A Healing Touch – Jesus Teaches About Faith

A Healing Touch – Jesus Teaches About Faith


Matthew 9:18-26 NIV

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

18 While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26 News of this spread through all that region.

Hearing God’s Voice – Does God Still Speak To People?


This will give you the chills……..GOOD chills…(Pls. take time to read this)

A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord’s voice. The young man couldn’t help but wonder, “Does God still speak to people?”

After service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.

It was about ten o’clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, “God…If you still speak to people speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.” As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk.

He shook his head and said out loud, “God is that you?” He didn’t get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn’t recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. “Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.”

It didn’t seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, “Turn Down that street.” This is crazy he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street.

At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, “Okay, God, I will”. He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in semi commercial area of town. It wasn’t the best but it wasn’t the worst of neighborhoods either.

The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something, “Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.” The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep.

He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. “Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.” Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, “Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk.

If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something but if they don’t answer right away, I am out of here.” He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man’s voice yelled out, “Who is it? What do you want?”

Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn’t seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. “What is it?”

The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, “Here, I brought this to you.” The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face.

The man began speaking and half crying, “We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn’t have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.”

His wife in the kitchen yelled out, “I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?” The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man’s hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.———————————————–

This is so true. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that God asks us to do that cause us, if we are obedient to what He’s asking, to be able to hear. His voice more clear than ever. Please listen, and obey! It will bless you (and the world). Phil 4:13

What is Man? Man is Body, Soul, and Spirit


WHAT IS MAN – Man consists of BODY, SOUL, and SPIRIT

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27 NASB)

According to the Bible, mankind is distinct from all the rest of creation, including the animals, in that he is made in the image of God. As God is a tripartite — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — so man is three parts — body, soul and spirit.

In the most explicit example from Scripture of these divisions, the Apostle Paul writes: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NASB).

Man is made up of physical material, the body, that can be seen and touched. But he is also made up of immaterial aspects, which are intangible — this includes the soul, spirit, intellect, will, emotions, conscience, and so forth. These immaterial characteristics exist beyond the physical lifespan of the human body and are therefore eternal.

These immaterial aspects — the spirit, soul, heart, conscience, mind and emotions — make up the whole personality. The Bible makes it clear that the soul and spirit are the primary immaterial aspects of humanity, while the body is the physical container that holds them on this earth.

The Body (Greek, “soma”)This is the entire material or physical structure of a human being — it is the physical part of a person. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Romans again connects the body, the mind (soul) and the spirit.

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2 NASB).

For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:20).The Soul (Greek, “psyche”)Genesis 2:7 states that Man was created as a “living soul.” The soul consists of the mind (which includes the conscience), the will and the emotions. The soul and the spirit are mysteriously tied together and make up what the Scriptures call the “heart.”

The writer of Proverbs declares, ” Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Prov. 4:23 NASB). We see here that the “heart” is central to our emotions and will.

But a natural (psuchikos — soulish) man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised (1 Cor. 2:14 NASB).

Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day” (Acts 23:1 NASB).The Spirit (Greek ” Pneuma”)In Numbers 16:22, Moses and Aaron, “…fell upon their faces and said, ‘O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will you be angry with the entire congregation?'”

This verse names God as the God of the spirits that are possessed by all humanity. Notice also that it mentions the flesh (body) of all mankind, connecting it with the spirit. Another key verse that describes the separation between soul and spirit is Hebrews 4:12:For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12 NASB).

We see in this passage of Scripture that the soul and spirit can be divided — and that it is the Word of God that pierces our heart to bring the division of soul and spirit, something that only God can do. As human beings, we live eternally as a spirit, we have a soul, and we dwell in a body. We can rejoice with the Psalmist and declare,

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well (Ps. 139:13-14 NASB).

No Worries – Jesus Teaches About Faith


Matthew 6:25-34 New International Version

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 

26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 

30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Satan Loves To Take What’s Beautiful And Ruin Ii


Even if all you can see right now as you survey your life, is rubble and ruins and you feel so broken that you feel you’re beyond restoration and God could never put you together again,

I can testify that God can indeed bring beauty from ashes. If you allow Him to, He can clear away all the rubble and damage and restore you. Like the prodigal father, our Gracious Father welcomes home every repentant heart and He longs for our return to Him.

We don’t find condemnation in His open arms, we find joy, forgiveness, celebration and restoration.

How the Apostles of Jesus Christ Died


HOW THE APOSTLES DIED.
1. Matthew Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound.

2. Mark Died in Alexandria, Egypt , after being dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead.
3. Luke was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost.
4. John faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered From death.

John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey .

He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully

5. Peter he was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

6. James the leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club.* This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.

7. James the Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial.

Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

8. Bartholomew also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

9. Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: ‘I have long desired and expected this happy hour.

The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.’ He continued to preach to his tormentors For two days until he expired.

10. Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Sub-continent.

11. Jude was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

12. Matthias the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

13. Paul was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire.

These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.

Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times For the sake of the Faith. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

The Precious Holy Spirit – Morning Manna


2 Corinthians 4:6 New International Version

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Galatians 5:22-23 New International Version

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 New International Version

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 

to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, 

to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Practical Questions About Transgenderism


Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: These days, it’s becoming increasingly trendy for young people to question their God-given gender. Laura Perry encourages us to be proactive.

Laura Perry: We need to be teaching young girls why it is good that God made us girls and why that is so special and wonderful. We need to prepare them for the lies of the enemy. This is the pervasive lie in the culture right now against these young people, and it’s a great opportunity for the gospel.

Nancy: This is Revive Our Hearts, a podcast dedicated to helping women experience and enjoy their God-created design. Today is June 4, 2021, and I’m Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth.

Well, throughout this week we’ve been taking a deeper dive into some difficult but important and timely subjects. Our new friend, Laura Perry, has been helping us to understand what she was thinking when she was walking in that world of transgenderism.

Laura: There is a deep, profound wound. It’s based on self-rejection. It’s for, whatever reason, “I don’t like myself. I don’t like who I was created to be. I don’t like who I am. And so I’m going to reinvent someone else that doesn’t feel this pain, that people don’t hate. I’m going to be someone that people love.”

In my mind, people loved men. Women weren’t loved. Women were discarded and used.

Nancy: Laura underwent significant body-altering surgeries. She received hormone treatments. She legally changed her name to “Jake.” But then, miraculously God rescued this precious woman from her darkness and confusion.

We also heard from Laura’s mother, Francine, as she described the deep agony she felt over her daughter’s choices through those years. Francine shared transparently about how the Lord showed her areas in her own life that He wanted to transform. And what a beautiful work of grace God has done in both of these women’s lives.

It’s been a powerful and touching week here on Revive Our Hearts. I’m so grateful to my co-host, Dannah Gresh, and to our friend, Mary Kassian, and to our producer, Phil Krause, and our entire production team for their hard work in pulling all this together.

If you’ve missed any of the programs in the last few days, I want to encourage you to go back and listen atReviveOurHearts.com or on your Revive Our Heartsapp.

As we continue thinking about this topic, Mary Kassian starts by pointing us to the One who designs us however He determines to be best.

Mary Kassian: Isaiah 64:8 says, “But now oh Lord, you are our father, we are the clay. And you are our potter, we are the work of your hand.”

Elsewhere in Isaiah, the Lord says, “You turned things upside down. Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, ‘He did not make me?’ Or the thing formed say of him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding’ (Isa. 29:16).

I think that’s the rub of the issue right there. What we wrestle with when we wrestle with questions of our identity is: “Who exactly has the right to define us and say who we are? Who has the right to determine who we are?”

The answer that we get from culture is: “We do! We have the right to say that for ourselves.”

But the Bible claims that because God is our Creator, it’s God who has the right to tell us who we are and how we ought to live. We do not have the right to define ourselves. He is the Potter. We are the clay.

Nancy: Now, today, Dannah Gresh, Mary Kassian, and Laura Perry continue their conversation by looking at a variety of practical questions when it comes to the topic of transgenderism and disordered sexuality. Here’s Dannah.

Dannah Gresh: I have a list of questions that I want to blast through. This is what I might call “practical questions.” Many of us are just now coming into contact with a friend or a family member struggling with gender dysphoria. Help us engage with them. Help us love them. Help us be a part of their redemption story by answering some of these questions that really are on the top of our minds.

First one is the big one. What’s the big one, Mary?

Mary: The big one is this: What do you say to someone who says, “I was born this way”?

Laura: I would have said that, too. I was absolutely convinced I was born that way. But, the reality is, that no matter what you’re feeling now, our feelings don’t constitute who we are. Only God can define who we are.

But, secondly, in a sense, we are all born that way. We are born in a fallen nature. We are born sinners, and we all need to be redeemed. There are some in the Christian community that are using that as an excuse to say, “Well, I’m going to keep the identity, but I’m just going to live celibate, or I’m just going to not live in sin.”

But God wants to redeem that identity, too. He wants to truly make us brand new, restore us to who He originally created. Like Mary shared earlier in 2 Corinthians 5:17, it says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold all things have become new.”

I think if we hold on to that identity, and we say, “I’m a trans-Christian,” or “I’m a gay-Christian,” or whatever, we really are hyphenating our Christianity. We’re stopping short of the true power of the gospel of Jesus Christ that raised Christ from the dead, that can overcome any sin, any feeling, any desire, any belief. He can truly redeem us and make us brand new.

Dannah: I love that!

I have a friend whose sister is now living as a man. She, too, has had her chest removed. And just this morning I prayed with that friend, told him we were going to be talking together. What a lifeline of hope it was for me to say, “This was ten long years, but Jesus captured her heart.” You gave him so much hope!

But one of the things that he asked is, “How do you interact with a family member? How do you do Christmas? How do you do Thanksgiving? How do you do birthdays when there’s that tension? Is it easier? Should they just give up and say, ‘Come back when it’s all fixed?’ Or do you keep pursuing?”

