3 Keys to Successful Parenting

3 Keys to Successful Parenting

“You were born into a wonderful family.  You’re going to have a great life.  You’re going to grow up to love and serve God.  Sometimes you’re going to have to work very hard.  But you’re going to help many people and bring many souls to heaven.” 

That’s the little ‘talk’ I used to have with our children right after they were born and before I brought them home from the hospital.  I would hold them so I could look right into their eyes and tell them how much we loved them and how much Jesus loved them. That together we were going to do great things for God. That we were going to have a lot of fun together.

They say they don’t remember that talk.  But I think they do. Because they’ve all grown up to love and serve God. They’ve worked hard. And they’ve helped many people and shared the love of God with many people.

My husband and I have 5 children. We are proud of each of them. We’ve had loads of fun with them. And together we’ve done great things for God.

When we were first married there seemed to be a lot of negative advice around. People would say things like, “Just wait ‘til the honeymoon’s over.” “Just wait until he gets fat.” “Just wait until you have kids.”

When the baby was born, it was, “Just wait until she starts teething.” Or, “Just wait ‘til she turns two.” Or, “Just wait, potty training is coming!” 

Honestly, my husband and I looked at each other each time someone pronounced that some terrible stage of marriage or parenthood was waiting around the corner to derail us, and we said, “Let’s not wait.” 

We decided, instead, to chart our own course, decide our own fate, and above all, trust that God’s word was true and that He who promised is faithful. Heb. 10:23

#1. Speak words of faith over your children

That’s my first bit of advice for you.

Ps. 127:4 says: As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 

Your children are like arrows.  Arrows fly in the direction they are aimed. 

Aim your children in the direction you want them to go.  Aim your children by giving them direction.  Give them direction by speaking words of faith over them.

We didn’t raise ‘children’.  We raised ‘champions’.  Our expectation was that they would grow up to love and serve God.  We sowed the word of God into them. We showed them that they could be more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37), always triumphant (2 Cor. 2:14), crowned with glory and honor (Ps. 8:5).

Everything you do in the life of your children will determine their direction in life.  Be mighty Moms and Dads. Aim your children in the direction of loving and serving God their whole lives by speaking the Word over them.

Devotions. One way we spoke words of faith over our children was to have times of devotion, Bible reading and prayer with them.  - Every family is different.  You have different schedules.  I’m only giving examples of how things worked in our family.  Please receive the principles I’m talking about and see how they could fit into your family. 

We had devotions with our children twice a day.  My husband and I each had our own personal devotions.  And then Dad lead the children in devotions in the morning and I led devotions in the evenings.  7:00 in the morning Dad called up the stairs.  One of our favorite memories is of our oldest son who would call down ‘Coming!’ Every morning. ‘Coming!’ Coming to give God the first fruits of the day. Coming to sing praise to Him. Coming to learn more about Him. Are your children “Coming”? Are you calling them? Calling them to be disciples? Calling them to come and follow God? If left to themselves, children will follow the loudest voice. Let it be your voice they hear. Teaching them to come and hear the still, small voice of the God you want them follow.

Our son would make sure that his brother and sisters were up.  Then Dad lead them in singing, reading the Bible and praying.  

After dinner, we cleaned up the kitchen, everyone had a bath and then we had devotions again, which would be reading and talking about what we read in the Bible, maybe coloring a picture or memorizing a verse. It was part of our bedtime routine. 

Deut 6:4-9 says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” - So having devotions was not a religious ritual  that we observed.  It was a casual time of sitting with our children and talking about the word of God.  Teaching them what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Find the place in your schedules where you can fit in a time of sitting and talking and teaching your children about God. It may take different forms throughout the years. Sometimes you might use a children’s devotional. You might sing Sunday School songs. You might tell them stories about how you learned about God when you were a child. Make sure you read the Bible. The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes, by Kenneth N. Taylor is exceptional. For an older child, it might be fun to read the Bible in comic book format. Reading good stories and talking about them with your child is also an excellent way to instill good character. Honey for a Child’s Heart, by Gladys Hunt is a great resource. The important thing is to consistently train them in the way they should go. Proverbs 22;6

Leading your child to salvation. Speaking words of faith over your children includes teaching them about salvation. It is your privilege to lead your children to faith in Christ.  The pastors and workers in Children’s Church and Youth Group will help you but you can lead your own children to Christ yourself. These conversations don’t have to be ‘religious’. In fact, they should be natural. Our daughter, Esther was about 4. I was tucking her into bed one night when she said to me, “Someday, I’m going to turn into a bird and fly up to heaven and live with Jesus.” It was easy to say to her, “Well, that’s not how you get to heaven.” I remember the look on her face when she said, “It’s not?” She wanted to know more. She wanted to know how you do get to heaven. So I explained how Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we could go to heaven; that we could ask Jesus into our hearts to be with us forever and when it was time to go to heaven He would take us there. Then I asked her if she wanted to pray and ask Jesus to come and live in her heart. She said yes and we prayed. As the years went on she forgot that she once thought she would turn into a bird and fly up to heaven. But she never forgot that she had Jesus living in her heart.

Helping Children Believe. Another part of speaking words of faith over our children is helping them to learn to use their own faith. We needed a bigger car. We were believing that God would provide the money we needed. We talked about it in devotions and prayed about it. We went shopping for the car. We didn’t have quite enough money yet. One day we decided it was time to put our faith into action. We bought a cover for our car. We put it in the middle of the living room where we had devotions. We thanked God for providing the car to go under the cover.  It wasn’t much longer before we had our car and it was sitting in the driveway under the car cover. It was an object lesson they could actually see. They were an integral part in getting that new car. And because they had actually participated, they were even more grateful when it came. They were sitting in the answer to their own faith and their own prayers.

The Honor Chair. Another time we use to speak words of faith over our children is on birthdays. On your birthday you get to sit in a special chair in the middle of the room. It’s called the Honor Chair. And everyone - your brothers and sisters, guests, Mom and Dad go around and each one tells why they like you; how they appreciate you; what character traits you have that they love. For example: “I like Rose because she is kind. I like the way she loves God and always want to help others.”  By the time everyone is finished telling all the reasons why they love the birthday child, they are on top of the world. They feel so loved and affirmed. Then they open presents and before we have the cake and ice cream, everyone prays over the child. Dad leads a prayer of faith, speaking over the child for the next year. A prayer of blessing. Dads need to see themselves as the patriarchs of the family. Setting the course for the family. Steering the family in the right direction. Aiming the children right toward the heart of God.

Heritage and Legacy. Each family has a heritage and a legacy.  Heritage is what has gone before.  Legacy is what will come after you.  Both are very important to children.  One of our favorite times is just sitting around, usually after a meal and talking about the great things God has done in our lives.  Telling about the great miracles we’ve been privileged to be part of in our ministry; family miracles we’ve had; trips we’ve taken; experiences we’ve had; telling story after story after story. Tell your children the stories of their grandparents and great-grandparents. Tell them how you grew up.  Tell them the testimonies of how God has kept you.  These things grow faith in your children.

We have 8 grandchildren now and we wanted them to have a place to identify as their own.  We took one of our children’s old bedrooms and made it into the Grandchildren’s Room.  They have their own beds, the table their parents used when they were little and the old toy box with their parents toys in it.  We are sharing our heritage with them.  But we also took pictures of their parents when they were small, when they were teenagers, their wedding pictures, and pictures of their great-grandparents... and we covered 3 walls of the room with these pictures.  They have a connection with the past. And we are speaking over their futures.

Speak words of faith and blessing over your children.

#2. Have fun

We had kind of an unusual wedding.  Our best man was our best friend, a Nigerian evangelist.  My matron of honor was my best friend who was nine months pregnant.  We didn’t even think about how that was going to look until the rehearsal the night before the wedding.  As part of our wedding ceremony we asked 4 couples at different stages of life to offer advice to us.  We had a couple married less than 5 years; a couple married about 15 years; a couple married 25 years.  And they all gave us good advice.  The last couple, married over 60 years were in their 80’s.  They told us to keep God as the center of our lives.  As they were making their way back to their seats, suddenly Leo turned around. He lifted up his cane and pointed at us.  And he said, “And don’t forget to laugh!”

That’s my next bit of advice for you.  Don’t forget to enjoy your children.  Sometimes we get too serious and we forget to laugh.  Deut. 28 lists the blessings and curses that God promised the children of Israel.  If they followed the law certain benefits belonged to them, but if they rebelled and refused to listen to the voice of God He pronounced curses over them.  One of the curses promised, “Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.” vs.41  We are not under this curse.  The blessing belongs to us which says, “Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body.” vs. 4 We shall enjoy our children.  Don’t get so serious that you forget that the years pass quickly. 

Parenting is fun if you’re doing it right. Yes, I know we all have moments when we wonder if this is really fun.  Don’t forget I have 5 children. I’ve had my moments.  The Bible promises us a blessing and not a curse. But you have to work at it. You have to plan for it. You have to expect it. If it gets too hard and the joy seems to have been lost in the everyday, stop!

