Go and Tell

Wow, what a load on my mind today. I just read Charles Stanley's In Touch devotion and it was about sharing the good news of Jesus with others. On October 17th I found out that a longtime family friend was in the hospital in very bad health, to the point of possible death in a short amount of time. I had an urgency to go visit this person because I was unsure of his salvation. Chris and I went to the hospital on the 19th. The man before me looked as I remembered but thinner and older as time takes it's toll. He knew who I was and spoke few words. Golf was on TV and I asked if I could turn it down. He turned down the volume and I moved to the other side of the bed to sit down. Chris was sitting there too. I knew I wanted to ask him about his relationship with the Lord, but I kept finding myself asking him if I could straighten his pillow or feed him the Jell-O that was in front of him. He said no, he was ok. I asked him if we could pray for him and he said that would be fine. I had tears and kept wondering if the Lord was ever going to give me the words to say to find out about his salvation. My mind was spinning and I was trying to pray silently. That's when my God fearing,  Chris took over and told him about the Lord's plan for all of us to come to know Him as savior. This frail man said that he had done that. Chris asked a few more questions and he said he had a relationship with the Lord. Chris went on to ask if he could pray with him and he said yes. Chris said can I hold your hand and this man moved his hand from the cover and I watched as their two hands came together and I placed my hand on top of theirs. Chris prayed, I cried. We told him that we were praying for him and his family and we left. He was moved to Hospice house the very next day. I have the hospice house number right here  next to the computer and was about to call to check on him when I got a text from a friend that he passed last night. People we have to be ready and we have to tell others about Jesus. I had no part in his salvation, nor did Chris, we were just obedient to the call to go see him. Oh if my heart only had an urgency for other lost people who aren’t on their death bed.  I have been convicted this morning. 

We can't wait to tell someone about the Lord. I went to see him because I was told he was dying. Y'all we are all dying in our sin. I stood by a dying mans bed and could not tell him about Jesus' love for him. The words would not come!!! However, Chris took over and he made my heart proud.  What I have learned is that God gives each of us spiritual gifts to use and He equips those He has called at just the right time.  Chris Neal has the gift of sharing and he covered all that needed to be covered. Even though I knew all that Chris said, those words just did not flow so easily from me at that point in time. I'm an emotional being.  I am not a speaker, I am a writer.  I will be typing up the gospel soon to share with many children and teens who will come to our door on Halloween.  That is one way I can share the love of Jesus.  My blog is another way I share the gospel.  My point is we all have our own way to share Jesus.  We all have spiritual gifts and can make a difference in our own way. Find your way to share Jesus and do it !!! That's all He asks.

I am thankful for a savior who never leaves us and who sent His Holy Spirit to guide us and nudge us and help us along this journey of life.  Death is just the beginning of eternal life for the believer.  Either way we win.

I am going to take a few moments to pray for each of you who reads this and I am going to ask the Lord to show you how He wants to use you today.  If you want to share over the next few days, please do. 

Go be a blessing . . .

 "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, ²⁰ 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.” Amen. Matthew 28: 19-20

Our Halloween Ministry

I’ve spent a little time this morning reading other blogs on the history of Halloween and I’ve found that depending on whose article you read you can make it fit your belief system or not.  I want to share with you how we handle Halloween.  The bible tells us that we are to love one another.  As a christian I live in this world, but I am NOT of the world. There is a big difference. I have Jesus Christ living in me.  With that said, He has given our family the ministry of prayers and scripture to share with you. It all started back in 2008 when Olivia and I filled bags with candy and placed bible verses on each bag. She liked to go door to door trick or treating to some of our neighbors, but her real joy was in handing out those bags with bible verses. Over the years we started putting christian tracts in the candy bags. It is our way of sharing Jesus with all of those who come to our door. You can do it too. It's so easy to buy cute candy corn bags or even clear bags at the Dollar store.  Fill them with candy and add a tract or your own computer generated bible verses. Tracts can be found at your church or your local Christian Supply store.  Once the bags are made, we pray over them.  When the children come to our door we hand them a bag with a smile and just like that we have shared the love of Jesus.  By the way, we make age appropriate treat bags with lollipops and raisins for young children and chocolate and hard candy for older kids.  

Speaking of older kids ( you know those teens who come to your door) be good to them. I recently read a blog from a mother of a teen who totally changed my view of teen trick or treater's. I am going to try to link it here as I have gotten permission from the author and I have shared it on facebook. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marion-francktreaters_b_6030982.html

 

Being mom to a teenager her article really touched my heart and made me think.  Are any of us "too old" for candy? Too old for fun? Too old to dress up? Not at all. So let's cut them a break this year. There's not an age limit on having fun as long as they are respectful and not causing mischief.   We will be ready for the teens this year and welcome them just as we welcome all of the other trick or treaters.

I know the question may still be lingering in your mind, is Halloween evil? I think Halloween is as evil as the individual makes it. So instead of debating whether or not to acknowledge Halloween my thought is this; follow your conviction. As for me and my house we are going to serve the Lord.  We are in a spiritual battle 365 days a year, Halloween allows us to freely help children by covering them with prayer and scripture. I truly believe by sending them around with Jesus' name in their bag, bucket or pillowcase we will help protect them and make a difference in their lives on Halloween. Life is a choice. You can sit by and complain and argue opinions, you can choose to do nothing or you can take a stand and make a difference. The choice is yours. We choose to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. If you are interested in learning more just email me at susanbneal@gmail.com

Go be a blessing ... today and every day.