Laura: Well, my parents kept pursuing. There were times I would cut them off. But I think we have to remember a couple of things.

One: I think we can be a good influence in their life. We can point them to Christ, but we are not their Savior. I think we need to remember that first of all. If we think that we are their Savior, we will do everything according to how they’re reacting or to how they’re receiving.

Remember that the devil is a liar. My parents didn’t know any of the stuff that was really going on internally. So much of what I was seeing and what they were saying was actually getting through and was having a far more profound effect, and I hadn’t told anyone.

Like the letter from my aunt, or even my parents a lot of times would just talk about . . . they stopped focusing on my sin. This is the one thing I would suggest: Don’t focus on their sin. Focus on Christ, and what He’s done in your life.

Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto myself.” And, of course, He was talking literally on the cross. But I think it’s also true when we’re sharing the gospel. Yes, people need to be aware of their sin. I knew where my parents stood on this. It’s not like they never said anything. But after a while, they just kept glorifying Christ. I mean, I could see it in them. They were being changed by Christ.

I think that’s the biggest key I can give any parent, anyone out there. Let God do a deep work. I know so many parents have been absolutely transformed as they’re waiting on these prodigal children. They draw closer to Christ, and as they began to be transformed by Christ. I began to see the difference in them. It was like a bug being drawn to the light. I mean, I was so fascinated by what was going on with my parents.

But as far as specifics of Christmas and things like that, treat them just like one of the members of your family, just like they’ve always been. I’d treat them like the daughter they’ve always been or the son they’ve always been.

My parents never used the male pronouns or the male name, and I would get mad. There were times I wouldn’t speak to them for a while. But I knew they loved me. I just kept trying to figure out ways to manipulate them to do what I wanted them to do. But I knew they loved me. I didn’t want to hear it. So I would go away for a while.

But I’m so thankful now that my mom never did. In fact, her not calling me Jake was like a . . . Every once in a while she would call me Laura. It would drive me crazy. I would get really mad, and I’d boil up at her. But when she would, it was like a tether to reality to me. It reminded me of who I truly was. And I’m so thankful that they never gave in on that.

Dannah: Wow!

Mary: I love that you said that the point is to exalt Christ, not to fix the behavior of the child, the prodigal, the sister or the brother. Ultimately, sinful behavior is a symptom of a deeper problem. And the symptom indicates that something is not right in that person’s relationship with Christ. To get to the root of the problem, people first need to address the conditions of the heart.

Dannah: Right. And what I’m hearing in your story—and I’ve heard this over and over again for every prodigal, no matter what their prodigal issue is, no matter what their pig trough is that they go to for fulfillment and then don’t find it—they already know what the Bible says about what they’re doing. It’s not like it helps to remind them. They know what they’re doing is sinful and wrong. They need the love of Christ. They need the friendship of Christ.

And another thing about your story as I listened is how God pursued you through all of that. And I think of two of the gospels—Matthew and John—described Jesus as a friend of sinners. It’s interesting that Jesus was given that name by His enemies as kind of a derogatory thing. Like, “Oh, that friend of sinners.”

Mary: He uses it for Himself then. He affirms.

Dannah: “Yes. I am a friend of sinners.” What does that mean for the friends, the family members of a prodigal? How do we reflect that heart of Christ practically?

Laura: Well, I think we look at His example. He was a friend of sinners. He loved them. He went and sought them out—like the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery. But He didn’t leave them in their sin. He didn’t beat them to the ground. I mean, even with words. He didn’t berate them. He didn’t tell them how horrible they were. He would speak the truth to them, and then He would say, “Go and sin no more.”

But He spent time with them. He listened to them. The woman at the well, He has this conversation with, and He treats her like a woman. He doesn’t treat her like this filthy sinner or like the woman who came in and anointed His feet with the expensive perfume. So we know that He loved them, and He drew them near. But He also didn’t leave them where they were.

Dannah: That passage where the woman comes and anoints Christ’s feet, that’s one of my favorite stories in all of Scripture. I think I love it because I’ve been both that sinful woman washing Jesus’ feet, and I’ve been the Pharisee.

Mary: I’ve totally been both, too.

Dannah: Yes. And the Pharisee says (in his head. He doesn’t say it out loud. It’s too dirty of a thought—but he says in his head), “If you knew what dapado” . . . I don’t know if I’m pronouncing that correctly, but, “If you knew what manure, if you knew what filth was within this woman’s life, you wouldn’t let her touch your feet.”

And Jesus says, “I know. I know. I know.”

He wants to be touched by her. He wants to be in relationship with her. I love that story.

Mary: That reminds me of Romans 2, verse 4, “Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

So you have two sides of a coin right there. You have His kindness, His gentleness, forbearance, patience, His coming close and touching what some people view as untouchable, drawing near. And at the same time, you have Him desiring our repentance.

You see, God doesn’t leave us there in the place where He finds us. He doesn’t leave us in a place of sin and brokenness and darkness. He wants to bring us to a better place.

