It's Friday... Sunday's Coming

Isaiah 53:6-7

The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open his mouth; 

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. 

 

 

Same Sex Marriage and Good Friday

Deuteronomy 30:10;20 NLT

The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey His voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction [the Bible].  This is the key to your life.

This morning I opened the paper to find that the Supreme Court is hearing arguments about same-sex marriage.  An event that could forever redefine the definition of marriage. 

I read the arguments for both sides.  I can see the reasons and passions behind each side.  The same-sex argument is very persuasive and tugs at the heart. 

Then it occurred to me why the argument FOR same-sex marriage could so easily be adopted.

There are no standards in America anymore.  The Bible was the standard for the founding fathers and the Constitution.  The Bible was intended to be the ongoing standard. But Satan has done a great job at deceiving us into believing that the constitution says we have freedom from religion, not freedom of religion.

In 1972, where was the Body of Christ when Roe vs Wade was passed by the Supreme Court?  Sleeping? 

In 2013, where is the Body of Christ when the definition of marriage is on the verge of extinction? 

I personally have been sleeping.  Maybe you have too.  We must wake up. 

How?

1.  Be the standard of God in your corner of the world.  Read the Bible each day.  DO NOT WAIVER.  IT IS OUR STANDARD.  You can do this in a loving, gentle way when given opportunity.

2.  PRAY for the Supreme Court Justices over the coming months.  The decision will come in the next few months.  But the Justices are human beings.  I often instinctively know the answer immediately when pondering a decision.  Many of these justices already KNOW what side they will take. 

Justice Kennedy seems to be on the fence.  Let's pray for him and any others wavering.

3.  Repent - I must admit, I have not prayed for the President as I am commanded to in Scripture.  Pray for God to soften his heart.  That he'd fear God more than he fears man.

4.  Pray for the Senators and Congress People who are believers.  Pray for their courage and strength to stand firm.  They need our prayers.

5.  Obey whatever the Holy Spirit may tell you to do in your corner of the world.  If it's to make a phone call; write a letter; go to Washington; start a prayer group; peacefully protest...  Whatever it is - He'll make it clear.  Obey the voice of truth.  Blessings follow obedience.

This video will take 4 minutes.  It's worth the time.  It beautifully connects Easter Week and the  major issues facing America. 

May we wake up and begin praying...

Do you need help remembering to pray?  Organize your prayer needs so that you can be faithful in prayer.  Order the Intimacy with God, Your Daily Guide to Prayer Prayer Journal today. 
Click HERE to order.

“Mother, May I?”

(Part Three of a Three Part series entitled STOP AND GO, by Fuller)

Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.

Isaiah 28:23  (NIV)

Remember the classic children’s game: Mother, May I?

“Mother” is the leader and calls out a command to a specific player:  “Tara, take two steps forward.”
If Tara steps forward without saying, “Mother, May I?” poor Tara is penalized.  If, however, she remembers to say the magic words, then Mother will reply with, “Yes, you may,” and Tara is able to take two steps forward. Baby steps . . . ballerina steps. . . possibly GIANT steps, which get Tara closer to the goal of being able to reach out and TOUCH “Mother” and to win the game!

You know where I’m going with this one.  The conclusion of the game significantly hinges upon whether or not the participant is attentive to ask for permission to move.

I’m discovering that walking the Jesus Girl walk is much the same way.  If I try to move without first saying, “Father, may I?” I misstep and reap painful - aching - consequences.

What are the lessons from  Mother, May I?,  really Father, May I?:

·      Pay attention to whether or not Father is speaking to you;

·      If you think He has said to move, it’s crucial to ask for permission;

·      If He says to move – OBEY!

So HOW do we train our ears to hear both the STOP and the GO?

First :  KNOW THE VOICE OF THE FATHER. 

There is no substitute or short cut:  reading the Bible is the only way to learn the pattern of God’s speech. Simply spend time in His Words.  (Remember all the “Go’s” of the first part of this series?) Get to know His cadence:  God speaks with calm, quiet authority and gives simple, clear commands. 

Second:  KNOW THE HEART OF THE FATHER. 