Figure out what’s gone wrong and make some adjustments. Which part of the busyness can you cut out to make room for some peace. What fun, silly thing can you do to bring back the laughs. You may need to put more structure in your days, or institute some rules to keep things moving smoothly. You may even need to repent and say your sorry to your kids. You may need to set realistic goals or expectations. The kids may need to get more sleep. You may need to find some alone time for yourself. Above all, listen to the Holy Spirit. 

We played with our children. We gave them creative toys. We taught them to have fun with simple things - cardboard boxes and couch cushions.

We taught them to entertain themselves. They played outside. They read books. We organized the Gualtieri Olympics in the backyard. We played Bocci Ball and went swimming.  We took them hiking and camping. 

We didn’t let our children use the word bored - we kept a list of activities for them to choose from if they couldn’t think of something to do, which wasn’t very often. TV was not the babysitter. Watching tv for them was a special event; an occasional movie night; or the Super Bowl.  It was not the main piece of furniture in the house. Limiting electronics is important. They have their place, but if you want thoughtful, creative children who grow into caring, emotionally grounded adults you will need to give them opportunities to experience winning and losing, dealing with disappointments and creating things with their own hands. Children who can think through logical arguments and find the best way of solving problems without your constant help are children who are challenged with real life situations.

I homeschooled our children all the way through high school - all of them have gone to college.  I have 2 scientists, a teacher, an artist and a writer.  They weren’t stuck in the house all day.  They were involved in library programs; had parts in plays; participated in  4-H; competed in speech competitions and sports. Your family may do it differently. One is not better than the other. You must find the way that works for you. You and your children will have different interests and different needs. The point is to aim your children towards the goal you want to achieve. Every decision you make must have the end goal in mind.

We always looked for the talents and interests our children had so that we could encourage them.  Our son, Sam, was always interested in art so we invested money to buy art supplies, origami paper, polymer clay, etc. Our son, Dan, wanted to hike in the Everglades and the Appalachian Trail, so we spent time giving him these experiences.  We looked for the same things for our daughters.  Look to see what kind of gifts and talents your children have and then invest your time and money.  It will pay big dividends in the future.

Have fun with your kids! Fly parachutes off the balcony; build model airplanes; do art projects. Don’t mind the mess. The cost will be worth it. Give your children experiences, not things. Take them places. Let them see different cultures. It costs more than money. It will cost you time and patience. 

Be silly with your kids.  They need to see you having fun.  Sing funny songs.  Tell stories with funny voices. One of the best things you’ll ever hear is, “Do it again, Daddy!”

Cheer them on in their endeavors.  Be your child’s biggest fan and gentlest critic.  Make sure you give them both praise and correction.  Build up their God-esteem and their self-esteem will be healthy.  Self-esteem alone is dependent on their flesh.  God-esteem shows them that their gifts and talents come from Him and are to be used to help others.

Have fun with your children.

#3. Train your children

Don’t let the world tell you how to raise your children. Mom and Dad, you are the authorities in your family. You determine how your family will function.  You set the boundaries, the schedule, the traditions. If your children are out of control you have the power and authority to set things right. 

Know the difference between rebellion and ignorance.  

Sometimes children do wrong things because they do not know the right way to do it.  

This is ignorance.  Ignorance needs instruction.  

Sometimes children do wrong things because they know the difference between right and wrong but they want to do the wrong thing. 

This is rebellion. Rebellion needs discipline.  

If you have spent the time to instruct your child and they refuse to obey and are disrespectful, they need discipline.

Discipline is sustained daily effort. In other words: it’s work. Discipline means that if the child disobeys you, you must follow through with the correct punishment.  The only time discipline fails is when we give up. 

Discipline is not mean. It does not have to be loud. Discipline means correcting the wrong behavior - again and again. Repetition is the key to learning new skills. You are teaching your children new behavior skills. Do not grow weary in well-doing. Gal. 6:9.

I recently read a very interesting article about a scientific study concerning the different parenting styles in American and French families.  They reported that French families give their children a structure for their days. There are limits, for example. for when the children can eat.  The French parents believe that imposing limits actually makes the child feel happier and safer. They also believe that using the word "no" rescues children from their own impulses. 

In American families, they said, it is often thought that by saying ‘no’ we are restricting the child’s creativity and stifling their personalities.  Instead, they concluded, discipline, structure, and correction encourages children to become productive and self-motivated individuals.

If your child does not know that certain behaviors are right or wrong - they are ignorant and need instruction.

If your child knows what you want them to do but chooses to do what they want - they are rebellious and need discipline.

When you can determine if your child is ignorant or rebellious you will be well on your way to determining the best course of action to use in changing their behavior.

The 3 Keys:

Speak words of faith over your children.

Have fun.

Train your children.

Now, you may be saying: How can I do all of that??  I’m already working full time, volunteering at church, etc., etc., etc.

You’re thinking, “Dr. Eve you stayed home with your children. You didn’t have a job outside the home.”  I’m going to fill you in on a few things…

You’re right, I didn’t work outside the home, but we traveled for ministry and took our children with us whenever possible; when we were home we were preaching and holding meetings multiple times during a week, the kids and I participated in most of those meetings; I taught a class for young girls every Sunday and for youth on Thursdays; I understand something of what it is to be a single mother because my husband would travel to Africa for 4 to 6 weeks at a time in the 80’s when there were no computers or cellphones - after I said goodbye to him at the airport I didn’t hear from him again until he came home. For many years I had my own editing business that I did after the kids went to bed; I often stayed up until 2 or 3 in the morning taking classes by Distance Learning; I started the Miami Campus of Life Christian University while my children were all still at home; I earned 3 graduate level degrees including a doctorate in theology - all while training up my children and running my household.  I’m not telling you any of this so you’ll think how wonderful I am.  What I really want you to see, is that we all accomplish the things we see as important.  You can always come up with a reason not to do something.  But if your Want-To is big enough you’ll find a way.  To me, I saw raising champions as a way to better the world. I wanted to reach as many people for Christ through our ministry as I could, but I did not want to lose my children.  I wanted to send my children out into the world to reach their generation.  I wanted to equip them with everything necessary to do that.

So how can you do all you need to do? 

1. Keep your Faith Tank full. Make sure you are full of the Word and listening to the Holy Spirit. Encourage yourself in the Word. Take courage from learning about other mothers and fathers who have gone before you and raised godly children. It is not an impossible task.

Susanna Wesley had 19 children. Only 10 survived childhood. Only 10! Two of those children were John and Charles Wesley who became the founders of the Methodist Church. All of Susanna’s children were strong Christians. How did she do it? Her secret was keeping up her communion and fellowship with God. In those days women wore long skirts with a long apron over it. When she needed time alone with God, she pulled her apron over her head and she trained her children that she was not to be disturbed if her apron was over her head. 

How can you do it? Spend more time with God. Listen for His Voice. He will show you how to accomplish everything He wants you to do.

2. You don’t need to do everything at the same time. Do only the important things. Make priorities. Start by dong only one more thing - read them a story at bedtime. When you have made that part of your routine, ask the Holy Spirit what to do next. Your children are only small once. If you don’t train them now, when will you? Put your children before yourself. I promise, they will grow up and  you will have time then to do the other things you want to do. 

Confession

Before we conclude…We have a confession that we have been saying over our children for many years.  A confession is not just words that you say.  To have an effect a confession must be made in faith.  That requires you to understand the confession, to believe the confession.  This confession grew out of our study of the word of God.  It comes from Isaiah 54:13, John 10:27-30, John 10:1-5 and Isaiah 54:17.  When you have time you should study and meditate on those verses - over and over again.

Speak this over your children:

All my children are taught of the Lord and obedient to His will and great is the peace of my children.  My children recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd. No one will snatch them out of His hand.  They follow Him because they know His voice. They will never follow the voice of a stranger - they will run away from a stranger because they do not recognize strange  voices. Peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.

Book Review of If My Heart Could Talk, by Dodie Osteen

Book Review of If My Heart Could Talk by Dodie Osteen

I love Dodie Osteen. I’ve never met her. But I love Dodie Osteen.

I have seen her in the audience as her husband, John, preached. I have heard her welcome the congregation before John preached. I have seen her in the audience as her son, Joel, preaches. I have heard the funny stories John used to tell about her; about their life together; about her heart for God; about her faith and her healing. To me, she has epitomized the Proverbs 31 woman. “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:” Proverbs 31:28

But mostly, I love Dodie Osteen because she sent me a Thank You card once.

Early, early in our ministry we sent the Osteens an offering. It couldn’t have been much. Probably $25. But we were inspired by them. We loved listening to John. We loved his heart for missions and his heart for the Word. Their perseverance encouraged us when it seemed it was just the two of us trying to reach the whole world by ourselves.

