Godly Counselors Are Following Jesus

Today's guest blogger, Susan Smith,  has always been gracious enough to give me permission to post any of her weekly email newsletters here on Talk Wisdom. The moment I finished reading today's newsletter, I knew that it was a great message to share here!  The following is Susan's newsletter for December 2, 2011. It is AWESOME! I pray that the words shared will bless each reader!


In Christ,


Christine

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A while back we talked about King Hezekiah. The United Kingdom of ISRAEL got divided, and Hezekiah was one of the many kings of Judah, the southern kingdom. Israel was the northern kingdom. Hezekiah was a king who trusted God.



Hezekiah became mortally ill. He prayed to the Lord, and the Lord spoke to him and gave him a sign. However, Hezekiah did not respond commensurately with the benefit done for him, because he had grown proud; thus he brought anger on himself and on Judah and Jerusalem as well. But Hezekiah then humbled himself for his pride, both he and the people living in Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:24-26). Wow!



Can you relate this story to our world today? All our leaders are mortally ill. Are we not all leaders in some way? Do we not rule our own lives? Physical death is inevitable for all our governmental leaders or kings today. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people who in their unrighteousness keep suppressing the truth (Romans 1:18). Jesus the Messiah is the truth.



He is the ONE God of ISRAEL who is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God (Revelation 19:13). “And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, ‘KING of kings, and LORD of lords’” (Revelation 19:16). Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through him (John 14:6). Do you believe?



If you choose to believe, then you are not a sinner. Nowhere in the Newer Covenant (New Testament) are believers ever called sinners. Paul, one of the greatest Jews, addressed his letters to the SAINTS. I might sin, but that does not make me a sinner. I might tell a lie out of ignorance or stupidity, but that does not make me a liar.



The devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). I am not a child of the devil, but of the Living God. I am a child of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Jesus told the people in Jerusalem that he is the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob! He is not the God of the dead but of the living (Matthew 22:32).



The only thing a human counselor can touch is your soul (defined to be your mind, will and emotions according to Watchman Nee). In our world today, we have both pastoral counselors and clinical counselors. Some are godly and others are wicked. Some follow Jesus, and others are children of the devil, because they are habitual liars.



It is the power of God that can touch your spirit (conscience, communion and intuition according to Nee). Godly counselors are following Jesus! They are not following the ways of the world in which we live. However, some carnal counselors are following the ways of this world, and they are very proud.



Now think back again about King Hezekiah who grew proud, and he brought anger on himself and on Judah and Jerusalem as well. What does the older covenant (Old Testament) say about such a thing as this? The written Word tells us about the proud one. His or her soul is not right within, but the righteous will live by HIS faith (Habakkuk 2:4). Jesus is the faithful ONE. He is faithful even when we are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13).



I like David Stern’s translation of the Habakkuk verse: “Look at the proud: he is inwardly not upright; but the righteous will attain life through trusting faithfulness.” So how do we know who is proud and who is not? All I have to do is look in the mirror.

~ Susan Smith

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BIG Hat Tip:

Susan Smith

Respect Needs To Be Earned

In the comment section of the post, Leftists Rarely Show Conservatives Any Respect, Gary Baker shared some awesome comments. Gary was kind and gracious enough to accept my invitation to be a guest blogger and allow me to re-post his comments in a new "blogment" here at Talk Wisdom.

Gary was responding to GMPilot's comment in the previous thread. GM originally wrote (in response to Christine):

"How easily the demand for "respect" rolls off your tongue...but if you don't give any, you don't get any. That's something both sides need to remember."

Gary responded:

Quote:

I am reminded of the thousands of dollars of damage the Clinton staff did to the White House areas when Bush was first elected, and the special effort that Bush made to make certain that President Obama would not have to face that. Meanwhile, the Obama crowd on the mall leaves the place looking like a pig sty after the ceremony.

I'm reminded of how democrat senators refer to the service men as war criminals. How they undermine 50 men whose service was every bit as exemplary as John Kerry's for the simple reason that they expressed their opinion.

I'm reminded of how Bush is called liar and war criminal for saying [and] expressing the belief that Iraq had WMD's (more than were actually found) when everyone from Gore to both Clintons to Kerry to Edwards said the same thing on the record.

I'm reminded of how Trent Lott was forced from his leadership position for complimenting an old man at his birthday while the democrats embrace a former KKK official. Of how a republican resigned in disgrace for a solicitation scandal very similar to one performed by a democrat who was subsequently re-elected.

I'm reminded of how liberals claim to champion rights for women and minorities and yet savage people such as Colin Powell, Condi Rice, and Sarah Palin. I'm reminded how all of this is based strictly on toeing the liberal line and has nothing to do with worth or integrity.

When modern liberal ideology or President Obama gives me something to respect, I will gladly show it. Right now, the things that he is naming for his main agenda is rewarding irresponsible behavior, ensuring that people have a clear path to kill the unborn, stifling free speech and freedom of association, increasing debt and taxation, implementing economic policies that will prolong the recession, and working to permanently redefine marriage against the will of the majority in the country.

I got nothing... /quote

[Note: In response to Mike's request that we should all "pray for Obama," Gary added:

Quote:

BTW - Mike, for what it's worth, I spend a considerable part of my time in anguished prayer asking God to bless our leaders and this nation. Contrary to what so many think, a good many of the Christians are not bringing up these items to be judgmental. They are bringing them up in the hope that the nation can avoid judgment. The key, however, is repentance, and that's one thing the milk-soppy, pasty-faced, feel-good kind of preaching that is so popular in liberal churches these days will not spur. It does a person or a nation no good to allow them to be comfortable in their sins. From what I understand, it's a lot like gangrene: It doesn't hurt. It just stinks until parts of you start dying. I would rather the country be broken hearted and saved than comfortably fall into nothingness. /quote

Written by Gary Baker

About today's author:

I'm a conservative Christian with a great respect for the Spiritual and an engineer with a passion for the practical. I respect opinions, but only up to a point. I have a much greater respect for facts. I have a great love and admiration for science as well, but lately find a lot less admiration for many of the claims people make in its name.

Hat Tip: Guest Blogger Gary Baker

Guest Blogger: Susan Smith

Talk Wisdom's guest blogger for today is Susan Smith. She is the author of a weekly newsletter called, "Life in Israel - One Body." I met Susan via Stephen Bennett's blog way back in 2004. At the time, she was working for a Christian organization in Israel called "Bridges for Peace." We have been corresponding ever since.

