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How to Increase Church Attendance

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Our youngest son Jimmy, always the adventurous type, decided to leave the safety and comfort of the Lone Star State (Texas) to continue his education after high school at Babson College—a private, but well-known business college founded in 1919 in Wellesley, Massachusetts, a town west of Boston.

So, it did not surprise his father or me that as an adult, he decided to collect the antique book versions written by the founder of his college—Roger W. Babson.

As most parents would be, we were grateful he did not want to start a collection of weird things like banana stickers, toenail clippings, or super-soakers! So, books were a great choice since I could find and give these rare books for birthday and Christmas gifts—if I could find them.

Babson was an American entrepreneur, economist, and business theorist. He predicted the Wall Street Crash of 1929, was the Prohibition Party’s candidate for President of the United States in 1940 although the election was won by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was also a religious man.

Babson authored over 40+ books on various topics—mainly business-related topics, but one book that he wrote, with the help of others, is titled How to Increase Church Attendance. It is this rare book that I found for Jimmy’s recent birthday present from a source I will not disclose to anyone.

Before wrapping Jimmy’s birthday gift, I read the book and took notes. Being a book published in 1936, it was fascinating to see how religious men from over 80 years ago perceived church attendance.

I desire that the following quotes from Babson’s book will make you laugh, ponder, and/or possibly change how you do church today!

Ministers, Leaders, and the Church

The personality and the pastoral work of the minister [is] very important. [It] is fundamental to a successful church.

If a church [cannot] afford a decent plant, it should consider consolidating with another church. In such cases, the churches with the poorer plants should sell their property and use the funds for renovating and extending [with] some other church in the community.

Trained teachers who are willing to give their services in the Sunday School should be exempt from making contributions.

All in the community, whether or not they attend church, should contribute to some church.

A Sunday should never go by without the minister making a public appeal for those who wish to give their hearts to Jesus.

The church is like a muscle—the more we use it, the stronger it becomes, while the less we use it, the weaker it becomes.

There are twice as many churches as there should be.

It is an outworn custom to count only those at the Sunday morning preaching service. We should also count the number who come to the church each week for any service of worship.

We should attend church . . .  to show our colors—to show the community and our family where we stand.

Every layman should go to church, irrespective of [the] preacher, music, ventilation, or cushions.

“Here [are] my suggestions for a church membership pledge,” exclaimed Roger Babson.

====================

To the ………………………………. Church,

I desire to develop my spiritual life and the spiritual life of others. As one means of doing this, I desire to join the ………………………………. Church.

I shall endeavor to bring my family or friends to your church, or to some other church if I am away, every Sunday.

I ask that you get in touch with me any week that you do not see or hear from me. I have checked the two lists on the reverse of this sheet showing the specific help which I most need, and also the line of work in which I may perhaps be most helpful to you.

Date ……………………………….            (S) ………………………………..

I FEEL THE MOST NEED OF:

Meditation

Learning to pray

Courage and Faith

Instruction

Help with my family

Better health

Economic assistance

New friends

General guidance

CAN BE THE MOST HELPFUL TO OTHERS IN:

Service of Worship

Teaching in Sunday School

Helping on the music

Leading young people

Caring for little children

Adult educational work

Boys’ Club Projects

Calling on the sick

Supplying flowers

====================

Causes for the Decline in Church Attendance

  1. Many seem to fear neither God nor man.
  2. Secondary motives for attending church, i.e. to help a man’s business or better his political prospects.
  3. Competing calls—competition; movies, reading newspapers.
  4. “The Waiting Mood”—People have ceased to seek. They wait to be sought.
  5. Indifference—church people are tremendously interested in many things. We must present the advantages of church attendance.
  6. Dissatisfaction with the tenets and teachings of the church. [Basically, the church does not seem to meet their needs and the needs of the age.]

The church should work for the well-being of the people.

Vitalizing the Sermon and Worship

  1. [There] must be an essential truth to the sermon. People want spiritual food they can understand.
  2. Holy zeal is necessary.
  3. Better craftsmanship is needed.
  4. Use other materials when necessary.
  5. Use the Bible.
  6. Sermons should be practical.
  7. Add news value to sermons. The use of such living materials … imparts a new freshness and impressiveness to the church service.
  8. Select “pulling subjects”—good topics and titles.
  9. Personal character—the personal life of the preacher must be a living example of Christianity.

Improving the Church Structure

  1. Ugly, badly arranged churches, if continued in use, will become more detrimental to church attendance.
  2. The equipment is very important.
  3. What, essentially, is required in order that a room be made effective as a place of worship? When one enters the room from the majestic out-of-doors, does he feel, upon coming within the building, a sense of uplifting and enlargement, even though the building may be small? Proportions [matter].
  4. Remove distractions—old chandeliers; Pleasant lanterns suspended from the ceiling will add much to the appearance and churchliness.
  5. Remove bad art glass.
  6. Good acoustics.
  7. Little things count for much.
  8. Eliminate all ugliness, barrenness, and things that divert attention from the holy exercise of divine worship.
  9. Cloakrooms will enable people to enter the sanctuary unencumbered without wraps, hats, and overshoes.

The Home and Church Attendance

  1. Regarding birth control, we do not have enough children in our church homes today to replenish our ranks in the next generation.
  2. The key individual to interest boys and girls in attending church is, of course, the minister. In the first place, he must be fond of children.
  3. The minister’s wife sets the example with herself and 5 children, and oftentimes four or five other children, [by] all sitting together in the fourth pew from the front.

Public Records on Church Attendance

Finance and attendance are both matters about which is the duty of all members to be informed.

Church Attendance and Theological Education

  1. A divinity school is a place for study. Its chief purpose is to train men in the major disciplines of theological education, not to equip students with a bag of tricks for drawing crowds.

Making the Community Church-Minded

  1. To have a great church, there must be two very essential factors; first-numbers; and second-loyalty.
  2. Two things impress the visitor—the height and central location of the pulpit.

Week-Day Religious Education

  1. For children and youth, religious education teachers should mostly be college or university graduates who have specialized in Bible and education.
  2. There is no need, however, for a church [to] lower its dignity by using the competitive methods of secular institutions, to draw people to its programs.
  3. [There needs to be] a firm belief that the church has something to offer.

Advertising

  1. The finest kind of advertising for any community, industry, merchandise, or even a church is the personal words [in] which one customer passes on to another.
  2. The great reason for non-church attendance among so-called Christians is the unregenerate conditions of their hearts.

Church Attendance and Prayer

  1. The heart of the church is prayer. If there is no place of prayer, or if the place of prayer is inadequate and weak, then no matter how enormous the church building might be, no matter how large the church membership, the church is a dying church.
  2. We cannot return to the old-fashioned testimonial meeting. It is as defunct as the old one-horse shay. (I had to look up the definition of a one-horse shay. It is a light, covered, two-wheeled carriage for two persons, drawn by a single horse.)
  3. But when we discarded the old shay, we did not leave our barn empty, we then filled it with a new automobile.

Six classes of people who attend church

  1. Those present every Sunday
  2. Others attending generally
  3. Others frequently
  4. Others occasionally
  5. Others rarely, and
  6. Others annually (on Easter)

Church Loyalty Projects

  1. Have a project.
  2. These works because they present specific achievements and friendly contests.

What about the Future?

  1. While the movies, the radio, comic supplements, and the automobile…have great power for good, they today are to too great an extent, undermining the character, health, and success of our children. Yet, we tacitly show our approval of these inroads by attending questionable movies and listening to everything on the radio.
  2. Before the development of modern advertising, motion pictures, and radio, many more of us spent our Sundays attending church services and reading good books.
  3. Today we are reading the sports and stock market pages, attending the movies, and listening to cheap radio patter.
  4. Hence, it behooves us to withhold a proper proportion of our time and money from these less important things and to devote the same to personally attending and financially supporting the churches.
  5. [To] help our children recognize the importance of character and the spiritual life, we must have them know that we put church attendance above the Sunday newspaper, the movie, and listening to the radio.
  6. [The most] efficient and inexpensive method of developing character among children and the community, in general, is to have them see us and their neighbors attend church.
  7. In conclusion, our studies would seem to indicate that the Protestant churches of America are today suffering from inertia, from lack of sufficient interest. Hence it would be time well spent if our clergymen and laymen would seriously consider an “over-hauling” and thorough examination.
  8. Statistics show that all institutions go downhill, which [does] not keep abreast or ahead of the times.