Two sides of the same coin. Deep compassion on the one side, and on the other, He draws us to deeper levels of wholeness and holiness and freedom—freedom, fullness and fruitfulness in Christ.

Dannah: I want to ask you a few questions about children. I have a deep, deep burden for the little women in the Church, in the Body of Christ. I run a ministry called True Girl for girls aged seven to twelve. We’re increasingly getting more and more emails on this topic with moms saying, “What do we do?”

So I have two questions. The first is: What do parents need to know?

I was shocked just recently to discover that in many states a school does not need to notify a parent if a child is expressing transgender questions. These same kids can’t get a pain killer or a tattoo without a parent signing off on it, but they can get help transitioning from their schools and don’t have to tell Mom. California made that law in 2013. Michigan followed in 2016. New Jersey, 2018. Recently, Wisconsin is coming up with some legislation. I didn’t know that. I would want to know that if I was a parent of a child in a public school.

What other things might we not know that we need to know for the sake of helping our children?

Laura: First of all, I think we need to be proactive. We need to be teaching young girls why it is good that God made us girls and why that is so special and wonderful and prepare them for the lies of the enemy. This is the pervasive lie in the culture right now against these young people.

So I think we need to be proactive in warning these children about the lies of this culture—just having discussions. We don’t need to scare them and breed fear, but just have a conversation about how the culture is establishing these ideas and how everybody thinks this is so wonderful. Just explain to them why this is a lie, why this is not good for them.

It’s a great opportunity for the gospel and to talk about how this is a fallen world that is cursed by sin and that people, when they don’t love God, everything gets turned upside down. Love is hate. Hate is love. Good is evil. Evil is good.

I think it’s a great opportunity for a conversation with your kid. If this is a little girl, ask them if they like being a girl. If not, why not? How do they feel like they fit in with other girls? Things like that—just ask them some good questions.

Dannah: And don’t freak out if you have a son at three years old think it’s cool to paint fingernails with his mom. He might be artistic. It might just be, “Oh it’s blue, glittery paint! Let’s put it everywhere.” Right? It could be that.

Laura: Yes.

Dannah: Don’t be freaked out if your daughter wants to go hunting with Dad.

I have lots of friends. When I was writing about this topic in Moms’ Guide to Lies Girls Believe . . . Both of you have had some angst over being female. I never had that.

I didn’t realize how common it was for women to experience that—a bunch of women who had. As their parents allowed them to explore whatever was interesting to them—hunting, painting your nails, whatever—in a safe way, and also had the biblical guidelines of what it means to be female, by the time they were young adults, they loved being a woman.

Mary: Statistics, I believe, is that 80 percent will naturally outgrow and get over any gender dysphoria they might have. Wrestling with gender is a natural phase that children go through in their development, trying to figure out their own identity.

With me, I was with my dad in the workshop, and I learned to use tools. My parents didn’t discourage that. And yet, at the same time, they constantly affirmed that I was their girl. I think that was critically important. They didn’t say, “Oh, you like tools and masculine-type of activities, so maybe you were born the wrong gender.” Of course, that was a totally different era.

But this is what we’re facing now. Nowadays, parents are told, “If your little girl expresses masculine interests, or your little boy expresses feminine ones, then you better give them permission to change their gender . . . and you’re hateful and unloving if you don’t.”

Laura: Yes. And what’s so funny about that is that the activists get so angry at us making all these stereotypical, “How dare you tell a little boy that he can’t paint his fingernails,” and yet, when they embrace transgenderism, they often become very stereotypical of the opposite sex. It really does drive home the point, I think, that they don’t actually become women, and girls don’t actually become men. They really are doing the stereotypical thing.

There’s something so much deeper and so much more profound in being male or female.

Mary: Many, many young girls pursue transgenderism because it’s trendy or because of social pressure or because politically correct ideology and professionals push them in that direction.

Dannah: Right.

Mary: The secular book that was recently published that asked the question, “What are we as a society doing to our little girls in pushing them toward transgenderism?” Instead of teaching them that womanhood is wonderful and beautiful and worthwhile and how to feel good about their femininity, we tell them that if they are uncomfortable with being a girl, they can simply discard womanhood and become a boy instead.

I just want to read a couple of quick Twitter comments from people who regretted transitioning and have detransitioned.

One said: 

When I sought to transition, people said, ‘Good for you!’ When I sought to detransition, people asked, ‘Why?’ My detransitioning was questioned more than my transitioning ever was. My transition regret was picked apart far more than my gender dysphoria ever was.

Another person said: “When I had a double mastectomy, I got 400 likes on Facebook about it.” And then, she said when she decided to detransition, she didn’t get many likes at all, and many of her Facebook friends fell away.

When girls transition, they are heralded as being courageous and brave. And they receive a lot of attention and support. But they don’t receive nearly as much affirmation and support and attention for just being a girl.

So girls today are counseled to become trans, and they’re encouraged to become trans rather than to deal with their gender dysphoria.