When Susan was living and working in Israel, the newsletter was named, "Life in Israel." Upon returning, Susan explains the new name of her newsletter:

This writer lived in the city of Jerusalem on earth for five years (2002-2007).
You read about my personal life during those years and God provided many divine encounters with taxi drivers, Israelis and one man studying to be a rabbi in particular. You heard about encounters with other Christian volunteers from all over the world. The Lord did very important and crucial spiritual work in my personal life during those years.”

Because I am convinced the one Church body and Israel are one and the same, spiritually speaking, I changed the name to “Life in Israel-One Body.”

Susan's writing has blessed me (as well as all of her subscribers around the world) immensely over the past four years. I have shared several of her past newsletters here at this blog.

Today, I am presenting two of her most recent newsletters together in one post. It is a marvelous way to start the new year of 2009 - with the heartfelt, Jesus-loving, Bible-based wisdom that is contained and shared in Susan Smith's wonderful writings!

It is my prayer that you are blessed by these two marvelous essays as much as I have been!

In Christ,
Christine

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Life in Israel-One Body 26Dec08



Have you ever received a Christmas present that causes pain? This year has brought the most shameful and painful gift into my life. In order to grow spiritually, we often have to face pain. Emotional pain hurts as well as physical pain. Jesus is our healer. The Holy Spirit is gentle. He never forces us to face an issue in our lives. We always have a choice. Are there things in your life that you need to work through with God?



The grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus the Messiah, the Father’s Son, will be with you in truth and love (2John 3) as you work through issues in your life. We can trust God. Even when others have hurt us, and we feel we can trust no one. We can trust God. Even when we believe or think no one can possibly understand, we can trust Jesus. The Lord knows our hearts.



All the days designed and intended for you were written in the Lord’s book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). Is that hard for you to believe? Every Word of God is pure and flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him (Proverbs 30:5). Do you trust God? I do. He is a safeguard to those who put their trust in him.



So exactly what is this painful Christmas gift acknowledged by my heart? I have received one of the most excruciating and embarrassing revelations ever before in my life. I believe this revelation is from God. This is necessary. I must deal with it. The healing of my broken heart continues from sin that has touched my life. Praise God for his gentleness, his kindness and his grace. Too much light can blind a person. So often in our lives, we are unable to receive more light from God. In a sense there are obstacles to our sight just as there are obstacles to our spiritual growth. Only the love of God can remove the veil that covers our heart (2 Corinthians 3:14-15). Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).



Two weeks ago we talked about hearts of stone. My heart is more pliable today than it was two weeks ago. Shameful memories from childhood can become demonic strongholds in our thoughts. I was in my forties before the sexual abuse by a brother during my early childhood was ever revealed to another human being. The memories of what happened were repressed and denied. These memories affected my behavior as an adult. I will be 60 next year.



Over the past two weeks there has been some unexpected feedback to this newsletter. One was from a doctoral candidate. This reader is working on her PhD dissertation. I have known her personally for more than 10 years, and her words of encouragement seemed like manna from heaven. Another message was from a reader in the State of Georgia whom I do not know personally. God’s timing is always perfect! The Lord used these two readers in a mighty way to encourage and lead me forward regarding the direction of these newsletters.



Following Jesus is often like stepping stones in our lives. We move from one to another as the Lord directs. The steps are always according to his good will and purpose. They are also according to his perfect timing. There is no running! By God’s grace we learn to wait on the Lord, and we learn to be strong (Psalm 27:14).



My waiting was difficult. It seemed very hard at times, but the Lord is my God. By his grace we have been saved, through faith . . . it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Our faith is a gift from God every day. Praise the Lord. My salvation happens over and over again. I was saved yesterday, I am being saved today, and I will be saved tomorrow! Following Jesus is a daily walk for every believer. This specific “waiting” period for me began in the newsletter dated 14Nov08. More than a month ago you read:



For the past week I have had a bit of a struggle in my soul (mind, will and emotions) regarding the direction of this newsletter. To open my heart a bit, it concerns my biological family. One of my professors at Columbia International University (CIU) has been lecturing about different family structures and how family systems work. The Lord has used some of Dr. Wagner’s words to touch my heart deeply.



Dr. Wagner was a guest speaker this fall during chapel at my school. You can see a photo of Dr. Larry Wagner at this web page http://www.ciu.edu/graduate/faculty/bio.php?id=32. During the chapel message he quoted someone and said, “We can never be free from what we are unwilling to name.” That quote touched my heart for some unknown reason so during our next class meeting I asked Dr. Wagner for the source of his quote.



God has used the answer to my question to lead me in amazing ways over the past two months. Dr. Wagner recommended a book called Leading with a Limp. The writer is Dan Allender. Dr. Dan Allender received a Master of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary and his PhD in Counseling Psychology from Michigan State University. Currently, he serves as Professor of Counseling and President of Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle, Washington.



When I ordered Leading with a Limp from Amazon online, there were several books written by Dan Allender. I also ordered The Wounded Heart: Hope for adult victims of childhood sexual abuse. This second book has unleashed a flood of emotions in my soul, and the Lord is using it tremendously to heal me more from the inside out. Let me share two things from this book:



A father who uses his daughter as a surrogate wife or confidante has bound his daughter’s heart to him in a subtly sexual way . . . the damage may not be overt, and in fact the daughter may feel so special that she would defend to her death the appropriateness of her father’s interactions. It is nevertheless abusive . . . The fact that sexual abuse can be subtle ought not cloud our perspective that it is equally abusive and damaging.



“Damaged” is how I have often felt as a woman. What exploded like a bomb shell inside my heart later in Allender’s book was this: “The child that is set apart for abuse is usually hated for his or her privileges by the other siblings. The child who feels different because of the abuse is then even further alienated due to the sibling jealousy.” He then wrote, “The silence is rarely broken . . . It remains a dark secret for years, if not forever.”



Jesus came to heal the broken hearted (Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1). God prepared my heart and I was able to receive the truth. Jesus heals (Psalm 103:3). I am ready to break the silence. What a wonderful, yet painful Christmas gift this is to my heart and soul. We will continue next week as the Lord leads. Have a wonderful New Year’s holiday. ~ Susan Smith

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Life in Israel-One Body 02Jan09


This newsletter will end for a while after today. My spirit, soul and body need a break. When we meet again, my plan is to share much more with you as the Lord leads. Since completing the course called Psychopathology, I am convinced the spiritual realm and the mental realm of our lives are closely related if not one and the same.