Then, I got a Thank You card from Dodie. A handwritten Thank You card. Of all the people who sent offerings to the Osteens she was thanking us for the small offering we sent. It touched my heart. Somebody appreciated the little things we were doing. “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” Proverbs 31:26

Dodie’s book, If My Heart Could Talk, is wonderful. Like sitting with your Grandma and listening to the family stories, she gives the history of the Osteen family, beginning with their parents, their early years, her miracle healing and how they raised 5 children who all grew up to love and serve God. She tells these stories in such a comfortable, engaging and personal way. For each anecdote she tells, she leaves you with a Life Lesson. A principle that you can put to practice in your own life. She shares the scriptures she stood on and the actions she took to get the results she expected from God.

Dodie shares stories of her husband and children that will encourage you and teach you and make you love her, too. It is a very engaging book, that keeps your interest. She finishes the book with a long list of the scriptures she stood on when she was healed from pancreatic cancer and given only a few weeks to live.

This is not only an interesting book to read. It is a useful book. A book that will change your mind and change your life.

Enjoy!

Available on Amazon

Don’t Eat Your Rabbit, by Eve Gualtieri

I have an older sister. She’s amazing. I love her a lot. But when we were little things were a little different. If you know what I mean. She was the expert on everything. And I believed her.

Once, when I was in 2nd Grade, my sister told me that if I could find a ladder tall enough, I could touch the sky. I was amazed! I was out in the garage looking for a tall ladder. I was planning exactly where I would place the ladder to climb up and touch the sky. 

But I made a mistake. I went to school and at lunch I sat across from Faith. Now, Faith was perfect. Her hair was always neatly combed. She looked cute in her little uniform. She always helped the teacher. And she never, ever, cheated on her math test. She was perfect. I was not.

So sitting across from Faith, I thought I’d finally found something that would make me better than she was. And I said, “Did you know that if you could get a ladder tall enough, you could touch the sky?” To my surprise, she said, “No, you can’t.” So, I insisted, “Yes, you can.” She said, “No, you can’t.” I said, “Yes, you can.” “No, you can’t.” “Yes, you can.” “No, you can’t.” “Yes, you can.” 

Well, I got so frustrated that I picked up a handful of my mashed potatoes and threw them right in Faith’s face.

It was like the whole lunchroom gasped! —- Someone had touched Faith!!!   Nuns came running. Faith started crying. They led her away, whimpering.

And me? They made me sit at the lunch table until everyone went out for recess. Alone. While all the lunch ladies cleaned the cafeteria and clucked their tongues and shook their heads in disbelief at the girl who dared to throw mashed potatoes at Faith. Then, they brought my sister.  Now, she was supposed to say that she was wrong and that you could not touch the sky even if you had a tall ladder. But, what she really said was that I had misunderstood her. Well, I didn’t misunderstand anything. That is exactly what she had said.

But at that moment I realized that what I really needed was to have a credible and reliable source of information. Someone I could trust. Someone who actually knew the truth. And right then...it wasn’t my sister.

Many people spend a lot of time talking about self-confidence and believing in yourself. There’s a lot of emphasis on finding worth in yourself. One definition of confidence is “a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities.” Let me tell you, looking for ‘self-assurance in appreciating one’s own abilities or qualities’ is like trying to find a ladder tall enough to touch the sky. No matter how smart you are. No matter how accomplished you are. No matter how high you rise in your profession. You will never find enough confidence in yourself to satisfy the longing in your soul. You will never have enough confidence in yourself to answer every question. You will never have enough confidence in yourself.

Scripture, however, paints a totally different picture. It points me to God. My confidence is in God. When my confidence is in God I can rest. There is great reward in having confidence in God.  Heb. 4:16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We will never find grace and mercy in ourselves. We will never find help in time of need in ourselves. Strong’s defines confidence as ‘free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance’. Only in God can we find fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness and assurance.’ 

But when we find it, we must hold onto it. We are warned in Hebrews 3:6 “We are his house, IF we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.” The devil constantly seeks to undermine our confidence in God and His Word. In Genesis, it’s the first thing we hear him say...’Did God really say???’ He interjects doubt. “Is the Bible really true?” He would be happy if we would just forsake our faith and ignore God. But if we don’t, His back-up plan is to let us mouth the Word of God without accessing the power of the Authority behind it. He’s ok with us saying a Bible verse, as long as we don’t mix any faith with it; as long as the Bible is relegated to a bunch of quaint little sayings that give you a warm feeling. The devil’s insidious plan is to strip us of our birthright that gives us dominion over him. He seeks to make us into sniveling wimps, unable to wield the weapons of our warfare. Well, it ain’t happening! We will hold onto our confidence and boast in our hope firm to the end!

Hebrews 10:19-25 says,  “Therefore, brothers (and sisters), since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

His faithfulness shows that he is a credible,... reliable source of information. Someone we can trust. Someone who knows the truth. Someone we can have confidence in.

Hebrews 10:35 says, “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.”

We would think of Billy Graham as being bold and outspoken about his faith. We would never think that Billy Graham would be someone who would throw away his confidence. But in 1949, he was deeply troubled. He was at a crossroad. For decades, theological arguments had been questioning the truthfulness of the Bible. The publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species in the 1800s had introduced Evolution and seemed to write God out of the picture. Two World Wars had critically damaged the faith of most people. And Billy Graham felt confused. He actually doubted the accuracy of the Bible. In fact, he thought he saw contradictions in the scripture. His preaching lacked conviction and there were few conversions in his meetings.

In August of that year he was invited to spend some time at a conference center in the mountains outside of Los Angeles. As he walked down one of the trails, he said he wrestled with God and dueled with his doubts. But finally, he gave in. He knelt and prayed, “God, your Word says ‘the just shall live by faith.’ Here and now, by faith, I accept the Bible as Your Word. I take it all.” He made his decision. The Bible was the true Word of God and he would no longer entertain any doubts. He stood ready to proclaim the Word of God with authority.

Six weeks later he began his Los Angeles crusade. In that crusade, he said he kept hearing himself say, ‘The Bible says... The Bible says...’ He said it was as though he was opening his mouth but the Holy Spirit was speaking through him. The crusade was supposed to last for 3 weeks, but was extended for 8 weeks. The authority that he had discovered in the Word caused faith to grow in the listeners. Thousands came to Christ. And that crusade has been put down in the history books as one of the most important Christian campaigns.

Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, repeats the truth again and again, that God’s Word is true. “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against thee.” “Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.” “Thy word is true from the beginning:and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.”

We must arrive at the same conclusion...and we must hold on to our confidence that the scripture is the true and living Word of God. Satan will come and whisper in our ears —‘Did God really say???’ “Is the Bible really true? Satan is a master of insinuation and crafty argument. He sounds reasonable. But we have put our confidence in God Himself. Hebrew 6:18 says,  “We who have fled for refuge have a strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of our soul.”

God’s Word is True! That fact is sure. It is our hope. The Word of God is the anchor of our souls.

I’m really particular about the music I listen to. I blame it on Pandora. You know, thumbs up, thumbs down. You hear a song you like - thumbs up. You hear a song you don’t like - thumbs down. I figure they’ve got about 10-15 seconds to impress me or it’s thumbs down. I was listening the other day - to a Christian station - and the song begins “When all hope is gone...” And I think, “When is that?” When is all hope gone? Let me see, I just read, “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.” And “hold fast to our confidence and boast in our hope.” And Heb. 6,  “We have this hope as an anchor of our soul, both sure and stedfast.” When is all hope gone?  And then the next line of the song said, “ When your word is all I have.”  What??? What else do I need but the Word of God?? Thumbs down on that one!

Our core beliefs steer the course of our lives. What we really believe determines the path we take. It’s just like thumbs up, thumbs down. We make choices every minute of every day based on —not what we SAY we believe, but what we REALLY believe.

Peter Freuchen was 20 years old when he sailed for Greenland to be part of a scientific exploration. It was 1907. He and two companions set out to explore and map northeast Greenland. Instead of taking dogs they pulled their own sledges. A cache of food had been left for them in a certain place, but when they got there a bear gotten there before them and eaten and destroyed everything. The next cache of food was at least 3 days away. There was nothing else to do but to start walking. After 5 days of no food they made camp. And Peter went out to hunt, although they had seen no game for days. He walked uphill and down, uphill and down, until he saw a rabbit. He shot the rabbit. The rabbit was about 8 pounds and he thought what a wonderful stew they would make of him. But on the way back to camp he was so weak that he had to stop to rest. And he thought about eating the rabbit. He got up and started to walk again. But the rabbit was heavy slung over his shoulder. He sat down again. And he thought, ‘Because I killed the rabbit I’m entitled to half of it. If I eat my half now I’ll have more energy and it won’t be so heavy.’ But then he thought if he started to eat the rabbit he wouldn’t be able to stop until he had eaten it all. So he got up and walked again. 

But after only walking a little way he became so hungry, he told himself, ‘I’ll just take a leg and chew on it. And the ears. Nobody will want the ears. I’ll eat those.’ But he kept on walking. Finally the voice of his stomach was so loud that he decided he would eat the whole rabbit and just tell the others that he hadn’t caught anything. He decided when he got to the top of the next hill that he would sit down and eat it.

