Prague Update and "Stopping the Chaos in the Family" Continued...

God is moving on behalf of the missionary women. Last week while the blog was at the editor’s, I found out that we had received another gift of $2000. That brought us down to 10 ½ ladies left to be sponsored. This past weekend several of us did the 2nd round of garage sales. The temperature dropped overnight from the upper 70’s to the mid 50’s. And the rain came with it. But, before it got the best of us, we raised another $277 and some change. So, that brought us down to 10, and the covering of at least an arm or a leg of another missionary. We needed some torso money again! Ha, ha, ha. As of today, we have all but nine missionary women sponsored. So pray, give, and share with others the opportunity to give; and watch as God continues to accomplish His will of providing for the missionary women attending this retreat. 

The team is ready and is dealing with final details as we go into the last leg of preparations. We have a lot to get done in these last 10 days before we leave the country. Packing will start taking place, the final checklist looked at, and lots of prayers will be asked of God that He will help us to make sure nothing is left undone.

So keep praying and keep giving as God leads! We are almost there!!!!


Stopping the Chaos in the Family . . .

Last week I shared a story with you that a young man had shared with me concerning the blood of Christ and Isaiah 53:5. We established that truly Jesus paid it all through and through. He is our righteousness and we don’t have righteousness in and of ourselves.

 I really need you to get hold of this truth. It is where our freedom in Christ and our great understanding of grace come from. Understanding this truth will change your walk with God. It will set you free and eliminate much chaos in the home! I came to this understanding about 18 years ago in my walk with the LORD. It looked something like this . . .

At that time, God had allowed me the opportunity to be able to share my spiritual gifts through teaching and speaking. I was traveling and speaking with a ministry out of Austin, TX. The result of this is I was also given opportunities to speak in churches and other established ministries. This resulted in me spending a tremendous amount of time in the Word and with the LORD. The end result was the enemy came by dangling a little bit of temptation in front of me to throw me off course, and I took the bait. I was devastated. I could not believe that I could have been deceived in such a fashion! I was in the Word, I was praying, I was hanging out with godly people, I was being used of God to minister to other people and set them free, I, I, I, I, I. Are you seeing this picture? I was so distraught that I even considered, “What is the point of life?” That is when God got hold of me and changed my journey. As I sat out on my back porch fully distraught from the situation ready to walk out of life, God spoke to my heart in that small but firm gentle voice, "Vickie, who do you think you are! This journey isn't about your righteousness. Yes, you have failed but your standing (righteousness) with Me isn't based on your performance or lack of performance, but completely on the finished work of the shed blood on the cross, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ! You, Vickie, have no righteousness apart from Me!” Girls, don't confuse doing right things for the righteousness of Christ. Christ is our righteousness, and He gives us right standing before God. Because of His righteousness in us, we do desire to live upright and pursue His desires . . . not ours! But never believe the lie that our failures in righteous living change our right standing before God! Jesus purchased that righteousness for us once and for all!!! As a result of that day with the LORD, I came to a true understanding of who I am in Christ.

Romans 5:17
For if, by the trespass of the one man [Adam], death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ (NIV 1984, “Adam” added).

Because of that day, I came to a true understanding that I would never be good enough to warrant right standing with God because of what I do. However, I will have that right standing before Him because of whose I am: a child of God.

John 1:12-13

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (ESV).

I fail miserably at times in my walk with the LORD, but that cannot change my right standing before God. Amen!

My precious ones, get hold of this truth! God isn’t concerned about how many times we hit the wall. What He cares about is that when we get up, we are still moving toward Him. Christ in us is the only thing that gives us the desire to carry on! So my sweet sisters, CARRY ON, there is kingdom work to be done!!

Love you much!

His,

Vickie