There is evidence of this supposition in my personal life and in the lives of others in my family. Les Parrot is a professor of clinical psychology and Leslie Parrot is a marriage and family therapist. In their book entitled Relationships, they talk about intimacy:



If you try to find intimacy with another person before achieving a sense of identity of your own, all your relationships become an attempt to complete yourself . . . when you come to a relationship lacking personal self-worth, all you can offer is neediness.



Wow! Drs. Les and Leslie tell about the “emotional baggage” we bring from our first homes on earth to our adult relationships. “No other relationship shapes who we are more than our family. Most of what we think, feel, say, and do is in response to the home we grew up in.”



No wonder Jesus said, “You must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a little child, or you will never enter it” (Mark 10:15). Every believer must be changed from within by a new way of thinking. You must “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Every mind and heart has been stained with sin during childhood. Only a supernatural power can change the way we think. We live in a fallen world, but we have a choice every day. The evil one can change the way we think as adults, or the Holy Spirit can renew our minds and transform our lives. We are slaves to the one we obey (Romans 6:16). Do you understand?



The feedback to last week’s newsletter has been overwhelming. Thank you for responding. “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1). The outpouring of love and encouragement expressed by my brothers and sisters in Christ who read last week’s newsletter has been incredible. “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5). I stand amazed at the awesomeness of God’s love expressed by his people all over the world. Thank you. Your inspired words have brought great comfort to my soul.



Have you ever felt as though you are in over your head? You know what I mean. It is like biting off more than you can chew. We all have our limitations, and there are times we all need a break. It is painful to receive light that exposes our sin and the sin of those we love deeply. There are times we must be still and wait.



There are times we must be still and know that God is God (Psalm 46:10). We must stop our activity and be silent. Dan Allender expresses this so well in a book called Bold Love:



The key is that the silence that dawns in light of seeing your own sin does not discount the damage of others’ sin. It simply puts it, for a time, in the background, where it waits to be addressed when our own heart is less disposed to judge and rage at another’s failure.



That time of being still to know and the place for being silent in God’s light has arrived for Susan Smith. Allender says, “Silence is required for deep change . . . the silence that deeply changes our heart is the hush that comes when we are caught in our hatred and found to be without excuse.”



God has loaded my plate with delicious food as I continue to learn at Columbia International University (CIU). This week I have had another taste of something that is very important. What I have learned is true for you too. Wherever God has you is where he wants you for his good will and purpose. The mighty God of Israel never makes a mistake. He loves us with an everlasting love. The Lord has led me to CIU in order for me to receive more healing for my heart and soul as well as to prepare me for the future. God took me to Jerusalem for five years to heal my heart as well as to work with Bridges for Peace in the accounting department. My healing continues.



Dan Allender tells a bit about how God loves us: “He dares, in fact, to tear us away from all presumptions of logic, fairness, safety, and normalcy . . . He will have His way and invites us to join Him in the mystery of relationship.” Scripture tells us to ask, seek and knock; we are then assured that we will receive, find and the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7). There is only one door to life. Jesus said, “I am the door” (John 10:9).



The evangelist, James Robison, said in 1989 that no matter how active we are or how diligently we “serve the Lord,” if we do not know him, and live in intimate fellowship with him, then we are not in the center of his will, and we will not experience the mainstream of his blessings and power. I agree. What James Robison said is true for you and for me.



I believe with all of my heart that God has placed me in school during this season for his good will and purpose. I am to learn. I am also to receive more healing in my heart and soul. The Lord can choose to use us to touch hearts and lives no matter where we are or what we are doing.



The land of my life needs to be healed. God’s healing is continuous if we choose to receive. The land and life of my country, the United States of America, needs to be healed. “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Does your life need to be healed? Does your country need healing?



We must always remember the correct order according to God’s Word. We must humble ourselves first. The second step is to pray and seek God’s face. The third step is to turn from our wicked ways. Then the Lord will hear from heaven; he will forgive our sin, and he will heal our land. No other order will work. Humility comes first.



Only in humility can we pray and seek God’s face. Only in humility by the grace of God are we able to turn from our wicked ways. Let us pray together, as Jesus the Messiah taught his disciples, for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). We will meet again after today. For now, the Lord is leading me to be still and silent for a season as I seek and ask for his mercy. Shabbat Shalom, until we meet again...

Planting a Seed of Truth

Guest blogger, Susan Smith, has been kind enough to allow me to share her wonderful newsletter with readers here at Talk Wisdom.

Dear reader, have you ever experienced an "interruption" in your daily routine that turned out to be a divine encounter? I have!

Susan shares such an encounter that recently happened to her. It wasn't an accident or coincidence. She took the opportunity to plant a seed of truth for two young women, sent by God, to Susan's door.

When you read it, you will be encouraged and blessed!

Christine

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Susan's Newsletter:

The temperature was seventy degrees last Saturday (Shabbat) morning as I sat on my back porch with a cup of tea and my Bible. No reading was accomplished and the time was not important. Giving God one hundred per cent of my attention on Shabbat blesses my life more and more. From the back porch the bird feeders and birdbath are visible. At the beginning of Shabbat (Friday evening) it has become a routine to fill every feeder with seed and tear two slices of bread in half. The bread slices are placed in the top of the chain link fence that surrounds the backyard of the house God has provided.



Never before have I fed birds. Only God knew my needs when I returned from Israel a year ago. He speaks to us constantly. Most of what my ears hear from God comes from His written Word; however, during my five years in Jerusalem, I learned more and more that God is speaking to His people in many different ways. The ways God communicates with mankind are infinite.



Do you remember when God’s Word came to Elijah when he was hiding in the cave? Elijah was afraid of the woman, Jezebel. Jezebel had threatened to kill Elijah after her husband had told her Elijah slaughtered the prophets of Baal with the sword. Now when Elijah was in the cave, the word of the Lord asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1KI 19:9). Have you ever felt as though you are in a dark cave hiding from some danger? The Lord told Elijah to go out and stand on the mountain in his presence, because “the Lord is about to pass by” (1KI 19:11). So what happened next?