Miscellaneous

  1. Go through the list of church members with the thoroughness that a business organization would apply and prepare a list of those who do not go to church.
  2. Some may need to be dropped from the church roll.
  3. Others can be transplanted to other churches.
  4. But some will be quickened to resume their interest in the local church.

I hope you liked these quotes as much as I did. And, after reading this book, I am glad Jimmy no longer collects baseball cards, sneakers, or sunglasses! Books are good. And rare books are even better!

Bible Verses:

I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Matthew 16:18

I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Matthew 16:18 NASB
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Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10

Prayer:

Jesus, let me love my church as You did. Let me honor and respect the holy place You have provided for me to worship in. Give me a love for the people in the church—no matter our differences, personalities, or Bible knowledge. May all I do within the church body be pleasing and acceptable to You. In the precious name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

God Bless.

 

Central Houston Inspirational Writers Alive! Associate Member; BibleGateway Blogger, Member; SBC, Church Member

Works Cited

Babson, Roger. How to Increase Church Attendance: The Commission on Church Attendance. New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1936.

[Roger W. Babson, Rev. Edwin H. Byington, Rev. Hudson E. Fiebiger, Winslow L. Webber, Rev. Gail Cleland, Elbert M. Conover, Rev. Clement F. Hahn, Rev. George L. Thurlow, Rev. Edwin B. Robinson, Rev. Vaughan Dabney, Rev. John L. Keedy, Rev. Robert W. Gammon, James B. McKendry, Rev. Daniel Bliss, Rev. Arthur L. Kingsolving; and Rev. Herbert D. Rugg.]

Bible verses are from the New American Standard Bible.

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“Your Mission, Should You Decide to Accept It . . .”

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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE

Any child of the 1960s will recognize those words, intoned from a clandestinely placed tape recorder each week as Jim Phelps calmly accepted one dangerous and logistically challenging assignment after another on the ironically titled TV spy series “Mission: Impossible”.

Phelps always accepted the mission, and never failed in his efforts!

We as Christians are given the Great Commission by Jesus Christ, a “mission” He urges us to accept. Like on the TV show we have great latitude in determining where, when and how we undertake this objective, as well as who will help with bringing it about.

Our success rate will probably be less than 100%, at least in our estimation, but the important thing is that we, at some point, in some way, “accept the mission”. – Ed.

Off to Belize City, Belize

In 1989, I boarded a plane with my husband and off we went from Houston, Texas on our first mission trip to Belize City, Belize, Central America. Our sleeping arrangements involved single bunk beds on a cement floor in the dank basement of a missionary couple’s home. Roaches flew by as I tried to fall asleep, and I recall the exact words I said to my husband: “How in the world could you take me to this God-forsaken place?” Of course, as I look back, it was mostly the cockroaches that invoked this question, which was more a declaration of my mental state at the time.

As I think about my comment, I realize that missions and evangelism are all about bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to “God-forsaken places” like this one but with my first experience, I could not get beyond the “cockroach mentality” and my disdain for the creatures. Fortunately, in time, I was blessed by many of the lovely people I met on my subsequent trips to Belize. Praise God!

Bible Verse

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) implores us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

While some are called to give up money and their livelihood to follow the Great Commission, others will be called to a different mission, purpose, or place. What is important is to seek out God’s individual plan for our lives, and to obey His direction at every stage.

From a United States Citizen’s Perspective

As a resident of the United States, it is sometimes difficult to even imagine the poverty some people live in daily in other parts of the world. It is hard to conceive of worshipping in a run-down shack without air conditioning or sanitation. A.W. Tozer, a self-taught theologian, and a fearless preacher said, “Evangelical Christianity is now tragically below the New Testament standard. Worldliness is an accepted fact of our way of life. Our religious mood is social instead of spiritual.” ¹ We are now seeing churches sporting cafés, movie theaters, gymnasiums, and even local fashion shows.

For those reading this who are from an “advanced” country, have you ever considered that the reason we have been blessed with such relative abundance may be so that we can give generously to the cause of evangelism, rather than to our pleasures and wants? While many are trusting God in total dependency in living out their calling, so many others (even believers) have little regard for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have become so “ME-centered” that the Lord hardly even seems present in their lives other than an occasional church service or a cursory glance at the Bible.

Satan’s Perspective

It is important to remember that Satan does not want us to be involved in any missionary or evangelical endeavor. Period! His desire is for us to either stay neutral on the subject or to become more centered in our own lives so that they revolve around us, and what makes us happy, rather than around the lives of others.

Sometimes those in mission work get so discouraged seeing so few showing an interest in their Christian beliefs or evangelism. This is another way our enemy seeks to degrade work done for the Kingdom, by attacking not only the missionary (through discouragement) but the supporter as well (through apathy, sloth and other distracters).

God’s Purpose

Regardless, God’s purposes will always be fulfilled. Even today, we can see the Holy Spirit operating around the world in many different nations. Many are coming to accept Christ where the Gospel has never been preached before. Salvations are occurring despite witchcraft, demonic influences, and secular rites and rituals. People are accepting Jesus Christ despite the fear of imprisonment, the fear of beheading, and the fear of being ostracized.

It is happening because of the prayers of believers. Maybe you are praying for a missionary, a specific country, a mission trip, or donating to help others participate in the Great Commission. If so, you are part of a wonderful opportunity by allowing the Holy Spirit to use you in His work.

As we pray for souls to be saved, let us remember the profound words of South African writer, teacher, and Christian pastor Andrew Murray. In Pray for the World, Murray is quoted saying, “Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, above all that we ask or think.” ² God does work in mysterious ways!

Advancing the Cause of Jesus Christ

Below are some ideas on how we can advance the cause of Jesus Christ. They are listed in alphabetical order, but all are worthy of equal consideration to the same degree.

  1. Adopt and pray for a country. Ask the Lord for the Holy Spirit to seek out the lost and lead them to Him­­;
  2. Be obedient to whatever or wherever the Lord leads;
  3. Befriend a person(s) from a different culture or country;
  4. Have a “missions fair” at your church.
  5. Participate in a mission trip – local or foreign;
  6. Provide mission-centered training in your church or organization;
  7. Research your country. Learn as much as you can about the culture, land, religion, livelihood, population, ethnic groups, economy, literacy, languages, education, and more. [This is a nice family activity to do.]
  8. Seek out opportunities for involvement.

What Happened Because We “Accepted The Mission”

Because we accepted the Great Commission and journeyed to Belize, we were able to be witnesses for Jesus Christ to the Belizean people. My husband John, our three children (ages 8, 6 and 4 at the time) and I spent our time in the Central American nation becoming lifelong friends with our hosts, Pastor Tony of Punta Gorda Baptist Church and his family, as well as other members of the local community. Fortunately, we still communicate with Tony’s adult children to this day.

John preached his first sermon there. I helped design the layout for a bookstore. Most importantly, John worked with the Southern Baptist Mission Board and trained Tony in the process of him becoming a fully-ordained pastor.

We ministered to Tony and his family well beyond that trip to Belize. When Tony developed kidney disease due to his uncontrollable diabetes, we let him stay at our home in St. Louis. Later, John arranged for him to get into a program at a downtown Houston hospital. At the time, dialysis was unavailable in Punta Gorda, and as a result, he had to travel regularly the 167 miles to Belize City for treatment, so we brought Tony here to the United States for more focused medical care.

Remember what I said earlier about the reason for having abundance is to share it with others? Recall that Luke tells us, “everyone to whom much was given, of [Him] much will be required. (Luke 12:48 ESV). We gave Tony and his family cars. We paid for their youngest daughter’s high school education. Some people might call my telling you this “braggy”, but I simply say it’s the kind of thing our Lord expects of us.

In sustaining the pastor and his family, we, in fact, supported the spreading of the Word by removing obstacles and distractions which would otherwise have hindered its free flow. That, above all other blessings we have been able to provide, is the most enduring.

Sadly, diabetes ended up taking Tony’s life, but his desire and work to bring the Word of God to the people of Belize lives on.

What I Learned on Our Mission Trips to Belize

Going to Belize was my first mission trip. It was “eye-opening“—except when I closed my eyes to avoid those huge cockroaches at night. I learned I could do without my eyeliner and my eyelet bedspread.

But what I couldn’t avoid was the eyesore of poverty that confronted me every day. After urinating in a dirt hole in the ground, I was thankful for an outside toilet. After watching seven-and eight-year-old boys steal in order to purchase food, I was thankful we had enough to feed our own children. After seeing the native Belizeans shop at different grocery stores based on their political parties, I was thankful for our relatively stable public life in this country.

