It Is Good That I Have Been Afflicted

What made the Psalmist say, "It is good that I have been afflicted"?

For the past few mornings, I have been reading in Psalms 119. My words for the year have been keep and now. While I read, I keep an eye out for those words. (Forgive me for the pun.:)) Psalms 119 is filled with golden nuggets on God's Word, and it has much to say on keeping God's Word. I have enyoyed the study. I have about one morning left in this wonderful chapter. As I was reading, I came upon the word, afflicted, afflictions. 

The first time we see the word affliction in this chapter is in verse 50 which says, "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me." He found comfort in the word of God. (See verse 76.) God's Word is so many things in this chapter. Is it any wonder that it is a comfort as well? Then in verse 67 he says something else. He said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." In that case, God used affliction to bring him back to Him. Not all affliction comes from sin or straying from the Lord though some does. Job's "friends" made this mistake. They tried to blame Job's problems on some secret sins. The affliction and trials came to Job because God knew Job could handle it and come out stronger in the end. This affliction meant for evil by Satan ended up punching Satan back in the face.

The verse stood out to me the most was verse 71 - "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." Wow! What a statement! How could the Psalmist say this? I believe he could say this because of the peace that comes from the Word of God. Psalm 119:165 says, "Great peace have they which love thy law." Of course this verse deals with not getting offended by God's Word, but I believe it also shows that God's Word can bring peace to the afflicted Christian. It sure seemed to help David. He saw things differently. He saw that God was always faithful in his affliction. So many get upset with God for allowing them to go through affliction and trials that they fail to realize God was there with them the whole time. David saw past the difficulty and saw a faithful God and His faithful Word (v.89- 91). Then he said, "Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction." During his trial of affliction, he clung to the Word of God. That is the greatest thing you and I can do.

I mentioned the peace of God. It is amazing how God works through His Word today. Yesterday I started noticing the word afflictions, then last night at church, my dad preached a message titled "The Perfect Recipe for Peace." (You can watch the service and hear the message by going to VSIBC's facebook page. Last night was part one, and next week he is going to give more of the recipe.) He started off by taking us to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was sent to preach to a rebellious people, and he was afflicted because they would not listen. It almost consumed him. He suffered much at their hands but somewhere along the line between verses 15 and 16 of Jeremiah 15, something changed. My dad said that Jeremiah's circumstance did not change; his outlook did. In verse 16 Jeremiah said that he found God's Word, and it was joy unto him. How did he find this joy in his affliction? The peace of God. The preacher said, the peace of God causes you to sleep in the den of lions and walk around in the fiery furnace. You can't figure it out - it passes understanding. Like David, he found this peace and joy in a time of affliction. Sometimes it takes affliction to fully experience God's perfect peace that passes understanding.

I finished listening to a podcast episode from the Sandy Creek Stirrings podcast that my brother started and hosts. The episode was an interview with our father - Pastor Patrick Gimenez. It was all stuff I knew, but it was good to hear and remember. Partly because I have been through half of what he talked about. He shared a familiar story about my mom. We were on the mission field and my mom had gone back to the States for health issues, when my dad received a call from her saying she may have cancer. My dad had to hang up for a moment while he wept. Not too long after he hung up, my mom sent him an email. She told him, "Knowing that God is doing this for my good makes me want to have cancer because I know God is so good." Now that's the peace of God right there! Like David, Job, and Jeremiah, she had a different perspective of her affliction because of the peace from God and His Word. We need to start seeing our afflictions as our opportunity to glorify God and God's opportunity to refine us and make us stronger.

Why did David say it was good that he was afflicted? Because through it, he experienced the grace of God and the peace of God. Let your afflictions bring you closer to Him so you can experience it as well. Then like David, you can say, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted."

I've Never Seen the Righteous Forsaken When He's Been on the Throne

 Have you ever had a week where it just did not turn out how you thought it would? 

This has been one of those weeks. In fact, it has been one of those years - one thing after another. COVID hit, things shut down, violent protest broke out - just one thing after another. Then this week, everyone has been holding there breath during the election. It probably happens every presidential election, but I have learned much since the first election I watched when Obama first became president. When I was young, I relied on my parents' beliefs and their desire for president. But now that I am an adult, I have taken them as my own. (I hinted at what I believe in my post "I Love America".) We hoped and prayed that the right president would get in. It seemed that surely Trump would get in for four more years, but things do not always happen as we hope or as we think best. However, no matter what happens, God is still on the throne. He is on the throne no matter who is president, no matter who gets sick with COVID, no matter what trials we may face.

We heard a message not too long ago on Jesus Christ, the Only Potentate. It was a great message. No matter who is on the earthly politcal throne, so to speak, Jesus is still on the throne. He is king forever, and He always stays the same. 

Jesus Christ being the same and being the great King seems to be a theme these past couple of weeks. This week, for unseen circumstances, my church had to do a live stream service. It was not what we were expecting for this week, but it happened. My dad, the good pastor that he was, knew he needed to say a word of encouragement to his people. He said that no matter who gets elected, God is still in control. God is still working. We Christians cannot let things of this world stop us from obeying the Great Commission. He is still calling missionaries and church planters. The missionary church planter that preached for us last night preached a great message on 2 Peter 3:8,9. God is not willing that any should perish. He is patiently waiting to come until more souls get saved. The preacher also took us to 2 Chronicles and the reign of Joash. Joash was not the greatest king and the kingdom was not following God. (Sounds like today.) Yet God called prophets to preach to the people. God is still calling prophets today. He is still calling us to preach the Gospel to the lost. We are to obey the commission no matter what goes on around us, for we serve a God Who is still on the throne.

