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My journey out of darkness
A vlog about becoming a new creation in Jesus
Share your testimony here
Laughter is good medicine indeed Proverbs 17:22
Posted by SwitchingGranny on Feb 17, 2010 in Inspiration, Video
Do we really need to be afraid? My review of “Fearless” by Max Lucado
Posted by SwitchingGranny on Sep 6, 2009 in Book Review, Inspiration
Max Lucado’s newest book “Fearless” is timely, encouraging and exceptionally easy to read.
Some of the chapter subtitles are as follows:
Fear of Not Mattering
Fear of Disappointing God
Fear of Running Out
Fear of Not protecting our children
Fear of Dying
Fear that God is Not Real
Max takes these all too common fears and shares the scripture verses to give the
reader the spiritual tools to over come and live in trust and assurance of God’s love and promises.
I love how Max can simplify complex topics by breaking them down to easy to grasp pieces.
No new revelations to be found in this book. Just a re-examine of the truths that
give us the assurance to live in peace even in the midst of life’s storms.
This would be a good book to share with a small group for the encouragement it
provides. Included is a discussion guide to facilitate small group study and discussion.
Previously I’d not read many of Max Lucado’s books; That is about to change!
Additional content and information about Fearless are available at The Fearless Book Site, and readers are invited to share their stories, pictures and words of encouragement there.
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When He calls He equips
Posted by SwitchingGranny on May 5, 2009 in Inspiration, Ourselves And Family, Scripture, SwitchingGranny's Stuff
A story from two years ago today! I’m encouraged by what God does when we obey. And thought you might be as well:
Spirit Leads.. when He does, He also opens doors!
Thursday morning I was exercising on my elliptical trainer and listening to praise music as I often do. I was also praying as different people and situations were brought to my rememberance.
There is a dear 93 year old woman whom I have known since early childhood who is dying. I haven’t seen her in 15 or 20 years. However I’ve kept up some with her condition because she has moved into a retirement village next to a dear friend and my soon to be daughter in law has been working as her personal care giver for quite some time.
This woman was very instrumental in bringing yoga and holistic health ideas into this area. In the 1970’s and 1980’s she helped open the “self awareness center” and offered yoga classes and other courses in holistic health and Eastern Mysticism.
As I was praying for her I became overwhelmed with a burden for her soul. And during prayer I felt a very strong leading to go and visit with her and minister to her.
But of course I immediately distracted myself from the idea knowing that she would not be at all interested in hearing my “death bed Christianity”. But the thought continued to overwhelm my thoughts.
So I prayed more earnestly. I prayed of course for her soul and for her to be at peace and for the knowledge of the love of our Lord Jesus to be revealed to her.
And again I was “moved” that God wanted me to be a willing vessel in His bringing her mind to remembrance of His awesome love and provision for her.
So, I said “Lord if this is indeed You leading me, I do not want to miss being a part of Your divine plan in this lovely woman’s life and more importantly in her eternal destiny. Please Lord grant me the boldness to move forward and trust You in this ministry that You are apparently calling me to. Oh Lord.. You know that this woman and her daughters who are caring for her are very likely Buddhists. You know that they might find my desire to share Your message as truth offensive. They may not allow me in. Lord.. this woman is on her death bed.. how am I to approach her.. How can I even ask at such an awkward time to visit with her? Lord.. I’ve not even seen her in years. Oh Lord.. who am I to be chosen to minister to her? Surely You aren’t calling me to follow through today…. This very moment!
But I knew that this burden was real and non-relenting. I decided to call my future daughter in law and explain my sudden need to be with this lady. I ask her if she saw the time appropriate today if she would ask the lady’s daughters if I could stop by. But my future daughter in law let me know that these folks weren’t any longer allowing even Ruth’s longest time friends to visit.. as she is beyond visiting.
Then she said that maybe I should call Ruth’s daughters as she felt that they might be more apt to hear my plea. But she said at least I was prepared to deal with the likely fact that they would not accept my invitation to visit their dying Mother.
So I thanked my future daughter in law for listening and giving me such direction. I told her that I would pray and if I was to call that I would.
Well I prayed and knew that I needed to call. And I did. I explained to the daughter who I was and that I had been quite moved to come and minister to their Mother for a short time. That I felt very intensely that God was wanting to use me to be of some encouragement to Ruth and to maybe pray with her. That I knew He was calling me to be used to physically express His love towards her. I told her that I knew this was normally not an appropriate time for visiting… and that in my flesh I would not even ask. But that this was a spiritual thing outside of myself. And that I knew that these daughters were indeed very sensitive people. And that if they took time to consider my request they would know if this was meant to be or not. I told her that I would give her time to discuss this with her sister and her Mother and that if they felt this was to be that I would come over and if they did not I would not be offended in anyway.
When I hung up the phone I honestly did not think I would get a return call. I went to shower. And after my shower I saw that my phone had rung and a message had been left. The message said that they had discussed my desire to come out to see their Mother and thought that I should. And that they wanted me to call back and set up a time.
Wow.. I was nearly afraid for a second, then quite humbled that God had indeed chosen to use me in such a very personal time in their lives. I prayed for His continued leading and anointing and called back.
