August 2nd, 2010 by The_Other_Alice

Jay requested this song from Hillsong United’s own Brooke Fraser; it is a beautiful song; so deep and strong– it’s just HUGE! :D So here it is, Jay, for your listening enjoyment!

“Hosanna” is a cry of adoration, which literally means “Oh, save!” It is what the people cried when Jesus the Messiah came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. He, whose name is exalted in heaven and earth, came lowly to mankind. What a wonder! How He loves us, how He’s blessed us, not based on anything good or noble we have done.

People sometimes talk about this thing called luck. I think it’s like when something good happens to you or for you. I’ve got this joke now that I have “Charlie Brown luck.” For real; why is it that for a few select people, whenever they set their hands to something, everything goes wrong (or so it seems?) They are the ones who ask, “Who really wins contests?” They are most often the ones with big responsibilities. When they work very, very hard, they do well, but nothing tremendous falls into their laps. They are the ones always running like a chicken with it’s head cut off, because with every little thing they set their hands to do, fifty other things show up that stand in the way. They don’t show up all at once; they build up over the next couple of hours. They come across to other people as the type who “lose it” frequently. They talk quickly, bluntly, in jumbled words and sentences. They can look up solutions to their everyday problems all they want to, but of course, it doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to. They come across as goofy, because they cheer themselves with a unique outlook on life and situations. Nobody looks at them and says, “My, what a talented individual.” They aren’t usually popular, except for being known as the “odd-ball.” Yet strangely, people look to them for answers to the most puzzling enigmas. Probably because they’ve been through it already. They laugh more than others and cry more, too. To them, it’s just a matter of making the best out of being very different than other people. But every once in while, they fray at the edges and look up and say, “Why? Why special and unique? Why every day? Why am I always bearing so many burdens alone?”

You’ve probably guessed; I am one of those people. I know I have it better than Charlie Brown because I know the One who saves; I know my soul is saved, and I will live forever even though nothing good I ever did in the past earned it for me. But I still look up and ask why. Why do the craziest things always happen to me, and I also happen to be one with big responsibilities, and thus get blamed for a lot? (Some of you know that I say more than anything “I’m sorry.” Now you know why.) And every so often, when you bear many burdens alone, you become totally drained, usually in such a way so that EVERYBODY knows because everything stops running when you stop running it. And they think, “What’s his problem?” If only they knew. People talk about “stress.” If only they knew what “luck” was. Now I know that to a degree, this happens to everybody. But some of us are special, you see. See, I have seen other people do the same things I do, but somehow, for me things go totally haywire, and even others look at it and say, “Whoa.” (You’re most likely wondering why I’m going on about this. Keep reading; it’s a building effect.)

So yes, this is one of those “down points.” Because the human body can only do so much for so long. But that doesn’t mean the fun stops! No, you may not slow down a little bit, because there is just so much more MORE MORE! Today I asked again, “Oh, God, why? Why does all this happen? Can it please just slow down a little bit for just a little while? Every time I set my hands to do something, a hundred other things start calling while a hundred other things go wrong! I only see one other person in this whole world who this happens to (she’s my mother; I wonder if it’s genetic?) but it doesn’t help the situation stop!” I told Him why I was in such a desperate state, so worn-down and frazzled. So I told him about my Charlie Brown luck. His response:

“You are blessed.”

“Whoa,” I said. I guess I could have asked Him to explain, but I know that things are as He says they whether or not they appear to be so to me. And I could immediately think of several ways in which I am more fortunate (haha) than a lot of people. I personally don’t feel like I’m persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Not by people, anyway. I feel like I’m looked at as crazy; I feel like people don’t understand my situation and why I “break down” so often. But God says I am blessed!

Here is who the Scripture says over and over are blessed:

Blessed is the one who trusts in Him.
Blessed in the one whose sins are forgiven. (Amen!)
Blessed is the one whom the Lord chastens.
Blessed is the one who fears the Lord.
Blessed is the one who keeps His commandments.
Blessed is the one who gives.
Blessed is the one who watches for His Lord.
Blessed is the one who believes.
Blessed is the one who endures.

Here’s who our Savior says is blessed:

“ Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12)

That’s not who the world says is better off; that’s not who the world exalts; that’s not the ones who feel blessed. But it is who the Lord says is blessed. And for us who have been the Charlie Browns all our lives, it is a great step of faith to say, “Yes, Lord; I believe I am blessed.”

But I choose to believe in the One who saves; I believe that He is mighty to save; I believe that He stretches forth His hand to heal. And I believe I am blessed, just because He said I am.