Laura: In Romans 1:32, it says “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (KJV).

I think that when people are living in sin . . . I’ve talked to so many that have lived in those lifestyles. They have told me that they knew the whole time that they were living in sin, and they knew that they were not right with God. But if they can celebrate somebody else’s sin, then it makes them feel better about their own sin. I think that’s why we see that so much.

When we’re doing the right thing, even if some of these transitioners haven’t necessarily come to Christ, they’re still doing the opposite of what the world wants. But Jesus, talking about us, when we have come to Christ, and when we’re doing these things, Jesus said, “If you are of the world, then the world would love its own, but I have called you out of the world. Therefore, the world will hate you.” (see John 15:19)

Dannah: Yes. We can feel that right now.

Laura: So we’re going to be persecuted, and we’re going to be hated. Plus, Satan is really behind all of this. He wants these kids. He’s really destroying . . . I mean, this is abortion for all future generations. Think about it: If he can make these kids sterile, then he’s committed abortion on their two, three, four, five kids—however many they would have had—before they ever get started.

Dannah: There are so many intellectually honest (I would tag these people as conservatives. I would not tag them as Christians) scholars and psychologists who are saying, “Stop the madness. You cannot transition these children. You cannot sterilize them when they’re young. At the very least, wait until they’re adults for that to happen.”

And what’s happening is we’re not, They’re becoming adults and saying, “Oops. That really was a mistake.” It’s just not even logical.

I think of that verse about how the Bible says that we become double-minded in all our ways. And when we become double-minded, we become unstable. (see James 1:8)

So over here on one side, the culture is saying, “Tolerate everything. Tolerance is our theology.” And then they’re saying, “Oh, but your tolerance has to match what we tolerate. And if it doesn’t, we can’t tolerate it.”

Laura: Right.

Dannah: That, I think, is the very definition of double-mindedness. Is it not, my friends?

Mary: Exactly. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man,but its end is the way to death.”

Now, all the ungodly paths we take fall into that category. Transitioning to be a gender that God did not create you to be is not worse than other sins. Every way that goes against the way of the Lord is a destructive path. It could be lust, pornography, adultery, hatred, slander, gossip, bitterness. Ungodly actions and ungodly attitudes can seem so right to us. Yet in the end, these things lead us away from the Lord, and, paradoxically, take us away from the freedom and wholeness for which we so desperately yearn.

Dannah: Well, Laura Perry, I’ve got to say: I don’t know if you had any friends applaud you on Facebook when you were as brave as you have been to detransition, but I want to be the first one to say, “Wow! You are an inspiration! You are an encouragement! You are a lifeline of hope for the moms and grandmoms out there whose prodigals, for a various number of reasons, are far, far from the Lord. You’ve reminded us that He is a redeemer, and He gets the final say.”

So I just want to say, “Thank you!”

Laura: Thank you so much. I’m just so grateful to Jesus for never giving up on me, for setting me free, for delivering me. Like I said before, I never thought I’d feel like a girl again. I am so blown away at what He has done.

So I just want to encourage anyone who’s listening just trust in Him. He alone can heal you.

Nancy: Wow! What an encouraging word of hope from Laura Perry.

And, Lord, I just want to stop again and thank You for Your amazing grace and Your intervention in the life of this woman. She was a prodigal, but You brought her back home to the Father, and You transformed her thinking in every way imaginable. We give You thanks.

And we think of all the other prodigals whose hearts You want to transform and are in the process of doing. We continue to pray for that, for Jesus’ sake, amen.

Well, Laura has been talking with Mary Kassian and Dannah Gresh. Mary’s going to be back in a moment to close with a final thought, but first, I want to mention that I’m thrilled that Laura will be with us at Revive ’21 this fall in Indianapolis. So I hope you’ll be able to join us whether in person in Indianapolis or in a special online experience that we’re designing for those who can’t be with us in person.

To register for Revive ’21, or for more information, go toReviveOurHearts.com. And let me say: Seats are selling out quickly for the onsite Indianapolis experience. So if you want to be with us in Indy, be sure and sign up as soon as possible.

Now, Laura’s written a book about her journey. It’s called, Transgender to Transformed, and we’re offering that book to you this week as our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount to Revive Our Hearts. We’re a listener-supported ministry, and that means we depend on donations from friends like you to sustain our outreaches here in the United State and around the world.

Your donation today is an investment in the lives of women who need to better understand God’s design for their lives and to experience the joy of living that out. If you’d like to make a donation, you can visit us atReviveOurHearts.com, or give us a call at 1–800–569–5959. And when you contact us to make your gift, be sure to ask for a copy of Laura’s book, Transgender to Transformed.

Wow! This week we’ve heard the amazing stories of Laura Perry and her mom Francine, both of whom had to take God at His Word—at times, in spite of their feelings—and had to step out in faith.

Now, next week we’ll look at two men in the Old Testament who also learned to live by faith in the promises of God. I hope you won’t miss it.