Love, Susan

 

 

What battle are you fighting ?

What are you fighting today? Every one of us is in a battle. Maybe your health is declining or your job is a struggle.  Maybe your teen is driving you nuts or your baby keeps you awake all night.  Maybe you are concerned over the health of an ailing parent? What's your battle? If you say you don't have a battle, I am inclined to say you are not being true to yourself.  We all face battles.  Last Monday morning my teen did not like me at all ( rules are rules and life isn't always fair and we can't always be happy ) so goes life.  I had applied for a job and last Monday I was emailed that the position had been interviewed for and filled.  I never even had a chance.  Last Monday was a tough day.  I was hormonal and cried at the drop of hat.  I can remember washing a pan in the kitchen sink and the soap bubbles reminded me of when Olivia was a little girl and we laughed over bubbles; those bubbles last Monday made me cry.  My girl is growing up.  Times are a changing. I emailed DSS and Adoptions last week trying to get some answers about my other girl.  Will she come home to us or go to a new home? I've been waiting for months ... she's been waiting for years ...still no answers; life isn't fair.  What battle are you fighting?  Sweet Chris works so hard and provides so much for us.  Thanks to my medical bills ( you know 3 times $1300 for steroid shots in my ear and the two crowns on my teeth at $900 each) I have really taken him for that "better or worse, richer or poorer" clause.  I'd love to work to help pay off those thousands of dollars in medical bills caused by me.  What battle are you fighting?

How do you win a battle? You would think if you knew what type of battle you were facing, then you would know what type of weapons or tools would be needed to fight it.  Joshua had a battle to fight.  Are you familiar with the story of Joshua and the wall of Jericho from the bible? Read Joshua 6. Do you know what tools he used? Do you really think the walls of Jericho came down because of seven trumpets? You better believe it.  Was there power in the trumpet or the person blowing it? No.  The battle was Gods and He caused that wall to fall flat because Joshua obeyed his instructions.  Were those instructions clear? Yes. Did they sound like they would work? No way.  If you were to tell me to get 7 priests to walk 7 times around a wall and blow a trumpet and that would make the wall fall flat, I think I'd be shaking my head.  That sounds impossible, doesn't it? How in the world can the sound of a ram horn, turned trumpet make a wall fall?  Because nothing is impossible with God.

What battle are you fighting? By now you've got a clear idea of the battle you are fighting.  I've asked you over and over. Now WHO is helping you in your battle?  Are you fighting it alone? Do you think no one cares? Do you think you are the only one with a teenager? Are you the only one caring for a sick family member? Are you the only middle aged woman trying to find a job? Are you the only one with health problems? Are you the only one with more month than money? No, no, no, no; You are not alone.  No matter how big your problem is or how impossible winning the battle seems, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. The wall of Jericho came down because those people had faith in God.  He used priests walking around blowing trumpets (in faith) to show us in this day and age that nothing is impossible if you just believe in Him.  God is with us, He has a purpose and a plan for our lives and the best part is we don't have to do it alone. 

Some of you know I am prayer coordinator in our Sunday school class.  I think talking with the Lord is essential to life ( I don't know how people make it without the Lord).  Anyway, on the way home from my teens bible study Sunday night, Chris and I asked her how her class went? She said she enjoyed it and that she closed the class in prayer.  Her and dad and I in almost harmony asked if she volunteered or if someone called on her.  She said, "Oh I volunteered, I must take after you mom, because I wrote down all of the prayer requests." Wow, my heart was so happy.  That made up for how much she didn't like me last week.  Don't give up parents.  Being firm is tough, but raising a godly girl is so important.  We have to fight our battles on our knees in prayer and in Gods word.  I may think my shot at getting a job at my age is kind of like blowing trumpets to make a wall fall, but if that is God's will for my life and our family, He will provide.  Last Monday our home phone rang and a woman identified herself as a friend from the community. She asked if she could share a bible verse with me? I said yes and she paraphrased Jeremiah 29:11 that says,  ^"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

God thinks about me??? He knows me and because I talk with Him throughout my day I am getting to know Him more and more.  He wants me (and you) to have peace and He holds our future and fills it with hope. He has it all worked out !! No matter your battle, He still wants you and me to have HOPE.   Man if that doesn't make you smile and let you know that your battle is already won, then I don't know what will.  I like the analogy my mom shared with me last week.  She said she once heard a young pastor say he had taken his son to the mall.  He told his son to stay close by, but he would wander under the clothes racks.  The first time his son disobeyed the dad warned him, the second time he disobeyed and wandered off the dad gave the boy a spank on his bottom.  That didn't seem to work and the little boy wandered off again. This time the dad stepped to the side and watched his son go in and out of the racks.  Suddenly the little boy realized that he couldn't see his dad.  He began to search, but didn't know where to look, he was small and those racks were tall.  He began to panic and cry, then his dad stepped out in the aisle so his son could see him and the little boy ran to his father and hugged him.  The dad never let his little boy out of his sight, the dad never went away, even though the little boy could not see him, his dad was there looking out for him and protecting him... God is our Father and He is watching out for us just the same. 

What battle are you fighting? Victory is the Lords. 1 John 5:4 "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world --our faith." I just had to share with you this sermon the Lord is playing out in my life right now.  I don't know how it is going to end exactly, but man this Monday I have hope and I am happy with my future.  God is so good.

Go be a blessing.