That is a confession that comes out not with a feeling of happiness, but of pain– yet with conviction. It is not easy to choose when you are hanging by a thread. But God is the one who is faithful. That’s all that matters.

“Hosanna” is a pretty song; but it is a true song, one we can confess even when we have our downs. Here’s another live edition to close with!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (Ephesians 1:3)

July 21st, 2010 by The_Other_Alice

This post is a sequel to my previous. Unlike that one, this is designed to appeal to the emotions, although it is based on truth. 0:)

Have you looked into the eyes of innocence?
Have you seen it stole away?
Did you know that it happens here?
Have you felt the hand of darkness
When there’s no place to run away
And no one seems to hear?
Do you believe that you’ve known pain?
Do you believe that you’ve been left alone?
But why?
Do you see her eyes?

When was justice ever passive
Or love not alive?
Do we worry for what’s ours
As evil binds the least of these?
But do you know that we have the power
To restore their broken dreams?
Did you know that we can show them
That He looks on their affliction?

Have you been waiting for the glory of the Son?
Do you know that it will divide
Between the Lord’s elect and the counterfeit?
When it’s all been said and done
What did you not sacrifice
To love the least of these?
Do you believe you’ve ever loved?
Do you believe you’ve served a noble cause?
But why?
Do you see her eyes?

It takes more than a day to mend a broken heart
But God can restore what Satan’s torn apart
And His command is that we
Speak His Word and set the captive free.

Did you know we have the power to restore their broken dreams?
Did you know we can show them that He looks on their affliction?

For more information:

God’s Pearls
It’s Not Okay

July 20th, 2010 by The_Other_Alice

The study of missions, in the past and the present, is one of my passions. One missionary of times past who has been a tremendous inspiration to me is Amy Carmichael. I will not take the time to tell her whole life’s story, but basically, God led her to India to do what she never dreamed of doing: rescuing little children from Hindu temple prostitution. Pastors and Christian people would work to rescue children from the temples and bring them to Amy and the Indian Christan women who worked with her. Sometimes little children found their way to Amy themselves. Over time, Amy and her companions founded a home to raise these rescued children in the way of the Lord; Amy spent the rest of her life devoted to this cause. Today, Donhavur Fellowship continues this wonderful work of rescuing precious gems. I have heard of many different organizations that also work for the same cause. Some music groups like Casting Crowns and Hillsong United have helped spread the word about these issues and called out to believers to stand up for justice and look after the least of these, to give a cup of cold water to the little ones.

It is absolutely horrific to think that innocent children around the world are sold into slavery, sometimes by their own parents, and they are held captive in their hearts for the rest of their lives, unless people of God find them and help them. I have known for a long time this ugly fact– that slavery is not a thing of the past; it still exists all over the world, yes even in the United States. “But… I thought it was abolished with the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment!” I am so sorry to say, but that is not the case. It is a different slavery than what we may imagine–it is not hard labor in the cotton fields, but the slavery of prostitution. For real, why do we have so many “missing children” and kidnappings? Somehow, I always thought this modern-day slavery to be going on in third world countries and in the big cities here in the West. But this past Sunday, I was shocked to discover that one of the biggest money-making prostitution-slavery locations in the United States is in Utica, New York. Dear God!

Though I have known these things and have prayed about them, I always felt kind of distant and helpless, like there was little I could do. But this Sunday I discovered an opportunity that was right at my fingertips!

Pearl Alliance, an outreach of John and Lisa Bevere’s Ministry, is an alliance that serves to stop human trafficking. Donations to Pearl Alliance go directly to safe houses where women and children can recover and learn to support themselves! Pearl Alliance also helps fund legal raids on brothels, to rescue the slaves and then help them to recover physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, so that they can go on living without the haunting fear and darkness. They take great measures to prevent further kidnappings and “sales” of children. Best of all, Pearl Alliance provides ways for YOU to directly help those precious souls; you can give whatever donation God lays on your heart; you can buy resources that help spread the word about these issues. Remember, your gift is what will pay for the immediate needs of the rescued girls, boys, and women!

For a few years now, believers all around the world have been anticipating something like we have no other time in history. This phrase has stuck with us: the glory of God! We have been studying it, observing in it, and learning to walk in it. We are also anticipating God coming in the fullness, the brightness of His glory. What exactly will occur when Jesus comes in His glory?

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)

Will we be ready for His glory? Will we have loved the least of these? Please visit the Pearl Alliance website and see what you can do!

Other Pearl Alliance Bloggers:
Miss Szymanski
Jay

Rebecca
The Brick Buster
You too? Leave a comment!

