shadow

light

STANDING STRONG

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Introduction:

As many of our readers already know, Nicaragua is going great turmoil these days. The people are under attack in their own neighborhoods. Hundreds have died at the hands of government officials for peacefully standing for their beliefs. I do not preach or teach politics. I do teach a Biblical message of hope found in and through Jesus Christ. Many people who we have worked with and ministered to for the last nine years are in crisis. This message is written to them, and to anyone else now going through a crisis of their own,

because with Christ,

HOPE IS ALIVE!

For my precious friends in Nicaragua

There are times in our lives when everything seems to be falling apart…when we don’t know what to do next…when it seems like we’ve lost our way, and our strength. When everything is dark it is hard to see, hard to remember. But during those times it is also easy to forget that we have hope. We have hope because the promises of our God never fail! Never. It may feel that way…but the truth is – God Never Fails His Children.

“When you don’t understand what God is doing, you can Trust His heart! “  Jake Thornhill

In a time of deep trial God told Jeremiah in 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

BELIEVE HIM THIS DAY!

This time of upheaval in your country has been a DARK time. But darkness always has to flee when the light appears! And Never forget that our Jesus is the Light of the World. He sees what His children are going through. He is with us in the valley. He will calm the storm. Some storms last longer than others. But the storm always ends! And when it does, and the sun starts to shine again, it is a new day. A bright day, a day of recovery and rebuilding, a day of Bright Hope for tomorrow.

“For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning” Psalm 30:5

Tonight, as you read this message from my heart to yours, you can know that thousands here and across the world are praying for you. We believe that our God will prevail and your country and your people will be restored. We believe in a bright, hope filled tomorrow for Nicaragua. And we look forward to the day that we can be with you again!

 We stand strong with you, ready to help right now in prayer, and tomorrow when the rebuilding begins. So, you stand strong too! In Ephesians 6:10-11 Paul says;

 10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

 

Paul points out 5 things to us in these two short verses:

  1. It is his final word to the people.
  2. To be Strong by depending on God’s power in you – through the Holy Spirit who lives in you if you have given your life to Him.
  3. Put on His Armor – not our own fleshly armor
  4. His Promise – you WILL be able to stand firm if you do these things!
  5. Flesh and blood – people – are not our enemy. Our real enemy is the forces of evil in the unseen world. Satan.

 

Therefore, let us come together in unity – using the armor that God supplies – and defeat the real enemy of our souls! We can trust our God and His Mighty Power to bring victory to His people!

God in Peace my friends. God is watching!

Blessings,

Brenda Lancaster

 

 

photo credit: https://www.freeimages.com/photographer/thiagofest-60126

On the Way

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“As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Mark 10:17

During a recent trip to Cincinnati, a twenty-something lady sat down beside me on the plane. After a brief response to my greeting, she connected her earphones to her mobile device and put them in her ears. Shortly after takeoff, she added dark glasses to her travel attire and remained plugged in—or should I say out—for the duration of the flight.

I might have been offended had I not been familiar with this hallmark of our day which is fast becoming the norm. I wondered who she was, where she was going, and what her felt need was. We all have them, you know.

On my next connecting flight, a forty-something lady was my seat mate. After our initial greetings, she revealed she was on her way home to offer her final good-bye to her father who’d passed away the day before. For the next hour, we shared portions of our lives, looked at family photos and agreed to become Facebook friends. As we prepared to depart, she thanked me for the conversation that had kept her grief at bay.

“Ships that pass in the night” is a line from a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem penned over 150 years ago. You’ve probably heard and used this phrase yourself as you’ve brushed shoulders with someone while you were both on the way to your respective places.

The metaphor speaks of two sailing vessels that pass in the night and shine their lights to acknowledge one another’s presence. After passing, they slip into the darkness, never to see the other again.

The Enemy of this world is a master deceiver. He uses multitudes of devices to create division and separate us from the people God places around us on the way to where we’re going. Satan will stop at nothing to keep us from shining a light into someone’s darkness. Our lights may appear dim. What we do may seem insignificant. But the simple offering of our presence may be all someone needs to keep their flickering flame alive.

Daily, Jesus met the needs of people. Some he met while on the way to the next place. His presence always meant life for their souls.

Who will God place along your path today? On the way, listen to the gentle whisper of his Holy Spirit. Acknowledge someone’s presence with yours. Shine a light into their darkness. Your paths may never cross again.

Starr Ayers

 

 

Photo credit: Pixabay image

Color My World

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“Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”
John 12:35-36, NIV 

Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color premiered on television in 1961. Founder and creative genius, Walt Disney opened the color broadcast each week saying, “The world we live in would look pretty dull if Mother Nature used a black and white palette and painted only in shades of gray.” Some viewers watched the show in Technicolor, but our home along with the majority of the nation continued to watch in black and white. Color was available, yet many of us remained locked in worlds of gray.

I’ve read that some blind individuals wouldn’t trade their worlds of darkness for ones of sight. One man stated, “I’ve been blind since birth, and I can honestly say that the thought of suddenly getting the vision I’ve never had would scare me to death. I don’t know if I could adjust. I’m secure in my blindness.” Another relayed, “If I could have surgery that would give me sight, I wouldn’t do it. I’m happy with me and who I am. As a blind person, I function well. I just wouldn’t want to start over.” For these individuals, their fear of change is greater than their fear of the darkness.

It’s hard for me to comprehend how people can acclimate themselves to a world of darkness, but in reality in the spiritual realm—we have. We’ve conditioned our minds, hardened our hearts, and closed our eyes to the moral decay of our society. Many people embrace a cultural relativism that denies the existence of absolute truth, and they live behind a smokescreen of tolerance and inclusion.

Two days before his death on the cross, Jesus warned of the peril that would befall those who choose to walk in darkness. Rejecting him and the truth of his Word would result in spiritual blindness and death. It was a harsh reality then and remains a harsh reality today.

However, Christ in his loving mercy followed his solemn warning with liberating words of hope. By believing in him, we can all become children of light. The Light of the World is still with us and is available for all of humanity. No one is destined to remain locked in a world of gray.

Do not allow your fear of change to become greater than your fear of darkness. Ask God to color your world with the light of Christ and experience his wonderful world of color.

Happy fall!

Starr Ayers