Remember prank phone calls?  If someone pretended to be your grandmother but said anything contrary to your grandmother’s personality, you immediately called "Fake!"   The same is true for knowing God’s voice - - if you know His heart toward you, you will not be deceived by commands or urges from the enemy.  God ALWAYS speaks with a voice of love.   Even caution and correction are never wrapped in condemnation, belittlement, or a temptation toward self-destruction.  NEVER.

Finally:  KNOW HOW YOUR HEART FEELS WHEN IT HEARS THE FATHER’S VOICE.  
Again:  no short cut.   Only by experience - by feeling the successes and by receiving grace for the failures - will you learn to tune your heart more and more clearly to hear the voice of Jesus. 

A heart of peace is usually the best barometer, for Jesus says:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. 

John 14:27 (NIV)

and

My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

John 10:27 (NIV)

Learning to recognize – and OBEY – the voice of the Father is far from child’s play.  

BUT, it is the most important role play we will ever learn.  One day we will realize:  

the game is winding down and we have drawn near enough to touch Him. 

What an ending that will be!

Copyright 2013, K. Fuller Harvey/Knowing God Ministries. All rights reserved.

Put on the Brakes!

(Part Two of a Three Part series entitled STOP AND GO, by Fuller )

“. . .all nations on earth will be blessed,

because you have obeyed Me.” 

Genesis 22:18

The movie FORREST GUMP*, about a man with special needs who leads an extraordinary life, has a humorous scene from Forrest’s college years:

Due to polio and teasing because of leg braces, Forrest miraculously takes to running, and learns that he can run very, very fast.  So fast, in fact, he is awarded a scholarship to the University of Alabama for football.  The funny part comes when the university realizes:  while Forrest is great at the “go” of running fast, he has not learned when to STOP.  So, at key moments in their games, signs which initially read, “Run, Forrest, Run!” get turned into signs which read, “STOP, Forrest!”

*(Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic romantic comedy-drama film based on the 1986
novel of the same name by Winston Groom. Source: Wikipedia.) Photo credit: www.quora.com

The movie’s humor works because it is incredulous that someone wouldn’t recognize when or how to stop.

Hmmm?  In this particular area, aren’t we ALL “special needs”?  We're good at "GO" -  most American lives have a busyness teetering on chaos.   But. . . can we STOP? Do we know HOW to?

Does anyone naturally recognize when:

            - to stop an argument?

            - end an unsafe relationship? 

            - walk away from a stymied work environment? 

            - that next drink is one too many?

            - that "bargain" is, in fact, fiscally unwise?

            - to hold her tongue as a social conversation morphs into gossip?

Honestly, in the example of Forrest Gump, I recognize myself.  

And I admit I am in need of training:    

You see, learning to hear the “stop” is as important as learning to hear the “go.”

One of yesterday's "go" verses was to Abraham.  Once God was certain Abraham would obey the "go", He then educated him on the STOP.

Read Genesis 22:1-18.

(Simply open a new page on your computer and type the reference into your browser,

and the passage will come up. . . or turn to it in your own Bible.)

What a hard way for Abraham to be trained to hear the “Stop!”  Thankfully for him, Isaac, Sarah and the rest us (for the lineage of Christ comes through Isaac) – Abraham wasn’t so bent on proving to God that he had heard the “go” of 22:2, that he couldn’t hear the “stop” of 22:12!   

What about you?  
Would you hear STOP if God were to shout it? 

What about if He were to speak in His preferred method:  in a “still, small voice”?  

( I Kings 19:12, KJV) 
Would I?

Because one thing is for sure: neither you nor I is likely to receive a Forrest Gump-like personalized banner!

 Lord, please give us ears to hear Stop when You speak it, 
and hearts full of courage to obey. 

In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

[Next time, the final post in this series:  “Mother, May I?:  How to HEAR the STOP and the GO”]

Copyright 2013, K. Fuller Harvey/Knowing God Ministries. All rights reserved.

Ready, Set, GO!

(Part One of a Three Part series entitled STOP AND GO, by Fuller)

Many people grow up thinking that the Bible is a bunch of Thou-Shalt-NOTs.  In reality, it is a HUGE compilation of yeses, complete with a litany of “open door” GOs.  (Certainly, a GO is more of a YES than anything else, right?) 