The daughter said that her Mother was very weak, nearly not speaking. She said that her Mother was just resting and listening to the Dali Lama. And that I should come on out now.
So I went praying earnestly as I went. I did not even take my Bible as I knew that God did not need any more than His Word that I’d hid in my heart. I did not stress over what I would say or do. I just committed the time to Him and thanked Him exceedingly for allowing me to serve Him regarding Ruth. I prayed against the powers and principalities of this world…. I prayed for the anointing of His Holy Spirit. I prayed that He would touch Ruth through me and in fact that the ripples of this touch would reach way beyond the present circumstances into eternity.. not just regarding Ruth… but her daughters and my daughter in law and all those who would see the Glory of God through this .
When I got to her door the smiling face of my future daughter in law sweetly answered and let me in. I saw immediately to remove my shoes and was directed back to Ruth’s bedroom where her daughter’s were softly talking with her and listening to some chanting on the cassette from the Dali Lama.
The daughter spoke to the Mother to announce my visit. And initially I saw that Ruth was perplexed. I immediately told her again who I was and I saw recognition on her face. I told her that I had been sent to her by the awesome love of God to deliver a message. I told her how precious she is to Him. How many lives that have been touched by her years of teaching to our community. I told her what a special lady she had been.
And I told her that the Lord Jesus Christ had impressed upon my heart that He wanted to minister His love and truth to her. I told her that He wanted her to know that everything she has ever known of the Lord Jesus Christ is Truth. That He is who He is! That He is alive! That He very much loves her. That He shed his blood to make provision for her sin. That He was waiting with open arms to receive her into His presence and that He would help her not be afraid. She listened intently as the Dali continued to chant in the background. I ask Ruth if I could pray for her. She looked directly into my eyes and nodded. I placed my hand upon her sweet forehead and prayed for the sweet grace of the Lord Jesus to pour out upon her, that He would indeed open her eyes to His love and salvation for her. That Ruth would be saved and received into His arms with peace and rejoicing.
After I prayed Ruth took my hand into hers and actually pulled me towards her. She gave me a kiss!!!!!! Oh how sweet that was.
Then I realized that her bed was making noise.. it was moving. I remembered my years in ICU and knew that some beds are programmed to movement to prevent bed sores. But pretty quickly I realized that her head was coming up and that I was somehow stepping on the controls! I had Ruth’s daughter come in to re adjust Ruth to a comfortable position. Then Ruth’s daughter said “Mother Martha has surely come and brought peace into this place” and Ruth reached for both of our hands and raised them up and said “And Love”. It was so sweet… then she began either to sing or to chant with the Dali. I am not sure.
But she quickly fell asleep and I walked to the kitchen and replaced my shoes.. I cried knowing that this had been such a divine appointment.
I do not know what occurred in the Spirit while I was with Ruth. But I do know that God reached out through me towards another human being in such a profound way. I am humbled and inspired by Him today.
Please keep Ruth in your prayers. She has made a choice not to eat and Monday will be three weeks. Pray also for Ruth’s daughters and all involved. Pray for God to get the Glory He deserves. And please say a prayer for me as I am overwhelmed by His love and Thank Him with me for this opportunity.
Martha
*Ruth went into a coma that very afternoon and never awoke. She died a few days later*
Wisdom for the Church Today
I was thrilled to see that Thomas Nelson Publishing was offering Christianity in Crisis 21st Century for their book bloggers review program.
Wow discernment for those who will listen!
The church today desperately needs this book! There are so few bold “watchmen on the wall”, and Hank Hanegraaff is indeed one of these discerning ministers. Hanegraaff says in the preface “ the Biblical model of faith has given away to an increasingly bizarre array of fads and formulas.”
Two decades ago “Christianity in Crisis” was published. This new book expands on the information in the original. The “Crisis” is only intensifying as we are nearing the fulfillment of all prophecy.
Hanegraff, who is President of the Christian Research Institute is not afraid to name names as he exposes the heretical doctrines taught by leaders of the “faith movement.” From Kenneth Hagan to Todd Bentley. I thank God for your boldness Hank!
Ultimately man is taught to believe that “the face of faith is so powerful that even God (however you define him) is bound by its irrevocable reality.” The power lies not in the sovereignty of God; but in the words we speak.
Is this not exalting man and his thoughts above God?”
I was glad to see that Hanegraaff takes time to distinguish the charismatic renewal movement from the deceptions found in the Word of faith movement. “ The Crisis within Christianity is not the fault of the charismatic renewal movement. It is focused on a life and death struggle between orthodoxy and heresy; between the Kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of the cults.”
Such depth of detail revealed within this book; I counted 157 pages of Appendixes and Indexes, Bibliography and Notes. This kind of research comes from an Institute whose focus is indeed researching these topics. This book is filled with scripture, quotations and references.
Those of you who have the original “Christianity in Crisis” need to know that the Crisis continues to grow deceive many. I encourage you to get this book. I again thank Thomas Nelson Publishing for making this book available for review.
Check out ThomasNelsonProductPage for more information.