Ladies Spark's Conference ( trip around the world)

Our church went this conference last Friday.I had never been before,so didn't know what to expect.I had the funnest time and was blessed beyond belief.


Besides having good food and a wonderful devotional speaker we played these games that were so creative and fun.In the beginning our team leaders were given a very large passport.

The goal was to get stamps from each of the countries.If we were the first to complete our passport we would win the prize.

First stop Italy.Here we had to make our pizza dough cover the pan,well it seemed easy,but after so many groups adding flour it was not very pliable at all and kept falling apart.The guys and gals at the stations did a great job with accents.

My pics are not that great.They are from my phone and I had to snap and run.

Holland where we had to see if we could fit in the wooden shoes.I could actually fit them!

Australia bus tour.Unfortunately this bus had a lot of yellow jackets on it for some reason.But the game was fun.

This was the customs bus in England.We had 1 min to dig through the suitcase and find the contraban item.We had to do this one twice as we couldn't find the car charger the first time.

Mexico where we had to listen to the ladies question in spanish and repeat the answer in spanish.

The French bistro that's why it's so dark.We had to look at menus and find among the french and english words the ones that where non food related.

Our associate pastors wife looking intently for the words.

Africa where we had to listen to animal sounds and write the correct animal.Not as easy as it sounds.

In between the games we had wonderful food,music,skits and devotional time.It was so much fun I can't wait until next year.The them next year is somewhere in time,so you can dress old fashioned or futuristic.

What is your view of God?

I was at church for our pie social and the pastor was ill,so his dad came and spoke.I was so blessed by his message,that I thought I would share it as well as some of the thoughts God has laid upon my heart.



This pastor was saying that there were a large number of missionaries and pastors that dropped out of the ministry within the first few years.He himself was serving as a pastor in a church that was steadily growing and then declined when the ships pulled out as he was serving by a military base.


He said he himself came to the point of burnout and went to talk to a man that gave counsel to pastors and missionaries.He said the man asked him a simple question,
"Do you believe that God loves you?"

He said he thought about it for a minute or two and he replied "No"  He said it shamed him so much to say that here he is the pastor of a congregation telling people of  the love of Jesus and he himself didn't believe that God loved him.

He is not the only one to feel this way.

This is the Psalm of Asaph

Psalm 73

¹Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
²But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
³For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
⁴For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
⁵They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
⁶Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
⁷Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
⁸They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
⁹They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
¹⁰Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
¹¹And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
¹²Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
¹³Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
¹⁴For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
¹⁵If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
¹⁶When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
¹⁷Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
¹⁸Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
¹⁹How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
²⁰As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
²¹Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.
²²So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
²³Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
²⁴Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
²⁵Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
²⁶My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
²⁷For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
²⁸But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

Asaph was scratching his head and wondering how a lot of us do at times,why do the wicked prosper? Have there ever been times in your life where you think ,what am I doing wrong?
I'm doing the things The Bible tells me to,but yet daily life is  such a struggle.

Like this pastor said people tell you God loves you,but you can't pay your electric bill,God loves you,but someone you love gets Cancer,God loves you,but you lose your job or your home.

The honest truth is that a lot of us base the love God has for us on our circumstances.Unfortunately there are some teachings that are just exactly that.If you are prosperous Jesus loves you.If you are having hard time or sickness Jesus is punishing you.

All through The Bible we see godly men that were in impossible curcumstances,but had to wait sometimes for years,before they saw the promise of God fulfilled.

Look at Joseph sold into slavery by his brothers and then put in prison for many years.We tend to gloss over all of that,because we see what happened at the end, and how God used it all for his good ,and so that Joseph could save all of Egypt and his entire household,but just think of all the years of Joseph's life that he probably wondered what God was doing,but was going to stand on God's promises.

There are lots of examples like this Job,Moses,Abraham,David,Noah,Jacob,The Israelites waiting for The Promised Land,while pharoah was forcing them to be slaves and slaughtering their children.