It does not matter if we have a good president, evil president, Republican president, or Democratic president. God is still on the throne. To live in fear and worry just because our next president may be one who does not have the best for America in mind shows a lack of faith in the God Who is still on the throne. Truly, it is during the most difficult of circumstances that God can do the most miraculous. We need to be a people who live like God is still on the throne. Yet, can we truly live like that if He is not on the throne of our hearts? Is He on the throne of your heart today? 

The other week a couple of us in my family were talking about the verse where the writer said that he had never seen the righteous forsaken. We could not remember where it was at, and we did not look it up that day. This morning I was reading in Psalms. (As a side note: Did you know that Psalms is a book about praise to God. The chapters I have been reading in Psalms have especially talked of giving praise to God with one's mouth, blessing the Lord, and tasting God's goodness. Yet, this happened in a time where the Psalmist was going through a rough time. It seemed that the evil were in authority and prospering, but David realized that it was the righteous who was truly blessed. He praised and thanked God for this. I made a note in my Bible - Praise him no matter what happens for praise focuses on Who He is and He is always the same.) I read a verse that says "they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing." It reminded me of the verse on never seeing the righteous forsaken. I looked it up and then realized it was where I would be reading today. Psalms 37:25 says, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." No matter what happens or who has been in government, God has always provided for his people. He is the same and will continue to do so. I have never seen the righteous forsaken while He's been on the throne. And like Proverbs says, it will be righteousness that exalts our nation. We need a revival of righteousness in America today, and it starts with us. It starts in the heart when we give God the throne. God can do great things in the heart completely given to Him.

Whenever you are feeling worried or like nothing is going your way, remember the song, "He's Still on the Throne":

He's still on the throne

So what could be wrong.

It's well with my soul

Let the stormy winds blow

I'm reminded toay

Thank God I am saved.

Salvation's sweet song while ages roll on,

He's still on the throne.

Remember this sweet promise, then live like you mean it.

Missions and Me

Ever since I was six years old, missions has played an important part in my life. 

    First, anyone who shares the gospel is basically a missionary. I was raised in church, so I learned from an early age about Jesus. When I was six years old and we were visiting my grandparents, I went to my parents and told them that I needed to get saved. They explained what I knew about needing a Savior and led me to the Lord in my uncle's bedroom. Since they shared the Gospel with me, they were a type of missionary. Anyone who shares the Gospel with someone else whether it is across the street or around the world, like one song says, is a missionary.

    When I was about seven or eight, my family became foreign missionaries. The difference between a missionary and a foreign missionary is, a missionary may stay go across the street or leave the comforts of home to spread the Gospel, while a foreign missionary leaves their home to go to a new country as a missionary. In the summer of 2006, my family became foreign missionaries. Our field - the french island of St. Barthelemy in the Carribean islands. I learned more about missions during those years than I had staying at home. I learned of the heartaches, the joy, the sacrifice, the love, the desire, the heartache, and the fulfillment of being a missionary. I called myself a missinaonary kid because when a father surrenders to take his family to a foreign land as a missionary, the rest of the family has to follow suit or there will be problems along the way. The Lord did not just call my dad; He called my mother, my brother, my sister, and me. I would not trade my life of deputation, language school, and mission field for anything.

    While we were on deputation, my siblings and I learned about the importance of giving to missions. Not only did we realize that we needed support and prayer to go and survive as missionaries, we realized that other missionaries need the same. Many churches took us on support, even more prayed for us, and many gave. They did not just give to our parents. They also gave love gifts to my siblings and I. We knew that people loved us and were praying for us. Through our parents encouragement, each of us kids decided to start giving to missions. We wanted to be a blessing, but in turn it blessed us. I cannot remember how much we decided to give, maybe about 5-10 dollars a month. Dad knew God would provide, but he was surprised at our child-like faith. As we prayed, he got to praying something like this: "Lord, please provide their missions money. Help their faith to grow, or I'll have to give them the money to give to missions." You know? God is so good! While we were staying at one of the churches that Dad used to serve in, God provided our missions money. Josh, Brenna, and I were taking out the trash, when a gentleman walked out of the church and handed each of us money. We rushed to our motorhome and eagerly told Mom the news. When Dad got home we then excitedly told him that God had provided our missions money. We would continue to see God provide for us in the future. We started praying and picking out missionaries for each of us to support. We would write them a letter with money enclosed, and they would in turn send a letter or postcard to thank us. It was awesome. We were blessed. I do not know which of us got the better end of the deal. :)

    When God took us off the mission field, we became home missionaries - United States church planters. God brought us to High Springs, Florida where we planted Victory Springs Independent Baptist Church. When we started, we took on four missionaries by faith. As Pastor Strange says - if you want to see God work, give to missions. We have seen that it is so true. God has greatly blessed our church.

    Now we are no longer missionaries in a technical sense, but we are still involved in missions today. I still give faith promise, not just to one missionary, but to all the missionaries that our church has chosen to support with God's guidance. Now that I am older, God has allowed me to give more than the $5-10 I started with.

You do not have to have a lot of money, nor do you have to go around the world to be a missionary. You can be involved in missions by four ways:

Missions and You

1. First, you can pray for missionaries. 

Missionaries, more than anything, need your prayers. They need prayers for safety, needs provided, souls saved, and spiritual growth. Do you pray faithfully for missionaries? Even as I write this, I am challenged to pray more for them. I do not pray for them enough, and that needs to change.