When he got to the top of the hill he said to himself, ‘No, I’ll wait till I get to the top of the next hill.’ At the top of every hill he told his stomach the same thing. “I’ll wait till I get to the top of the next hill.” And he kept walking. Until finally he reached a hill from which he could see the tent in the valley. His friends were sitting around a fire waiting for him to come back with something to eat. He ended his story by saying, “ Character and an iron will are frequently demanded of a man in the north. Bravery is taken for granted. I have learned that no man should go into the Arctic before he is sure of himself. As for me, I was lucky. I saw the tent in time.”

I would say that character and bravery are what is demanded for a walk of faith. No person should start on this journey until they are sure of their God, until we have established our confidence in God, knowing that He is faithful and true; until we have made a decision that the Bible is the Word of God, convinced of it’s authority. Those are the things needed for a real walk of faith. 

But, maybe there have been times when you’ve felt like a starving man carrying an 8 pound rabbit on your shoulder. And you’ve thought, this walk of faith is not for wimps. Ps. 31:23, 24 says, “The Lord preserves the faithful...Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!”

In 2 Peter 1, Peter talks about the power of God which has been given to us and he encourages the believers to make every effort to increase their faith. He talks about self-control, godliness, brotherly love. He’s telling us how to build ourselves up. Then he says, “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder.” That’s the attitude I want to have. I want to be the reminder, the encourager. The one who stirs up others to keep going. I love how he says, ‘I know you already know these things, but I think it’s right that I remind you of all the promises of God.’ We should all be that for those in our circle of influence. Spur others on to persevere through adversity. At the top of one of these hills, you’re going to look down and see your tent. Take courage! Breakthrough is coming!

Two years ago, we were finishing up two weeks of ministry in Mexico when our son and daughter-in-law called to say that our 6 year old granddaughter was being taken to the hospital by ambulance. That was the year that so many children died from the flu. Every time you listened to the news, it seemed that another child had died. And now our granddaughter had the flu. But not only that. She had pneumonia, a stomach virus and another infection. Finally, she developed sepsis. That night the doctors told our son that she might not make it through the night. We went to war for her life. She made it through the night. We left Mexico as soon as we could to be with them. She spent two weeks in intensive care but she made a full recovery and was soon back in school.

One day her mother came in the room and saw Emery sitting on the floor with a marker. Now, if you know kids, you know that when a child has a marker, paper is optional. They’ll draw on the walls, the rug, your shoes...anything. So her mother came closer to see what she was doing and she saw that Emery had been writing on her arm. She had written “So loved”. She asked Emery why she had written that and Emery said, “Oh, Mommy, because I am so loved by God. So loved by God.”

I haven’t told you anything you don’t know in this article. I’ve told you that our confidence is in God and not ourselves. I’ve reminded you that God’s Word is true. I’ve pointed out that sometimes you have to persevere through adversity. But the crux of the matter is that the devil would like us to forget these simple things. He’d like us to lead good lives without the substance of an vital faith, just mouthing the Word without filling our mouths with faith; He’d like us to be easily deterred when life gets hard. But I want to remind you of the glue that sticks it all together. Nobody loves you like Jesus. For God ‘so loved’ the world that He sent Jesus. For God ‘so loved’ you that He snatched you out of the pit of sin and made you an heir to His promises. 

We need to be reminded of the simple things. So, REMEMBER these things: 1. Don’t throw away your confidence...2.The Word of God is a sure and steadfast anchor for our souls...3.Don’t eat your rabbit until you see the tent...and 4. You are so loved by God.

My God Is So Big!

When I was a new Christian we sang a Sunday School song that goes like this: “My God is so big, so strong and so mighty. There’s nothing my God cannot do.”

It’s a simple song. But it taught us new Christians a great lesson. We used to sing it over and over again. So we got the point!

Our God is so strong and so mighty!

The Bible is full of stories showing how powerful and strong He is. 

But sometimes we are faced with challenges in our lives that make us waver, make us unsure, make us question. Is He big enough to handle this??

But our God is bigger and stronger than any challenge we could face. Our God is so mighty and faithful.

David wrote Psalm 27 when he was in the middle of real battle. And he’s wavering. One minute he’s strong and courageous and he next he’s crying.

Verses 4 and 14 are the key verses in the Psalm. 

Verse 4 says: One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

Verse 14 says: Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

This is where we need to focus. This is where we need to resolve to be. We need to let our feelings of fear pass and just dwell in the house of the Lord and encourage our hearts. —-MY God is so big.... Take courage. Wait for the Lord. He’s got this!

My office used to be in a two story building. The building was built into the side of a hill and the entrance to the office was at the top of the hill. So when you walked into the office from the parking lot you were on the second floor. You walked downstairs to get to the ground floor, or what I always called, the Basement. We used the Basement for storage mostly. 

One day I arrived at my office. There were two key locks to open the front door. My arms were full of things. I got inside and locked the two locks with the keys and turned around to head to my desk. 

Just as I turned, I heard a noise.

Now, what happened next I am not very proud of. And why I thought what I thought, I have no idea. But, I was instantly convinced that the noise I heard was an alligator in the Basement. In my mind’s eye, I saw him turn his head and look up when he heard me open the door.

I stopped momentarily. Then, I ran the few steps back to the door, arms still filled with books and papers, I got out my keys. With my hands shaking, I managed to open the two locks, just as I heard what I was sure was the alligator’s nails scratching the floor as he began to climb the stairs, ready to eat me.

I got outside, slammed the door, locked the two locks, ran down the steps, unlocked my car, threw my things inside, got in, started the car and put it in reverse and turned to back out of the driveway before I became his breakfast!

And then I thought —- How did an alligator get in the Basement?

Suddenly I stopped and thought that an alligator couldn’t possibly be in the basement. He wasn’t really climbing the stairs. 

I turned off the car, gathered my things, and went back inside. 

I got up enough courage to even walk downstairs and look for signs of an alligator. 

He wasn’t there.

My fear of the alligator proved to be false. There was no substance to my fear.

God has reminded me again and again of the fact that all of the devil’s devices are lies and illusions. 

But My God is so big, so strong and so mighty! There’s nothing my God cannot do.

Eph 6:12 says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

We cannot fight our battles with our physical strength. It isn’t our physical strength, mental strength, or our will power that will stand against the enemy. It is our faith. 

If we were fighting a physical battle we would begin exercising our muscles so that they would be big and strong so we could fight our enemy. But if we fight with our faith, we should put some effort into developing our faith. We need to learn how to stand and fight our battles in faith and by faith. Not in the flesh.

Do you know how you will know if you are in faith and not flesh? You will see the fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.

Psalm 3 says, “Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around. Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people.”

The English word sustain comes from two Latin words. The first means ‘under’. The second means ‘to hold or embrace’. This is what God does for me:

Sustain =

1. He keeps me.

2. He supples all my needs. 

3. He provides for me.

4. He supports me.

5. He carries my weights and burdens. 

6. He strengthens me.

7. He encourages me.

8. He comforts me.

9. He endured hardship on my account.

10. He experienced suffering and was injured for me. 

11. He upholds me.

12. He approves of me.

Who is my God?

1. He is my life - Acts 17:28 In him I live and move and have my being.

2. He supplies all my needs. - Philippians 4:19 My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

3. He carries my burdens - Matthew 11:30 His yoke is easy; his burden is light.

4. He gives me strength - 2 Cor. 12:9 His grace is sufficient for me and my strength is made perfect in weakness.

5. He endured hardship for me - Heb. 12:2 Jesus is the author and finisher of my faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.

6. He suffered injury for me. - Is. n53.5 He was wounded for my transgressions. He was bruised for my iniquities.

7. His right hand upholds me - Ps. 18:35 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand has held me up. 

8. He has made me righteous - 2 Cor 5:21 For he that made him to be sin for me, who knew no sin; that I might be made the righteousness of God in him.

My God is so big, so strong and so mighty. There’s nothing my God cannot do!

I am in God’s hands. He loves me. He takes care of me. He protects me. He lifts me up.

As you face the challenges in your life, remember, your God is so big, so strong, and so mighty. There’s nothing your God cannot do

Good and Plenty, by Eve Gualtieri

Good and Plenty

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8

Children love candy. I grew up in a large family and that meant that we had to share everything...including the candy. My mother would sometimes buy a candy bar when she went grocery shopping. When she got home the candy bar was sliced into 6 pieces. One for each of us. The ritual began with the unwrapping of the candy bar. We all gathered around, practically drooling over the coming treat. Then my older sister took the knife, and we all watched carefully, making sure that no slice was bigger of smaller than the others.

As a teenager I remember having a little leftover lunch money at school and being able to buy myself whatever candy I wanted. Often, I bought a box of Good and Plenty licorice candy. My absolute favorite.

Recently, I started thinking about that name - Good and Plenty. I started thinking that God is the real Good and Plenty. And much better than candy. Even licorice candy.

Psalm 100:5 says, “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” God is good! It’s not just something we say in church. He really is good. And His mercy, His kindness, His goodness and His favor are everlasting, forever and forever. And His truth lasts from father to son, mother to daughter, generation after generation. He is incapable of telling a lie, of deceiving anyone, of being less than totally honest. He is good. 