If you want to get a head start, over this weekend, why don’t you spend some time in Numbers chapter 13. Read that chapter and ask the Lord to show you what it means to live a life of faith in the promises of God.

Now, to close out our series this week, I want you to hear a really important word from my friend Mary Kassian.

Mary: I just want to speak for a moment to the girl or young woman that is listening to this program and who is struggling with her identity as a female. I’ve been there a bit, Laura. I can totally understand that journey. And you’re listening to this, but you’re hearing all sorts of messages out in the culture that tell you your pain and dissatisfaction with your body and with your identity will only be resolved when you turn away from being a woman and transition to become a man.

Dear one, let me tell you this: Transitioning will not heal the pain in your soul. That is a wound that will only be made whole as you move deeper into a love relationship with the God who created you and who loves you so dearly through Jesus Christ His Son.

So will you turn to Him? Today, will you say, “Yes, God. I agree that You are the one. You are the One who has the right to define me and to tell me who I am. Please show me the path. Show me the way. Be near.”

A Silly Saturday!


A Silly Saturday!

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around, looking for valuables when a voice in the dark said, ‘Jesus knows you’re here.’ He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze.

When he heard nothing more, he shook his head and continued. Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard ‘Jesus is watching you.’ Startled, he shined his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice.

Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot. ‘Did you say that?’ he hissed at the parrot. ‘Yes’, the parrot confessed, then squawked, ‘I’m just trying to warn you that he’s watching you.’

The burglar relaxed. ‘Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?’ ‘Moses,’ replied the bird. ‘Moses?’ the burglar laughed. ‘What kind of people would name a bird Moses?’ ‘The kind of people who would name a Rottweiler Jesus.’

Courageous Prophets Of Change – Take Responsibility


Ezekiel 18:1-9 New International Version

The One Who Sins Will Die

18 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
    and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.

“Suppose there is a righteous man
    who does what is just and right.
He does not eat at the mountain shrines
    or look to the idols of Israel.
He does not defile his neighbor’s wife
    or have sexual relations with a woman during her period.
He does not oppress anyone,
    but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.
He does not commit robbery
    but gives his food to the hungry
    and provides clothing for the naked.
He does not lend to them at interest
    or take a profit from them.
He withholds his hand from doing wrong
    and judges fairly between two parties.
He follows my decrees
    and faithfully keeps my laws.
That man is righteous;
    he will surely live,
declares the Sovereign Lord.

Ezekiel 18:30-32 New International Version

30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 

31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

What is Theosophy?


Theosophy is more of a philosophy of religion than a religion per se. The word theosophy comes from the Greek words theos “god” and sophia “wisdom”. Literally, theosophy means “divine wisdom.” The roots of this philosophy can be traced back to ancient Gnosticism, with borrowings from Greek philosophy and medieval mysticism. Modern theosophy also draws heavily on Hinduism.

The Theosophical Society was founded in New York in 1875 by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, a Russian-born spiritualist, and Henry Steel Olcott, an American lawyer and newspaperman. Three years later, they moved the international base of operations for the Theosophical Society to India.

Theosophy teaches that all religions contain elements of the “Ancient Wisdom” and that wise men throughout history have held the secret of spiritual power. Those who have been enlightened by the divine wisdom can access a transcendent spiritual reality through mystical experience.

Like Hinduism, theosophy teaches reincarnation and a belief in karma. Theosophists also place their trust in the Mahatmas (literally, “Great Souls”), also referred to as the Great Masters or the Adepts—those who have reached an exalted state of existence and who possess the sum of the world’s accumulated knowledge. According to theosophists, these Mahatmas are directing the spiritual evolution of mankind.

In 1911, the Theosophical Society proclaimed the advent of a “World Teacher”—a young Hindu named Jiddu Krishnamurthi. Theosophists heralded this messianic character as the world’s hope of enlightenment, peace, and unity. However, a few years later, Krishnamurthi renounced his position as “World Teacher” and stopped claiming to be a messiah.

Although theosophists contend that their philosophy is compatible with Christianity (and with Buddhism, Hinduism, and all other religions), it is clear that theosophy is at odds with the Bible. Not only does the Bible refute the idea of reincarnation and karma (Hebrews 9:27), it also differs from theosophy on the following points:

1) Theosophy denies the existence of a personal, infinite God. The Bible plainly teaches the existence of a God who is both personal and infinite (Hebrews 1:1011:6).

2) Theosophy denies the need of forgiveness. The Bible proclaims all mankind to be in need of God’s forgiveness, available only through the death of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23-25).

3) Theosophy teaches that Christ was a “Great Soul” who inhabited the body of a man named Jesus for a few years (this is an ancient Gnostic heresy). The Bible teaches that Jesus is the eternal Son of God (John 1:1-14).

While the number of theosophists has dwindled through the years, the philosophy itself has had a marked influence. Theosophy has produced great interest in the Eastern religions among those in the West, leading to revivals of Hinduism and Buddhism. It has also heavily influenced the rise of other religious movements, such as Rosicrucianismunity, and the New Thought movement.