Secure in Their Faith

However, what amazed me the most was that the native Christians I met were solid and secure in their faith. They possessed a faith that I had never seen before. Their walk with the Lord was so evident by the fruits in their life, i.e. love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). I saw that they HAD TO depend on their relationship with God to sustain them for food, water, shelter, and more.

The churches we visited had pastors that cared that people accepted the gift of salvation. They preached with a firm voice as if it might be their last time to preach—and knowing the violence that surrounded them (at least in Belize City), any preaching experience very well could have been their last!

In all, my husband John has made ten trips to Belize. I myself have been along on three of those journeys. We keep “accepting the mission”, because, as long as there are unsaved people walking the Earth, it never ends…

Conclusion

Evil is abounding right now in every corner of the world. Let’s increase our faith, shape our Christian ministries, and pray sincerely for the Holy Spirit to be a mighty force in reaching the world for Christ. And let’s remind ourselves that God desires salvation for ALL people – even those in “God-forsaken” countries!

Bible Verses:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:16-17)

But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:5)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (Titus 2:11-14)

Prayer:

Lord Jesus. Thank you for my salvation through Jesus Christ. Lord, please soften my heart so I am more sensitive to the eternal and spiritual needs of others. Let me pray for the Holy Spirit to gently guide me to the purposes and callings You have already planned for me. Provide opportunities for me to see through Your eyes and give me the courage and willingness to respond. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

Central Houston Inspirational Writers Alive! Associate Member; BibleGateway Blogger, Member; SBC, Church Member

Edited by E. Johnson.

Works Cited

¹ Tozer, A.W. “The Swamps of Low-Grade Christianity.” Global Christian Center. Web. Accessed 7 Oct 2019. https://globalchristiancenter.com/devotions/morning-muse/33922-the-swamps-of-low-grade-christianity.

² Murray, Andrew. “Andrew Murray Quote about #Everything, #Beware, #Prayer, Unbelief.” All Christian Quotes. Web. Accessed 7 Oct 2019. https://www.allchristianquotes.org/quotes/Andrew_Murray/141/

New American Standard Bible. BibleGateway.com. Web. 16 Oct 2019.

All Bible verses are from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted.

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Patti Greene is a fun-loving (but serious) coffee drinking wife, mom, and Grammi! She serves as a Bible teacher and Sunday School helper in her home church where her husband also teaches in Katy, Texas. She writes and speaks with the sole purpose of leading and maturing others in Jesus Christ and His everlasting love. To receive blogs from GreenePastures.org delivered straight to your email, please email her at Patti@GreenePastures.org with your email address, and you will be added to the email listing. You will need to confirm your decision to be added to the blog by email. You can also catch up with her on her Twitter feed at (@PattiGreene13) or her Facebook Patti Greene-Pastures page at (https://www.facebook.com/author.greene).

Books by Patti Greene [Order today for Christmas]

Christian Caregiving

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

@PattiGreene13 #PattiGreene13 #bgbg2

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Surprising Tips That Will Transform Your Approach to Teaching and Preaching

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I love reading books on preaching! They seem much more interesting to me than reading books on teaching. Besides being a former elementary school teacher, I am also a Bible teacher at my church and in other locations.

Of course, I have always been more interested in Christian theology than Christian education. I read preaching books to learn how to teach. When I read a book on preaching, I usually change the words preach and preacher to teach and teacher. In addition, I change the word sermon to either class or lesson.

Visiting My College Campus

Recently I visited Baylor University—my former college campus. As usual, whenever I visit the campus I always head straight for the bookstore. Back in the day, I loved perusing the college books that were for sale. It didn’t matter that they weren’t books connected to my major. Absorbing knowledge from multiple degree plans captivated my attention — though, as far as I was concerned, the math shelves could be roped off indefinitely.

On the day I visited the bookstore as an alumna, I noticed ALL the textbooks were roped off in preparation for the fall semester to begin. Not one to be held back, I asked a clerk if I could jump the rope to examine the selection of the theology books. Fortunately, the clerk graciously said, “Sure! Just go around this way,” and pointed me in the right direction.

On Preaching by H.D. Charles, Jr.

Without delay, I looked at all the theology books ready to be bought by the eager seminary students on campus. Through my scanning, skimming, and sometimes speedreading, I ran across a book titled On Preaching: Personal & Pastoral Insights for the Preparation & Practice of Preaching by H.D. Charles, Jr. After flipping through the pages, scanning the chapter titles, and reading the back cover of the book, I decided this book might just be another book for my library—one that would help me to become a better Bible teacher.

The book was informative, easy to read, and reminded me why I enjoy teaching.

The “Table of Contents” chapter titles are:

  1. Preparation for Preaching
  2. The Practice of Preaching, and
  3. Points of Wisdom for Preaching

However, in my mindset, I renamed the chapter titles to coordinate with the primary subject matter of this article—teaching.

  1. How To Prepare for a Teaching Assignment
  2. What The Practice Of Teaching Entails, and
  3. Tidbits of Wisdom For Teaching

Even if you have been preaching or teaching for a long time, this book is truly a great resource for both beginning and seasoned preachers as well as the beginning or seasoned Bible teachers. The author clearly states the awesome responsibility of preparing to be all God intends you to be for the work He has called you to do.

Teaching Tips

This blog includes some tips for those involved in teaching classes within a church environment—like Sunday School, Discipleship Training, Men or Women’s Bible study classes, and special teaching times. However, there are also ways one does not usually think of when talking about the gift of teaching—like being an elder, clarifying religious issues to a visitor or member, evangelizing, teaching an everyday skill, plus more.

In On Preaching, H.D. Charles states that “There are those who draw a hard distinction between preaching and teaching. But this dichotomy cannot be backed up by Scripture. In the same verse that Paul charges Timothy to preach the Word, he bids him do so with “complete patience and teaching: (2 Timothy 4:2) Preaching and teaching go together. To preach the Word requires teaching the Word.”

In the insights shared below, all bolded and italicized words have been changed from the original statements pulled out from this book. Read with enthusiasm these insights, so you can grow to be one approved by God—whether in teaching or preaching!

Quotes from On Preaching

Time management is one of the most crucial areas of stewardship in a teacher’s life.

Do whatever you have to do to be ready to teach the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ!

Your teaching is the most effective way you can impact your class.

Pray that the Lord would open your eyes to see wonderful things in the Word. (Psalm 119:18)

Saturate every part of your study with prayer. Pray that Christ would oversee your study. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead you to the truth. Seek the mind of God in the text. Repent as the text confronts you with sin in your life. Pray for wisdom as you read. Ask for clarity as you write. Work as if it all depends on you but pray as if it all depends on God.

Think yourself empty. Read yourself full. Write yourself clear. And pray yourself hot. Then go to your class and be yourself. But don’t teach yourself—teach Jesus to the glory of God!

[PRAY] Father, please give me the physical strength and spiritual energy to speak your Word with faithfulness, clarity, authority, passion, wisdom, humiliation and liberty.

Clarity is essential for faithful teaching.

The teacher’s ultimate authority is found in the Word of God.

What the Word of God says is infinitely more important than our testimonials.

The teaching moment is not about you. We must decrease that Christ may increase. (John 3:30)

Our job is to teach in such a way that brings the hearer before the living God. Then we are to get out of the way! But our sinful flesh will constantly seek to be in the spotlight. Prayer helps to keep our egos in check. It helps us to teach with a humility that makes much of Christ and little of ourselves.

Every class we teach should be saturated with the Word of God.

We should teach with the conviction that the Bible is given to us for our transformation, not just information.

Go to God in prayer and ask Him to guide you for what you should teach. Ask for clear direction. Seek God diligently. Trust the promise that God will generously give wisdom to those who ask for it in faith. (James 1:5-8)

More Quotes

Teaching is hard work. It is not for the slothful.

We all have weaknesses in our teaching. We all have growing to do. We all have blind spots that cannot be seen without trusted people being honest with us. But those blind spots are there, whether we identify them or not. We should actively seek them out and strive to address them.

Keep the main thing the main thing in your classes, and do not let subdivisions of your outline lead you away from the main idea.

The class will never be interested in a lesson that doesn’t seem to be interesting to the teacher.

The effective teacher must also work to clarify meaning, make ideas stick, and call the listener to action.

