that she wanted Him in her home.  

When she spoke to Jesus over her concern with Mary not helping her, she once again invited Him into her life. She opened herself up for the opportunity for Jesus to speak into her life.  She believed Mary needed correcting when in fact the attitude adjustment was her own. 

Even though it must have been difficult to receive, she heeded the words of truth spoken to her by Jesus.  Later when we see Jesus in her home again, we find her serving Him well.

Do we welcome Jesus into our lives and give Him permission to speak truth into our lives? Or are we too concerned over what we believe others should be doing for us that we miss His loving instructions?

Guidance with a Promise

So you_______
           shall observe to do
                            just as the Lord your God has commanded you;______
you_________
            shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.
You _________
             shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you,_______
that you ______
              may live
              and that it may be well with you,
              and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.

Deuteronomy 5:32-33 | NASB

Fill in the blank first with your own name....seeking His heart, and then watch a Him keep His promises.  It's His will for all of our lives that we....
       1). Obey His commands
       2). Stay on His path
       3). Follow His direction

When we do, He promises:
        1). Life
        2). Success
        3).  Longevity

Will we take Him up on His Word and do what He directs us to do?

Man-made Solutions

So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. Luke 15:15-16 | NASB

His inheritance had been used up. Still too proud to admit his foolishness, the lost son hires himself out to a farmer in the land he lives. He discovers his solution doesn't work when no one will give him anything to eat.

How often do we try to come up with our own answers to the messes we get ourselves in?  Why do we have to take so long to turn to the Father for help? He waits with open arms for us to turn to Him.

Receiving Back Challenge

The story of the Prodigal Son is filled with amazing life lessons regarding trust. One is ... Trust forgives the wrong decisions of others and receives them back.  Trust restores.  (Luke 15:21)

The father freely gave the younger son his portion of his inheritance and watched him leave. When he returned, the father celebrated his return. It's difficult to watch someone leave and make a mess of their lives, but how well do we leave the door open for them to return?

A Challenge from the Word

And He said, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them.  Luke 15:11-12 | NASB

One outwardly demanded, but the father divides and gives each of them their portion. The younger takes off and squanders his portion on loose living, but the truth is, both sons need an attitude adjustment. The older son doesn't reveal his toxic character trait until his brother returns. 

Challenge:  Which son might we be like?  Is there some attitude we need to honestly address with our Heavenly Father?

2nd Annual Freedom Conference, Info & Registration

2nd Annual Ladies’ Freedom Conference “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  John 8:32 Saturday September 26th, 2015 9 am – 4 pm Breakfast & registration  start at 8 am. Grace Bible Church Dallas City, Illinois

NEW THIS YEAR – Free babysitting for children 2-8 years of age will be available for those attending the conference.  Indicate on the registration form the ages of the children you will be bringing. To ensure the highest quality of care for your children, we must know if you are bringing children by September 1st.

Please send in your registration form with payment to: Ladies’ Freedom Conference  c/o Grace Bible Church  2880 N. State Hwy 9 Dallas City, IL  62330.  Registration fees – By September 1st, 2015 –  only $22.  Registration fees received September 2nd and after are $30. If you register an entire group of six people by September 1st (sending their registrations and fees in together in the same envelope), the seventh person may attend free.

Ladiesfreedomconference@gmail.com Are you seeking encouragement from God’s word?  Looking for God focused truth?  Join Beckie at: HTTP//:www.cometomeandrest. blogspot.com Facebook: Come-Here And-Rest Please join the Ladies Freedom Team in praying for this event.  Requests: 1.    God to prepare the hearts of conference attendees. 2.    God to give our speakers, Beckie, Kathy, and Deanna His word to speak, health, and safety. 3.    For this time to be blessed and refreshing for all who come. 4.    God to speak to your heart and impact your spiritual walk through this day.

Schedule: 8-9 am – Registration and Breakfast Session I – “Trust Heals the Broken” Session II – “Rest Empowers the Healed” Session III - “The Healed Fly Free” Each session includes music by our all ladies praise team, prayer, worship, and a lesson. There will be hands on activities in the morning and afternoon.

Meet our speakers:   Our keynote speaker, Beckie Stewart, is the conference originator.  She is a published author, mother, and pastor’s wife.  Her new book will be available at the conference.   Kathy Fowler comes to us as a wife and mother living joyously through Jesus.  Kathy has an exciting testimony of how trusting God empowered her in overcoming a meth addiction.   Deanna Hartrick and her family have been through the fire this year, as her 16 year old son battled stomach cancer.  She shares “In this cancer journey I have learned that no one walks alone!!!”

Name: ____________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________ Town: ____________________________ Zip Code: ___________  Home phone: (_____)________________ Cell phone: (_____)__________________   e-mail address: __________________________________    Choose one for lunch: _____ Turkey sub sandwich  _____ Ham Sub sandwich Do you need babysitting?  ______ Yes   _____No.    If yes, ages of children coming:____________________ Special needs/accommodations: ____________________________________________________________________

Come “Trust, Rest & Fly Free” Saturday September 26th , 2015 Program: 9 am - 4 pm Registration & breakfast start at 8 am At Grace Bible Church Dallas City, IL This day of spiritual refreshment will focus on how trusting in God, allows us to rest in Him.  This resting in Jesus allows us to fly free to be who  God wants us to be. Bible lessons, praise and worship music, prayer, and hands-on activities are all part of this God focused event.  The continental breakfast starts at 8 am.  Lunch and snacks are included.