Theosophy seeks a higher wisdom, but it fails to recognize that there is no higher wisdom than is found in Jesus Christ, “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24).

The Devil Did Not Make You Do It!


THE DEVIL DID NOT MAKE YOU DO IT; GOD DID NOT MAKE YOU DO IT; YOU DID IT

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. James 1:13-15

The word, “tempted” is a word that means to entice. God does not allow us to be enticed (tempted) beyond what we are able to endure. All temptation is common to all men. No one experiences a trial that is unique. 1Cor.10:13

It is not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted in ALL THINGS the same way that we are. Heb.4:15, Heb.2:18 Prior to the coming of Christ we had an excuse for sin. It was a time of ignorance. Acts 17:30

But now the light has come to ALL men. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. John 15:22

The Consequences Of Giving Courageous Advice


Jeremiah 38:14-23 New International Version

Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again

14 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the Lord. “I am going to ask you something,” the king said to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”

15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.”

16 But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who want to kill you.”

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. 18 But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from them.’”

19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.”

20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me: 22 All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you:

“‘They misled you and overcame you—
    those trusted friends of yours.
Your feet are sunk in the mud;
    your friends have deserted you.’

23 “All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will[a] be burned down.”

More than Shamrocks


When St. Patrick’s Day rolled around, I realized I’d lost my shamrock tie. Yeah, I was bummed. Of course, everybody else was thrilled. Oh, yeah, yeah I always used to love wearing it for St. Patrick’s Day every year to celebrate that part of me that’s Irish.

In spite of the fact that people insensitively described the color of it as “barf green.” It just doesn’t seem that anyone is missing it but me. I’m not sure what old St. Pat would have made of the holiday named for him anyway.

I mean, pouring green dye into the Chicago River and parades full of green-dressed celebrants. I do know that Patrick, who’s pretty much obscured by the festivities, was quite a guy.

His first trip to Ireland wasn’t his choice. He was 14 and he got kidnapped and carried off to Ireland where he became a sheep-tendin’, pig-sloppin’ slave.

But while he was there, he finally realized that Jesus died to forgive his sins, and he put his trust in Him to do just that. Well, Patrick finally escaped and got back home to Britain where he presumably swore he’d never wear anything green!

But his second trip was his choice; a choice that should give a lot of us something to think about. I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “More Than Shamrocks.

“You know, as Patrick told it, he was asleep one night when he saw Victor, his former Irish captor, in a vision. He said, “He appeared to have come from Ireland with an unlimited number of letters.”

And Patrick said that the letters seemed to shout with one voice: “We ask you, holy boy, come and walk once more among us.” He said he “was cut to the heart and could read no more. “Patrick did walk among them, spreading the Good News about Jesus that had changed his life. He introduced thousands of Irishmen to Jesus.

Patrick reflected on the legacy of his life this way: “I am greatly a debtor to God who hath vouchsafed me such great grace that many people by my means should be born again to God.”

That’s people in heaven. That’s St. Patrick’s ultimate legacy. It’s like the Apostle Paul said about some folks he had introduced to Jesus in our word for today from the Word of God in 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20. “What is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of the Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you?

Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” Which raises the question all of us Jesus-followers should be asking: “Who will be in heaven because of me?” God let Patrick know He was counting on him to bring Jesus to people that he had “walked among.”

Which raises another question: “Who are my ‘walk among them’ people?” They’re the folks who are part of the daily network of your life, the experiences of your life. We’ve all got them – the ones who God is counting on us to rescue. He says if “you do not speak out…I will hold you accountable for his blood” (Ezekiel 33:8).

Why? Because I knew what that person needed to know to get to heaven and I never told them. We don’t need a vision. We’ve got orders. Jesus said, “You will be my witnesses, telling people about Me” (Acts 1:8).See, Patrick was biographically credentialed to tell the Irish about Jesus. But that’s not just true of the “shamrock saint.”

Because every Jesus-follower has been biographically credentialed to share Jesus with folks. Including you, because of what you’ve experienced. Your personal story is your point of entry to ultimately tell them how His story changed your story forever and can change theirs.

So you may be able to celebrate (in Patrick’s words) “that many people by my means were ‘born again to God.’ “Patrick was in a very hard place when he made the greatest discovery of his life – a personal relationship with Jesus.

By giving his life to Jesus, he stepped into a greatness he could never have imagined any other way. Maybe that hard place you’re in right now is where you’ll finally find what you’ve spent your whole life looking for – that love relationship with Jesus Christ, who loved you enough to die for you and was powerful enough to walk out of His grave.

He’s ready to walk into your life today. You want to get started with Him? Go to our website, we’ll help you with that – ANewStory.com. Open up to Jesus and step into God’s great plan for your life.

How you can make a Difference


A man was asked to paint a boat. He brought his paint and brushes and began to paint the boat a bright red, as the owner asked him. While painting, he noticed a small hole in the hull, and quietly repaired it.

When he finished painting, he received his money and left. The next day, the owner of the boat came to the painter and presented him with a nice check, much higher than the payment for painting.