Be flexible. The One who guides the preparation of your study governs the presentation of it. And He has the right to edit your presentation as you teach it! Your job is to teach the message the Lord gives you and He leads you, not to say everything you wrote in your lesson preparation.

Take every teaching assignment seriously. Pray and prepare diligently and give the Lord all you’ve got.

Desire to be the best teacher you can be for God. Don’t compete with other teachers.

Teaching is not about the teacher. It is about the royal message that we teach.

No Christian should ever be found boasting in himself, especially a teacher of Jesus Christ.

People should learn more about Christ from your lessons than they learn about you.

Do your own homework. [Never plagiarize another’s work. If you quote others or take from their writings or sermons, give credit where credit is due.] [Remember] God uses weak people, not gospel superstars. We are weak and fragile clay pots at the Master’s disposal to convey the treasure of the message of Jesus Christ.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

This is the bottom line of Christian ministry—making sure you please God in everything you do.
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In writing this blog, I have taken the liberty stated in the front of the book that “brief quotations [may be used] embodied in critical articles or reviews.” I deem this blog a review of the book On Preaching. Therefore, with a high recommendation, I promote this book for both preachers and teachers.

My prayer is that you will see the parallels between preaching and teaching. And possibly, the next time you encounter a preacher book, you might pick it up to help you with whatever type of teaching assignments God sends your way.

Bible Verses

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2)

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. (Matthew 11:1)

Prayer

Oh Lord, help me to be approved by You to teach or preach the Word of God with accuracy—in the way You intended it to be taught and preached. May the words that come out of my mouth be representative of You. Teach me daily to become more like You in every thought, word, or action I may take. Always in Christ. Amen.

God Bless.

greenenpastures.org

Central Houston Inspirational Writers Alive! Associate Member

BibleGateway Blogger, Member

SBC, Church Member

Works Cited

Charles, H.B. On Preaching: Personal & Pastoral Insights for the Preparation & Practice of Preaching. Chicago: Moody, 2014.

Edited by E. Johnson.

All verses are from the New American Standard Bible unless noted otherwise.

Books by Patti Greene

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The Book of Ezekiel: An Obedient Prophet, Reprobate Sinners and Disobedient Overseers

Who’s Who?

An obedient prophet—Ezekiel

Reprobate sinners—sinful people of Judah;

Disobedient overseers—shepherds/leaders of Israel who were not properly leading their sheep;

====================

Three Sisters

The story has been told of three sisters who lived together.

Three sisters, ages 92, 94, and 96, live in a house together. One night the 96-year-old draws a bath. She puts one foot in and pauses. She yells down the stairs, “Was I getting in or out of the bath?” The 94-year-old yells back, “I don’t know. I’ll come up and see.” She starts up the stairs and pauses. Then she yells out, “Was I going up the stairs or down?” The 92-year-old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea and listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says, “I sure hope I never get that forgetful.” She knocks on wood for good measure. She then replies, “I’ll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who’s at the door.” ¹

While these three sisters can’t remember very well, they still want to help each other. They want to live in peace and harmony with each other. They want to serve each other.

In the Old Testament Book of Ezekiel, we see three people groups mingling and occupying the banks of the Chebar River during the Babylonian captivity: an obedient prophet, reprobate sinners and disobedient leaders. Unfortunately, they were NOT attempting to live harmoniously at all, like the sisters were above.

Historical Fact: The Babylonian Empire exerted influence over Judah. In 586 BC, they destroyed Jerusalem.

Ezekiel tries to lead the people in a godly manner. The sinners are living in the depths of depravity. Likewise, the disobedient leaders are living merely for themselves and for their pleasures.

Ezekiel: An Obedient Prophet

Wouldn’t it be nice to be so attuned to God that we would hear the word of the LORD come to us daily? Many leaders in the Bible were obedient to the voice of God; others not so. Some obeyed for a while and then retreated into sin.

The prophet Ezekiel was an obedient leader! Over and over in the Book of Ezekiel, we read, “And the word of the LORD came to me” or “The word of the LORD came again to me saying.” And he obeyed every time God told him to do something, no matter how bizarre it seemed.

In Ezekiel 33:7, Ezekiel is appointed to be a watchman for the house of Israel to give the people a warning. Ezekiel, as a spiritual leader, proceeds to warn the people of their sin and the upcoming prophecy of Jerusalem’s capture.

He lays out what happens when a group of people are not being led in the way of righteousness, like what was happening in Judah at the time: Babylonian leaders were threatening to overtake the people of Judah.

Ezekiel was exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem during the second deportation of the Jews in 597 B.C.—one year before Jerusalem was conquered by the Chaldeans. This important time period occurred when many Jews were taken captive and similarly exiled by King Nebuchadnezzar II.

While the nation of Judah had sunk deep into sin, Ezekiel was called and commissioned by God to prophesize to an ungodly people about their many sins—idolatry, apostasy, and wickedness. Ezekiel’s boldness and dedication to the LORD gave him the power to predict the siege of Jerusalem, denounce idolatrous worship, lament over cities, and predict judgment. He was the instrument God chose to declare His verdict and reaffirm an individual’s responsibility to obey the Lord. Towards the end of the book, he joyfully shares about Israel’s eventual restoration and the glory which will fill God’s temple.

Historical Trivia: Sometimes the term “Chaldeans” is used to refer to Babylonians in general, but normally it refers to a specific semi-nomadic tribe that lived in the southern part of Babylon. ²

Historical Trivia: The House of Israel and The House of Judah are NOT the same people. Both are parts of the nation of Israel but reflect the division of the country into two different Kingdoms. Bible prophecies tell us that [the] Messiah will rule over a restored Kingdom during His millennial reign, as King David ruled over both Houses during his own tenure. ³

I’ve always thought of Ezekiel as my kind of prophet—he’s flamboyant and colorful. He wails, slaps his thighs, and has visions of dry bones. But his obedience to God’s call and willingness to do whatever God asks of him is what impresses me the most.

Sinners: Reprobates from the House of Judah, Including the Capital City of Jerusalem; 

Ezekiel 16 catalogues the sins of the people of Jerusalem. Many of the people were trusting in their personal beauty, and out of this hubris became prostitutes. They had sex with everyone who walked by. They took the gold and silver that the LORD had given them and out of it made idols for themselves. They covered their idols with embroidered clothes and offered God’s olive oil and incense in their presence. They similarly pledged all the fragrances and food that God had given them as well. They sacrificed their sons and daughters to their idols as sustenance. They had sex with the Assyrians, but they still weren’t satisfied, so they had sex with land merchants and the Babylonians (Ezekiel 16:15-34).

Leaders: Disobedient Overseers

Ezekiel warned the leaders as to what will happen if the people continued in sin due to a lack of leadership. Those in charge have a responsibility to lead their flock ethically no matter where they find themselves—in the workplace or in ministry. The overseers of the people were all about themselves: they became a stumbling block of iniquity to the House of Israel. They followed their idols far from God, thereby rendering them unable to lead the people. God’s desire was for them to be ashamed of their transgressions, but they weren’t (Ezekiel 43:10).

The leaders at that time were going to be punished for their sins. Leaders have a great responsibility to their people, as do ministers have towards their “sheep”—those that they have been given responsibility to lead within their churches or ministries. In each case, there will come a time when God says, “enough of all your abominations, because judgment will come!” (See Ezekiel 44).

What Happens To The People When Leaders “Run Amok?” 

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, the [spiritual] shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe (judgment is coming) to the [spiritual] shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat [the choicest of meat], and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the best of the livestock, but you do not feed the flock. You have not strengthened those who are weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bandaged the crippled, you have not brought back those gone astray, you have not looked for the lost; but you have ruled them with force and violence. They were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered, they became food for all the predators of the field. My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the face of the earth and no one searched or sought them.”’”

Therefore, you [spiritual] shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: “As I live,” says the Lord God, “certainly because My flock has become prey, My flock has even become food for every predator of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; therefore, you [spiritual] shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My flock from them and make them stop tending the flock, so that the shepherds cannot feed themselves anymore. I will rescue My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them”’” (Ezekiel 34:1-10 AMP).

Application to Leaders Today

The Drudge Report posted an article on January 15th, 2019 titled, “Staff at a Chinese company are forced to CRAWL on the street after ‘failing to hit their annual targets’” The article mentioned that a group of  female beauty company employees were made to crawl on their hands and knees through busy afternoon traffic in Zengzhou, China for failing to meet their company sales target. ⁴ I would classify their boss/leader as an uncouth, mean person. His flock wasn’t being led, or, to use a Christian term “fed” in an appropriate way.

