Monday, July 21, 2008

Kay Arthur - Famine and Calamity

Many people are Googling for: "Kay Arthur" "prophecy" "famine and calamity" "Deeper Still" and "Atlanta" among other things because they have heard pieces parts of the message Kay Arthur delivered at the Deeper Still Conference in Atlanta on June 27 and 28, 2008. I've posted about what Kay Arthur said at the conference here, but because of all the interest her message stirred, I have received a couple of emails from readers asking for more detailed information.

I have been asked by a few readers "Did she say anything about 'famine and calamity'?"

The answer is yes, yes she did speak of these things.

She warned us by beginning her talk telling us that "Our nation is in grave danger".

Arthur told us that she was made physically ill preparing for this message, that it was a hard one to deliver and something we probably don't want to hear. At various points she seemed to stumble around in her notes apologizing and explaining that she had written them and rewritten them three different times. At one point she even stated she felt she had "not done a good job" with her message, which of course the women in attendance denied and then encouraged her with a round of applause. She was not fishing for recognition, but you could tell that some were taking her message to heart, and it seemed some were fidgety and getting up out of their seats. At one point I was asking Katie why people were leaving their seats, and she said "this is a difficult message, it is too heavy for some" which seems to make sense. Regardless, it was an impacting message.

These are some additional notes that I took that didn't make my first post...partly because some are incomplete, and partly because I'm not sure I go for some of what Arthur shared.

Here are the rest of my notes, which are kind of random and all over the place:

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The scripture references she used at various points:

The prophecies:
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Hope that helps, I think the rest was in my post. She had A LOT to say, it was hard to get it all, grasp it all, and notate it.

The part about the famine she spoke of was reminding us that "it is not the desire of God to bring judgement -- it is the necessity in His character when we will not obey". She claims that our nation is in danger of God's Judgement right now, and we could see the current natural disasters as part of that. She used the verse and prophecy in Ezekiel 14:13 about "cutting off the bread supply" when she spoke of the flooding in the Midwest (IA) destroying the crops, including wheat and corn. That is where the famine would come in and it will start to show in our food prices as supply decreases, not only in rising fuel costs. Katie also reminded me that Arthur told us about Walmart/Sam's Club limiting rice purchases. I had heard about that on the news prior to her message, but forgot she used that to support her reasoning.

I believe that the apostasies are many in our nation and that evil is made to seem good, and good made to seem evil. People do seem to easily follow false prophets and teachers rather than dig in the Word themselves and see what it really says. There was a lot in her message that I could relate with and understood what she was saying and it had me take a hard look at my role in some of those things.

What I don't go for necessarily is that God's Judgement comes through natural disasters. Natural disasters have always existed. I'm not sure that they suddenly have increased. I would argue that with the media available to us today (tv, Internet, print) that we are simply more aware of what is going on when disasters hit; when the hurricanes come in, the recent destruction of the tornadoes, the floods of the Midwest, the fires in California, etc. Arthur may be making a prophetic announcement about God's Judgement being here, but she did not ever say "God told me...blah blah blah" and never presented this as a "revelation" but more as a lesson and something to take seriously because our nation IS in danger. I see judgement more in the way that God would turn us over to our sin and we would have to face the consequences of our own immorality and poor choices, not necessarily an earthquake or some other natural disaster. I'd go for the fact that our greed and materialism might be catching up with us in the form of an economic crisis, but not so much famine...but, then again...as much as I know the Word, Kay Arthur has many more years of intensive study than I! In fact, Arthur's message came more as a warning of what could happen if we don't turn from sin, then what is happening I think.

If you are sincerely interested in what Arthur has to say on this subject, I also recommend checking out America at the Crossroads; A Call to Corporate Prayer. While she has a daunting message to bring, she also provides The Answer. (Read this post and scroll down to read the "7 Things to do in Light of This Message")

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For more info:

Deeper Still Blog
Kay Arthur: Precept Ministries International

Labels: christianity

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 10:11 PM

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Friday, July 11, 2008

You've Got to be Real

The other night as I was praying, I felt God replying with "blah blah blah...Sue, you are not being real. You are saying what you think I want you to tell me what you think I want you to ask. Uh, that is not what I am here for. I know what you are really thinking/wanting/feeling,...My question is, 'do you?'"

