Kingdom Work...

 

Last Friday a sister in Christ sent me the following devotional written by Henry Blackaby. It made me think of all the kingdom workers around the world that need to be reminded, “God Cares for You”!

And he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." 1 Kings 19:14

Kingdom work can be challenging! You can give everything you have to God’s service and come away exhausted. This is what happened to Elijah. God had just used Elijah to call down fire from heaven in a spectacular display of divine power. But Elijah’s exhilaration was soon replaced by strenuous work followed by death threats, causing him to flee for his life. Now he was alone, exhausted, and discouraged.

Again, God came to Elijah. This time, He came not in fire or in a loud, spectacular way, but in a still, small voice. God’s servant was tired, and God brought him comfort. Elijah’s focus had shifted from God to God’s enemies. He had allowed his circumstances to overwhelm him, leaving him disoriented to God and feeling alone. So, God encouraged him. God provided Elisha for him as a helper, friend, and companion.

God removed Elijah from the activity for a time, so that he could rest and spend time with God. When the nation next saw Elijah, he was rejuvenated and refocused on God and His assignment.

If you are overwhelmed by kingdom work so that your focus is no longer on God but on all that there is to do, let Him comfort you. Listen to His gentle voice. He will encourage you and provide exactly what you need to prepare you for what comes next. If He needs to remove you from your work for a time, He will. He may place a friend or co-laborer beside you to help carry the load. God knows exactly how to encourage you. Let Him do so.

What a powerful truth for those that serve around the world for the Glory of God. Stay strong and carry-on!

 

His,

Vickie

Blog Source Changed

 

Many of you have asked if it is ok to confirm receiving our blog from this source, Follow.it

The answer is “YES.”  If you want to continue to receive the blog and or want to start receiving the blog to your email address you will want to except.

We recently switched to this blog format known as follow.it because our other one shut down. So sorry for the inconvenience and or confusion.

His,

Vickie

By Their Fruit You Will Know Them…

There is a story told of the burial of a man of rather unsavory character who had never been near a place of worship. The services were being conducted by a minister who had never met the man. Carried away by the occasion the minister poured on praise for the departed man. After ten minutes of listening to the praises poured out for the deceased as a father, husband, and boss, the widow, whose expressions had grown more and more puzzled, nudged her son and whispered, “Go up there and make sure it’s Papa.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

 

Just Saying…

His,

Vickie

 

 

Which Way Does a Tree Fall?

If you have children, grandchildren, nieces, and or nephews there is a good chance you have seen the “LORAX” movie. There is a very powerful quote in the movie from Dr. Seuss.  It goes like this: 

“The Lorax:  Which way does a tree fall.

The Once-ler: Uh, down?

The Lorax:  A tree falls the way it leans.  Be careful which way you lean.”

       

God very simply puts it this way:  Proverbs 3: 5-8

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in you're own eyes: fear the LORD and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”

If you have weathered the storms of the past year and a half there is a strong possibility you understand the magnitude of that verse from Proverbs.  Not saying it has been easy and or is easy.  Just saying while the storms may be challenging to you, causing you to feel weary, maybe even defeated at times, you are still standing.  That tells me you have a vertical lean.  You’re not leaning to the left or the right.  Both of which can be guilty of leaning on their own understanding and their own wisdom.

So, maybe take some time to ask yourself “Which way am I leaning?”  And if you realize your life is a little bit in shambles and overwhelming to the point of questioning whether you can really make it through these storms:

 Lean into HIM …”it will be healing to your flesh and a refreshment to your bones.”

 

His,

Vickie

 

 

Fine Tune Me LORD…

 

I think I can safely assume that most of us reading this blog have had the opportunity to hear an out of tune instrument of some kind during our lifetime.  It is one thing to hear it when you or someone is learning to play the instrument.  We are much more gracious with them.  It is another thing for you and or me to hear it when listening to a recital, orchestra, band, etc.  We are much less gracious because our expectation is different.

Did you know that a person can be playing all the right keys but if the instrument is not tuned right, it will not matter?  We will still hear that note either in a pitch higher or lower than it should be in keeping with the melody of the music.

The Webster defines “fine-tuned”; to adjust precisely to bring to the highest level of performance or effectiveness.  Sometimes you will hear a judge in some of the TV shows such as The Voice, American Idol, America’s Got Talent, etc., say to a contestant, “You were a little pitchy”.  Meaning they sang that note higher or lower than it was meant to be sung.

When an instrument is out of tune just a little it will clash with others playing the same note.  Tuning an instrument is especially important for two key reasons: 

1.     For the instrument to be in tune with itself, and

2.     For the instrument to be in tune with others.

Oh, the depths of spiritual parallels that can jump off this page right now.  However, let us just keep it simple for my sake. Ha, ha, ha   So, let me start by asking us to answer a few questions.

·       Are you out of tune, spiritually speaking?  Are you right with God, His Word, and His ways? Allowing the spirit of God to work in you and through you.  Or are you living life in the flesh?  Doing it your way.