The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel saying, “Son of man, speak to the sons of your people, and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming upon the land, and he blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head.’” (Ezekiel 33:2-4).

We can extend Ezekiel’s analogy to all venues where leadership is established. Leaders such as CEOs, political leaders, teachers, pastors, prophets, and evangelists are put in the position of either following the Lord’s guidance in this area, or suffering the consequences.

Conclusion

Whatever God does with wicked individuals, leaders or nations, He is always generous in extending grace. His final goal is always the same, both then and now: God declares twenty times in the Book of Ezekiel that “they will know that I am the Lord.”

When the leaders didn’t do “their job”, God eventually stepped in Himself to restore Israel.  God said, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out . . . I will feed My flock and lead them to rest . . . I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.” (Ezekiel 34:16)

No matter what kind of leader you are, obey God as Ezekiel did.

If you are in a leadership position, most likely you will not be carrying out a public humiliation upon your employees or congregants or forcing them to slap themselves in the face 100 times (which occurred recently in China), but you must remember you are accountable to God for how you treat people.

In the three sisters story above, the sisters were not fully able to remember each other’s call for help, but their love for each other was evident. That’s how God’s love for us is: let’s commit to obey Him and serve His people in whatever situation we find ourselves.

If you are not a believer, consider the love that Christ has for you and how you can be part of the Kingdom of God by accepting Him as your Lord and Savior.

Bible Verses:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22)

Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; (1 Peter 5:2)

So, whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12)

For the LORD will judge His people and will have compassion on His servants. (Psalm 135:14)

Prayer:

My heavenly Father, with all my heart, I desire to do Your will. Give me the courage of Ezekiel, the strength to remain strong in You, and to lead in a way that is honorable to You. Steer me away from all things which can send me astray. Prune me so I can serve You more and more each day.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God Bless,

greenenpastures.org

Member of IWA-Inspirational Writers Alive!

Member of Biblegateway Bloggers #bgbg2

Bible Links are from the NASB unless otherwise noted.

To read more about leadership, check out the following article.

https://greenepastures.org/leadership-part-1-nehemiah/  (From this blog, you can link to Leadership Part 2-Nehemiah)

Works Cited

¹ “Unjokes #1002.” Jan 17, 2019. Web. Unjokes.com.

² “Who were the Chaldeans in the Bible?” GotQuestions.org. Jan 17, 2019. Web: https://www.gotquestions.org/Chaldeans.html

³ “Are the House of Israel and The House of Judah the same people?” Blog Post WordPress. Bible Insights from Jerry. 17 Jan 2019. Web. https://bibleinsightsfromjerry.wordpress.com.

⁴ You, Tracy. “Staff at Chinese company are forced to CRAWL on the street after ‘failing to hit their annual targets.”’ Drudge Report: Daily Mail. 15 Jan 2019. Web. www.DrudgeReport.com.

Bibliography

“Ezekiel.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Web. Jan 16, 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezekiel.

Photo Credit: Lightstock.com

See Works Cited.

Edited by E. Johnson

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Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

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I am not a None—One of the Religious Unaffiliated

I am NOT a none. I have never desired to be a none! And with God’s grace, I will never become a none. So, what is a none? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines nones as “the ninth day before the ides according to ancient Roman reckoning” or “the fifth of the canonical hours”.

However, those are not the nones being spoken about in this article. I am talking about the nones as defined in the Oxford University Press website in an article titled “3 Things You Might Not Know About Nones” by Elizabeth Drescher. Drescher defines nones as “a name for people who answer ‘none’ when asked what religious group they most identify or to which they belong.”

It is based on this definition, I will be providing informational quotes from various writers and researchers that will provide enough information for you to understand and intelligently discuss nones with others. In addition, I have included links for easy location of the entire articles.

Currently, nones or my personally made-up word noneship are not within my everyday vernacular or even official words yet, but I daresay that in the next few years, they will join the Merriam Webster’s New Dictionary Word List along with their most recent newest words such as cryptocurrency, wordie, Chiweenie, Schnoodle, ooh, mm-hmm, and welp.

Who is a None?

Becka Alper from Pew Research says, “a growing share of Americans are religiously unaffiliated. [They] recently asked a representative sample of more than 1,300 of these “nones” why they choose not to identify with a [particular] religion.

Out of several options included in the survey, the most common reason they give is that they question a lot of religious teachings. Six-in-ten religiously unaffiliated Americans – adults who describe their religious identity as an atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” – say the questioning of religious teachings is a very important reason for their lack of affiliation.

The second-most-common reason is opposition to the positions taken by churches on social and political issues, cited by 49% of respondents (the survey asked about each of the six options separately). Smaller, but still substantial, shares say they dislike religious organizations (41%), don’t believe in God (37%), consider religion irrelevant to them (36%) or dislike religious leaders (34%).”

Alper, Becka. “Why America’s ‘nones’ don’t identify with a religion.” Pew Research Center. 8 Aug 2018.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/08/why-americas-nones-dont-identify-with-a-religion.

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“The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion is growing, according to an extensive new survey by the Pew Research Center. Moreover, these changes are taking place across the religious landscape, affecting all regions of the country and many demographic groups. While the drop in Christian affiliation is particularly pronounced among young adults, it is occurring among Americans of all ages.”

“America’s Changing Religious Landscape.” Pew Research Center. 5 May 2015.

http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/

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“Curiously, the religiously unaffiliated are “about twice as likely to describe themselves as political liberals than as conservatives.”

  • 63 are either registered Democrats (39%) or lean toward the Democratic Party (24%)
  • 72% support legal abortion
  • 73% support same-sex marriage

Hess, Andrew. “The rise of the nones.” Focus on the Family. Focus on the Family. Accessed 21 Sept 2018.

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/about/focus-findings/family-formation-trends/rise-of-the-nones

What is Interesting about the Nones?

“Look at any survey about the state of religion and you will find the same story of decline. Fewer Americans today than in past decades identify with a religion, attend church, engage in religious practices, and view faith as an important part of their lives. Those who advocate the secularization of society applaud such cultural change because they see it as evidence that people are turning away from all things supernatural. However, these trends may be less about our abandoning the supernatural and more about our abandoning each other.”

Routledge, Clay. “Americans quit church but still search for meaning, now as loners.” Nation Review. 14 July 2018.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/07/traditional-religion-has-social-value-individual-quests-leave-people-isolated/

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This seems like a circular argument: “The nones are growing because the nones are growing! But sociologically, it makes a kind of sense. Some nonbelievers might have stayed in organized religion in previous generations just because it was socially expected, and there were consequences for not joining the religious crowd. The numeric growth of the nones has removed some of those barriers so that other closeted nones feel more comfortable leaving religion too. There is an infrastructure and support system for them.”

Riess, Jana. “Why millennials are really leaving religion (it’s not just politics, folks). Religion News Service. 26 June 2018.

https://religionnews.com/2018/06/26/why-millennials-are-really-leaving-religion-its-not-just-politics-folks/

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“In 2014, 23% of adult Americans identified as what media and academics have come to refer to as religious “nones.” Although the term covers a lot of territory—atheist, agnostic, unaffiliated, “nothing in particular,” and “spiritual but not religious”—it does not include anyone who identified with a particular faith tradition.”

Winston, Diane. “Millennials and the ‘none’: Why 40 years of religion in US Elections may change in 2015. Vice News. 30 June 2015.

https://news.vice.com/article/millennials-and-the-nones-why-40-years-of-religion-in-us-elections-may-change-in-2015

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“Nones are building communities in myriad ways, some of them more organized than others. From meditation groups to the very church-like Sunday Assemblies,  the religiously unaffiliated are finding ways to connect with one another.”

Blumberg, Antonia. “How the ‘Nones’ can find a sense of community outside of religion.” Huffington Post. 22 July 2015.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/religiously-unaffiliated-nones-community_us_55afe508e4b0a9b948535f3a

Why Do the Nones Believe Like They Do?

“Today’s young nones, immersed in their online lives, may feel as though they are very connected. But as many are collectively realizing, online connections are weaker than advertised. We may have many [acquaintances] within digital reach, but numerous online relationships are no substitute for deep, real-life friendships. Similarly, a wave of spirituality apps promises to supercharge your mindfulness and positive thinking. Although beneficial, app spirituality, too, leads to a solitary practice.”