There were quite a few moments of reflective silence as I tried to NOT control my thoughts. Then I realized that I really do control my thoughts more than I thought. Then I started getting confused in all of the jumble, sorting out what I was really thinking/wanting/feeling from what I should be thinking/wanting/feeling. I really tried to let go and allow my own thoughts regardless of if they are "right" or "wrong" bubble to the surface, kind of like "no holds barred".

God isn't there to listen to my "should be-es", He is there for my reality.

You've got to be real!

Labels: christianity, Personal Interest

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 8:39 AM

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Adoption Connection

A woman came into my store yesterday looking for a blank CD and after talking with her I learned she was using the disc to copy a video of a child to send to a person helping to handle her adoption.

I enthusiastically asked "you are adopting"?

She said "yes" and smiled.

I then reached to shake her hand and as I did I explained "I'm adopted, so I'm all about adoption!"

Then we got to chatting and I asked her all sorts of questions. At one point we both had our eyes swelling with joyous tears.

I learned she was adopting a child internationally. He is from a region near Russia, Kazakhstan I think is what she said, near China too. He is nine months old now and recently received a video of him she was very excited about.

When I asked her when she was to be able to get him she told me he should already be here but changes in the court system there have delayed things immensely and that it frustrated her. I said "it is all part of God's Perfect Timing" and she acknowledged that as well. She has two daughters that are older and they are excited and impatiently awaiting the arrival of their new brother too.

I just thought it neat that we had a connection immediately because of this thing called adoption! I could tell she was enjoying sharing about it and I was definitely enjoying hearing about it! I congratulated her as she went on her way. Adoption connects people.

Thank God there are people willing to adopt children who otherwise would not have a family.

God is all about adoption! He invites everyone into His family and because of that, and the fact that I too am adopted into my earthly family, I treasure adoption!

Labels: christianity, parenting, Personal Interest

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 8:24 AM

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Saturday, July 05, 2008

Deeper Still: The Event - Beth Moore

After lunch it was the panel discussion. The three women answered questions that people had for them and questions ranged from asking Beth Moore "How do you get your hair so big?" to "How do you keep from becoming prideful, after all you are admired by so many?" The discussions were frank and funny at times! We were all rolling when Beth talked about the "critical hair moment", that moment when while fixing your hair it could go either way...a bad hair day, or a good hair day. Her household apparently is very aware of that critical moment and know that it is no time to disturb her! LOL The answer to the pride question was basically "I remember where God brought me from." After a wild, funny and honest panel discussion with the three women speakers of the Deeper Still event, Priscilla Shirer, Kay Arthur and Beth Moore, it was time for Moore to deliver the Word God gave her to share.

First, Beth Moore reminded the audience about the important message Kay Arthur had delivered that morning. She said it was impactful and called for a time of repentance, so she gave some time for reflection and prayer. Moore said "We have the authority in scripture to leave this place 100% pure. Leave this place in forgiveness and victory --- NO condemnation!" Then while the worship band reprised "Mercy Seat" an invitation was given for those in need of prayer and having need to repent and a desire to leave 100% pure. It was a time of reflection, prayer and tears.

After that time of personal worship and prayer, Moore took the stage to deliver her message from John 1:14:

When Moore spoke of the Word, she was basically affirming the message Kay Arthur gave which is that doctrine matters. She talked to us again about how the Word is Truth and we can easily become legalistic if we don't hear from God, or seek God, and/or we have sick "want-tos". She explained that some people don't want to be delivered, too often we are happy in our sin. She suggested that we pray that God will change our "want to". A "want-to" is our selfishness, how we want to do something, or have something. These are our "want-tos" and if we have a sick "want-to" we are not in God's will. Our "want to" should line up with what God wants to do.

Moore had a couple of interesting points to ponder. She talked about the transfiguration of Christ on the mountain when "His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. (Matt. 17) She was emphasizing that We have seen His Glory (John 1:14) and that Christ was transfigured on that mountain because His Glory was bursting forth from the shell of His flesh. I thought that a cool thought.

She went on to talk about the fact that sometimes when we see the backside of something that is when we most see God in it. She compared this idea to the fact that Moses couldn't see God as He passed by and so God hid him in the cleft of rock, but Moses could see God on the backside. Neat comparison.