Psalm 110:68 says, “You are good, and do good.” Not only is He good, but everything He does is good. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:16 God is complete goodness. There is not even a shadow in Him. He is always the same: GOOD!

And He is “good to ALL” (Psalm 145:9). He is good to me and He is good to you. He is good to all. Tall and short, big and small, whatever description you can use. God’s character is goodness and it is extended and available to all.

Because God is good He promises to lead and guide us, to show us the right way to go. Psalm 25:8-10 says, “Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way... All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.” He has put His Spirit in us Who tells us right from wrong. He whispers all the answers to us. Although we can willfully choose to disobey and follow our own path, if we listen to God we will follow a path filled with mercy and truth and God promises that “then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble” (Proverbs 3:23). Psalm 23:6,7 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.” Blessing after blessing is being heaped on me every day. 

I will praise God continuously because He has delivered me out of all the trouble in my life (Psalm 27:23.24). His name is good. And because He is good He is ready to forgive. Without forgiveness we cannot participate in the goodness of God. But He forgives my sins and yours if we call out to Him. Psalm 86:5 says He is “plenteous in mercy” to all who call upon Him. Good and Plenty!

“They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” (Psalm 34:10). The reward of trusting God and abiding in His Word is joining in the benefits provided by His goodness. Psalm 37:3 says we will “dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” When we delight in the Lord He will give us the desires of our hearts (vs.4). There is no end to the benefits and blessings of God. He is a God of Plenty. Psalm 84:11 says “No good thing will he withhold from them that walk up rightly.” It all belongs to us when we belong to Him.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul:...Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” This is the reward of the faithful.

The promises of the Lord are good...and they are plentiful. The gifts of the Lord are exceptional...and they are inexhaustible. The Word of God is true and secure...His faithfulness is eternal.

“For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.Thy faithfulness is unto all generations:

thou hast established the earth, and it abideth” (Psalm 119:89,90).

We put our hope in the truth of God’s Promises in His Word. Our hearts are steadied by His goodness. He is good to us. He is good to us. We lift our eyes up to the hills where our hope comes from. Not a blind hope built on shifting sand, but the strong and sure foundation of His Word which we have hidden in our hearts. He is good to us. He is good to us. He is good to me. He is good to you.

Cultivating a Spirit of Excellence, by Eve Gualtieri

Excellence.

The definition of Excellence is: The quality of being outstanding or extremely good. To surpass. To exceed. To be greater than. To do or be better than ever before.

My scripture is the book of Daniel.

Daniel exemplifies excellence. He personifies excellence.

You know the story - Babylon has come down and conquered Israel and they begin to deport the Jews to Babylon. That was part of their tactic to destroy the nations they conquered. There are three deportations over time, but in the first deportation Daniel and the other Jews who the Bible says were “skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace,” were taken to Babylon and they were taught “the literature and language of the Chaldeans”. Daniel 1:4

These men have a high intellect and are willing to learn.

So Daniel and the others who came with him were brought to Babylon and were trained in Babylonian culture. They learned the language. They studied the literature. And after 3 years of study they entered into service for the king.

Daniel exemplified excellence in his captivity. But Daniel didn’t become excellent in spirit in captivity — No, his excellence of spirit started long before that! But in captivity he continued in excellence. And because of his spirit of excellence, he drew attention to himself. 

Daniel 6:3 says, 

“Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.”

The king was inspired by Daniel’s actions.

Sometimes I read stories in the news about someone with an excellent spirit. Like, earlier this year a server at a Waffle House in Texas noticed that an elderly man was having trouble eating his food. She went and sat next to him and cut his food and helped him eat. 

That’s excellence. 

Then, there was a young man who had a job but no car. So he walked 10 miles to work each day. 

That’s an excellent spirit.

We can see excellence all around us. Excellence is an attitude. Excellence is going the extra mile. Excellence says it doesn’t matter how someone else treats me, I will treat them the right way. I won’t retaliate if they are unkind to me. In everything I do, I will do with a spirit of excellence.

Excellence is when you care about the details. Excellence is caring about the small things. Excellence is understanding that the small things are actually the big things. 

Excellence says everything should have an outstanding quality. No, it should be even better. Excellence says we should do or be better than ever before. Excellence says do it until it’s your best. Not until it’s good enough. But your best.

You see, the small things are the set up for the big things. Matthew 25:14-30 teaches us that the one who is faithful in the small things will become the ruler over many things.

Excellence is when you look at what your gifts are, what your talents are and you say - others may think this is a small thing, but I’m going to pour all my effort, all my energy, all my time into using what God has placed in my hand.  

 We can look around us and see people who are stewarding what God gave them. People of excellence. People who are doing the small things, who are setting the example. People who are creating the atmosphere in their churches where the Holy Spirit can show up and change things. Each in their own way, with their own gifts, are people of excellence. Don’t ever think that the small thing is insignificant. No task is too small. God values the person who takes seriously what He has placed in his hands.  

The spirit of excellence means we value small things and that we care about the details.

If you are committed to the spirit of excellence you are also going to need determination. Excellence takes determination. Excellence takes everything you’ve got. 

We see all of these things displayed in the life of  Daniel. The Bible says he had the spirit of excellence.

How does a young Hebrew boy walk into a foreign country not knowing the language, not knowing the culture, but somehow the spirit of God rests on him so much that the king of this foreign nation wants to entrust the entire country to him? How does a young man walk into a foreign country that does not believe in his God and yet they recognize the power of his God within him? Like how does that happen?  

That is the spirit of excellence residing in a young man who was submitted and obedient to the God he served.

How did Daniel find favor more than any of the other wise men in that country?  God was more important to Daniel than the king. Daniel didn’t seek the favor of the king first. He sought the favor of his God first. 

As you seek God, God will lay his hand on you.  As you seek God, as you worship Him, as you read His word and put your trust in Him - God will favor you. He will open doors only He can open. He will give you opportunities only He could give you. Why? Because God is seeking men and women who are seeking His favor before and above the world’s favor. 

Daniel sought God’s favor. Daniel found God’s favor. He found favor in a nation that didn’t believe in his God.  But because he walked in that spirit of excellence he was able to live a life that pointed that nation to his God.

How do you cultivate the spirit of excellence? 

First, we must GO. Go where? — 

Do you have a vision for your life? Do you have a purpose? Is your vision, your purpose, pleasing to God or is it World pleasing? We talk about Fake News, right? Well, there is also a Fake Vision, a Fake Purpose out there. The Facebook, Instagram, ‘My life is so perfect’ trap that many people fall for. It all looks good on social media. But does your real life really look good up close and personal?

Many people seek perfection. But, if you are seeking perfection, let me just tell you, perfection is unattainable. Perfection is a destination that you will never reach. None of us are perfect. 

In the Old Testament the Pharisees put on the mask of perfection, but they were not perfect. They pretended to be perfect. Maybe they thought they were perfect. But they weren’t perfect.

Being perfect is an unattainable goal. And, guess what?

God has never called us to be perfect. If you’re going for perfection, it’s a destination you will never reach. 

Instead we should be going for excellence. Seeking excellence is a journey, not a destination. 

It’s a journey. It’s an adventure. If you are pursuing perfection, though, you will be constantly failing. You will constantly be disappointed. You will constantly be missing the mark. 

But you have been invited to a journey to excellence. And if you will move forward, you will be able to find your way to excellence.  

Move forward.

Perfection looks at your past and tells you — it’s too bad. Or, it looks at your future and tells you — it’s too hard, you’ll never make it. 

But Excellence says, “Yeah, you’ve made mistakes, but you can learn from it.” Excellence says “God chose me, he’s called me, he’s put his spirit within me. He said he’ll never leave me or forsake me. I’m going to pursue what God has put before me.” 

There’s a prize. There’s a goal. God is in my future. And God is waiting for us to move forward into our future. All we need to do is seek excellence.

How do you cultivate a spirit of excellence? - You go there. 

You go there with your thoughts. 

Before you go there physically you have to go there with the way you think. Phil. 4:8  says, ‘whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.’

Think about excellence.

An excellent mind says, ‘I’m going to think new thoughts’ - You know, If you always think what you’ve always thought you’ll always get what you’ve always got.

Think something new. If what you were thinking yesterday isn’t producing good results - think something new! I’m going to think in FAITH. I’m going to think that the situation I’m in doesn’t have to remain the same. I’m going to go there in faith. I’m going to go there in prayer. I’m going to go there in obedience to God. I’m going to trust God. I’m going to go there in worship. I’m going to lift my eyes to where my help comes from. I’m going to go where God is waiting for me. Because God is in my NOW and God is in my FUTURE.

I’m going to allow my thoughts to think that there’s more that God has prepared for me. God has prepared an excellent path for us.

Our God is not mediocre or average. Our God is excellent. And we have been created in His image. We are Excellent beings.

Get a vision for your future, for your marriage, for you work, for your family. 

And because you are beginning to go in a spirit of excellence you are going to go the extra mile. Because the spirit of excellence has been placed within you.

And as you commit to go you will begin to grow. 