Asma, Stephen. “Religiously unaffiliated ‘none’ are pursuing spirituality, but not community.” L.A. Times. 6 June 2018.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-asma-nones-spirituality-20180607-story.html

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“As a pastor, as a researcher, as an educator, as just a Christian who cares, the single greatest contributor to the attrition rate [of the Christian faith] has been the breakdown of the family,” McFarland said in an interview with the Christian Post.

Blair, Leonardo. “Parent Failure to Transmit Faith to Kids Helping Fuel Growth of Religious ‘Nones,’ Study Suggests.” Christian Post. 20 Sept 2018.

https://www.christianpost.com/news/parent-failure-transmit-faith-kids-helping-fuel-growth-religious-nones-study-227489/

How Can the Nones Come to Know Christ?

An important new survey by Pew Research asks, “why people who were raised in religious homes but who now identify as religious “nones” — having no religious affiliation — decided to leave the faith of their childhood. The results were varied, but according to the survey, “Half of ‘nones’ left childhood faith over lack of belief, one-in-five cite dislike of organized religion.

So today, America needs another great awakening, one which will convert the unconverted, restore the backslidden, and set the complacent on fire. Whether they know it or not, the “nones” are crying out for this very thing.”

“God’s solution to the ‘Nones’ who have left the faith.”  The Stream. Accessed 21 Sept 2018.

https://stream.org/gods-solution-nones-left-faith

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Conclusion

So how can you know God? It all starts with accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ provides a relationship with the Father and eternal life through His death on the cross and resurrection (Romans 5:10)

Lord Jesus, I ask You to forgive my sins and save me from eternal separation from God. By faith, I accept Your work and death on the cross as sufficient payment for my sins. Thank You for providing the way for me to know You and to have a relationship with my heavenly Father. Through faith in You, I have eternal life. Thank You also for hearing my prayers and loving me unconditionally. Please give me the strength, wisdom, and determination to walk in the center of Your will. In Jesus’ name, [A]men.

“How do I accept Jesus as my savior.” In Touch. Accessed 21 Sept 2018.

 https://www.intouch.org/read/content/how-do-I-accept-Jesus-as-my-savior

While some people have no idea what is their purpose in life, some are convinced their life journey is to seek knowledge, to pursue status, to become wealthy, to promote tolerance, to reproduce or a host of other purposes.

The bottom-line is, what do we believe is the meaning of life?

As believers in Jesus Christ, we should believe that our purpose is to fulfill what God has appointed us to accomplish on this earth. When the spiritual dimension of life is void of the Trinity—God, the Father; Jesus, the Son; and the Holy Spirit, we become part of the none community. Let’s not let that happen!

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Bible Verses:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to believe in You. Help me to see You with new eyes. If You are real, let me know that. I’m tired of the life I am living. I want to know that beyond what I can see, there is a God that loves me and wants what is best for me. Help me to leave my proud behavior and unbelieving thoughts at Your feet. I want to know if You are real. Amen.

God Bless.

greenenpastures.org

Member of IWA-Inspirational Writers Alive!

Member of Biblegateway Bloggers #bgbg2

Edited by E. Johnson

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No More Christian Celebrity Quotes – Except Here!

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Once upon a time, I wrote a devotional prayer journal titled, God, It’s Me. In the book, I put a quote from a “celebrity” Christian at the bottom of each page. I thought it was a reasonable thing to do and the publisher encouraged it. However, the book hadn’t been out long before I regretted my decision since a few of the “celebrities” had fallen from grace shortly after publication. I have since republished the book under the title of Anchor Me; Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer without using any quotes from anyone. Okay, I have quoted Jesus, maybe Paul too, but that is permissible. You get the drift.

I learned my lesson or, so I thought.

In this blog, I am taking some liberty and I have decided to do something different! The reason is that I have been super busy, and I have been reading a lot of good books and I would like to share some of the quotes I have read with you. Note that I usually read both sides of an issue and compare anything questionable to the Bible, so you might not like my chosen authors. Another reason is that if I find someone who is no longer in good Christian standing, I can delete the quote using one click on my computer. A blog is not a book that is FOREVER in print. As mentioned, you may not like or approve of the people I quote, but maybe their quotation, thought or illustration will give you room for thought.

So here goes!

Taking a creative approach to my blog and for time’s sake, I will be taking my quotes from pages 32, 34, or 36 from the books—only because those are the ages of our children. I could just use my age, but . . . Nah, that’s not any fun!

Enjoy!

Book Quotes

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“The ambassadors Satan prefers are chiefly of four sorts: persons of prominence and power; persons of superior intellect and diplomacy; persons of holiness, or at least reputed to be; and persons able to influence those in power.”

  • The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall; p.34.

**********

“Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is.

  • Adrianisms: The Collected Wit and Wisdom of Adrian Rogers by Adrian Rogers; p. 32.

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“Now, our Lord Jesus Christ is a Counselor in a threefold sense. First, he is God’s Counselor; he sits in the cabinet council of the King of heaven; he has admittance into the privy chamber, and [he] is the Counselor with God. In the second place, Christ is a Counselor in the sense which the Septuagint translation appends to this term. Christ is said to be the angel of the great council. He is a Counselor in that he communicates to us, in God’s behalf, what has been done in the great council before the foundation of the world. And thirdly, Christ is a Counselor to us and with us, because we can consult with him, and he doth counsel and advise us as to the right way and the path of peace.”

  • Spurgeon’s Sermons by Charles Spurgeon, Volume 5; p. 32.

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“You are never too old to start again. My favorite people are those who have grown older biologically, but never stop growing spiritually.”

  • Principle Preaching by John R. Bisagno; p. 36.

**********

“God created the family to provide the framework for us to learn about relationships—how to relate to one another. Those first relationships often affect how we communicate and establish friendships for the remainder of our lives.”

  • Friendship: Iron Sharpening Iron by June Hunt; p. 32.

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“Doctors often say that persons who work seven days a week, only to spend months in the hospital trying to regain lost health, are really just catching up on their Sundays in arrears.”

  • Positive Obedience by John R. Bisagno; p. 34

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“Just because a brilliant mind can’t conceive of God does not mean that God doesn’t exist; it simply means that God’s reality exceeds the intellect and imagination of the human mind.”

  • Receiving and Giving by David A. Peterson; p. 34.

**********

“What biblical examples show the benefits of joint ministry? Who ministers alongside you? If no one, why not?”

  • Be Distinct: Standing Firmly Against the World’s Tides by Warren W. Wiersbe; p. 32.

**********

“It’s been a long time since I got a thank-you note for a Christmas present.” ‘Oh, that’s my training from my mother,’ she said. “We were always told that a written thank you was important and required for any material gift. And we couldn’t use the presents until the thank-you notes were written.”

  • A Simple Act of Gratitude: How Learning to Say Thank You Changed My Life by John Kralik; p. 32.

**********

“I sleep with a BIPAP machine. Somehow, I lost the location of the store where I get my supplies. It was time for new supplies. For six weeks “it was time for new supplies. Three or four different times, I spent hours searching the part of our city where I just knew it was, trying to find the store. I know now why God blotted the memory of the place out of my mind. He wanted to show the great power of His hand. Sitting down to write this morning, out of nowhere (yes, I know where) came a thought. It was extremely clear and accompanied by a warm glow. ‘I wonder if I forgot to mention my presidency of the Southern Baptist Pastor’s Conference in the biographical sketch that I send to my speaking engagements?’ I walked over to my filing cabinet and pulled up the tab, BIO, for ‘biography’ to check it out. Guess what’s right next to ‘BIO’? BIPAP! I excitedly opened the file and there was the name, address, and phone number of the BIPAP store, complete with directions. What can I say, but ‘Hallelujah!’ I think that’s Latin for ‘YAHOO!’”

  • The Power of Positive Praying by John Bisagno – 50th Anniversary Edition; p. 36.

**********

“Obedience to Him is always the issue. Filling [water pots] may not have made sense to those servants, but they did it anyway. God’s command may not make sense to you, but don’t parade it by the judgment bar of your reason. Just obey. That’s the secret to a miracle.”

  • Believe in Miracles but Trust in Jesus by Adrian Rogers; p. 34.

**********

“Often the Enemy will put an easy solution in your way. He points to someone and whispers, ‘That woman over there, that man over there. If you want happiness, break free from your spouse and start again.’ Now I’m not denying that a marriage can end up in a heartbreaking mess, but if you put happiness before everything else, you will not only persuade yourself into a divorce, you will probably wreck your next relationship too. That’s how the Enemy works.”