She had much to share with us, but here are a couple statements I am taking out of my notes that need little explanation:
Jesus is full of Grace and Truth (John 1:14). What really struck me as Moore dug into the end of this verse of scripture she had us going over and over was that when scripture says Jesus is FULL of Grace, that means He is ALWAYS full of Grace. When Grace leaves Him, it is automatically replenished. It is a never ending supply. Grace upon Grace, Grace replaced by Grace perpetually. When we receive His Grace, we can and should go back for more!

Did you know that John never mentions Grace again after the beginning of His gospel? I never noticed that until Moore pointed it out and she thinks it is because John told the reader about Grace, and then the rest of his book is an expression of His Grace.

After Moore's message there was a short time of prayer and praise and worship. Then, with solo piano and his single voice, Travis Cottrell prompted the audience to sing. When all the women began to carry the music, he backed away from his keyboard and the musicians quietly left the stage almost unnoticed. 19,000 women in attendance sang "Shout to the Lord" a cappella and it was a sweet sound. A lump in the throat, goosebumps moment of awe. A beautiful and appropriate ending to a wonderful event. To God be the Glory!

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For More Information:

Deeper Still Blog
Beth Moore - Living Proof Ministries

Labels: christianity

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 6:44 PM

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Friday, July 04, 2008

Deeper Still: The Event - Kay Arthur

I have heard Kay Arthur on the radio numerous times and over the years have read a few of her books. She refers to her listeners and/or readers often as "precious one" or "beloved". She has that motherly tone in her voice that is comforting, gentle and just makes you feel special and very loved by a caring Father. She has a love for the Word of God that is very evident whenever you hear her, and her passion for the Bible inspires her to teach others how to read it and study it for themselves. She started her ministry in 1963 and has been going strong ever since. Some might even call her the matriarch of modern women's Bible studies and she has obviously set the standard.

I had preconceived notions about what I would be hearing when it was time for Kay Arthur to speak on Saturday at the conference. I imagined a message peppered with the kind of stuff I had always heard from her in the past. I was totally off base, totally and completely. The message Arthur delivered was a hard message to hear. It was convicting and it was spoken with passion and through tears. That woman can preach! Whew!

She can also "break it down"! Check out this agile 74 year old woman dancing without "Shackles"!


Deeper Still from on Vimeo.

While there were many fun and humorous moments during the weekend, Arthur gave a very sobering and prophetic message. It obviously weighed very heavy on her heart, so much so that she confessed she was physically ill. I started thinking about the prophets of the Old Testament, like Jeremiah, who had the not-so-wonderful job of telling Israel that she better get her act together or else. He wasn't very appreciated in his day, and Kay Arthur is delivering the same kind of message this day.

"Our nation is in grave danger."

She repeated the warning emphasizing each word slowly and deliberately "our nation is in graaaave danger".

The 19,000 women in attendence at once were quieted.

Much of Arthur's message came out of Jeremiah, and some from Ezekial and Isaiah. What I found interesting is that while the text of her message was from the Old Testament, she used all of it to support her "answer" to the disconcerting Word God gave her to share.

My notes from this weekend are rather scattered, so this post may be as well, but there was so much information being dished out, it was hard to get it all down on paper. I've been able to take the past week to absorb it, and now I'm going to attempt to put it out there for everyone, because everyone needs to hear it.

After the crowd was stunned into silence, Arthur reminded us that "Truth is a Person, it is a Book, anything else is sinking sand."

The basic message was one of warning, that America is in danger of losing it's heritage and that this nation is under God's Judgement. She gave some examples about how in our country there is no absolute truth and that apostacies are many. She used some examples of how the media often distorts truth and that we don't know what to believe anymore. Right and wrong are clouded. She recommended a book by David Kupelian called "The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised As Freedom".

She spoke about the "Word of God being lost in the House of God". In some American churches we are being taught untruths and all kinds of stuff contrary to the Word of God. There are many false teachers and prophets out there teaching things like health, wealth and prosperity, the word of faith movement and all sorts of other things. She used 2 Kings 22 when the Book of Law was found in the temple after having been "lost" and forgotten. We need to return to the Law and make a covenant to obey His Word, live in the light of the Word, gird up our loins and proclaim the Word. It is spiritual warfare and Arthur said "I could retire...but, there is no retirement in a time of war."

Arthur said "it is not the desire of God to bring judgement -- it is the necessity in His character when we will not obey".