May 25th, 2010 by The_Other_Alice

It’s great to be back for Word for Wednesday, hosted by Yeah, Right…

“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:11-12)

God was telling Moses what He wanted to do. He was laying out instructions to this humble sheep-herder what He wanted him to do to accomplish His plan. But what was Moses thinking about? “I cannot do it.” What was God’s response? “Well I can! Isn’t that good enough?” God had to tell Moses that OVER and OVER again! (But He was patient with Moses!)

Judges 7:7 “Then the LORD said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.”

Once again, God was saying what He also revealed to the psalmist:

“No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.” (Psalm 33:16-17)

However,

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
      And whose hope is the LORD.
       For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
      Which spreads out its roots by the river,
      And will not fear when heat comes;
      But its leaf will be green,
      And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
      Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

HE IS ENOUGH.

He is All-mighty. (Genesis 17:1) He is all-seeing. (Hebrews 4:13) He is all-powerful. (Revelation 19:6) He is that He is. (Exodus 3:14)

Isaiah 51: 1“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness,
      You who seek the LORD:
      Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
      And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.
       2 Look to Abraham your father,
      And to Sarah who bore you;
      For I called him alone,
      And blessed him and increased him.”

4“ Listen to Me, My people;
      And give ear to Me, O My nation:
      For law will proceed from Me,
      And I will make My justice rest
      As a light of the peoples.
       5 My righteousness is near,
      My salvation has gone forth,
      And My arms will judge the peoples;
      The coastlands will wait upon Me,
      And on My arm they will trust.
       6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
      And look on the earth beneath.
      For the heavens will vanish away like smoke,
      The earth will grow old like a garment,
      And those who dwell in it will die in like manner;
      But My salvation will be forever,
      And My righteousness will not be abolished.
       7 “ Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,
      You people in whose heart is My law:
      Do not fear the reproach of men,
      Nor be afraid of their insults.
       8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
      And the worm will eat them like wool;
      But My righteousness will be forever,
      And My salvation from generation to generation.”
       9 Awake, awake, put on strength,
      O arm of the LORD!
      Awake as in the ancient days,
      In the generations of old.
      AreYou not the arm that cut Rahab apart,
      And wounded the serpent?
       10 Are You not the One who dried up the sea,
      The waters of the great deep;
      That made the depths of the sea a road
      For the redeemed to cross over?
       11 So the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
      And come to Zion with singing,
      With everlasting joy on their heads.
      They shall obtain joy and gladness;
      Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
       12 “ I, even I, am He who comforts you.
      Who are you that you should be afraid
      Of a man who will die,
      And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?
       13 And you forget the LORD your Maker,
      Who stretched out the heavens
      And laid the foundations of the earth;
      You have feared continually every day
      Because of the fury of the oppressor,
      When he has prepared to destroy.
      And where is the fury of the oppressor?
       14 The captive exile hastens, that he may be loosed,
      That he should not die in the pit,
      And that his bread should not fail.
       15 But I am the LORD your God,
      Who divided the sea whose waves roared—
      The LORD of hosts is His name.
       16 And I have put My words in your mouth;
      I have covered you with the shadow of My hand,
      That I may plant the heavens,
      Lay the foundations of the earth,
      And say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”

Philippians 3:3, 8-11: “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit,[a] rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh…Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Hebrews 12:22-24, 28-29: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel… Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”

Our God is enough. He shall supply all our needs. (Philippians 4:19) He has given us everything we need! (Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”)

How great a salvation, that we might be called the children of God! That we, who were once separated from God by our sins, have been brought near by the blood of Christ, though God did not owe us a thing! Yet He made a way for us to live forever! To think– He who went to Hell for us was perfectly blameless before the Creator! We all have sinned– we have run after our own way, deliberately chasing after those things that God hates! Yet God ransomed us, made a way for us to be forgiven, though we did nothing to deserve it! Let’s remember that the very reason we are breathing, and the very reason we live in freedom: it’s all HIM! HE is our all-sufficiency; HE is our salvation; HE is our righteousness; HE is our provider; HE is the giver of all good things; HE is the Victor! HE is our ALL in ALL. He is everything that is good. He is LOVE. He is the WAY. He is the TRUTH. He is the LIFE.

And He never stands still. He is a consuming fire. Fire SPREADS, ladies and gentlemen. His arm is extended to save. But who is His body? It’s us!

God is moving, and He’s calling us to follow.
God is leading, and He wants the world to know
That He is coming soon
And He is calling us to move.
He is an all-consuming fire
He is calling us to come higher!