2. Yes, they need prayers, but they also need financial support.

They have needs just like you and I do. How can they go if they do not have provision? God uses churches back home to financially support missions. This is done through faith promise giving. I challenge you to give to missions above and beyond your tithe. While tithe is always ten percent, faith promise giving is what you are led by God to give in faith. It takes faith because you do not always know where that money will come from. But like I have said before, God always provides. And again, if you want to see God work, give to missions.

3. You can also be involved in missions by encouraging your missionaries.

Send them a letter every now and then. We used to love getting letters from friends back home when we were on deputation. Send them a birthday card. When you have missionaries come through your church, befriend them. Though the life of a missionary can be rewarding, it can sometimes be lonely. Be a friend to them when they drop in. Attend your church's mission conference, and just love on those missionaries.

4. Share the Gospel with others.

This may be one of the most important things you can do to be involved in missions. It does not necessarily mean that you have to leave the country. Be creative. Pass out tracts, tell your neighbours, but most importantly, obey the command to go and tell even if it is just across the street.

    If you want to be involved in missions, then pray, support, and encourage missionaries while at the same time doing your part to share the Gospel.

    I wanted to write this post because my church does our mission conference in the month of September. This year is a little different, though. This year we are calling it a Missions Revival and it will be Sunday through Wednesday, and we are so excited. We are having two of our missionaries in. One is Bro. Peacock with Rock of Ages Ministries. He will be with us Sunday. He is an awesome soul winner for the Lord. On Monday through Wednesday we are having Evangelist Scott Caudill who is also the president of Macdonia World Baptist Missions (our mission board when my family were missionaries). He is a really great preacher and singer. It will be an exciting week.

    Of course, I will forewarn you. It happens every time. Whenever we have missions month, Satan fights tooth and nail. He does not like missions one bit, so he does everything he can to hinder your faith and stop you from going to the conference, being a witness, and giving by faith to missions. There will be physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, relational, financial, and other difficulties. We have seen families get sick, need a new car, and get a roof leak all because of missions month. Do not let this stop you from getting involved in missions. Determine that no matter what, you will be at your church's missions conference. Pray and seek the Lord's will on how much you will give by faith to missions. Then, when those missionaries come through, be a blessing and encouragment to them.

Even though their are difficulties along the way, I LOVE missions conference time. 

After you read this, stop and pray for a missionary today...

In Christ,

Elisabeth Kristine

I LOVE AMERICA!

   

  "America the Beautiful" "from sea to shining sea" – it is "the land of the free and home of the brave." I love America. I am thankful for where I live, yet so many people take it all for granted. They do not realize the privilege they have.

   At a young age, I was taught to be thankful for the opportunity I have to live in this land. I remember being in kindergarten, pledging allegiance to the flag, and singing “America the Beautiful”. My family has always celebrated the 4th of July in some way. When I was two or three, I sat and watched a fireworks display that the church we were at gave. Even then, I did not fully realize the privilege I had. It was not until my family became missionaries that I truly understood. As we traveled the eastern half of the United States, we visited state parks and memorials. We visited New York City and Washington DC. We were able to take a picture in front of the Statue of Liberty. The seed of love for my country began to grow, but I would still take it all for granted until we had to leave the home we knew and the land we loved. 

    After we raised enough support, my family left for language school and went to Quebec, Canada. We had many great adventures, but we experienced major culture shock. It is not to put down that country or its people; it was just so very different. Where we were, not only was some of the food different, but it was other things too. They spoke a different language. Homeschooling is also foreign to them. We were homeschooled and had to stay inside during school time because if we left, the police would approach us and ask why we were not in school. That happened to me and my dad. We were going to the store and as we were walking in, a police officer approached my dad and asked about my schooling. That was a mini adventure in itself.  Yes, life in Quebec was different.

    There was a bright spot each summer the year and a half we were there. We would pack all our camping supplies, load up into our conversion van, and travel across the country line from Canada to the United States. Oh, what a great feeling it was to be back in a familiar land! We had someone tell us "Welcome home." We all started crying right there. To top it off, we would pull out our CD – The Great American Time Machine – Patch the Pirate Adventure. We would sing right along with the songs "I'm Thankful to Be an American" and "We Salute You, Lady Liberty." Can you tell we were homesick? 

    After language school and reaching more support, we left for our mission field. We did not have as much culture shock in St. Barths, but we still thought fondly of our homeland. We had a sense of pride and joy each time we came for a visit. After we left the mission field, we planted Victory Springs I. Baptist Church. I enjoyed our time as missionaries, but I also love being back in my homeland and being able to enjoy the freedoms we have been given.

    It saddens me whenever I see or hear of someone taking this land for granted. Some people disrespect the flag, our government, law enforcement, and the foundation upon which America was built. It ought not to be so. Please do not take America for granted.

    How can we take advantage of the blessings we have been given as young ladies? What makes a good citizen? How can we show appreciation for our country and make it a better place?

7 Ways to Show Your Appreciation for the Land You Love

1.) First and foremost, we can pray for our country, government, soldiers, and law enforcement. 

There is power in prayer. Our country really needs prayer right now. We can begin by praying for revival in our country. Then we can pray for our government to make wise decisions. Let us not forget the people who lay their lives on the line to protect us such as soldiers and law enforcement. We need to pray for them to have courage. Truly it is a land of the free because of these brave men and women who give their lives to protect us and our freedoms.