  • Conquer Your Battle Plan for Spiritual Victory by Michael Youssef; p. 36.

**********

“When communicating with others, those of us who have Powerful personalities need to remember the ‘magic words’ and be especially careful of our tone of voice . . . a good verse for the Powerful personality to memorize is Proverbs 16:24: ‘Kind words are like honey—enjoyable and healthful.’”

  • Talking So People Will Listen: You Can Communicate with Confidence by Florence and Martha Littauer; p. 32.

**********

“So many of us feel like failures when we try to share our faith—all but the few who can really do it well. That may be the way we feel, but it’s not supposed to work that way. Somehow along the way we’ve become confused about what it means to represent Jesus to the lost world around us.”

  • Conspiracy of Kindness by Steve Sjogren; p. 34.

**********

“God employs anyone and anything to expose and extract the flaws that keep you from being established at the center of His will. Without haste, He deletes distractions. Thrashes those nearby crutches that provide alternative routes. Dispossesses your demigods secretly tucked away in your pockets. Strips you of all attractions. Shuts you in. And out. Beyond the reach and help of man. These and much more, God allows in order to make you absolutely dependent on Him. Completely surrendered to His will.”

  • Shekinah! Manifestation of the Sons of God! by Glory C. Odemene; p. 35. (I’m breaking my own rules on sticking to pages 32, 34, and 36! Oh well!)

**********

“And Abraham said, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ So, the two of them walked on together.”

  • Hebrew-Greek Keyword Study Bible-NASB; p. 32.

**********

And how awesome is God!!! This quote from Genesis 22 (on page 32) is the exact key verse I am using for a “Hot Topic” class I am teaching at my church. God is so good in confirming I’m on the right track. I love how He works! Even in these blogs!

Conclusion

So now you have seen the last 15 books I have read plus what version of the Bible I am using, I would love to know what your repertoire of reading consists of. If you don’t mind, please comment, and let me know . . .

  • The last book you have read (Christian, non-Christian, fiction, non-fiction, biography, ebook, audiobook)
  • The author of the book
  • A  ‘cool’ quote, thought or illustration from the book, and
  • Don’t forget to share the page number if available

And one more thing . . . Next time I decide to do this, I might take the quotes from the page of my age. It seems the books get deeper and more interesting by the time I get to my age page!

God Bless.

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Bible Verses:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding. (Proverbs 2:3)

Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. (Romans 15:27)

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank You so much for all the wisdom You provide to us—through ministers, Bible studies, and books. But, let us always remember that Your Word is the #1 go-to source for all our needs and desires. Give us discernment and understanding in all we read and hear knowing that many false prophets abound. I pray for Your Word to penetrate my heart, mind, and soul. I want to serve You. Keep me balanced and loving to all. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

____________________

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Fool’s Gold: The Folly of a “Semblance of God”

Many people today have what amounts to a “Semblance of God” in their lives, such as a figure of Christ in their churches, or a cross in their homes. In churches, Bibles have been replaced in the pew-back pockets by offering envelopes, social activity schedules and pencils.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines semblance is as, “an outward and often specious appearance or show.” Specious, in turn, means “having a deceptive attraction or allure”, and “having a false look of truth or genuineness.”

What will happen to “semblance churches,” which are deceptive and give a false appearance of what Christian living is all about? Will they survive in their fallen form, or go the way of many European churches which are now restaurants or museums—left standing solely to maintain the architecture and design of a historical time period? No more do the church bells chime. No longer do praises of our heavenly Father emanate from the holy sanctuary—they are only a memory and a remnant of days gone by.

“Sad” is the only word I can use to describe this situation.

Today there are still distraught and needy people the world over who seek the one true God. There are still shoulders that need embracing, hugs that need to be given, prayers that need to be heard—and a Savior who longs to reign in His church.

We show up for funerals, and leave unaware of the final resting place of the deceased. We mourn for those left behind, but not for too long, as we don’t want to face where our own eternal destination might be.

Christ is the only answer for the people, and Christ is the only answer for the church. Christ is also the only answer for our own eternal security.

How to Bring Christ Back into Our Churches by Relinquishing a “Semblance of God”

  1. Teach that it is the Holy Spirit who draws people to Christ. It is only through repentance of our sins and acceptance of Jesus Christ as our personal Savior we are rescued from hell. Only when this is done will we be ready for our eternal life with Jesus Christ.
  1. Invite to leadership positions only those who have accepted God’s gift of salvation, proven their integrity, possess the fruits of the Spirit, and are actively growing in their spiritual lives.
  1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to enliven our churches. Dead churches produce religion. Live churches, on the other hand, produce hope, comfort, assurance, and peace.
  1. Stand up for what is right. Talk about it. Whether you are the preacher or not, there are topics about which we can speak up when confronted, such as abortion and evolution.
  1. Stop bribing people to come to church for a free meal, a big performance, or with other such gimmicks. Get back to the basics of teaching God’s Word, praying, and seeking Him above all else.
Stop bribing people to come to church for a free meal, a big performance, or with other such gimmicks.
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  1. Stop segregating church attendees into age groups. Seniors have a lot of wisdom they can share with younger generations, while children and millennials offer their energy and vitality to their elders.
  1. Stop using church growth as the main metric of successful evangelism. Be more concerned that converts to Christ are truly repentant of their sins, and that opportunities exist for discipleship.
  1. Stop allowing weak and false doctrines to seep in and dilute church teaching. Many churches and their members choose to believe only the parts of the Bible that fit into their already-established lifestyles and cultures. Other churches may participate in Eastern therapies during the week, through certain forms of yoga or guided illumination.

Throughout the Old Testament God’s people went through continuing cycles of loving Him followed by periods of rejection. God had finally had enough and punished them severely. This punishment often caused factions and disagreements within the church and among the people who called themselves believers.

But Jesus Christ never gave up on His people or His church. He came to Earth to live an honorable and reputable life as an example to us. He suffered and died, then rose from the grave as propitiation for our sins, so that we may live godly lives.

And when we live godly lives, resembling His ways, our churches will come to resemble God, and not just be a semblance of Him.

Bible Verses:

So, Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.” John 8:28

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 1 Timothy 4:13 KJV

Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. Hebrews 13:9

Prayer:

Dear heavenly Father, let my heart and mind be sold out to You. Let my church family be sold out to You also. Let’s grow together—keeping You foremost in our minds. Let us learn to follow Your Holy Spirit in all You say and do. Make my priorities Your priorities. May I be ever careful to follow Your laws and rules with love. Give me the courage to speak out for You and to love You more and more each day. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

God Bless,

PATTIGREENE.eps-(1

Patti Greene, Member Inspirational Writers Alive

Edited by E. Johnson; Bible verses taken from the NASB.

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Books by Patti Greene

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

A 90-day devotional prayer journal for all ages; This informative and how-to book on prayer is for seekers, new believers, and mature believers. It encourages a commitment and devotion to the art of prayer. Learn how God reveals himself through Bible study and prayer. ISBN: 978-1512760453 (Paperback) $11.95 on Amazon.

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

A 365-day devotional prayer journal for in-depth Bible study; Fun words or phrases from the Old and New Testaments! Perfect for mature believers. ISBN: 978-1490893181 (Paperback) $27.95 on Amazon.

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here

A 181-day devotional prayer journal for growing individuals; The Bible and social issues. Perfect for new believers. Comes with a group study guide. ISBN: 978-1490893174 (Paperback) $19.95 on Amazon.

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Church and Ministry, Friendship, How to Guides, Life Issues, Medical

Emotional Stress

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Emotional Stress

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Emotional Stress – Let’s face it. Everybody experiences stress from time to time. Life brings both the good and the bad. However, some individuals experience the “ups and downs” that come with living life more than others do. In Recognizing an Emotional Breakdown, author Tara Warta says, “When pressure begins to overwhelm an individual to the point where her [his] professional or personal well-being is compromised, symptoms of a nervous breakdown may become apparent. Such an event can take place for a variety of reasons, and common culprits include a traumatic family event, [an] unreasonable amount of stress in the workplace or a dramatic change in a relationship.” ¹

When we are deeply overwhelmed or troubled, our emotions, our decision-making ability, and our relationships are unable to continue in the normal fashion. Emotional stress usually causes physical symptoms like tremors, heart palpitations, intense headaches, breakouts, physical pain in the chest, and more.