A mighty wind tore the mountains apart. After the wind there was an earthquake, and then there came a fire. Finally after the Lord passed by there was a gentle whisper and Elijah heard it so he covered his face with his coat and stood at the mouth of the cave. Do you get the picture? The Lord told Elijah to go out and stand on the mountain in his presence, but it seems Elijah was afraid. He stayed in the cave during the stormy wind, the earthquake and the fire. Can you relate? I can.



So often we have storms in our lives and we are afraid to stand still in God’s presence and listen. God tells us in his written Word to “Be still and know that I am God” (PSA 46:10) “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” What are we to do? We are to be still and know. We do not have to DO anything. We are human beings. We are not human doings! When we are “in” Christ, then we have it all. We must be still and know God is God. We move and breathe and have our being in God (ACT 17:28). Are you listening?



God is not served by human hands as if he needed anything, because the Lord gives everyone life and breath and everything else...he has even determined the times set for us and the exact places where we should live (ACT 17:25-26). STOP... My dear readers, nothing happens by accident. This newsletter will continue at a later date; however, the Lord just “passed by” in the form of two beautiful young girls. One is in the seventh grade and the other is a sophomore in high school. Let me explain:



As I was typing the scripture reference in the paragraph above, my doorbell rang. Two beautiful young girls were standing on my front porch. They each held a Bible and the older one also held two booklets. I invited them in and asked if they would like a cup of tea. They declined and said they would not stay but a minute. I welcomed them to stay longer, but they said they knew I was busy. The younger girl sat on the couch across the coffee table, and the older girl knelt beside my chair and began talking fast with many words. She seemed to be in a hurry.



She read a scripture from Revelation chapter 21:4 about how God will wipe away our tears and there will be no more death or mourning. My reply was, “Praise the Lord, He is Lord of lords and King of kings. God has exalted His Name above every name, and at the name of Jesus every knee will bow.” My voice then said, “Just as you are on your knees right now beside by chair.” Oh my friends, only God can set up such circumstances and give us the words that come out of our mouths! There seemed to be no “thinking” on my part at all. The words coming out of my mouth were not planned or premeditated. It was as though my brain had been bypassed once again.



This beautiful teenager then began to tell me how so many are afraid today, etc. I prayed silently for God to give me words as she talked, and then I interrupted her. She stopped talking, and there was eye contact with both girls. I told them I would listen to them and hoped they would let me talk for the same length of time when they finished. They both nodded and agreed. The older girl on her knees then told me about two issues of their publication she held in her hand. She said the booklets would direct me to the Bible.



It was very easy to explain how I did not need their books to direct me to the living Word of God and how I read the Bible every day. I told them I had returned last year after five years in Israel as a Christian volunteer. The older girl told me her dad had been to Saudi Arabia on business with the Arabs. Then I explained about the young people I worked with in Israel from the UK, South Africa and Australia. The two girls were listening. They were told when I left the US to travel to Israel in 2002, I thought their generation was lost, but I was wrong. I told them there are young people all over the world who are “sold out” for Jesus. They are “on fire” for the Lord.



My visitors were quiet, and then the younger girl on the couch mentioned how her friends dressed at school. The two girls were both dressed nicely in skirts and blouses. They had told me they were in seventh grade and tenth grade. My words told them I understood how they were under a lot of pressure in this culture today including the sin of homosexuality. Then the words just kept flowing. I told them I was an active lesbian for more than twenty years and Jesus delivered me. I told them I was a drunk for more than thirty years and Jesus delivered me. Then I said, “I had a baby out of wedlock and gave the child up for adoption.” I explained I have a friend who had an abortion and some young girls have been tormented by demonic spirits coming against their minds after they have had abortions. I said, “Jesus Christ has transformed my life!”



They were told about my testimony being recorded for Straight Talk Radio during a visit back from Israel and I asked if they would like a copy of the CD. They said, “Yes.” So I walked in another room and found one for them. When I returned to the living room, I handed the CD to the older girl. Then I asked if I could pray for them as I sat down and the older girl said, “I don’t think so.” She was standing by my chair. I slide to my knees out of the chair at her feet and looked up at her face. I said in almost a begging voice, “I would love to pray for the Lord to bless your lives. Christians pray for one another.”



She then asked, “What religion are you?” I told her I am a Bible-believing Christian and then I said, “No denomination has a lock on truth. Jesus is the truth.” Young people all over the world today are looking for truth! Denominationalism will not satisfy the X-generation. Organized religion is not the answer they so desperately need. They need Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the truth. Christ is the answer every heart on earth, both young and old, is seeking today.



Oh my friends, these two innocent young hearts had been prepared by God to listen and receive. So what happened? The doorbell rang again. I looked up and a nice looking middle-aged man was standing outside the glass storm door with a black briefcase in his hand. I said, “Who is that?” The sophomore told me he was her dad. I was pleased, opened the door, introduced myself and invited him in. He declined and asked the girls if they had offered “Mary” the literature. I said, “Who is Mary? Mary was the mother of Jesus.” He said he was sorry and then called me “Susan” as he seemed a bit flustered. I said I would like to pray for him and the girls. He said “no thank you,” and then he said they had to leave. I told them to come back any time.



They left and I watched as they gathered with a half dozen or more men and women in the street outside. As they walked down the street, they seemed to be talking a lot. The older girl had walked out with the CD in her left hand. I noticed as she walked away with the group that she did not appear to show it to anyone. Then I watched as she placed the CD in her shoulder bag that was hanging on her right shoulder. May the Lord’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. My prayer is for the gospel of truth to touch those girls and transform their hearts and lives.



My friends, accidents do not happen. God does indeed determine the exact places where we should live, and it is no accident I am living here in this house that is owned by a friend’s sister. God’s timing is always perfect! The Lord provides, and God gives us everything we need in order to do his will every single day of our lives. His will and purpose is all that matters in heaven and on earth. Do you believe? Call to God and he will answer you...he will tell you great and mighty things you do not know (JER 33:3). He speaks to us in storms, earthquakes and through fire in our lives. He also speaks in a still small voice. Are you listening? Are you ready to come out of your cave and stand on the mountain? God speaks in marvelous and miraculous ways to direct our words, deeds and actions. Can you hear the Holy Spirit? ~ Susan Smith

Susan Smith's Newsletter

Susan Smith is Talk Wisdom's guest blogger today. The following is a copy of her April 5, 2008 newsletter which is emailed each week to subscribers. In this edition, Susan discusses many important facts about Christian faith, including how the Holy Spirit works in our lives; how Scripture leads us in truth; that the kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness, peace and joy; that it takes time to mature in our faith; and the importance of deliverance from sin for salvation. Lastly, she describes what transpired during a recent encounter over Easter weekend with two female Jehovah's Witnesses.