2.) One of the next things we can do is vote.

Do you realize the privilege you have as a young lady today? If had lived over a hundred years ago you would not have the right to vote as a lady. It truly is a privilege more than a right. Some people are too worried about their rights that they fail to realize it is a privilege. I can still remember the first time I was able to vote when I was 18. I was both nervous and proud to be able to vote for who I desired as a President and leader. If Christians do not vote righteously and wisely together, then the people who do not stand for the things we stand for could be put in office, and some of our freedoms could be taken away. I encourage you to go out and vote in the election this year. 

3.) Not only can we pray and vote, but we should also be a witness to the lives around us.

As Christians, we are called to be witnesses. Indeed, we are to be a light to the nations, but it starts with here, in this nation. There are some Christians who put their whole focus on foreign missions that they neglect the people that are nearby. Yes, we must do our part in foreign missions, but we should also go across the street. I can be guilty of that as well. We cannot rely on the pastor, the preacher, or the missionary if we are not being witnesses ourselves.

4.) We can take part in celebrating our national holidays that remind us of how blessed we are. 

I have met some Christians who do not celebrate holidays like the 4th of July for weird reasons. They take for granted the very country that gives them that liberty to choose. You can show your appreciation for the land you live in during the 4th. You can remember those who gave their lives during Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Don't take these times for granted. Instead, take those times to thank and praise the Lord.

5.) Respect the authority God has placed over you.

America is a great country because of the things it stands for. It is God and the people who fight for it who make it great. Too many people disrespect our president, law enforcement, soldiers, and flag. The very thing set in place to protect and lead, they disrespect and disdain. Do not be like that. As Christians, we should respect our authority. My dad was taught to respect the flag and never let it touch the ground. In turn, my dad taught it to his children. Sadly, there are people in this country who tear, burn, destroy, and demean the flag, what it stands for, and the people who fought for it. It is a sad day when people kneel out of disrespect for the flag. Not only do people disrespect the flag today, but they also disrespect, degrade, and demean our president. Yet, I have more respect for this president than I did the last. I think our President Trump is one of the best. Now, he is not perfect, but neither are we. However, you cannot deny all that he has done for our country no matter what the news says or tries to keep secret. You have to be careful of the news out there. Too many times the news focuses on all the bad and hides the good. My dad was listening to something yesterday, and I heard part of it. It recorded all the times different reporters and leaders talked of the "dark" times we are living in. You will never see the light if you are focusing on the dark. Instead of focusing on the president's faults and flaws (like we have) instead of respecting his position of authority and being thankful for his good character traits. 

(I'm sorry that point got a little long. It is just a pet peeve of mine. :)

6.) Simply, work hard.

This next point was added after my dad's message tonight. (You can watch the message on our Victory Springs Facebook page.) For the past couple of weeks in his Jeremiah study, he has been talking about the symptoms of a sick nation. One of the points was, the people had lost their shame. Then he gave many subpoints focusing on the word “shame”. Tonight, he talked about the point that it is a shame to be lazy. (Side note: my dad has always hated the three l's - littering, lying, and laziness.) There are people in our nation who are lazy and would rather protest when they should instead be busy working. It is a shame to be lazy, but sadly, we have many citizens who do not work hard. He said that they ask, "Where is my portion? Where are my rights?" instead of going out and working for those privileges. When men like John Smith came to Jamestown in the New World, John Smith said that those who did not work should not eat - a biblical principle by the way. John Smith recognized the importance of hard work. Back to that Great American Time Machine adventure😊, Patch the Pirate's crew had traveled back in time to visit great Americans on a mission to find the secret of America's greatness. One of the secrets to America's greatness was good, old-fashioned hard work. Hardworking men and women have made America great. Americans should be known as hard workers, not lazy people. Not only Americans but Christians around the world, too. As my preacher father said, "It's time to get back to work."

7.) Finally, but maybe not last or least of all, we can become godly women who raise the next generation right.

If every citizen was like you, what kind of country would this be? When I took a US History class in college, one of my assignments was to write six response papers. One of the papers was on the makings of a great lady. I wrote that some think it is being a feminist or standing for rights, but that does not make a great lady. A great woman is not someone who makes a big career for herself. To me, the great ladies of our day are the mothers who raise their children for God, the wives who stand beside their husbands, and the single ladies who devote their lives to serving God and being a blessing to others. These are the women I want to be like. 

To me, a great lady does her part in raising and influencing the next generation. In my paper, I wrote, "Women need to use their freedoms for the glory of God and for influencing the next generation. In truth, women play a great role in raising the next generation which is one of the roles God set up for women. Women need to recognize what an opportunity they have to be a blessing and influence others... Do you want to see a great lady? Look at the mom fighting for her kids, the wife supporting her husband, and the godly lady devoted to serving her Lord." Be one of those great ladies!

Let me finish by restating the question I asked earlier. If every citizen in the United States was like you, what would this country be like?

As one song says, "I Still Believe in America"  – it is a country worth fighting for. Let's do our part for the land we love!

Elisabeth Kristine

Praise the Lord!

 Have you praised God today?

The word for today seems to be Praise. One of our missionaries - a church planter's wife - has a blog that I have started reading. I also signed up for her emails on Mondays. As I read the email this morning, I found it really interesting that her word for the day was praise.