May 4th, 2010 by The_Other_Alice

In reading Matthew 24-25 recently, as well as the current theme of “The End of the Age” at Yeah Right, and just thinking about Jesus’ coming in general, I have been thinking a lot about Christians being very very active, shining as lights, to get as many people to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as possible. Is this happening?

I have not been able recently to write any Word for Wednesdays (sorry folks!), but hopefully this will make up for it. Yeah, you know what I’m getting at. ;)

Really, I have just been thinking a whole lot about all of chapters 24-25, but what I will concentrate on for now is chapter 25 verses 1-13.

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

The fact here is, the bridegroom was delayed! Also, all the virgins, wise and foolish, slumbered and slept! Half of the virgins had oil for their lamps; the other half did not. Half had the resources to shine, the other half did not. Yet, they all slumbered and slept! Jesus says, “Watch, for you do not know when your Lord is coming!”

Are we slumbering and sleeping while we are supposed to watch for the bridegroom? Are we burying our talent in the ground? Are we kicking off while the master is away? Are we ignoring the least of these? We must be careful of false christs; but what are we to do instead? I find it quite interesting that earlier in this same discourse, in chapter 24 verse 14, He says,

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Jesus ascended into heaven only after giving His disciples these instructions:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Notice He never did tell them when to stop!

We have been given “the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

While waiting for the Coming Christ, we are to not become distracted with the things of this world, not to become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, but what we are to do is spread the word! Are we imploring men, “Be reconciled to God!” The word translated “implore” is to beg; a derivative of the word bind. That is, to plead as one pleads for his life. Are we pleading men for their own lives? I heard from an interview with Mark Cahill that studies show only 2% of Christians share their faith regularly. Are you going to be part of that 2%? Are enough of us going to do that so that we bump that 2% up some? We are not just “getting converts” like the Jehovah’s Witnesses or the Muslims or the Catholics or any of those guys; we are pleading with men to be reconciled to God! We are letting men know how they can live forever!

We are not just waiting for when the train comes to take us home; we are gathering as many people to come along with us as will come! Their ticket has been paid for; all they have to do is trust they must go on this train, stop what they were doing to watch for the train and gather more people, and be willing to wait for it! Maybe it will rain some, scoffers will come, traffic might get heavy and it will be hard to see, it might get noisy and hard to listen for the train, but ladies and gentlemen, the train is a’comin, and when it comes, everyone will know!

Has every nation heard this gospel? If not, why are we slumbering and sleeping? Why don’t we tell them? If the bridegroom is delayed, we are not to sit around and sleep; we must watch and do the duties He has given us to do. When we see the signs of the end of the age, we must become all the more compelled to do some imploring. And really, we cannot be equipped to share this good news if we don’t have a good understanding of God’s Word, and if we are not truly passionate for Jesus. We must be firmly grounded in faith and love, and be practicing the fruits of the Spirit, so that we can have the power to share the gospel. When we are led by the Spirit of God, we will live our own lives with His power. We will be led by God to the people who need to hear about Him most at that moment; those whose hearts are ripe. Our words might minister to someone, but more often it is our lives that show people God at work in us through love.

Tony Miano, Director of the Ambassador’s Academy, a branch of Living Waters, put it this way, “Christians are called by the Word of God to live their lives in such a way as to expect the Lord to return at any moment, and with that expectancy should come a sense of urgency, understanding that over 150,000 people die every day, with the vast majority of them bound for hell.” It is us, the ambassadors for Christ, who have the key in our hands. With our given talents, are we earning more? Are we saving lives?

In the parable of the talents as told in Luke 19, the master told his servants, “Occupy til I come.” That word occupy means to KEEP BUSY! We have work to do, brethren!

I was reminded of a Casting Crowns song, “While You Were Sleeping.” It is very, very challenging and hard-hitting, very, very relevant. I don’t believe I’ve heard another song like it!

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you’re lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had came
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we’re lying in the dark
There’s a shout heard ‘cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping?
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay?
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King?
Will we be sleeping?
Will we be sleeping?

Here is what He says to those who slumber:

“Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” (Ephesians 4:14)

There is hope! The solution is you and me!

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
      “ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
      Who bring glad tidings of good things!” ” (Romans 10:12-15)

So, brethren, let’s seek more of God and more of His Spirit; let’s feed on this Word so we can change our world for Jesus. Let’s show the people the truth– it’s Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh!

So, to borrow the dancer’s phrase, “Move your feet!”

For more Word for Wednesdays, visit Yeah, Right…