Read, enjoy and be blessed!

Christine

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Last week we talked about seeing God’s glory. The Holy Spirit often seems elusive. There are times when the Holy Spirit is working powerfully in our lives and it seems indefinable and mysterious. Often it is “after the fact” that we learn it was God all along who was molding and making us as the potter molds and makes the clay. The Lord does not hide truth from us, He hides truth FOR us! His desire is for us to seek His kingdom first.

The kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (ROM 14:17). The kingdom of God “consists in justice and peace and joy—and all in the atmosphere of the Holy Spirit” according to William Barclay’s translation. All scripture is divinely inspired and is useful for teaching the truth, for refutation of error, moral correction and for training in the good life (2TIM 3:16). It does not matter what translation of the Holy Bible you read. God’s written Word is true.

What a blessing we have here in the United States where multiple translations of the written Word of God are available. Who imagined even fifty years ago that these translations would be available all over the world today via the Internet? God does amazing things with the Internet. There are web sites and Christian blogs that are proclaiming God’s Word and His glory throughout the world every minute of every day. Jesus said “I will build my church” (MAT 16:18) and He is doing just that. The Lord is building His church His way and this is happening with or without you or me. Praise His Name!

There have been occasions when my flesh has puffed up with pride when others tell me I have a powerful testimony. Nothing good dwells in my flesh (ROM 7:18). Spiritual pride is a very dangerous sin. Can you grasp this? When anyone is set free from sin, then that person must accept by faith that he or she has become a slave to righteousness (ROM 6:18). God has made Jesus our wisdom, our goodness, our way to holiness and our liberation...to ensure if anyone is proud, he must be proud of what the Lord has done for him and if we boast, then we are to boast in the Lord (1CO 1:30-31). It is so easy to ignore this scripture especially right after one has been delivered from a specific sin.

Deliverance or salvation from sexual sin or drunkenness is not a greater miracle of God than deliverance from gossip, slander, angry outbursts, jealousy, envy, hatred or any other fleshly sin (GAL 5:20-21). Do you understand? Salvation from the power of any specific sin does not assure spiritual maturity. There is no guarantee of spiritual maturity just because the power of God has delivered you from some explicit sin. I have seen spiritual immaturity in my life many times since the Lord delivered me from homosexuality and drunkenness. Deliverance from fleshly sin is only the beginning of abundant life in Christ!

We grow in our knowledge of God and the Messiah (JOH 17:3) just as we grow in physical maturity from childhood to adulthood. Are you growing in spiritual maturity today? Spiritual growth is not always at the same speed and sometimes it is in the wrong direction. Knowledge of God and the Way we must walk come little by little, precept must be upon precept (ISA 28:10). There is a definite order in which we grow, because God is not the author of confusion (1CO 14:33). The Lord will not show us the next step until we have obeyed all He has given us today.

We should not expect ourselves to have a maturity beyond our years nor should we expect those younger than we are to have our maturity. We are without understanding and we are not wise when we measure ourselves by ourselves and compare ourselves with one another (2CO 10:12). We are foolish to use others as our standard of measurement. Jesus is the only perfect human being who has ever walked on earth. How do we measure against the Messiah? He has a perfect relationship with God.

Did my visitors on Easter weekend have a relationship with God? I saw them coming up the street and two ladies rang my doorbell. One woman had gray hair and she looked old enough to be the younger lady’s grandmother. When I opened the door, the young woman said, “We are handing out literature.” I smiled and told them they were welcome to come in. They thanked me and reluctantly entered my living room. I motioned toward the couch and told them to have a seat as I sat in a chair.

The older lady thanked me as she sat down and then she said, “We are Jehovah Witnesses.” I smiled and said “Praise the Lord. His Name is Jehovah. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.” She then said, “We believe Jesus is the son of God.” I smiled again and said, “God has given Him the Name above every name and at the Name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” My enthusiasm came from within. God had answered my prayer before the doorbell rang when I asked Him to fill me with His Spirit.

It was a joy to speak the words that came out of my mouth and this encounter reminded me of the long application interview for graduate school at the university with Dr. Bolte. The words simply came out! I did not think about what to say and it seemed as though my brain had been bypassed. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (MAT 12:34). God continues to transform my life by the renewing of my mind (ROM 12:2). We are commanded to be transformed by this renewing and it is an act of God. We cannot transform our own lives or renew our minds. God does this by His grace. It can be continuous. We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit (EPH 5:18). We must seek God if we want to be transformed and if we desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

It was almost as though God waved a “caution” flag in my mind when the older lady spoke again. She said in a different tone of voice, “So you believe in the Trinity.” The word “Trinity” cannot be found in the written Word of God. We are not to go beyond what is written (1CO 4:6). God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is a difficult doctrine for many to grasp. In Jerusalem, I had a Muslim friend tell me that Christians believe in three gods. Orthodox Jews believe God is Spirit and He cannot be flesh; therefore, they reject Jesus who Christians believe is God incarnate. I do not believe there is a person on earth who completely understands the Trinity, but I believe the Bible teaches the reality of the Trinity in both the Old and New Testaments. The Trinity is a spiritual revelation of God that I accept by faith.

The young lady sitting on the couch had said nothing, but I could tell she was listening. I told my visitors I believe God is three characters in one. Sharing my time in Israel was easy. I told them the Orthodox Jews recite a prayer everyday called the Shema: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One” (DEU 6:4). Then I asked the older lady if she had children. She answered, “Yes” so I said, “Then you are a mother, a daughter and a wife...three characters, but you are only one person. I believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

It was a surprise when the older lady began to rise from the couch and she said, “Well we won’t keep you.” With excitement in my voice and a big smile I stood up and said, “But I want to keep you just as God wants to keep you. May I pray for you before you leave?” “No ma’am” the gray-haired lady said in a louder voice as they moved toward the front door. The younger woman held out a piece of literature and I said “no thank you” as I opened the door. I told them I read the living Word of God. “It divides between our souls and our spirits. It convicts us of sin.” When we stepped on the porch I again asked if I could pray for them.

The older lady again said, “No ma’am” and she added, “We are Christians too!” Then I implored once more, “You will not let me pray for you?” She said, “No ma’am!” The goodbye seemed sad as I said, “God bless you and have a wonderful day.” As they walked down the sidewalk there was sorrow in my heart. They chose to walk away.