Just this morning I was studying out how God spoke to his servants, kings, and prophets. I was in Isaiah and I came upon this verse: "O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth" (Isaiah 25:1). I chose that as my verse for today, and then I saw that it was our friend's word of the day. Is it a coincidence that more than one person was encouraged to praise the Lord? It is amazing how God can speak to different people in different places about the same topic. It is a good reminder for all of us. Sometimes it is easy to spot the negative things in life, but if we will just think about who God is and what He has done for us, there is much to have joy about.

I have heard it said that thanksgiving is all about what God has done and praise is all about Who He is.

God is worthy of praise, honor, and glory because of Who He is. He would not do the things He does if He was not the God He was and is. Let's take some time to dwell on Who God is, shall we? Not too long ago as I was reading in the book of Psalms, I did a study on Who God is. In this book alone, I found that God is a Shield, King Forever, Most High, Refuge, Helper of the Fatherless, Portion of my inheritance and cup, Strength, Rock, Fortress, Deliverer, Buckler, Horn of my salvation, High Tower, Stay, Redeemer, Shepherd, King of Glory, Light, Salvation, Hiding Place, Health of my countenance, Exceeding Joy, Guide, Defence, God of my mercy, Shelter, Strong Habitation, Hope, Trust, Judge, Sun, Father, Almighty, My Song, and much more. That is quite a lot, isn't it? And yet, that is just the beginning!     

I could not hope to be able to discuss all who God is, what He is like, and what He has done. It is more than can be fit inside a book, more than even the internet can handle. He is so much bigger than this world, yet He takes time to love each and everyone of us. 

We just have time to focus on a few of my favorites. I will try to keep it short and share a verse, definition, and how it is a blessing to me in one, or two, or three sentences... 😊 

God is...

1. My Refuge 

 Psalms 9:9,10 says, "The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee."

 The definition given by Webster's 1828 dictionary defines it as "That which shelters or protects from danger, distress or calamity; a strong hold which protects by its strength, or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness; any place inaccessible to an enemy." (Note: all definitions taken from www.kingjamesbibledictionary.com)

Whenever I am going through a hard time, I can trust Him to always be there for me. I have no need to fear when He is with me. He gives me strength and protection in stormy times - physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

2. My Shield and 3. My Buckler 

 These two go together. Psalms 91:4-6 says, "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee." 

Easton's dictionary says a shield is something "Used in defensive warfare, varying at different times and under different circumstances in size, form, and material" and according to the Webster's dictionary it was used to "cover, as with a shield; to cover from dasnger; to defend; to protect; to secure form assault or injury." A buckler is similar, but from what I gathered from the Strong's Concordance and Easton's dictionary, the buckler in this verse "surrounded" or covered the whole body. 

God wants to be our protector and provide protection from the enemy. He covers us with His wings or surrounds us with strength to protect us from the wicked. This shield and buckler, like the shield from Ephesians 6, deflects the fiery darts of the wicked. We take His Truth by faith to defeat Satan and ward off his attacks.

4. The Portion of My Inheritance

 Psalms 16:5,6 says, "The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage."

The definition I found off of 

kingjamesbibledictionary.com defines it as "The part of an estate given to a child or heir, or descending to him by law, and distributed to him in the settlement of the estate."

As children of God we are heirs to all Heaven holds, and we are joint-heirs with Christ. That is the Heavenly Portion, yet the greatest inheritance we can get is God Himself. The best inheritance we can get from our parents is their God, but we have to make Him ours. Have you made the God of your parents your God? 

5. My King

Psalms 44:4a says, "Thou art my King, O God" and Psalms 44:6 says, "Thy throne, O God is for ever and ever." 

I don't think I need to define this for you, do I? :)

Every little girl dreams of being a princess. Did you know that you can be? God wants to be the King of your life. Do you remember that song that says "I'm a child of the king"? Jesus is the King of kings and a Prince of Peace while we are children of a Heavenly Father. It is one God in three persons. I do not know how it all works, but I have always loved the thought that I am a child of the King. Another verse in Psalms 45 says "The king's daughter is all glorious within" (v.13). If you are a daughter of God, God wants to be your King and make your inside all glorious within.

I could go on and on with a big list of His names, but it would take too much time to go through it all. That is just a list of a few of His names - it doesn't begin to describe His characteristics. Before you go, I want to share this acrostic. When you give God praise, simply praise Him for being:

Perfect

Righteous 

Amazing

Immanent *(always present)

Sovereign

Eternal

We have so much to praise God for. Take time to give God praise today.

A Friend Like Thee

What do You see when You see me? 

Is there great joy by what You see? 

Please, Lord, just search and try my heart. 

At least I know You won't depart. 

No matter what in me You see,

I know You will always love me.

But I want to show I love you,

So, Lord, please cleanse me through and through.

Then I'll have cause for rejoicing

When my love is clearly showing

That yes, I really do love You

With all of my heart -- it is true.

Thou knowest all that's in my heart.

From Your Word, help me not depart.

You are a friend that's always true.

What a sweet friend I have in You!

A friend that leaves and won't forsake

Is like the icing on the cake.

You are the truly sticky friend

That sticks with us until the end.

Ever faithful and ever true

Help me to be a friend to You.

You are the balm to my spirit.

Take the weight when I can't bear it.

You give me cause for joy and hope,

And give me peace when I can't cope.

When in my life I have a need,

You truly are a friend indeed.

You are the kind of friend to be.

Help me, Lord, to be more like Thee.

I hope you enjoyed the poem. Isn't it sweet to know that He is a friend that never leaves nor forsakes? He can be your friend like He was with Abraham and Moses. What a better place to learn of this special friend than the word of God! 