She used some of what is happening in today's America to support her statement that we are experiencing a level of God's judgement, from the natural disasters, such as the Midwest floods that will cut off our bread supply (Ezekial 14:13), that we have a lack of knowledge of the Word of God (Isaiah 5:13, Hosea 4:1-6).

Arthur says we don't spend enough time in the Old Testament and encouraged us to dig deeper in the OT to understand God's character. Because we lack knowledge, and show no delight in the Word (Jeremiah 6), we too easily start to prefer false prophets. ( I see this in the way people are spellbound by Joel Olsteen and Oprah Winfrey.) What is so dangerous is how "good" their messages sound.

After delivering this very difficult message, Arthur gave us "7 Things to do in light of this message":

Interesting side note Kay Arthur shared with us that day is how she hopes to die. She said she prays to die of a quick heart attack on stage in front of a large crowd such as we were, 19,000 people. She then went on to say that her hope is in the moment she drops to the stage floor that someone, most likely from the ministry team she happens to be with I suppose, would run out and give an invitation! LOL

I was blessed having had the opportunity to hear the wisdom and prophetic proclamation come forth from an anointed mouthpiece of God. Kay Arthur delivered a daunting message that was hard for her to give, and hard for us to receive, but it was so necessary. God gave it to her for a reason, let it not be lost in the House of God.

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For more information:

Deeper Still Blog
Kay Arthur: Precept Ministries International

Labels: christianity

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 4:54 PM

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Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Deeper Still: The Event - Priscilla Shirer

I had never heard Priscilla Shirer speak/teach before, but after hearing her at Deeper Still in Atlanta, I know that she has an anointing and she is a teacher that I will be listening to again and again. You should too!

This weekend was packed with insight and teaching and a LOT OF IT! It has taken me a few days to digest it all, going over my notes and sharing with my friend to keep things fresh. Unfortunately some of this may seem all over the place, but I'm going to share it anyway, so bear with me. There is good stuff here and somebody may just need to hear/read it!

Shirer's message on Friday night was from Exodus 19 as she explained that God personally invites us to HEAR and SEE Him. It is a Divine Personal Invitation, a "divine treasure" and it is one we already have so we should celebrate it!

She divided her talk into two sections: Context of Divine Invitation and Preparation of the Invitation

Context - God calls us into the wilderness

The context of the invitation as Shirer explained is the desert, the wilderness, that God calls us into. This spoke volumes to me because I myself have recently emerged from a desert experience and could relate to much of what she was saying. "God leads you into the desert when He is ready to reveal Himself" she said and it is in the desert that "intimacy is ignited"! How do we know it was God sending us into the desert, that God chose the wilderness for us? We know it when we get through to the other side! When we camp at the foot of the mountain! Exodus 3:12 says:

She also pointed out that Job was able to really see God AFTER his desert experience, the experience of losing his family, friends, wealth and health. It was only after all that Job said "now my eyes have seen Him." God will choose the wilderness for you (Exodus 13:17-18) as He did for the Israelites when He led them around the long way toward the Red Sea.

The Blessing of Pain

At one point in her talk, Shirer told the story of a child who was born without the sensation of touch, her nerve endings were deadened. She had heard the parents of this child talk about how they thought this was a good thing because their child would not ever experience physical pain. What they learned as the child grew was drastically different than their original thinking.

Their young girl suffered severe burns on her arm when coffee on the table she was lying beneath spilled and began to trickle down the girl's arm. Feeling nothing, the child didn't move away, or cry for help. The scars of that trickle remain. Later as the girl started learning to use her hands, she became enamored with her eye and started playing with it, so much so that she scratched at it and dug it out of its socket. A patch now covers her eye. Her teeth have been removed because she would chew her tongue and bite her lips so that they bled and were being destroyed. The child's parents now say that they wish their child had the blessing of pain.

Ever notice that when we are down flat on our back the only place we can look is up to Him?

So when we are feeling the most pain in our lives, suffering through our desert, the wilderness, Shirer was quick to point out that Mt. Sinai was the furthest possible place from the Promised Land, but it led the Israelites to the biggest internal blessing they would experience. "Everything is not always as it seems" she said.

It is in the desert of Sinai that you find the mountain of God.

At one point Shirer also had us consider something. She observed "what is our first reaction when it starts to rain?" Do we run for cover? She had us think about how we often ask God to show Himself and "rain" down on us. She wondered if our reaction to God when He starts "raining" on us is the same as when the sky opens and the downpour begins. Do we run for cover?