The Bible tells us: O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the source of living water (JER 17:13). Have you ever walked away? I have. Praise God for His mercy. Have you ever shown contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads us toward repentance? (ROM 2:4) I have.

Is your name written in the Book of Life (REV 20:15) or will it be written in the dust today? God cursed the serpent in the Garden of Eden. The serpent eats dust (GEN 3:14). Do you ever feel as though an enemy is eating away at the land of your life? “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2CH 7:14). Do you want to be well?

We are created for God’s glory (ISA 43:7). We are told to “fear not” many times in the Bible. Remember when God commissioned Moses to bring the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt? This was long before Moses asked to see God’s glory. Moses asked God “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” The question was not important. God’s answer was. God said, “I will be with you” (EXO 3:12). There was no fear when my door was opened for the “witnesses” on Easter weekend. There was no question of who “I” was. God was with me and I saw a glimpse of His glory. Praise His Name! ~ Susan Smith

Confronting Bad Culture

Guess what people? I have another "guest blogger" to present today - except this time the author doesn't even know it! Ha!

I received an email from Newt Gingrich and thought it was so good (and badly needs to be read by all) that I have decided to post the whole thing here at Talk Wisdom.

Parts of it relate directly, or indirectly to several of the last few blog entries posted here. Comments welcome!

Christine

*******

April 1, 2008
Vol. 3, No. 14

Confronting Bad Culture and Bad Government: The Key to a Healthier, Safer, and More Prosperous America

By Newt Gingrich

There is one critical topic for the 2008 campaign that is so far outside the elite mainstream that it probably will not be mentioned:

This key issue for America is how bad culture reinforced by bad government is crippling America and trapping the poor in disastrous situations.

To his credit, Senator Barack Obama began this conversation in his speech in Philadelphia, but this critical conversation is a long way from being finished. The coming months will test whether we can have an honest, direct dialogue about the disastrous cultural patterns and destructive government policies of the last 40 years.

Replacing bad culture and bad government with good culture and good government is the most important single challenge we face here at home.

The Need to Go from Preaching to Meddling

This is a decisive moment. Unquestionably, confronting bad culture and bad government will be threatening to most of our elites, our bureaucracies, our lobbyists, our political consultants, and our news media. Every effort will be made to avoid the challenge.

There is an old saying that someone has "gone from preaching to meddling." If we insist on a serious, candid discussion about bad culture and bad government, we will clearly have gone to meddling -- and our elites will resist.

Yet this topic is the key to creating a better future for all Americans and solving our major domestic problems.

Senator Obama Was Simply Wrong to Emphasize Racism in His Speech Last Thursday at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)

I gave an initial response to Senator Obama's Philadelphia speech on racism.

For an hour, I emphasized that the key problem of poverty in America is a function of bad culture and bad government.

My point was that Senator Obama was simply wrong in his emphasis on racism.

In case after case it is clear that the number-one threat to poor people is not racism. Instead, the poor are trapped by bad culture and bad government.

Yelling racism is an attempt by the elites on the left to hide from this reality. After all, the bad culture and bad government trapping the poor are in large part a product of the efforts made by those elites and their allies.

The more I talk with people about the sorry state of our current dialogue, the clearer it is to me that both sides are missing this crucial point. This failure to confront reality has brought us to a decisive turning point in American history.

Senator Obama has opened the door for a fundamental conversation about why there are poor people in America and what we need to do about it. It is incumbent on us to have the courage to engage in that conversation without fear and without flinching.

It's Time for Right and Left to Follow the Lead of Bill Cosby

The Left is determined to blame all the current problems on President Bush and pass a series of programs that will actually make those problems worse.

But since the Left -- with its academic, Hollywood, trial lawyer, bureaucracy, and union factions -- is the cause of much of the bad culture and most of the bad government, it can hardly be expected to voluntarily start a dialogue about repudiating its own cultural values and reforming its own bureaucratic allies.

Sadly, however, the Right has been too shallow and too focused on raising money and developing clever tactics to engage in the level of fundamental conversation America needs.

Bill Cosby has been a lonely voice advocating a serious look at the fundamental patterns and the cultural crisis that underlie many of our most serious problems.

It's time the rest of us reinforced Bill Cosby and followed his lead.

The Founding Fathers Knew: Good Government Requires Good Culture

One of the amazing things about the generation that founded America was that they knew we as a people would eventually drift into a crisis of bad culture and bad government. And they had no doubt which came first. They knew that bad culture leads to bad government -- and good government requires good culture.

Consider just a few quotes from our Founders:

"...there is no truth more thoroughly established, than that there exists in the economy and course of nature, an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness; between duty and advantage; between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy, and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity; since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained..." -- President George Washington's First Inaugural Address

"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports." -- George Washington's Farewell Address

"Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." -- John Adams

"Religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness." -- Samuel Adams

"Reading, reflection, and time have convinced me that the interests of society require the observation of those moral precepts ... in which all religions agree." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Religion is the only solid Base of morals and Morals are the only possible support of free governments" -- Gouverneur Morris

"The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments." -- Benjamin Rush

American Government and Culture Took a Wrong Turn in the 1960s
How did America go from Benjamin Rush's call for religion as the only foundation for a useful education to the amoral, do-your-own-thing, militantly secular culture and bureaucracy we have today?

America took a wrong turn in the 1960s, both in culture and in government.

The counterculture and the militant Left repudiated middle class values and assaulted the core patterns which had worked for 200 years, creating the most prosperous country in the world.

But we didn't stop there. Big bureaucracies were created at the federal, state, and local levels; and they have been decaying in efficiency and effectiveness ever since.

The result is that we now have red-tape-ridden governments that reinforce the wrong values and undermine the still healthy parts of the culture.

The Result? An America in Which a 13-Year-Old Is Arrested as a Madame

Bad government and bad culture reinforce each other. Bad culture preaches vice over virtue, getting something for nothing over hard work, and immediate gratification over saving and planning. Bad government then rewards all these destructive habits, fostering even more bad culture.

This pattern has created an America in which:

A 13-year-old is arrested as a "Madame" in Dallas.

One out of every four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease (including over 50% of African American teenage girls).

One out of every five eighth graders has tried an illegal drug.

We have a horrendous high school drop-out rate that will ultimately doom America in economic competition with China and India.