You may have heard of others doing this, but my Mom has written at the beginning of her Bible "To Kami." Then at the very last chapter she wrote, "Love God." God's Word is His love letter to us. He shows us in His Word that He is the best friend we can have. He is the kind of friend that laid down His life for you. You just have to accept His gift. Is He your friend today? More importantly, do you live like it?

May we learn to be a friend like Jesus.

What Does He See?

When you look at me, what do You see?

A heart that longs to please Thee?

What do You see when You look at me?

Do you see any reflection at all of Thee?

Please fill my heart and give me peace.

In Thee I find that sweet release.

Make in me a heart of pure gold -

A heart that fits the Savior's mold.

When You look are You quite pleased? 

Or instead are You displeased?

Forgive me, Lord, of all my sin.

So next time when You look within,

You find more that looks like Thee

I hope that is what You see in me.

A World to Touch, A God to Work

We live in a world of unrest and fear. The world tells you to fear this and fear that. The world wants you to live in fear, never touching anybody, and looking out for self alone. While the world tries to strike fear in the hearts of believers and unbelievers alike, God has a different desire. He wants us to be a people who fear not. 

Over and over again, Jesus told his disciples and others to fear not. In the Gospels, it says "fear not" eleven times and "be not afraid" seven times. Jesus, even in His human body, was not afraid to get around sick people or lepers. When He healed the leper, Jesus touched him to show that He loved him when others would have not touched him, gone near him, or taken the time to love him. Who is to say that Jesus was exempt from sickness? While Jesus was in human flesh, He did not let others' fear stop him from reaching others. Of course we are not Jesus Who can heal. In this time of fear of sickness and disease, we do need to take precaution. We do not want to be foolish, and the world needs to see Christians who are blameless. If it means wearing a mask and taking extra precaution, so be it. During these unsure times, we must be cautious and do what we can to protect ourselves from sickness as long as it is precaution and not fear that drives us. Fear should never trump faith as so many of us, especially me, are prone to do.

At the same time, we can learn much from Jesus. He never let fear stop Him from reaching others. Jesus said we are to be a light to the world, but as the song says, "How can we reach a world we never touch"? I should not let the fear of getting sick keep me from reaching others just as much as I should not let my fear of talking to people stop me from sharing the Gospel. Sometimes in cases like we face today, Christians must be even more creative in reaching people. My church has started a ministry called Operation 3:16, and one of the gifts we pass out to strangers to show God's love is a bottle of hand sanitizer with a card attached that says, "God loves you, and our church does, too." Sometimes it takes a little creativity to reach others in a world of social distancing. 

God can do mighty works even in the midst of trouble and trial, yet too many times we try to place God in a box and limit His work. It takes faith to see God work. God is still just as much at work today as He was in Bible times. I have seen God work even in the midst of trial. He has been at work in my home church. We have seen people join, people become faithful who were not before, and souls come to know Jesus as their Savior. Would we have seen these blessings if we had let fear hinder us? Probably not. I do not want to just hear these kind of stories, I want to see them and live them. It takes faith to leave the outcome to Him. That is all we can do - do our part to reach others and leave the results to Him.

Jesus had His disciples around Him quite a few times when He healed people. It is like He told them, "Watch me work." He is still telling us today, "Watch me work," for He is still in the working business. Are you in a place where you can watch God work? We must put ourselves in a place where we can see Him work. Please do not let fear stop you from seeing the great, mighty, and impossible done. It takes faith and prayer, for Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." 

I do not know about you, but I am tired of letting fear stop me from reaching others. Let us be a people of faith and courage who watch God work great and mighty things.

The Stand

Lately, I have been challenged through the preaching of God's Word to take a stand for God. For the past few weeks on Sunday nights, Josh has been preaching on Baptist History. It is amazing to me how people groups like the Baptists have stood for God even in the face of persecution. The recurring theme has been standing for God.

I started writing a poem a long time ago about standing after Dad had preached a message on it, but it did not quite turn out. I had written a few poems before, but I had not met with much success. The first poem I wrote as a young teenager was quite short, but repetitive. The guys in my family thought that I did not know how to write a poem. I was always insecure about my poetry anyway and did not write much. I liked reading certain types of poetry like old Christian hymns and poems, but I was not good at writing them. 

Well, at the beginning of this year, the Lord led me to write a poem on keeping my heart. I love how the poem turned out, but I only shared it with a few people. Also, in March when the COVID pandemic had just started, God led me to write a song after I was encouraged by Tabitha who wrote hers. Then recently, Josh has been preaching about Baptists and their stand for God. I was reminded of that poem on standing that I had started writing a while back. This week the Lord really started working on my heart about my stand for Him. You see, lately I have been struggling spiritually. I would keep going back to my bad habits, and this caused my time with the Lord to suffer. The Lord showed me this. 

Saturday night I listened to Josh's message from the Sunday before since I had been in the nursery that night. He kept going back to that stand they had to take and challenged us to stand for God. The Lord reminded me of my poem. It all came together then. Between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, I rewrote the poem and added to it. After I finished, I gave a copy to Josh and also showed it to my family. Then Dad said something, I did not think I would hear. He said to print copies to pass out at church. I was so nervous. 