Hebrews 11

¹Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
²For by it the elders obtained a good report.
³Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
⁴By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
⁵By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
⁶But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
⁷By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
⁸By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
⁹By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
¹⁰For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
¹¹Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
¹²Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
¹³These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
¹⁴For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
¹⁵And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
¹⁶But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
¹⁷By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
¹⁸Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
¹⁹Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
²⁰By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
²¹By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
²²By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
²³By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
²⁴By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
²⁵Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
²⁶Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
²⁷By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
²⁸Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
²⁹By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
³⁰By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
³¹By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
³²And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
³³Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.
³⁴Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
³⁵Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
³⁶And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
³⁸(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
³⁹And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
⁴⁰God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

I know this is a long passage,but it shows how many men and women of God had to step out in faith to see the promises God had for them.

This pastor then said that unfortunately a lot of people reveal their christianity in several different ways.



The first way is this:

  

There is some head knowledge of God's Word.They seem to know the right words to say: 

But there doesn't seem to be anything in the heart.There is no love or compassion or grace.It's not enough to just believe even Satan does that and trembles.

James 2:18-20

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁸Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
¹⁹Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
²⁰But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Then there is the one that has some head knowledge,and mainly displays his Christianity by works alone.

What this person fails to realize is there is nothing we can do to add to our salvation.Not that we shouldn't work and do things to further the Gospel.I'm not talking about that,but the person who thinks that their acts of righteousness will add something to their salvation.

 

Ephesians 2:8-10

King James Version (KJV)

⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags

Next you have the person who is nothing but heart or should I say emotions and feelings.Everything is based on how they feel.If they are in a good mood then Jesus loves them,but if there are troubles then Jesus must not love them or care at all.

 Do you know what the Bible calls this? It's called being double minded.

James 1:7-9

King James Version (KJV)

⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
⁸A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

But all we have to do is stop looking at our circumstances and have faith,faith as small as a mustard seed to see God do mighty things.

Matthew 17:20
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

I write these things not to condemn anyone,but to encourage.So many of these lessons I apply to myself.I pray God uses these to encourage you all as well.

Thankfulness and a grateful heart.

I was blessed to go to church today for Sunday school and morning and evening service.Unfortunately with Daniel just having a seizure and Ariel and Michael still ill with this Bronchial stuff they weren't able to make it.

The message today was on thankfulness.With this being the season of Thanksgiving,hopefully we remember to be thankful to the Lord for all he does for us,but are we truly thankful every day and in all circumstances? Or just one day a year and only in good circumstances? I'll admit it is so much easier to be thankful when there is money in the bank and food on the table and no medical issues going on.

We learned a lot more about the voyage of The Mayflower and how the Pilgrims came to America to find religious freedom.We learned about the horrid circumstances The Pilgrims were in when they sailed across the ocean and the first difficult winter they endured.

A lot of these things we already knew,but when you really think about their circumstances you realize how scary it must have been for them.
Imagine leaving home and going to a foreign and very much uninhabited land.
It must have been pretty frightening,but yet they were willing to do it to worship The Lord in the way that they knew was right.

The Pilgrims delt with damp and smelly quarters,rough seas,cold weather,starvation and a mountain of other difficulties and lost half of the Pilgrims the first year,but yet they started each day with prayer and thanksgiving,thanking God for all things.

It really puts me to shame to think about all the times I have grumbled and complained about the most insignificant things.

I am so blessed to live in a free country,to have food and shelter and clean water to drink. When my kids are sick or hurt I can take them for care and get them needed medical attention and medicine.

You don't really think about all the things you take for granted, until something like your power goes out and you see how much just having hot water, heat or electricity means.

Psalm 100:3-5

King James Version (KJV)

³Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
⁴Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
⁵For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Even in the times we are in the midst of trial and tribulation and trouble seems to be abounding we are to be thankful.

Philippians 4:6-7

King James Version (KJV)

⁶Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
⁷And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

By giving thanks to God in all things we are bringing peace and joy to ourselves.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁸In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

My family and I  started the tradition  years ago of every Thanksgiving going around the table and each person naming something they are thankful for.
When you really start to count your blessings, you see there is so much to be thankful for.