Atheists seek to use the courts to erase every element of God from public life.

Celebrities routinely make headlines for drug and alcohol addiction and other self-destructive behavior.

African American males who drop out of high school face a 73% unemployment rate in their 20s and a 60% chance of going to jail in their 30s.

We have the largest prison population in the world: One out of every 100 Americans is in prison.

A subprime mortgage crisis exists because greed, short-sightedness, and self-deception convinced both very sophisticated financiers and very unsophisticated home buyers to enter into commitments which were historically guaranteed to create a disaster. Now the nation is being asked to bail both groups out.

These Are Not the Patterns of a Society Prepared to Maintain Its Freedom and Prosperity

These are not the patterns of a healthy, wise society prepared to maintain its prosperity and sustain its freedom.

These are the patterns of a self-destructive, juvenile society that is putting everything at risk by ignoring the lessons of history.

I wrote Rediscovering God in America, Winning the Future, and Real Change to begin laying out the fundamental changes America needs if we are to remain the most successful country in history (and more recently, Callista and I produced the DVD version of Rediscovering God in America for the same reason).

We founded American Solutions and created the first draft of the Platform of the American People to begin a positive dialogue about the solutions and the policies that will bring us together as Americans. Our goal is to create a red, white, and blue dialogue of unity to replace the red-versus-blue screaming match of partisanship that has blocked real change in our federal and state capitols and in our city halls and county commissions.

Americans Are Ready to Talk about Bad Culture and Bad Government

Having watched the banal and trivializing presidential campaign for the last year, the speech by Senator Obama in Philadelphia struck me as the right invitation to begin a real dialogue about what is wrong in America and what needs to be done to put America back on the right track.

The initial reaction to my speech at AEI has been very encouraging. C-SPAN got such a strong reaction from broadcasting it live last Thursday that they ran it four more times in the next 24 hours. Since then they have continued to run it.

The emails and phone calls we have received have been very encouraging.

There are a lot of Americans who are prepared to begin a fact-filled dialogue about bad culture and bad government.

Over the Next Few Months I Will Have More to Say

There are even more Americans prepared to begin a dialogue about real change in every aspect of society and government that is currently failing.
Over the next few months I will deliver a series of speeches expanding on the need to confront bad culture and bad government and replace them with good culture and good government.

Watching the success of John Adams on HBO, I am convinced there are a lot of Americans eager to talk about the lessons of history and the permanent principles on which a healthy society and government (and therefore a healthy country) can be renewed.

Hopefully we can challenge the platform committees of both parties in August to consider bold new platform proposals that tackle the challenge of bad culture and bad government.

If you have ideas of your own about proposals and policies that could improve America, please share them with me at Newt@AmericanSolutions.com.

I look forward to your ideas and suggestions.
I will report more in the coming weeks.

Your friend,
Newt Gingrich

Arlen Has Questions!

Dear Readers,

From time to time, I have had guest bloggers agree to post their articles, essays, and commentaries here at Talk Wisdom.

Arlen, one of our new commenters, has some challenging yet quite important questions for us to answer. He asks for our opinions about Jesus, Pontius Pilate's role in Christ's crucifixion, and the power given by God regarding this most important event in all of history. In addition to this, he has questions regarding God's role in the appointment of leaders; both in the past as well as today.

Here is your chance to delve into Scripture, put on your apologetics thinking caps, and come up with answers to these excellent questions!

Here are Arlen's questions:

I have two questions for you on which I would like to get your opinion and that of your readers.

They both emanate from the same verses of Scripture:

So Pilate said to him, "Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?"

Jesus answered (him), "You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin." John 19:10-11

1) In verse 11, Jesus implies that God gave Pilate his position of authority. If that is true (and I believe it is), does that mean that God appoints all leaders? In the OT, it says He appoints kings. If God appoints rulers, does this mean He appoints bad ones (as a way of accomplishing His will)? Where I am going with this is does it matter for whom we vote if the leader is sanctioned and appointed by God, whether it be Obama, Clinton or McCain and whether that leader be good or bad? One could argue that Pilate was a bad leader (yet appointed by God per Jesus’ words).



2) Secondly, in a much broader sense, in verse 10, Pilate tells Jesus that he has the power to crucify Him. And in verse 11, Jesus says this power came from God. Therefore, if Pilate has the power to crucify Jesus and God gave him that power, does this mean that God sanctions the death penalty?



I have thought a great deal about these verses as of late, whether they apply only to Jesus’ time or today. What say you?



Blessings to you,

Arlen

Jesus Christ Transforms Lives

Newsletter: Life in Israel-One Body 09Nov07



Jesus Christ Transforms Lives

Written by guest blogger Susan Smith

Almost a year and a half ago, we began discussing the idea of the one Church body and Israel being one and the same (spiritually speaking). I am convinced this is true and in September the title of this newsletter was changed to include “One Body.” The more books that are read and the more I study the written Word of God, this proposition continues to be reinforced in my mind, soul and spirit over and over again. The one Church body and Israel are one and the same, spiritually speaking. During May 2006 we had concluded a series on humility and a new subject for this newsletter was being considered. You read in a newsletter that month:



“For my records, this series has been titled “Israel and the one Church body”. Could Israel and the one Church body be one and the same ‘spiritually’ speaking? This is not replacement theology as some have taught in error. The Church has not ‘replaced’ Israel at all.” And the country of Israel on earth today has definitely not replaced the one Church body. We will talk more about this later. Jesus said, “I will build my church” (see MAT 16:18) and He is doing just that. If you believe, then Jesus is your life.



God is the light of life. He wraps Himself in light and the unfolding of His words gives us light (see PSA 56:13, PSA 104:2 and PSA 119:130, NIV). Most readers have heard of Einstein’s famous equation: Energy equals mass times the velocity of light squared. Many have heard of laser light beams used for surgery. Do we actually understand light? So often we hear that science and religion do not mix. God created everything man can study. The fields of mathematics and physics verify the truth of the Bible! Did you know God lives in unapproachable light (see 1TI 6:16)? The King of kings and Lord of lords, who loves you dwells in unapproachable light that no human being has ever seen or can see!



Most everyone knows God said, “Let there be light” and He saw that the light was good. He separated the light from the darkness and He called the light “day” and the darkness He called “night” (see GEN 1:3-5). My beloved friends, this was the first day of creation long before God created the sun, moon and the stars on the fourth day of creation. So we had light on earth before the sun existed. What does this mean to us today? Have you ever considered the definition of light?