How do we cultivate a spirit of excellence?

First we GO.

Then, we GROW.

So, Daniel goes to Babylon, a foreign country. He begins to study the language and the culture . He grows and he finds favor and soon the king himself takes notice of Daniel. He gains favor with King Nebuchadnezzar who wants to put Daniel over the entire country. 

That would never have happened if Daniel had not taken seriously the opportunity which had been placed in his hands. It wouldn’t have happened if Daniel hadn’t applied himself. It wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t responded to the spirit of excellence that God had given him. 

Maybe you are in a new season. And now God is requiring a new standard of excellence for you. Like Daniel you will have to study to find out how you can come up to the new standard of excellence.  Commit to be willing to grow. Commit to God that whatever He places in your hands to do, you are going to plant it and cultivate it and you are going to watch it grow. Until it becomes what God intended it to become. 

2 Peter 1:3-9 in the Message Bible says, “Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God....So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you,”

If you don’t allow God to develop the spirit of excellence within you your eyes will never see everything that he has prepared for you. 

So, Go and then, Grow.

The last thing you need to develop a spirit of excellence is to:

Guard.  We go, we grow, but everyone must guard the spirit of excellence in our lives. 

Daniel guarded the spirit of excellence in his life. Daniel practiced a pattern of excellence. He was a man of prayer. He valued his relationship with God more than any other relationship. And he was willing to pay the price. 

You know the story, others in the kingdom became jealous because Daniel found favor with the King. They tricked the King into making a decree that no other god could be prayed to except those already worshipped in Babylon. Daniel shouldn’t be allowed to pray to his God. But Daniel prays any way and the others lay in wait for him to do just that and they arrest him and bring him to the king accusing him of breaking the law. He was thrown into a pit of lions. The king is so dismayed by this that he can’t sleep. He runs in the morning and cries,  “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?“ Daniel, of course, had prayed and God had shut the mouths of the lions. 

But that wasn’t the extent of the miracle. When the king saw Daniel in the pit alive, he puts out a new decree to the entire nation that everyone should recognize the power of Daniel’s God. 

When you face the mountains of your life and you guard the spirit of excellence with prayer, people around you, who don’t know your God will begin to recognize His power. They will see that your God is able to do the impossible. To do the miraculous. 

That is why we have the spirit of excellence. We don’t have the spirit of excellence just to be excellent. We have the spirit of excellence to point people to God. You won’t have to say anything. Your life will speak. 

Daniel guarded the spirit of excellence through prayer but also through having the right relationships. 

Daniel came to Babylon with Shadrach, Meschech and Abednego. 

The Babylonians had changed their names but their original names were: Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azzariah.

Hananiah - the Lord is gracious

Mishael - who is like the Lord

Azariah - the Lord helps

Those are the friends we need.  

We need friends who, when we are in trouble will look at us and say, ‘The Lord is gracious’

When you feel like giving up will say, There is no one like the Lord and He is faithful.

When you feel like quitting they will say, God is with us and He will help.

Those are the kinds of friends we need. The kind of friends who are there when we need them. Who have faith words to encourage us. Who don’t even have to say words, but we know they are praying for us. We know they have our backs. They aren’t Fake friends. They’re the real kind.

That is the power of relationship.

Daniel guarded his spirit of excellence by surrounding himself with the right people. 

How do we cultivate a spirit of excellence. We Go. We Grow. We Guard.

We have a vision. We are committed to follow God. We surround ourselves with strong relationships,

The life of excellence you live will impact lives around you. You never know how far the spirit of excellence will go. Just think of others you know who have had that spirit of excellence and imagine the ripple effect of their lives. Smith Wigglesworth, Aimee Semple McPherson, TL Osborne, Kenneth Hagin and there are many more whose names are not famous. Put your name there.

One of those not so famous people was Lillias Trotter who was a missionary to the Muslims in Algeria in the late 1800’s. At the end of her life she wrote,

“God may use...the things He has wrought in us, for the blessing of souls unknown to us:...God only knows the endless possibilities that lie folded in each one of us!”

There are endless possibilities in each of us.

Let’s cultivate that spirit of excellence. 

And allow God to uncover the possibilities that are folded in us.

Keep Your Faith Tank Full!

Of the many things I love about Mexico one is their gas stations.  For real! You drive up and you don’t even have to get out of the car. Somebody pumps your gas, cleans the windshield, takes your money. It’s great! In the U.S., I have to pump my own gas. I have to get out of the car and pay the money then lift the nozzle, try to get it in the gas tank without getting tangled in the hose. I usually spill a little gas on my shoes. And nobody helps you. So I hate going to the gas station. I’ve decided I’m going to drive to Mexico every time I need gas.

But I have developed a bad habit. I put off going to the gas station as long as I can because I absolutely hate filling up my own tank. My car has an alarm that tells me I need gas. But I ignore it! I keep putting it off and the alarm keeps ringing. In fact, because i’ve ignored the alarm so often most of the time I don’t even hear it. 

But suddenly! Suddenly, I remember that a car needs gas to run and I look at the gauge and it says 1 mile til empty. Then I panic. In my panic I cannot remember where there is a gas station and I begin pleading with God. “Please God, please, help me find a gas station! Have mercy on me God!”…you think i’m joking…but i’m not...Wish I was.

God always helps me. He has mercy. I’ve never run out of gas. Yet. But I always say to myself, “You need to stop this! This is crazy!”

Sometimes we do the same thing with our spiritual life.  We don’t read our Bibles. We don’t pray. We don’t come to church. 

We say, “I should read my Bible.” But we only read a verse. We say, “I should go to church...but it’s raining.”  We make excuses. We ignore the warning alarm. “You are almost out of faith! Warning! Warning! Your Faith Tank is almost empty!”

Then, suddenly! Our spiritual tanks are completely empty. And then a problem comes up. We have an accident. We get sick. We get fired from our job. And we panic. 

“Oh, God, what am I going to do? How will I feed my family. What should I do? What should I do?” 

Complete panic. Nothing in the Faith Tank! 

How can you meet the challenges of your life if your Faith Tank is empty? How can we help someone else if our Faith Tank is empty? 

Don’t ever let yourself get in that position. Keep your Tank full. We need to be full of the Word, full of power, full of the Holy Spirit. We can’t run on empty. We need determination and strength to run the race God has given us to run. 

We don’t find that in ourselves. Many Christians are trying to be good Christians in their own strength. You can’t do it! The kind of strength you need is found only in God. That kind of strength comes from having a full tank of Faith.

Mark 12:30 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Is that how we love God? Are you giving your all to Him? Are you hungry for him? Are you crazy in love with Him? Are you always talking about Him? Are you always thinking about Him? I think you are!

Col. 3:1-3 says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden in Christ in God.”

Hide yourself in God. You will be safe in God.  Use your natural strength to get your supernatural strength from God. Use your natural strength to read your Bible. Use your natural strength to get down on your knees and pray. Use your natural strength to open your mouth and sing praises to a God. By using your natural strength to do these things you will gain supernatural strength. 

And once your tank is full - and you keep it full - the next step is easy. You will be able to step into the supernatural. 

Don’t rely on yourself. Go beyond your natural abilities. Get past all your little thinking. Do big things for God. You are part of a supernatural family. 

Do you know who you are? This is who the Bible says you are:

You are a new creation in Christ. 

You are an overwhelming conqueror. 

You are alive in Christ. 

You are God’s beloved. 

You are an heir of Christ. 

You are seated in heavenly places.

You are always triumphant.

You are a master over the devil.

You are chosen.

You are healed.

You are free.

You are rich

You are delivered.

You are blessed.

You are the righteousness of God in Christ.

You are a king and a priest.

You are beautiful.

You are forgiven.

You are crowned with glory and honor.

That’s who you are!

Start believing what the Word says about you. Stop calling God a liar by saying things He never said. Stop saying I’m poor, I’m sick, I’m tired. Start acting like the Word of God is true - because it is!

John Bunyan wrote the book, Pilgrim’s Progress. But he also wrote another book called the Holy War. It’s a story about a city that is being attacked by an enemy army. The enemy is trying to break into the city through it’s five gates. The gates are named the Nose Gate, the Feel Gate, the Mouth Gate, the Eye Gate and the Ear Gate. 

You also are a city. And your enemy, the devil is trying to find a way to get into your soul. You must be careful to guard gates - your five senses. You have a defensive weapon to use against your enemy - the double edged sword of the Word of God. Use the Word of God to keep the enemy away from your gates. Be careful what you listen to, what you look at and what you say. Let your Mouth Gate be full of the Word of God. Don’t let your Feeling Gate become depressed and defeated. Don’t let the enemy find entry into your spirit where you could be defeated and made ineffective and fail to complete your assignment from God. Remember that you are a champion with Christ.

There is a miracle in your mouth. You receive miracles by what you say. But you can also stop miracles by what you say. Make sure you are saying the right thing.

God’s promises are good. And He watches over His Word to perform it. But you must say them. Take the promises of God and believe them in your heart and then say them out of your mouth. 