This Thanksgiving I hope to be thankful in all things and in all circumstances.

Satan's second greatest tool,division in the church.

This post may step on a few toes,but sometimes things just have to be said.

A while back I did a post about Satans greatest tool being the destruction of the family.You can read it here http://marrerofamilymakingthemostoflife.blogspot.com/2011/10/satans-greatest-tool-destruction-of.html I believe the second greatest tool of Satan is division in the church.

Satan is very crafty and if he cannot steal your soul the next best thing is to make you an ineffective Christian.What works more effectively to make you ineffective,then to have believers  fighting and bickering among themselves.

Having trouble and condescention among God's people serves two purposes,#1 you're too busy fighting amongst yourselves to be an effective witness and #2 It's a very poor testimony to those around you.

Matthew 5:14

¹⁴Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
¹⁵Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

One major issue that I have unfortunately seen time and time again is Christians seeming to forget what The Great Comission is.
Mark 16:9, After Jesus was raised from the dead this is what he said.
⁹Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
¹⁰And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
¹¹And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
¹²After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
¹³And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
¹⁴Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
¹⁵And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Our great comission as Christians is to preach the Gospel to the unsaved world,but yet there is so much strife and dissention in the church amongst God's people that we have truly lost our first love,which is loving and serving Jesus.

Jesus himself told The Church at Ephesus

Revelation 2:3-5

King James Version (KJV)

³And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

⁴Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

⁵Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Sometimes people can get so caught up in the minor things,like who's listening to this, and who's wearing that, and what programs are you involved in, and how do you teach your children? Those things themselves become more gospel to them than the actual Gospel is.

                                             

 I'm not talking about having standards that The Bible clearly points out. God calls us to have standards.We are to be salt and light. 

Matthew 5:13

King James Version (KJV)

¹³Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.              

1 John 2:15-16

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

¹⁶For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.                          

1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Somewhere between having Biblical standards that The Bible clearly defines and maybe a preaching or teaching on other ways to live, there has become great division amongst the brethren.

What we need to remember is that Jesus didn't come to heal the well he came to heal the sick.

Luke 19:10

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁰For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

We need to remember that babes in Christ are just taking in the milk of The Word and haven't gotten to the meat yet.Jesus is the one that needs to change them it is not our job to.

I'm sure that Matthew the tax collector or Mary Magdalene the lady of the night were not the most desirable people to be around.

One of the biggest problems that The Pharisee had with Jesus was that he ate and associated with sinners.

Luke 15

King James Version (KJV)

¹Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
²And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
³And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
⁴What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
⁵And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
⁶And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
⁷I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
⁸Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?

Jesus used this parable and the parable of the Prodigals son to show the rejoicing of a lost person receiving Christ and being found (saved.)


But yet many not only don't want to associate with the lost,but don't want to associate with Christians that are not up to their standards as well.

It's such a sad thing.I'm sure it truly grieves God to see us have that kind of attitude.I pray that God convicts me anytime I try to take that speck out of someone elses eye,when I have a log in my own.

Matthew 7:2-4

King James Version (KJV)

²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
⁴Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

One of the ways that Jesus says we will be known is by our love for one another.

John 13:34-36

King James Version (KJV)

³⁴A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
³⁵By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

I have to ask you if Jesus were to come today would he see that genuine love that shows you are his disciple or would he see something more like this "Sister so and so doesn't wear this,brother so and so doesn't do this."



Finally let us remember,
¹²For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
¹³For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
¹⁴For the body is not one member, but many.
¹⁵If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
¹⁶And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
¹⁸But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
¹⁹And if they were all one member, where were the body?
²⁰But now are they many members, yet but one body.
²¹And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
²²Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
²³And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
²⁴For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
²⁵That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
²⁶And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
²⁷Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
²⁸And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
²⁹Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
³⁰Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
³¹But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

I think if we all remembered we are from the same body and on the same team we could light the World on fire for Christ!