My dictionary gives the definition of light quite clearly. Light is “something that makes vision possible.” Amazingly, the first definition of “vision” in my dictionary is: “a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation.” Vision is not only the act or power of seeing with our physical eyes. Vision transmits or delivers a revelation! Do you have vision? Exactly what is that “something” that makes vision possible? Obviously it is the Holy Spirit, because “This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (see 1JO 1:5, RSV). Do you understand?



This year, 2007, is a very interesting season in my life. My biological mother died in Florida on 18April and my spiritual mother (or mentor) died on 18May. Their physical bodies were put into the earth on 21April and 21May. I was unable to attend the funerals. Only God can do miracles like that. The two women who affected my life the most were taken off this earth the last days I lived in Israel. My move back to the United States after five years of working with Bridges for Peace in Jerusalem was on 26May. “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (see PSA 139:16, NIV). God knew everything that would happen during my five years in the country of Israel. Accidents do not happen.



Last Sunday (04Nov) I attended First Baptist Church of Columbia with my mentor’s two daughters. They invited me to stand as a member of their family during a time of memorial for members of that congregation who had died within the past year. Their act of kindness and love touched my heart deeply. Saturday night before the service God brought to my mind it was exactly one year ago on 04Nov2006 that I visited my mother in Florida. It was my final leave from Israel, when I drove to Zephyrhills for a niece’s wedding that I last saw my biological mother alive on this earth. Only God’s timing is perfect and only He could have arranged this memorial service to be on 04Nov.



It was a very emotional experience for me and tears came to my eyes several times before, after and during the service. Songs sung during worship included “Because He Lives” and also “It Is Well with My Soul.” I sat next to my mentor’s older daughter who called me in Jerusalem within thirty minutes of my mentor’s death. She quietly said “You have been to mother’s funeral” and told me those two songs were sung at my mentor’s funeral in May. There were forty-one “saints” remembered last Sunday at First Baptist. The senior pastor asked family members to stand when he read each name and a photo was shown on two large screens in the sanctuary.



What a poignant and heartrending moment in time this was for me. As we stood, my head was bowed and tears welled up in my eyes as I tried not to sob out loud. My mentor’s older daughter put her arm around me and I leaned my head on her shoulder. Her tender loving touch reminded me so much of my beloved mentor, because it ministered to my deepest spiritual and emotional need for love at that time. God showed her my need and she obeyed. “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (MAR 3:35, NIV). The Holy Spirit obviously directed her exactly how to love me just as He did her mother for so many years.



After the service the daughters and I joined my mentor’s granddaughter, her husband and the two great-granddaughters (two and four-years-old) at California Dreaming for lunch. California Dreaming is a nice restaurant built from a historic 1901 railroad station. The fourth day of November will always be special in my memory. As the daughters drove me home, the older daughter reminded me that they love me. Later in an email, I told her I truly grieved the loss of her and her sister when their mother died. For me, it was like losing my entire family. My mentor was the “glue” that kept us together. Now I realize they were not “lost” even though we are not together so often. She told me in her reply: “As sisters in Christ, we will always have a bond even if we are miles apart physically.” Lyda and Ruth will always remain my beloved sisters by the blood of Jesus the Messiah. Accidents simply do not happen.



How the enemy used my biological mother to lead me into darkness was no accident either. The devil and/or demonic spirits ministered much death to my soul during my developmental years in Florida through the life of my mother. Your soul is your mind, your will and your emotions. I felt very alone during those years and I believed many lies from the enemy. Satan is the father of lies and there is no truth in him (see JOH 8:44). The real and perceived rejection from my mother was fertile spiritual ground for the enemy to work for many years. The chains of bondage to sexual sin seemed to draw tighter and tighter each year as my alcohol abuse increased. Homosexuality was a major sin in my life for more than twenty years and drunkenness was practiced for more than thirty years. Then our merciful God sent a deliverer. My mentor was sixty-five and I was thirty-five when we met in Columbia, South Carolina.



My move to Columbia in 1984 after my dad died in Florida was by the hand of God. God’s plan was much better than mine. This writer believed she was moving to Columbia because of the “gay” community. During my US Army days, I was sent to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina during the 1970s from Ft. Hood, Texas on two temporary duty trips. During those trips, I met quite a number of men and women who practiced the sin of homosexuality in Columbia. Two female “gay” friends found the house I bought in Columbia in 1984 and God set me down in this capital city right next-door to the woman (my mentor) He had prepared to deliver me out of the sins of homosexuality and drunkenness. Neither of us had any idea what the Lord planned to do over the next eighteen years as we lived side by side. My neighbor knew nothing about those who practice the sin of homosexuality; however, she knows Jesus.



She and her husband were both retired. They had two married daughters and three grandchildren when we met. During my five years in Israel (2002-2007) two great-granddaughters were born. What an amazing relationship I had with this woman during those twenty-three years. God knit our hearts together with His divine love and the Lord worked a mighty transformation in my life. When I was accepted as a volunteer by Bridges for Peace in Jerusalem, I told my mentor she was the only person on earth who could stop me from going. The hug she gave me was strong as she wrapped her arms around me in her kitchen that morning and she said, “I cannot stand in the Lord’s way.” We both had tears in our eyes.



God continued to transform my life during the five years in Israel and my transformation has not ended. Being set free from the power of sin in our lives is a transforming experience and it continues until we leave this earth. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” We are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus the Messiah with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, Who is the Spirit (see 2CO 3:17-18, NIV). My life appears to have very little solid direction since my return from Israel, yet I know the Lord is leading me every day. The Israelites drank from the spiritual rock and so does this writer. The Rock is Christ (see 1CO 10:4) and He is solid. “For who is God besides the Lord and who is the Rock except our God?” (PSA 18:31, NIV) He never leaves us and God is moving me in a direction right now never before imagined.



You will learn more about the changes in my life and this direction before the end of the year as the Lord gives me more light and revelation. If we walk in the light as God is in the light, then the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from every sin (see 1JO 1:7) and He gives us more and more freedom in the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God is within us (see LUK 17:21) and His kingdom is a matter of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (see ROM 14:17). Are you living in His kingdom this day? Once in a while, someone asks me, “What do you do?” There is only one answer. I am following Jesus! Have a wonderful week. ~ Susan Smith