That night as Josh started preaching, it all fit together. It was definitely a God thing. The story of bold Baptists was so convicting. At the end of the message, Josh started reading my poem. I was shocked. I was half embarrassed, half pleased that he was reading it. I got that shy smile on my face. Then I started crying. I knew that it was all God - it was not I that had written this poem. It was because of Him. After Josh finished preaching, I fell on my knees at the front row, convicted of my stand for God. When the service was finished, several people told me that the poem was a blessing. That night as our teens and young adults gathered in our living room after eating pizza, we shared how the Lord had worked on our hearts through the preaching that day. I said that I was convicted to take a stand for God beginning with my walk with Him. For before we can ever take a stand for God, we must first learn to kneel. 

This morning, I finally went on a prayer walk. I had not walked outside to fellowship with the Lord in a long while. That was when God started breaking my hard, stony heart, so He could start molding it to be more like Jesus. Then God gave me a sign that He loved me. I looked up and saw a cardinal (my sign that He loves me). Would I have seen it if I had not looked up? Probably not.

I am so amazed that God wants to use me. He used me to write a poem to touch even a few when I had been struggling spiritually with my walk with the Lord. Then I thought - how much more God can use us when our hearts are right, and we are pleasing Him. 

I hope this poem is a blessing to you as it has been to me.

(As a side note, be forewarned: it is kind of long 😊 )

Fighting spirits, stories of old

But the half has not yet been told

The martyrs stood through thick and thin

Because they had the courage then

Another hour, another day

Just keep standing all the way

You might be torn, you might be bruised.

But do you not want to be used?

 

Remember those who took their stand;

They kept the Word of God at hand.

Peter and Paul are some, not all

Of Baptists too we stand in awe.

Roger Williams, Holmes, and Clarke –

These are they who left their mark.

They were like the Lighthouse Who

Stood for me and yes for you.

Oh, won’t you keep standing too?

Some were flogged, even whipped.

There were some who well-nigh slipped.

Some may say, “Oh you can just sit,”

But that is when you must not quit.

Now you can be a beam of hope

And give someone a saving rope.

Standing tall for our God and all

Helps even one or few not fall.

So stand up tall with all your might.

Just please do not give up the fight.

It may take all you have to stand,

So hold onto the Master’s hand.

The time for standing strong is now.

Look to those who showed us how.

The time to stand is not tomorrow.

Waiting then will just bring you sorrow.

 

Take the armor of God in hand

And having done all to stand, stand.

If you stand tall just one more day

You may keep standing all the way.

If you stand strong and gain a crown

To Jesus give as you kneel down.

When at His feet before His throne

You’ll be glad you stood your own.

When this race on earth is run

He will then say, “Child, well done.”

May you stand for God, dear reader.

That is my desire for you.

Elisabeth Kristine Gimenez

From Book Lover to Authoress

For as long as I can remember, I have loved reading. While some kids were out playing in the mud, climbing trees, playing video games, or watching tv, you were most likely to find me somewhere lost in a book. I started with horse books, American Girl, Sisters in Time, Nancy Drew, and yes, sometimes even Hardy Boys. I loved reading about horses, mysteries, pioneers, knights, you name it. I loved a good story. I remember reading a book one morning at the breakfast table when I was around nine. My mom practically had to rip the book out of my hands. Well, she did not actually rip it out of my hands. 😊

Of course I loved reading the Bible as well. My parents encouraged us to start reading the Bible for ourselves at a young age. I set out to read my whole Bible, and I did, though I cannot remember how long it took the first time. Next I decided to read the whole Bible, cover to cover, in one year. I was so excited to finally reach that goal, and I did so before I was ten. I just loved reading. 

There is a verse in the Bible that says that of the making of many books there is no end. However, for book lovers like me, it is exciting to think that there are so many books I could read. I love the saying, "So many books, so little time." I believed the saying, "Between the pages of a book is a lovely place to be." Though the books I could read did seem to be limitless, I began to find that not every book is worth reading or healthy to the reader. 

My family has always had certain standards in our home - we do not drink, smoke, cuss, or even believe in saving the first kiss for the wedding. We knew these standards, and we followed them faithfully. However, when I was around 14, this standard became something more. We began to ask ourselves why we watched and read about the things we did not do in our home. Besides cussing, something we have never allowed in our movies and books, we did read and watch things with some drinking and kissing before marriage. Our family came to a decision: we decided to take away movies and books that promoted these things. Before I knew it, we started cleaning out our book case and movie collection. The wide window of possibilities in books started to shrink. I would read a book, see it had kissing, and get rid of it. This one promoted drinking, so I decided to get rid of it. It is not like it meant that there were no books left for me to read, it just meant that we had to use wisdom and weed out the wrong influences. The Lord did provide clean, wholesome books for us to enjoy. Still, I started to get frustrated. I was tired of having to throw away a book when I had just got to the exciting part. 

One day, Josh, Brenna, and I decided to start writing our own books. Then we could be sure these stories would have no drinking, cussing, or kissing before marriage. Josh and Brenna started writing first. Josh had a really good western he was writing that had some good funny parts in it. Brenna started writing about a girl named Brenn Cole who would later join a cattle drive. (Can you tell that we loved Westerns? :) ) We had been watching a ton of the old western, Rawhide, and Brenna was going to base some of her characters off of the people in the show. Soon I joined them and decided to write on Brenn Cole's sister, Elisabeth. I wanted to imagine what it would be like for me to live in the 1800s. Before I knew it, I was the only one left writing books. It was and has been a slow process, but I really started to enjoy it. I had the dream of writing clean books for others to enjoy, and like you may think, mine would not promote drinking, cussing, or kissing. I had received a purity ring when I was 14, so I decided to write a story about a girl who kept herself pure. I titled my series, "The Ring Series." Brenna stopped writing hers, but I liked the route she had been going with hers, so I decided to take over. My book, "The Purity Ring," would be book one, and Brenna's book which I later titled "The Ring of the Prodigal" would be book two. 