The Power Behind the Thought

The winds began to pick up and lightning flashed through the sky. We bolted everything down preparing for another storm, one of many in the last few weeks.  This particular storm came with the threat of tornadoes. 

Suddenly, the unexpected happened. Everything settled down, and when I looked to the skies, it was an array of color. Even though the cloud gave a sense that a huge tornado was on the horizon, it was only a funnel shape cloud with no power behind it.

It reminded me of the way we create storms in our thoughts. We have no facts behind our assumptions.  If we mull it over long enough, we can make ourselves sick to the stomach with fear.  If we entertain a thought long enough, it takes on a life of its own and becomes our reality.

This is the reason Paul instructed the Christians in Corinth to take control of their thoughts. The Lord removes the power behind our imagination when we hand it over to Him. When we surrender to Him, suddenly the storm in our head is just a beautiful cloud formation in the sky...nothing else!

Sneak Peek at Back cover of book...

This will be the description on the back cover for my book....

"In an anxious world where many are seeking rest, this book shares the author’s journey of healing with vulnerability and truth. Though each new chapter builds on the previous one, each also stands alone and can be read for individual nuggets of truth, inspiration, comfort, and challenge.

Jesus wants us to find rest for our weary and heavy-laden souls (Matthew 11:28-29). This book invites the reader to find it in the comfort of the Savior’s arms."

SNEAK PEEK #3....into Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Divine Appointment

Ever get the sense of being at the wrong place at the wrong time? Circumstances go from bad to worse. Or maybe you’ve experienced the opposite: good fortune comes when you least expected it. When this happens, it reminds us how little control we truly have over our lives.

We don’t plan to bump into an old acquaintance and renew that long lost friendship. We drove carefully only to hit black ice and end up in a ditch precariously perched atop a six foot culvert the opposite direction we originally were headed. Whether planned or not, our days are filled with Divine appointments, and it requires trust in the Lord when life takes an unexpected curve.

The Scriptures tell us the story of a woman who approached Jacob’s well outside of Samaria. She collected water at a different time of day than the other women in town because of her unacceptable reputation.

“Give me a drink,” the man sitting near the well said to her.

His request immediately caught her off guard because he broke customary Jewish laws. He was a Jewish man speaking to a Samaritan woman. In her conversation with Jesus she discovered he knew her past and present living situation. By the time the disciples returned to the well, she had discovered Jesus to be a prophet.

The woman returned to town to retrieve others to investigate this man who knew all about her. Many believed in Jesus that day. Their interest began with the woman sharing her story and ended with what He did for them personally. 

Second Peek at book...

Jesus says faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). The writer of Hebrews tells us that faith believes in something that cannot be seen. Exactly how does faith work? When I examined the Scriptures, this is what stood out to me:

By faith, Noah built an ark for when the rain brought the flood.

Whatever rain is …

But he obeyed anyway. (Genesis 7-9)

By faith, Abraham packed up his family to go to the promise land.

Whatever that land might be …

But he obeyed anyway. (Genesis 12:1-4)

By faith, Isaac went to find a wife among his own people.

Whoever she is …

But he obeyed anyway. (Genesis 24)

By faith, Moses lifted his staff above the Red Sea.

Whatever a lifted rod would do …

But he obeyed anyway.  (Exodus 14:12-31)

By faith, Joshua marched his army in silence around Jericho.

Whatever that odd command might accomplish …

But he obeyed anyway. (Joshua 6)

By faith, Daniel still prayed three times a day against the king's decree.

Whatever difference prayer would make …

But he obeyed anyway. (Daniel 6)

     We never know what faith may ask of us, but it stirs us to obey like those we read about in the Scriptures. Their courage and the faithfulness remind us of what the Lord can do.

My Book....Sneak Preview#1

My book is weeks away from going to the publisher.  I need help promoting it.  Will you, my dear Readers, post links to your Facebook and any websites you may have to let others know.  In the meantime, I plan on giving sneak previews.

Here is the first:
 

     The first time I viewed the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” it left a deep impression upon me. Before George Bailey made a suicidal jump off a bridge into the cold river waters, Clarence the angel pretended to be drowning in them. After George rescued him, Clarence offered George the chance to see the impact his life had on others. George sees that all those seemingly insignificant moments of his life actually changed the entire course of not only his life, but of those he knew. Would our outlook on our lives change if we were given the same opportunity George had?

     For decades I lived in the world of depression, despair, and hopelessness. My battle with the prevailing desire to die started at age seven. As an adult, looking back over my life, I’ve often wondered how I even learned the full meaning of the word “suicide”. I’m not sure how I entered that prison cell, but I’m confident I never ended my life because of my belief in God, the fear of not going to heaven, and the significant people the Lord had cross my path.

      My inner conflicts over my life stirred from a desire to have a family similar to those on my favorite TV shows and in the homes of my friends. Instead my life read more like Mother Goose’s “Humpty Dumpty” rhyme,

     “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

      Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

     All the king’s horses and all the king’s men

     Couldn’t put Humpty together again.”