I want you to remember: 

1. Keep your tank full. Always keep yourself full of the Word of God.

2. Always expect the supernatural. When you know who you are in Christ you will walk in the supernatural.

3. Watch that the enemy does not break down the gates of your soul. Keep your senses focused on the Word of God.

4. Make sure you are speaking and believing the Word of God. 

Then you will grow in God! Then you will live in victory!

No Limits, by Eve Gualtieri

Taking the Limits Off

We can find ourselves limited by many things: the hurts from our past, the way others see us, the way we see ourselves; we can have financial limitations; or we can be limited because of our responsibilities.  Many things can try to limit us and keep us from accomplishing what God wants us to do.

We need to see that God has a plan for our lives and He is not limited. He has a good plan for us. He has not planned defeat for us. He has planned victory. His desire for us is to be happy, confident, people with a purpose.

The devil, on the other hand, wants us to be fearful, defeated, barely making it through life.

Once a man owned a donkey. He wanted to get rid of the donkey. He couldn’t sell it. It wasn’t worth anything. So he decided to kill the donkey by burying it alive. He dug a hole and put the donkey in the hole and then he told his men to start filling in the hole. They started throwing shovelfuls of dirt into the hole and the dirt landed on the donkey’s back.  When the donkey felt the dirt on his back, he thought, “Hey, what’s that?” And he shook the dirt off. The dirt fell on the ground and the donkey stepped on it. Every shovelful of dirt that landed on the donkey ended up under the donkey’s feet and instead of being buried alive the donkey kept getting higher and higher until there was no hole and the donkey was free. 

That is what we can do when we have problems.  What the devil means for evil we can put under our feet. Every difficulty that the devil throws on our backs we can shake off, step on it and rise to a new level.

Our responsibilities can look like limitations to us. Sometimes there is so much to do and there seems to be no end and we are tired. We have children, jobs, cooking, cleaning, a long list of responsibilities.  

I have 5 children.  When they were little I sometimes hid in the bathroom just to be alone for a while.  (One of them was usually on the outside trying to kick down the door though!)

The weight of our responsibilities can sometimes seem too much. But Heb. 12:1 says “Lay aside every weight, run the race, look to Jesus.” 

Phil. 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Changing our perspective will change things.  Looking to Jesus for help and knowing he will help us will give us the strength we need. 

Susannah Wesley was the mother of John and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodist church. She lived in the 1700’s.  She had 13 children! In that time women wore long dresses and long aprons. She taught her children that if she put her apron over her head they were not to speak to her. She put her apron over her head and prayed. She spent time teaching her children about God and how to love and serve him. All of her children grew up to do great things for God.

Your responsibilities do not need to overwhelm you. God gives grace to meet every challenge. You can do great things for a God.

What does the Bible say about women?

Prov 31:10 says that a woman is more valuable than rubies. During Solomon’s time when Proverbs was written rubies were the most expensive jewel. You cost more than the most expensive jewel!

In another place in Proverbs Solomon calls wisdom a woman.

In the Bible some women who were born into poor situations were came to be called blessed because of their reactions to the so-called limitations in their lives. For example, Rahab. Rahab was a prostitute. But when she believed in God, God put her name in the Bible and she is called blessed.

But the woman who tempted Joseph in the Old Testament, even though she was rich and powerful in life, her name is not even mentioned.

In the New Testament, Dorcas was so important that when she died the believers sent Word to Peter to come and raise her from the dead. They couldn’t do without her. Because she was kind and served the church.

Study the women of the Bible - study Deborah, a ruler over the nation of Israel, Anna, a priestess in the temple, Hannah, whose son became a prophet of God.

These were not weak women. These were women of influence! Strong women! Women of importance!  Women like you and me! See yourself like that. That is who God made you to be.

The Bible says that God is no respecter of persons. That means that man or woman or child, no matter the color of our skin and no matter our age, it makes no difference to God.

Others in the Bible, rose above what could have been limitations and are listed as mighty in God’s kingdom.

Samuel was about only 5 years old when he heard God speak. And he listened and was obedient. Age was not important.

David was a teenager when he learned to hear and obey the voice of God. His brothers thought he was insignificant, but God saw him as a man after His own heart.

Jesus cast demons out of a man who lived in a cemetery and was naked and violent.  That man became a Jesus follower and nothing in his life was ever the same again. His heart responded to God and God raised him up.

George Mueller had a heart for orphans. He believed that God could supply every need. He took in hundreds of orphans. He never asked anyone for any money for their support and God fed them every day in miraculous ways. In fact, one day there was no food and no money. He told the children to set the table with plates and utensils to eat. They sat down and began to thank God for the food.  There was a knock at the door. The grocery truck had broken down in front of the house and they gave all the food on the truck to the children.

All of these people did important things for God because they said yes to God’s will for their lives.

What important thing can you do with your life? How can you influence the world?

Catherine Booth was the wife of the man who started the Salvation Army. Together they reached out to the poor and needy, to alcoholics and prostitutes. They would go into bars and brothels and get people saved.

Catherine’s prayer was “Lord, make me a blessing in the world today.” 

What would happen if we prayed that prayer every day? You are the only one who can reach the people in your world. How would your world be different if you asked God to make you a blessing to those around you? 

In the Old Testament there is a story about a woman who saw the prophet Elisha walking past her home. She knew he was a man of a God and she wanted to do something for him. She saw that she could help him by building a room where he could rest. It was a simple thing. She offered him a room to stay in. Could you do something simple? Something you already know how to do? Yes! How can you be a blessing today?

None of the people we have talked about were limited by anything. They took the limitations off. They could have felt sorry for themselves. They could have cried. They could have done nothing. But they didn’t. 

And you won’t either. You and I will be the people God wants us to be. 

Let’s believe God’s Word is true - because it is! Let’s be people of influence. Let’s raise children who will change the world. Let’s be Proverbs 31 women with businesses and properties. Let’s be men of love and compassion, caring for our families and serving the church. Together let’s change the world!

My encouragement to you is that you determine to know God’s Word. Let’s be committed to know His Will for our lives. Let’s see ourselves as necessary parts of God’s plan for the world. Let’s be people of purpose. 

Would You Do It For One? by Eve Gualtieri

Over the course of our 40 years in ministry, my husband and I have had many incredible opportunities. We have shared the gospel with immense crowds. We have shared the gospel with individuals. We have traveled to distant places and we have traveled to our next door neighbors. We have sweated; we have shivered. We have been hungry; we have eaten mystery meals. While we cannot say with Paul that we have been beaten with rods or suffered shipwreck, we can identify with the inconveniences and trials of being ministers of the gospel, as well as the overwhelming joy of seeing a soul come to Christ.

We determined from the beginning that we would go wherever God directed us, speak to whoever would listen, and give whatever was required. God would provide the strength, the means, and the grace. We would not complain about the things we didn’t have, but would trust God to give us everything needed from His abundance. Because of that determination, we have seen thousands upon thousands come to the knowledge of God. We have eaten lunch under coconut trees on a beach in Haiti while sharing the gospel with one young girl. And we have been entertained in the home of a former president of Haiti, surrounded by his bodyguards, while we lead him to faith in Christ. We have driven the bumpy, sandy, pot-holed roads of Ghana and we have experienced the round and around, don’t-look-down roads through Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountains. We have slept in houses that believers have moved out of just so we could have a place to stay because they are so honored to have us in their village and we have been escorted in limousines to the Governor’s Mansion where we would sleep before a city-wide campaign.

Our favorite verse has been Philippians 4:11-13, “...I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. - I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.”

The gospel is just that important. Who am I to tell God where I will go and under what conditions. I am His worker, under His authority.

And yet. A few weeks ago, I had a moment. 

We had been in the mountains of Mexico, and were nearing the end of our trip. We came to a quaint, little hotel in the city. And it had air conditioning. Apparently I had misunderstood the itinerary. I thought we had one more meeting and then a day off. So at breakfast I asked what time we were leaving for our meeting that night. Our host said, “We will leave the hotel at noon to catch the bus. After a two hour bus ride we will be picked up by the pastor who will drive us another hour to the village where we will have the meeting. We will stay two nights at his ranch and then he will drive us to the airport.”

I have to leave the air conditioning. I can do this.

We took the bus and met the pastor. He brought us to his daughter’s car and informed us that she would drive us to the ranch.

The girl was a race car driver. I’m sure she was trained by Mario Andretti. She drove so fast and when we would come to a curve marked ‘peligroso’ - ‘dangerous’ -  she never even slowed down. 

I was definitely out of my comfort zone. I sat in the back of the car and I started talking to God. I said, “God, I’m not happy.”

Now I know that God does not exist to make me happy, but I thought He ought to know.

I thought to myself, we’re going to a ‘ranch’. My idea of a ranch is the Ponderosa from the 50’s tv show Bonanza. But I’m pretty sure this ‘ranch’ will not be the Ponderosa. Little Joe will not come riding up on his horse and I don’t think Hop Sing will be in the kitchen either. No. This will be a little house with animals and a garden, and pit toilets and no screens on the windows, and a bath in a bucket. God, I’m not happy. Then I added, and nobody will probably even get saved. They’ll just sit there and look at us. 