I started reading books on writing. I also made a Pinterest board on being an authoress. I was going to write a book sooner or later, though it is proving to be later. The first Christmas after we left the mission field, my parents bought me a beautiful desk. I soon came up with a special ritual I would start doing while I wrote. I would first pull out my Reese's bowl with Reese's in it, my writing notebooks, and a soda. Then I would light a candle and turn on a small table fountain that Josh gave me so I could have nice background noise. It was the perfect writing atmosphere. I even did that ritual today as I was writing. Now, though, I put on nature sounds on Youtube. Another thing I do now is listen to music. I love creating playlists with different holidays and themes. I also came up with the idea of creating playlists for each of my books. The candle I have been lighting lately is called Lavender Lemonade. It smells so good!

I have a total of three books I have been working on, and an idea readywhen I complete the first three.

My Grandma has been an encouragement to me from the start. When I started writing the first book, she took me out for Mexican and read to her what I had written. Like a loving grandmother, she said it was really good. We shall see... I remember sitting at the table with her when the waitress came up to our table. Grandma proudly told her, "My granddaughter is going to be an authoress." I am so thankful for her encouragement. After our first lunch at the mexican restaurant, we said that next time we would just get cheese dip, soda, and fried ice cream. We have been to that restaurant at least three times to read my books. Grandma, I can't wait until next time. Hopefully I will be more close to finishing this time. :)

Now my dream is to write to be a blessing to other young ladies. I have a desire to encourage them in the Lord through my books. I know not everyone out there loves to read as much as I do, but I hope I can be a blessing to someone.

Until next time...

Elisabeth Gimenez

Future authoress...

I hope 😊

The Makings of an Esther

One of my favorite stories in the Bible has been the story of Esther. I have enjoyed the story ever since I was a young girl. I was just amazed that God could use a young lady to save a nation. One year when I was nine or so, my siblings and I each took a story from the Bible and had to teach it with visual aids. I chose the story of Esther. I dressed up for it, crafted a golden scepter, and maybe drew a picture or something; but when it came to tell the story, I completely botched it. My family patiently sat for what seemed like hours to a young girl as I stumbled through the story. They even had to encourage me to finish the telling of it. Even though I had stage fright, so to speak, I still had a love for the story of Esther. After that, more than ever did I want to have courage like Esther. 

I am amazed that God would want to use a shy young lady such as I. May I encourage you, dear reader, that God wants to use you? He does. No matter what your personality or background, God wants to use you for such a time as this. We may not have the beauty of Esther, but that is not what matters. As I was reading my Bible one day, I came upon this verse that stood out to me - "The king's daughter is all glorious within" (Psalm 45:13). Those of us who are saved into God's family are children of the King. Young lady, if that is you, then you are a king's daughter! It does not matter what is on the outside. Like God told Samuel when he was looking for a king, God looks on the heart. God wants to make our inside beautiful if we would only yield it to him. That is what Esther had to do. At first she was fearful to go before the king, but when she decided to yield herself to God, God gave her the courage to face her fears and save her people.

Yes, Esther is an inspiration to me, even now. One of my favorite songs is "For Such a Time as This." I am so amazed that God wants to use me.

One of my dreams has been to be a writer and write books that would be a blessing to young ladies. A couple years ago, on a Sunday morning while getting ready for church, ideas started flowing for a new book. I had been dabbling in writing for awhile and had started two books that needed to be finished. (That is something I need to work on: finishing what I start. :) Now I had an idea for a new book. I quickly wrote down my ideas before leaving on the bus route. I new I needed to write down the ideas before it left me. I do not know if I had been watching a royal Hallmark movie that week or what, but I started wondering what it would be like to go to a strange country and become a princess. Even though I loved the story of Esther, I had never really wanted to become a queen or princess. After reading the Bible books of Kings and Chronicles, I knew becoming royalty was not all it is cracked up to be in fairy tales. None the less, I wondered what it would be like. Can you guess which Bible character I was inspired to base the story on? Yes, it was Esther. In one year, I had managed to write more on this one story than I had managed to write on my other two books that I started five years prior. It has been a long journey so far, but one day, I hope to get all three published. I will have to share the story of how I started writing in another post.

I have a ways to go before I get there, but in the mean time, I would love to give you a glimpse of what my story titled, The King's Heart in the LORD's Hands, is about...

She is just a small-town preacher’s daughter, but there is more to her than what meets the eye. When she is taken away to be the bride of a faraway king who is a baby Christian, she wonders if her faith can keep her strong. This young king has his work cut out for him as he tries to woo and court her. As Bethany tries to figure things out, she is challenged to be a witness and make a difference. Reminded of the Esther of the Bible, she knows she must have the courage to face the unknown when it comes to royalty.

            What would you do if you were taken as a captive to marry a man you did not know, a man who is a king from a distant country? Do you become angry and bitter, or do you make the most of the opportunity to be a witness and save many people from a wicked adversary? Would you have the courage to face your fears, perhaps laying down your life to save others as a modern day Esther?

            What will it take to make you, an ordinary Hadassah, into a courageous Esther? Would you trust the proverb – The King’s Heart in the LORD’s Hands – is really true?

May Esther’s Legacy Live On

Elisabeth Kristine Gimenez