The painter was surprised and said “You’ve already paid me for painting the boat Sir!” “But this is not for the paint job. It’s for repairing the hole in the boat.” “Ah! But it was such a small service… certainly it’s not worth paying me such a high amount for something so insignificant.”

“My dear friend, you do not understand. Let me tell you what happened: “When I asked you to paint the boat, I forgot to mention the hole. “When the boat dried, my kids took the boat and went on a fishing trip. “They did not know that there was a hole.

I was not at home at that time. “When I returned and noticed they had taken the boat, I was desperate because I remembered that the boat had a hole. “Imagine my relief and joy when I saw them returning from fishing.

“Then, I examined the boat and found that you had repaired the hole!“ You see, now, what you did? You saved the life of my children! I do not have enough money to pay your ‘small’ good deed.”

So no matter who, when or how, continue to help, sustain, wipe tears, listen attentively, and carefully repair all the ‘leaks’ you find. You never know when one is in need of us, or when God holds a pleasant surprise for us to be helpful and important to someone.

Along the way, you may have repaired numerous ‘boat holes’ for several people without realizing how many lives you’ve save.

Make a difference….

Empty Rituals Are Useless – Courageous Prophets Of Change


Isaiah 29:13-24 New International Version

13 The Lord says:

“These people come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
    is based on merely human rules they have been taught.[a]
14 Therefore once more I will astound these people
    with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
    the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
15 Woe to those who go to great depths
    to hide their plans from the Lord,
who do their work in darkness and think,
    “Who sees us? Who will know?”
16 You turn things upside down,
    as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,
    “You did not make me”?
Can the pot say to the potter,
    “You know nothing”?

17 In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field
    and the fertile field seem like a forest?
18 In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,
    and out of gloom and darkness
    the eyes of the blind will see.
19 Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord;
    the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 The ruthless will vanish,
    the mockers will disappear,
    and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—
21 those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,
    who ensnare the defender in court
    and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.

22 Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob:

“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;
    no longer will their faces grow pale.
23 When they see among them their children,
    the work of my hands,
they will keep my name holy;
    they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob,
    and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding;
    those who complain will accept instruction.”

The Sin Build – Up


The Sin Build-up

For hundreds of years, windmills around the world have been used to pump water and to process grains. But in the last few decades, as wind turbines producing electricity have become more prevalent, a “fly in the ointment” unexpectedly occurred. Researchers discovered that windpower generators worked fine at slow speeds, but at high-wind velocity, bugs on the blades reduced power output. Operators found that it was necessary to regularly wash off the buildup of dead insects to avoid having them slowly decrease the turbine’s power.

A buildup of sin in one’s life can be a problem as well. God has provided a way to clear the accumulation of sins from our lives. First John 1:9 reminds us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

But unless we do that often, we’ll be running on diminished power. That’s because the power for living comes from God and not us. When we try to live the Christian life in our own strength, we’ll feel defeated – like windmills robbed of their energy.

“God’s power can be more easily seen and experienced in our lives when we get rid of sin’s buildup every day.” — Cindy Hess Kasper. The power in our life Will be diminished by our sin; Confession will restore our strength-When we’re forgiven, cleansed within.- Sper

Sin drains our spiritual power. “Confession restores it”
Stay Blessed My Friend

Taking Refuge


Taking Refuge

In the medieval world, farmers would care for their crops until an enemy appeared on the horizon. Then they would flee with their families to their fortified city for protection from the marauders.

The city of Carcassonne has been a refuge for generations. Built in the 5th century BC, this stone fortress has provided protection for Romans, Gauls, Visigoths, Franks, and French. Its sprawling size and majestic watchtowers and battlements gave confidence to those hiding inside its protective walls.

As believers, we can *take refuge in the presence of the living God*. The book of Proverbs tells us: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe”. “The name of the Lord” refers to *God’s character” — abounding with faithfulness, power, and mercy. The term safe means “set on high out of danger.”

We all face threats at times that make us want to run for cover. Some seek security in material wealth or relationships. But the Christ-follower has a more secure refuge. “Because of who God is and what He can do for us, our best protection ultimately rests in Him.”

If you are facing a threat today, go to the Lord, who is a strong tower. You will find refuge in His care. – Dennis Fisher In the times of greatest struggle, When the angry billows roll, I can always find my Savior, Christ, the Refuge of my soul._ – Woodruff

“In good times and bad, God is our safe resting place.”
Stay Blessed My Friend

Why are you cast down O my Soul – Morning Manna


Psalm 42:5 New International Version

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42:11 New International Version

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

Psalm 43:5 New International Version

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

Courageous Prophets of Change – Speak Truth Boldly


1 Kings 22:14-23 New International Version

14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

15 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?”

“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

17 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”

18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

19 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’

“One suggested this, and another that. 21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’

22 “‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. “‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.

“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’

23 “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

1 Kings 22:26-28 New International Version

26 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son 27 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”

28 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”