I told Him how much I’d already given and that I was tired. I’m not happy, God.

After a little while I heard a quiet voice. It was God. He said, “Would you do it for one?”

Seriously? I thought to myself. But, what can I say? To God? 

So I sighed, and said, “Sure, God. I’ll do it for one.” 

We got to the ranch and it was just like I thought, pit toilets and all. The Pastor and his family were sweet and they gave us everything they could. We ate and prepared for the meeting.

It was an outdoor meeting on a sweltering night. About seventy-five people and two dogs came. Just like I thought, the crowd was quiet. My husband shared a message of salvation. He spoke about the love of God. That God came to seek and to save those who are lost. That Jesus paid the price for our sin, for our sickness and for the needs of our hearts. That God wants us to live full, happy, abundant lives.

Then he gave an altar call. Nobody moved. Nobody came. We couldn’t even get the dogs to come forward. 

Then he called for anyone who wanted prayer. Prayer for healing, physical or emotional. A musician started playing the guitar. And here, in this place - under the stars, a single guitar - the power of God came, the presence of the Holy Spirit.

A man came forward, tears streaming down his face. This is Mexico, land of the ‘macho man’. But here was a man, devastated. He had been abused as a child. My husband and the Pastor prayed for him. 

And God whispered, “This is the one.”

Now, a family came. The father had abandoned them. The daughter was so angry. The mother concerned that her daughter could not forgive. They prayed and counseled with her.

And God whispered, “This is the one.”

A mother came. She had lost two children. She was heartbroken. The Pastor and my husband prayed.

And God whispered, “This is the one.”

And one by one they came. One by one they received their answer. And God whispered, “This is the one.”

The meeting ended. The crying man was embracing his father. The young girl had found forgiveness. The mother was smiling, comforted.

And I was humbled and repentant. 

Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus, although he was fully God did not count it a ‘thing to be grasped, but emptied himself’. He ‘stripped Himself of all privileges and rightful dignity’ of being God. And He became a man.

He laid aside all that it meant to be God as if he was taking off a coat and laying it aside. 

He left the splendor of Heaven. 

And became a human and lived on earth.

That is much more than me leaving my home and traveling to what we call a Third World Country.

 And more than that, Jesus ‘abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!’

But because He did - ‘[because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him...’ Phil 2:6-8 AMP 

Because He did, we have salvation, peace, hope.

But is that salvation so that we can be happy with our own safe, secure and comfortable lives? Or could we lay aside our ‘selves’ for a time, could we be emptied, stripped of our privileges and rights, just to help others find the way? Could we go outside our zone, make ourselves uncomfortable, so that we could tell someone how to find peace? Could we leave behind even our own dignity so that someone else could know the King of Heaven and find a permanent home in His presence?

Paul said, ‘For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.’ Rom 8:18

It doesn’t even compare!

Would I do it for one? Yes. Yes. And Yes. And I always will. Jesus did it for me. And I am only one. I can go to all the world. For one. And for one more. And for one more.

Would You Do It For One? By Eve Gualtieri

Over the course of our 40 years in ministry, my husband and I have had many incredible opportunities. We have shared the gospel with immense crowds. We have shared the gospel with individuals. We have traveled to distant places and we have traveled to our next door neighbors. We have sweated; we have shivered. We have been hungry; we have eaten mystery meals. While we cannot say with Paul that we have been beaten with rods or suffered shipwreck, we can identify with the inconveniences and trials of being ministers of the gospel, as well as the overwhelming joy of seeing a soul come to Christ.

We determined from the beginning that we would go wherever God directed us, speak to whoever would listen, and give whatever was required. God would provide the strength, the means, and the grace. We would not complain about the things we didn’t have, but would trust God to give us everything needed from His abundance. Because of that determination, we have seen thousands upon thousands come to the knowledge of God. We have eaten lunch under coconut trees on a beach in Haiti while sharing the gospel with one young girl. And we have been entertained in the home of a former president of Haiti, surrounded by his bodyguards, while we lead him to faith in Christ. We have driven the bumpy, sandy, pot-holed roads of Ghana and we have experienced the round and around, don’t-look-down roads through Mexico’s Sierra Madre mountains. We have slept in houses that believers have moved out of just so we could have a place to stay because they are so honored to have us in their village and we have been escorted in limousines to the Governor’s Mansion where we would sleep before a city-wide campaign.

Our favorite verse has been Philippians 4:11-13, “...I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. - I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.”

The gospel is just that important. Who am I to tell God where I will go and under what conditions. I am His worker, under His authority.

And yet. A few weeks ago, I had a moment. 

We had been in the mountains of Mexico, and were nearing the end of our trip. We came to a quaint, little hotel in the city. And it had air conditioning. Apparently I had misunderstood the itinerary. I thought we had one more meeting and then a day off. So at breakfast I asked what time we were leaving for our meeting that night. Our host said, “We will leave the hotel at noon to catch the bus. After a two hour bus ride we will be picked up by the pastor who will drive us another hour to the village where we will have the meeting. We will stay two nights at his ranch and then he will drive us to the airport.”

I have to leave the air conditioning. I can do this.

We took the bus and met the pastor. He brought us to his daughter’s car and informed us that she would drive us to the ranch.

The girl was a race car driver. I’m sure she was trained by Mario Andretti. She drove so fast and when we would come to a curve marked ‘peligroso’ - ‘dangerous’ -  she never even slowed down. 

I was definitely out of my comfort zone. I sat in the back of the car and I started talking to God. I said, “God, I’m not happy.”

Now I know that God does not exist to make me happy, but I thought He ought to know.

I thought to myself, we’re going to a ‘ranch’. My idea of a ranch is the Ponderosa from the 50’s tv show Bonanza. But I’m pretty sure this ‘ranch’ will not be the Ponderosa. Little Joe will not come riding up on his horse and I don’t think Hop Sing will be in the kitchen either. No. This will be a little house with animals and a garden, and pit toilets and no screens on the windows, and a bath in a bucket. God, I’m not happy. Then I added, and nobody will probably even get saved. They’ll just sit there and look at us. 

I told Him how much I’d already given and that I was tired. I’m not happy, God.

After a little while I heard a quiet voice. It was God. He said, “Would you do it for one?”

Seriously? I thought to myself. But, what can I say? To God? 

So I sighed, and said, “Sure, God. I’ll do it for one.” 

We got to the ranch and it was just like I thought, pit toilets and all. The Pastor and his family were sweet and they gave us everything they could. We ate and prepared for the meeting.

It was an outdoor meeting on a sweltering night. About seventy-five people and two dogs came. Just like I thought, the crowd was quiet. My husband shared a message of salvation. He spoke about the love of God. That God came to seek and to save those who are lost. That Jesus paid the price for our sin, for our sickness and for the needs of our hearts. That God wants us to live full, happy, abundant lives.

Then he gave an altar call. Nobody moved. Nobody came. We couldn’t even get the dogs to come forward. 

Then he called for anyone who wanted prayer. Prayer for healing, physical or emotional. A musician started playing the guitar. And here, in this place - under the stars, a single guitar - the power of God came, the presence of the Holy Spirit.

A man came forward, tears streaming down his face. This is Mexico, land of the ‘macho man’. But here was a man, devastated. He had been abused as a child. My husband and the Pastor prayed for him. 

And God whispered, “This is the one.”

Now, a family came. The father had abandoned them. The daughter was so angry. The mother concerned that her daughter could not forgive. They prayed and counseled with her.

And God whispered, “This is the one.”

A mother came. She had lost two children. She was heartbroken. The Pastor and my husband prayed.

And God whispered, “This is the one.”

And one by one they came. One by one they received their answer. And God whispered, “This is the one.”

The meeting ended. The crying man was embracing his father. The young girl had found forgiveness. The mother was smiling, comforted.

And I was humbled and repentant. 

Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus, although he was fully God did not count it a ‘thing to be grasped, but emptied himself’. He ‘stripped Himself of all privileges and rightful dignity’ of being God. And He became a man.

He laid aside all that it meant to be God as if he was taking off a coat and laying it aside. 

He left the splendor of Heaven. 

And became a human and lived on earth.

That is much more than me leaving my home and traveling to what we call a Third World Country.

 And more than that, Jesus ‘abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!’

But because He did - ‘[because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him...’ Phil 2:6-8 AMP 

Because He did, we have salvation, peace, hope.

But is that salvation so that we can be happy with our own safe, secure and comfortable lives? Or could we lay aside our ‘selves’ for a time, could we be emptied, stripped of our privileges and rights, just to help others find the way? Could we go outside our zone, make ourselves uncomfortable, so that we could tell someone how to find peace? Could we leave behind even our own dignity so that someone else could know the King of Heaven and find a permanent home in His presence?

Paul said, ‘For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.’ Rom 8:18

It doesn’t even compare!

Would I do it for one? Yes. Yes. And Yes. And I always will. Jesus did it for me. And I am only one. I can go to all the world. For one. And for one more. And for one more.