Preparation - How God gets us ready to experience Him

1. God calls us to remember - We need to remind ourselves what He has already done for us
2. God calls us to recognize our spiritual identity – God is the only one Who has the credentials and the authority to name us. They can call us whatever they want, but only God can name us.
Also during this section Shirer named each book of the Bible and shared the name of God from each book according to His Character as revealed in that book. It was profound to hear her quote the words to a song called, "He Is" and you can find them here, or watch/listen to the video below.



3. God calls us to submit to new levels of surrender – To experience God, we must be willing to surrender to His Will. When God takes up residence in you, He empowers you to surrender.

Shirer ties it all together and reminds us again of the context in which God calls us into the desert, and the preparation through the desert and then gets us to the final result which is that God makes Himself able to be heard and seen by us!

She had some final thoughts and one that stuck out to me was what keeps us from going to God for ourselves? The Israelites in Exodus 20:18-19 chickened out and just wanted to send "Moe" to God to hear Him, and "get a Word". Do we depend too much on our Bible teachers, our pastors, our parents/spouses/friends, Beth Moore, Kay Arthur or Priscilla Shirer to go to God for us?

Are we sending others to "get the Word" for us?

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For more info:

Deeper Still Blog
Priscilla Shirer: Going Beyond Ministries

Labels: christianity

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 10:02 AM

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Monday, June 30, 2008

New Car

I now have a car payment again after many many many years without one. Boo hiss for car payments, but yay yay yay for the new car smell!

Honda Civic - nothing too fancy, but I hope a good investment. Honda's are built to be around awhile and IT BETTER BE!

Now, I'm one of these people that names her vehicles, so I'm now in the naming process. I'll let you know what I come up with, and feel free to leave any suggestions.

Isn't she beautiful?

Labels: Personal Interest

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 11:16 PM

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Saturday, June 28, 2008

Deeper Still: The Event

Katie and I are attending Deeper Still: The Event in Atlanta, GA. Last night we heard from Priscilla Shirer, and looking forward to today when we will hear from Kay Arthur and Beth Moore.

I will be sharing more later, but we've got to get moving.

Read Deeper Still: The Blog.

Labels: christianity

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 5:31 AM

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Friday, June 27, 2008

Ticket to Park

We had difficulty figuring out exactly what to do with this machine when we found a parking place in Atlanta. Finally we got ourselves the ticket to place in the dash so we were parked legally.

Then it was off to the long lines in the hot sun outside of Phillips Arena to await the start of the conference.

AND, IT WAS A GREAT OPENING NIGHT! It's late and we have to get up early, so we will have to post about it later.

For now, enjoy some more pictures of our adventure. Just click on the picture!

Labels: Personal Interest

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 11:30 PM

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Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Katie and I spent the morning on a row boat on the lake behind the home of our gracious hosts, the Gushee's.

We are amateurs, actually absolute beginners at boating. We got the boat in the water and managed to get in without getting wet!

We drifted into trees and observed ducks, geese and frogs.

We did some Bible study and then it was too hot and we needed to get out!

Unfortunately I did pop my knee out of joint when we were trying to drag the boat back onto the shore, but I'm sure I'll heal.

Well, off to the Deeper Still Conference! Woohooo!

Oh, and you can go to flickr by clicking on the picture and see more pictures of our adventure!

Labels: Personal Interest

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 2:58 PM

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Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Wedded Bliss

Today my parents are celebrating 47 years of marriage. By today's standards this is a huge milestone. Mom said "we're still counting, and still counting is good!" LOL

I feel very blessed to have been raised by the parents God gave me. So few people these days grow up in the stability I knew as a child. I never wanted for love and I was always supported in all that I did.

When I visited home a couple of years ago I was talking to my dad while we were out running a morning errand and asked him how he and Mom met. This was the story he told me:

"I was cruisin' in my powder blue convertible with dark blue interior and usually when I came to this one intersection, I would take the main road because it had a traffic light. Then, one time, I decided to go straight and go an extra block. At the end of that little street, there was a house and you would pull right up to it if you kept going straight and didn't turn."