Honestly, one of God’s favorite roles throughout the Bible is telling people to GO – and hoping they’ll obey!

For fun, fasten your seatbelt:

Let’s take a rip roarin’ ride through the Bible to find some Go’s - - - Ready, Set, Go!

To Noah: Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. (Genesis 7:1)

To Abraham: Go from your country. . .to the land I will show you. (Gen. 12:1)

To Jacob:  Go back to the land of your fathers . . . and I will be with you. (Gen. 31:3)

To Aaron:  Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. (Exodus 4:27)

To Moses:  Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” (Exodus 8:1)

To David: Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands. (II Samuel 5:19)

To Elijah:  Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.  (II Kings 1:15)

To Jeremiah:  Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem . . .If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. (Jeremiah 5:1)

Jesus to a young man:  If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  (Matthew 19:21)

Jesus to the disciples:   Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: . . . I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’ (Matt. 26:18)

Jesus’ final words to the disciples: Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations. (Matt. 28:19)

Jesus to lepers:  When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. (Luke 17:14)

Jesus to Mary Magdalene:  Do not hold on to me . . . Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father. . .' (John 20:17)

To John:  Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.  (Revelation 10:8)

From the beginning of the Bible until the end,

God seems more that willing to say, “Go!” 

Are you willing to hear Him? 
Are you willing to obey?

[Next time, just to keep things interesting, we’ll be discussing “The Stop”.]

Copyright 2013, K. Fuller Harvey/Knowing God Ministries. All rights reserved.

Iron Sharpens Iron - Recordings Finally Available!

Numbers 33:2

At the Lord's command, Moses recorded the stages in their journey.

 

From a very generous donor, we have been able to purchase a recording device. This is such an answer to prayer - as we've consistently struggled with our recordings.   I am sorry we have not been able to make all months available. This has grieved me as I know that many of you live in places that are too far to travel. But now, there seems to be resolution! 

 

The speakers we have been blessed to have and their messages so good.  They NEED to be recorded for all to hear and for all who have desire to grow in their relationship with Jesus.

 

Finally... we present February and March!

 

March ISI - Beth Evans

Family Values in a Depraved Culture

 

Were you disappointed to miss Beth's General Session and workshop last week after hearing a brief recap? (It was a very brief recap!)  Do you know someone who could benefit from her message?

 



Both - General Session and Workshop NOW AVAILABLE!

Click HERE to get yours!

 

 

February ISI - Carol Godwin

Surviving Life's Fiery Trials

 

Do you know someone in who is going through a very difficult hardship or trial?  Are you that person?

Don't miss Carol's VERY encouraging message as she shares from her own fiery trials.

Click HERE to order!

 

 

Next Month - April  12th - Save the Date

Speaker:  Fayeson Tilley,

How to Know the Will of God for your Life

 

 

Have you ever wondered, "What is God's will for my life?"

Or

"What is God's will for this particular situation?

Should I change my child's school?

Should I change jobs?"

 

Come in April and you'll learn how to discern the will of God for every situation you encounter in life.

More to come on April - stay tuned.

 

Have you been blessed by Knowing God Ministries and wish to sow into our ministry?  We humbly appreciate your donations.

Click HERE!

Parenting Q&A with Beth - Workshop Review

II Peter 1:3

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness."

I personally appreciated Beth's willingness to share real life issues and how she handled them when her 4 children were in the home. 

Today, I'd like to share six of the many topics we discussed in our Q&A.  I'll share the issue in purple and her answer in black.

1.  Being Left Out - "When our standard is the Bible, we have to be secure and face the facts that we are going to be left out of social funtions - as will our children.  My response was to say, 'Ok, 5 have left you out, but what about the other 200 girls in your class of 400?'"

Tell your kids to sit with the one being left out.  Be the one who goes to that child who is sitting all alone.

2.  What if your kids resist going to church -  "It's not negotiable.  We are going to church." 

"When sports interupted by having games that were every Sunday morning, Johnny and I made the decision that we were not going to allow the culture to pressure us against our conscience.  We simply pulled our child out of that particular league.  (By the way, both of her sons ended up playing college football.  Despite choosing not to play on Sundays.)"

3.  Spiritual Training in the home:  They had family devotions. But she warned that something would always seem to happen when they did.  She reminded us, "You are the parent and simply tell them, 'This is what we are going to do.'"