·       Are you clashing with others you are doing life with? At home with spouse and children, at church, at work, in ministry, etc.  If we are clashing with people on all fronts, then is it us or them that is out of tune?

When we are yielded to the LORD, His spirit is quick to let us know when we step out of pitch.   God knows this side of heaven we are not ever going to be perfect as human beings, but we are perfect in Christ and are being perfected. 

I believe He wants to adjust us precisely to bring about His best in and through us as we grow to become more and more effective for His kingdom work and His Glory!  

 

Philippians 1:6 (AMP) I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].

Do you trust Him to fine tune you?  I have said this many a time and I will always continue to say and believe it, “God is a Gentleman,” He will not strong-arm you, manipulate you, and or force you but He does hear the cry of our hearts whatever it might be.

Would you dare say these words to Him and mean it?  “Fine Tune me” LORD, I am willing.

His,

Vickie

 

Special note to Missionary women:  I am continuing to contact you as schedule allows.  Don’t give up on hearing from me. 

 

HE IS RISEN…

 

As we gather as brothers and sisters here at home and to the ends of the earth this Easter Weekend, celebrating the resurrection of Christ, I am mindful of two things Christ accomplished that changes our lives for eternity!  (1) The Cross – He took our sin, shame, and the wrath of God upon Himself.  (2) The Resurrection - He defeated death. 

 This morning in my prayer time I believe the Holy Spirit put this old but powerful hymn on my heart.  “Because He Lives”.   I want to close out the blog by simply putting the words here for us to truly look at and meditate on.

 

God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus

He came to love, heal, and forgive.

He lived and died to buy my pardon.

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

 

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Because I know He hold the future.

And life is worth the living, just because He lives.

 

How sweet to hold a newborn baby.

And feel the pride and joy he gives.

But greater still the calm assurance.

This child can face uncertain days because He lives.

 

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future.

And life is worth the living, just because He lives.

 

And then one day, I’ll cross the river.

I’ll fight life’s final war with pain.

And then, as death gives way to victory.

I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He reigns.

 

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future.

And life is worth the living, just because He lives.

                                            

                                                      Because He Lives

                       We Can Face Tomorrow!

      

WAKE UP! WAKE UP! ...

I suppose there is not very many of us that have not had the experience of trying to wake someone up out of a deep sleep whether it is for work, school, important event, etc.  The common denominator here is urgency! Usually, it is because we do not want them to miss wherever it is, they are supposed to be.

I do not know about you, but I do not want anyone to miss “heaven”.  Therefore, I am not calling on lost people to” WAKE UP”, I am calling on us the church, the family of God to “WAKE UP”. 

I love the quote in the picture above.  “God isn’t going to rewrite the Bible just for your generation.  His word remains the same forever and always.”  Also, translated, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

So, let us be honest with one another if you proclaim to believe God’s Word is infallible.  There is a lot of righteous anger you are experiencing regarding the absolute evil and wickedness that is abounding in our society and world today.  You are not angry of over the “grey” areas of scripture.  You are angry over the red, black, and white areas of scripture that are being violated in our society today.  Me too.

When Jesus ran the money changers out of the temple, He was expressing a righteous anger.  They were making a mockery of God’s house of prayer.   Today, we live in a society that makes a mockery of Gods creation of male and female, His plan for marriage and family, etc. 

You want to overcome the darkness abounding in the world right now?  Then light up!  Ground yourself in His Word, yield to His Holy Spirit, and believe everything JESUS CHRIST accomplished on the cross at calvary and resurrection day!!  He delivered you from the wrath of God, out of the darkness, forgave your sins past, present, and future.  Bore your shame!  He came to dwell in you through the person of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit that guides us into all truth, leads us in the way we should go, convicts us of our sin, helps us exercise our spiritual gifts (Christ in us and through us) and much more!

Wake Up!  Wake Up!  The spiritual battle is on!  The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  We see it in our relationship with God, in our marriages, in our families, in our children’s lives.  Wake Up Church!  Wake Up! 

Light up!  How?  By abiding in Him the source of all light!  Light dispels darkness, always!!!

Speak truth in love but do speak truth!  Why speak truth and why stand for it?

Romans 10:14 (Amplified)

But how will people call on Him whom they have not believed?  And how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how will they hear without a preacher (messenger)?

If the last year has taught us anything it is...People Need The LORD!!!

Pure Joy International Update...

I am continuing to talk with many of you weekly that responded to our letter sent out to missionaries last month.  It is a process, and I will get to everyone.  Check your spam and trash if you did not receive anything from us let me know by contacting me at vickie@purejoyinternational.org

I am having a so much fun catching up with all of you and hearing your stories.  Also, I love that you are as excited as we are about what God has put on our hearts.  Keep praying for us in the details.

To all our supporters through prayer, going and giving, please keep praying and keep giving!  God is at work.  And for those of you that feel called to travel with us, we are looking towards the spring of 2022 as our nearest possibility. 

 

Have a great weekend…

Love you all,

 

His,

Vickie