He continued,

"I looked up to the house and on the porch was this girl, twirling a baton (Mom was a majorette!). I thought to myself 'she's cute', so being the brave man I was I went to my friend's house, picked him up and said 'c'mon with me'. As we were driving back to the cute girl's house, we saw her walking with a friend on the sidewalk. I pulled up to them and your mom said 'Hi Don!' and I was shocked because I didn't know her, but she obviously knew me. (Later Dad learned that Mom knew him because he had once dated her cousin.) The girls explained they were headed to the drugstore and I said 'hop in, I'll drive you down', and so they did! That was the day I picked your mom up!"

So, my dad was stylin' and cruising and literally picked up my mom! I think that's pretty cool!

Labels: Personal Interest

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 8:53 AM

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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Twitter

I now Twitter.

Follow me!

Oh, and you can see my status over there -------> under my name.

Labels: entertainment

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 11:44 PM

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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?

This is my dog Whyzer ("Weezer").

Yesterday, I bought this bed for Cheri, Katie's dog.

The Whyz doesn't fit in it.

But he likes it anyway. :-)

Labels: entertainment

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 11:06 AM

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Friday, June 13, 2008

We Are Living in the Meantime

I have been reading "The Jesus I Never Knew" by Philip Yancey. This was a required reading from my New Testament class. We were only required to read a portion of the book but it's so good that I have continued to read it. I highly recommend it!

Recently, in reading about the Ascension, my eyes were opened to yet another paradox of the Bible. According to Yancey, we are living in the meantime. This is the centuries long time that we currently live in…the time when God appears to be absent. (How's that for a play on words?) To the contrary, God is not absent at all. He is ever present in the unlikely disguise of the sick, the poor, the hungry, the homeless, and the prisoners. He is the single mom, the elderly in the nursing homes, the grieving daughter, the man dying with cancer, and so many more.

The one thing I found powerfully intriguing is when Yancey writes, "Since we cannot express our love by doing anything to profit God directly, God wants us to do something profitable for the poor, who have been delegated the task of receiving Christian love." ….Amazing Grace.

I found it curious that he used the word "task" when referring to the receiving of Christian love. A task is defined as a definite piece of work assigned to, falling to, or expected of a person; duty. It is also defined as a matter of considerable labor or difficulty. So, according to Yancey, receiving Christian love is a duty of which involves considerable labor or difficulty.

Here's the paradox. In the world we live it makes sense that giving would be the task and receiving would be the blessing, right? But, in the Christian realm, the blessing is the giving and the receiving is the difficult part.

Blessed are the meek, and the poor. I see this in a different light.

It is more blessed to give than to receive. I understand!

To give sacrificially to the poor and needy is to encounter God's presence during the "meantime" while we wait for Christ's triumphant return. To receive is a blessing because the one who is receiving has been delegated that difficult task in order that God's presence might be known. It is an opportunity to allow others to receive the blessing of service to Christ. This sure sheds a new light to the question, "How can a loving God allow suffering?" It is our suffering that draws us to depend on Him. It is through reaching out through the hurting of others that Christians can have a personal encounter with God. Is this the good spoken of in Romans 8:28?

"God has designated the poor to be His receivers." – Philip Yancey

A Word From God:

Labels: christianity

Posted by Katie at 11:05 PM

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Thursday, June 12, 2008

Peace Be Still

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I am seeking answers for many decisions that I need to make in this life. I am unsure of so many things right now. The only thing I'm really sure of is that God has placed me on this planet to worship Him and to be a witness to His glory so that the lost might come to know Him. It's my responsibility to go into the entire world and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the "meantime" I am supposed to trust Him with the plans for my life. All of these things that I am unsure of, He knows the answers for. He has a plan and a purpose that will unfold in His time. So, while I wait…it's imperative that I be still and let go of my concerns…lifting them up to the only One who really knows what to do with them. His burden is light and mine is so heavy. He wants to carry that load for me. So, why is it so hard to let go and trust? Why do I focus on the waves in the storm instead of the peace resting in the bottom of the boat? He alone can speak peace into the chaos of life. In order to have peace, I must rely on the Peace Speaker. I have to stop watching the storm. I have to trust that He already knows the outcome of my circumstances and He is in control of it all.

In my next post I will explain more about the "meantime"

Labels: christianity

Posted by Katie at 11:34 PM

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Ms.

I'm sorry, I just have to say it...I HATE the whole "Ms." thing! Ms. Prince just doesn't work for me! Never has! Never will!