4.  Spiritual Training outside the home - She was very proactive in making sure she put them in front of other people who loved the Lord;  Solid Christian summer camps; outside Bible studies that were hosted in restaurants like IHOP.  (Great idea!) 

5.  Social Media - You are the parent.  Be the parent.  Do not be driven by the culture or allow the culture to pressure you into "what everyone else is doing."

6.  Dating - It's so important that you have the opportunity to teach your daughter how to go on a date.  And to teach your son how to take a girl on a proper date.  So many kids do things in groups, but it's important they know how to date prior to leaving your home.

Bottom line:  "When you are spending time with Jesus each day, He will give you wisdom and discernment.  Sometimes I'd be surprised at what other parents in church and Christian school were allowing their children to do.  Regardless, we are the parent.    Have a back bone and stand firm!    Even if that means always being the Sheriff in town - be the Sheriff.    You can be friends later."

Great advice!

Upstream in a Downstream World - Nuggets from ISI

II Peter 1:3

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness."

Last Friday, we were so blessed to have Beth Evans, mother of quadruplets and Bible teacher, share how to have family values in a morally decaying culture.

Twenty-eight years ago, Beth and Johnny Evans were told by the doctor, "that the 4 fetus' in her womb would never be normal. They would be riddled with birth defects, blindness or cerebral palsy and that the family would be overwhelmed in medical bills. That the best thing to do would be to terminate the pregnancy immediately."

Horrified, Beth went to her quiet time place to seek God's will and His perspective.  And the word of the Lord seemed to leap off the page and into her heart: 

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."  (Isaiah 7:9)

Beth immediately knew. She was NOT to abort these children.

Today, Beth has FOUR healthy children - loving and serving Jesus in four corners of the globe.

Asia

Manhattan

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Raleigh, NC, at an accounting firm.

How did she raise four children to swim upstream in a downstream world?

I'll give you a few highlights from the General Session.

1.  The Heart - it's all about the heart.  She taught from (II Peter 1:1-9)

The only way our children can "escape the corruption in the world" is by experiencing a heart change.  Scripture says "that the cause of corruption is from our evil desires" that dwell in each of our hearts."

We must go after our children's hearts in prayer,  praying for their hearts to be radically transformed.

2.  Prayer - stay on your knees in prayer.  Pray that God will capture their hearts. She said that she would pray over them in their rooms as they slept that God would capture their hearts for Him.  But warned that it may be a long time before we see results from those prayers.  It's a journey. 

3.  Let our children see Mothers who have a real relationship with Jesus - one that's ever growing.  Our children should see what we value most -

She challenged us, "What do you value most?  It's not with our words that we communicate what we value most, it's with our actions."

 

4.  Our standard for life and parenting is to be the Bible and the power of God.  Not the standards of the world.  This is how we understand our identities, not the identity we place upon ourselves such as: depressed, divorced, daughter of an alcoholic; alcoholic...  When we belong to Christ, this is not who we are anymore.  Once we realize this, we can parent our children in the same way - growing them to know who they are because of WHOSE they are.



5.  She warned us of parenting out of our insecurities.  She shared the story of one mother who pushed her daughter to go out with the best looking guy in high school, because her mother saw herself as a nobody in high school and didn't want that for her child.

The boy was verbally abusive - yet the mother turned a blind eye. They eventually married.

Two weeks ago, the mother was moving her daughter out of the home as the boy who was once verbally abusive had now become a man who was physically abusive.



Enjoy the pictures! 



Tomorrow:  Nuggets from the workshop!  It was so good; so practical.  I'm grateful for Beth's willingness to be so transparent about how she parented.



Cindy Finley led us in corporate prayer.



Fayeson Tilley introduced Beth.  (She's our speaker next month!  More on this later)



Our door prize winner!  The Power of a Praying Parent

We had two mothers attend who are mothers of triplets!  Can you imagine?! 

We gave them a complimentary CD.



The workshop -

The workshop is such fun.  It's much more relaxed and it's a time to get to know the speaker.

Beth shared very personal examples.  IT was so very helpful.  Hope to get the recordings on the website by the end of the week.  Will let you know!