Where did "Ms." come from anyway?

I'm not married...it's MISS Prince!

Thank you, now proceed with life. I feel better.

Labels: entertainment, Personal Interest

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 11:12 PM

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Monday, June 09, 2008

Got Quarters?

Labels: Personal Interest

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 6:44 PM

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Saturday, June 07, 2008

Unforgiveness

This blog is one in which I risk being transparent. Recent events in my life have caused me to see a place in my heart that can become very dark very quickly. This is the place where I find jealousy, envy and selfishness that quickly turns bitter. It's the place that makes me see the reality of my humanness and my need for a merciful, loving Savior. I feel justified in my sin...even entitled to hold a grudge. I spend my days thinking of reasons why I have a right to feel this way...how I have been treated so thoughtlessly, carelessly, judgementally, or without any consideration at all. ( I am not speaking of one particular incident here). I have been shafted, mistreated, treated unfairly, or rudely and I AM ENTITLED TO WALLOW AND HOLD A BITTER GRUDGE!!!! So there you have it....transparency. I am human. I am a sinner....and I am forgiven. So, why do I struggle to forgive?

During my devotion time, I read a book called Power Prayers to Start Your Day by Donna K. Maltese. In it she writes, "It has been said that unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the offender to die". I never looked at it like that before and it helped me see my attitude in a much different light.

Unforgiveness does nothing to the offender and accomplishes nothing positive at all...ever. It only eats away at the human soul like a cancer. Normally I am quick to forgive those who offend me, but this one particulart time I was really caught off guard and knocked for a loop! I was swallowed up by envy and jealousy so quickly that I didn't even see it coming and I'm still working hard to overcome. God is so patient and so good. I am so blessed that He still loves me and gently chastises me back into His grace.

Maltese goes on futher to say, "When you release the wrongdoer from your wrath, you cut a malignant tumor out of your own life. You set a prisoner free...and discover that the prisoner you freed was yourself."

There have been many times I have granted forgiveness to those who have offended me ...without batting an eye. I can let things go and give them to God. Why is this time so much harder? Is it because of the value of the treasure I stood to lose? Maybe that's what makes a difference. One thing I know I've learned is that any treasure I have been given is a gift from God. I need not worship the treasure over the Giver and that is what I have been doing. I am the one in need of forgiveness and grace. I have chosen to turn from God in my wasted efforts to hold tight to the gift He gave me and call it MINE MINE MINE! May He have mercy on me.

This is my confession.

Labels: christianity

Posted by Katie at 10:04 PM

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Friday, June 06, 2008

When Your Job Unexpectedly Goes Away

Hearing the words "your position is being eliminated" is not on the list of things I wanted to hear. It conjures up many different thoughts and feelings, not many of them good.

I heard those words today.

I shall push my worldly thoughts and feelings aside, hold my thoughts captive to Christ, and trust God.

Labels: christianity, Personal Interest

Posted by Susan L. Prince at 5:48 PM

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Friday, May 30, 2008

Amputation

It is not uncommon to hear a message of encouragment geared towards those who don't feel like they have a significant part in the body. Some people think that because they don't have one of the "noticable" gifts or because they are not great theologians, they have no place in the body. Their function is not necessary and the church will survive just fine without them. The Word of God tells us that the body needs every part to function right. This is often a message preached to encourage those who feel insignificant to take their place no matter how "big" or "small" it may appear to be. It is necessary for God's purpose.

When one part of the body is hurting, the rest of the body suffers. Our bodies react to injuries. It is part of the body's natural function for blood to rush to an injury. Blood cells and mucus to work together to fight off a cold. Nobody has to tell the body to do this. It just does. It's natural. Shouldn't it be that way in the body of Christ? Natural instinct to rush to the part that is sick or hurting...instead of cutting it off?

Sometimes a part of the human body becomes amputated. For the rest of the life of that body, the rest of its parts will have to adjust. The body cannot heal the part that has been removed because it is severed and cannot function anymore.

We learn in church that we are all needed in order for the body to funciton properly. What if that member of the body is sick and the body says, "You are too much work, I don't need you...go away"?

Are we, the body of Christ, inflicting further injury to already wounded body parts so that they don't function properly anymore? Are we chopping off our own fingers and toes?

Labels: christianity, church

Posted by Katie at 3:57 PM

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