Emotional breakdowns occur when the stress becomes so unbearable that we do not know how to handle it. We have reached our limit. Different individuals experience diverse symptoms. Stressors may cause emotional instability, changes in health, and a disrupted spiritual balance. When we have reached our capacity to function, we may be on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

Stressors may cause emotional instability, changes in health, and a disrupted spiritual balance. Greene Pastures by Patti
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Merriam Webster’s Thesaurus uses the following words to explain how someone who is stressed-out feels.²

Burned-out [Burnt out]; Exhausted; Knackered [British]; Tired; Worn-out; Undone; Unmanned; Unnerved, Unstrung; Troubled; Upset; Edgy; Nervous; Tense; Uneasy; Agitated; Disturbed; Perturbed, Aggravated; Angry; Annoyed; Exasperated; Irritated; and Shell-shocked.

I performed an Internet search to find out what types of situations lead people to emotional stress. Listed below are some catalysts one might find leading to extreme stress or possibly a complete nervous breakdown.

  1. You are pregnant and you don’t want to be;
  2. You fear you might have dementia;
  3. You are extremely troubled by your family’s choices;
  4. You hate your job or you cannot find a job;
  5. You are deeply depressed over your boyfriend or girlfriend breaking up with you;
  6. You are extremely concerned about your church;
  7. You fear you might not go to heaven;
  8. You are stressed beyond measure being a caregiver;
  9. You made a huge mistake at work;
  10. You are fearful of being sued, fired, or foreclosed on;
  11. You are experiencing a messy divorce;
  12. You can’t handle or care for your children;
  13. Moreover, the list goes on.

Thankfully, removing a few stressors allow some individuals to rebound from the emotional stress they are dealing with. Unfortunately, others may not be able to snap back even when their load lightens. In the case of a sinking state-of-mind, medical intervention is often necessary. Timely medical help may even necessitate an urgent visit to the doctor or emergency room. Never ignore your emotional well-being. It could be the difference between life and death.

Being a believer does not shield us from all the rises and falls we encounter in life. Life happens. Our source is always God, our Father. He provides His Word, His people, and his Holy Spirit to help us. When times are hard or troubles engulf us, allow Him to be our guide. We may have trouble praying ourselves in these emotional times, but God always provides. Many times, He works through other people or professionals. If you need to talk or receive counseling, choose someone you trust, and share your difficulties with him or her.

When Jesus came face to face with the most difficult time of His life, He wanted His friends nearby. Even Jesus did not try to face his most difficult moment alone and neither should we.

In Matthew 26:36-39,

Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee [James and John], and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”

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HOW TO HELP SOMEONE EXPERIENCING AN “EMOTIONALLY STRESSFUL” SITUATION

  1. Listen

  • Listening does not mean giving them advice. The advice might stress them more and lead them deeper into more turmoil.
  • “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” James 1:19 ESV

  1. Reduce the load and stressors if possible

  • Find people who are willing and able to take the load and pressure off them.
  • “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 ESV

  1. Give reassurance that God cares

  • Be an encourager and let them know they are not alone in their present situation.
  • “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

  1. Give confidence that feeling better is within reach

  • Provide hope there are better days ahead.
  • “For I know the plans I have for you, declares theLord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

  1. Intervene, if needed, with family, medical, and/or spiritual help

  • Use discernment when deciding whom can best help in the situation. In addition, be prepared to act when an emergency arises.
  • “Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed.” Psalm 106:30 ESV

  1. Be a confidant

  • Do not gossip about his/her condition or situation with others unless the person has given you permission. Even then, be discerning.
  • “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” Proverbs 16:28 ESV

Bible Verses:

See above.

Prayer:

Oh LORD, as I reach for You, untangle my nerves and give me hope. Make things better. I am distraught; the pressures are too much. My lists grow longer every day. I cannot meet deadlines. I am about to break. Please help me Lord Jesus. In Your precious name, I pray. Amen.

¹ http://www.lifescript.com/well-being/articles/r/recognizing_an_emotional_breakdown.aspx?p=1

² http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stressed

If you liked this article and would like to receive email notifications of new posts or to receive monthly newsletters, please click here and scroll down on www.GreenePastures.org to subscribe. It is an easy way not to miss any posts in your feed! Moreover, I would love seeing you as part of the Greene Pastures Community.

Web Page: www.PattiGreene.com

To order Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here.

To order Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here.

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Purah: A Servant of Gideon

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Purah: A Servant of Gideon

Do you have a “PURAH” in your life? For the sake of this article, a “PURAH” is the one person who is always loyal to you, who shows up just when you need him, and always wants the best for you.

As I was reading Judges 7:10, I ran across a man named Purah. He is mentioned only one time in the entire Bible, so most people would think of him as an insignificant person.

I decided to read more about this man. I have three reference books that are packed with entries about fascinating people in the Bible. I looked through all three books and there were NO ENTRIES for Purah. It looked like I was correct in my conclusion that he was indeed an insignificant figure in the Scriptures.  But when I re-read about Purah, he was significant — significant to Gideon, and significant to obtaining God’s desired outcome.

The Midianites were oppressing Israel while Israel was doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD. An angel of the LORD came to Gideon and told him that the LORD was with him. Then, after Gideon asked why all these bad things have happened to the Israelites, the LORD said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”

God called Gideon into the ministry of saving Israel. Gideon destroyed the altar of Baal, then he asked for signs from God to be sure of his calling. When God reduced Gideon’s army of 22,000 men to only 300, the LORD said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped the water, I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” That same night the LORD said to him, ‘Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant.” Gideon went down with Purah , and defeated the Midianites. [Judges 7]

Do you have one person who is always loyal to you, who shows up just when you need them, and always wants the best for you?
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Have you ever been in a tough situation? Have you ever been fearful? Has God ever put that one special person in your path just to help you? This is what happened with Gideon.

Not only was Gideon called to do a work for the LORD, Purah was also called to be instrumental in getting God’s work done by being an encourager to Gideon. Both men were essential to the task at hand.

God knew Gideon was encountering fear. How would you feel if you had only 300 men to defeat an entire army? However, God loved Gideon and provided him with a strong wonderful man called Purah to offer encouragement, comfort, and protection. Purah was there for Gideon.

Many times those ministering for the LORD become discouraged, fearful, depressed, weak, and needy; when these times occur,  they need a PURAH. Are you available and in the right spiritual mindset to be used in that capacity? Maybe you are the PURAH someone else needs. Maybe you are the one called to work alongside someone going through a difficult or challenging situation.

Or maybe you need a PURAH today. God has called you to do an insurmountable task — one that seems too overwhelming to tackle on your own. Keep your eyes open for God to provide the encouragement to pursue it. God may provide help through a person who will comfort and encourage you to be all God wants you to be.

I have a friend for whom it seems I find myself there only during major crossroads in her life. We keep in touch occasionally, but I always seem to be around when she needs major help. Her beloved dog was being “put to sleep” one day – I felt so impressed to go with her and be with her through the ordeal. Another time, this same friend had surgery, and I was there to bring food and comfort her. I was her PURAH in those circumstances.  A PURAH bears one another’s burdens.

The LORD knew Gideon needed strength to fulfill God’s calling in his life. And God provided it through Purah.

But, why Purah?

In The Wisdom of Purah: Gideon’s Mentor ,¹ Writersfield states . . .

  1. Purah was more experienced, older in age and more mature than Gideon;
  2. Purah was loyal to Gideon; and
  3. Purah took pleasure in seeing Gideon get credit for what Purah had done.

When we find a friend like that, we have found a treasure!

How to be a PURAH

  • Keep yourself in God’s Word;
  • Pray for opportunities to be used by your Heavenly Father;
  • Ask God to let you recognize the signs to fulfill His will;
  • Be a loyal friend, family member, church member, and employee;
  • Be a confidant;
  • Be humble;
  • Don’t harbor jealousy;
  • Be available;
  • Be grateful;
  • Think of others before yourself.

God Bless,

PATTIGREENE.eps-(1

Edited by E. Johnson

Bible Verses:

Read Judges 7: 1-18 ESV

Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

The LORD said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.

And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

That same night the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”

As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.” And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’”

Prayer:

Oh Lord, make me an instrument to be used by You. Prepare me to be someone’s PURAH. The depths to which You can use me are enormous. I am scared. I feel unable. I feel unworthy. You can make my heart secure in what You want me to be and do, so I lay my trust upon You to make me everything You desire. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

¹ ¹ https://writersfield.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/the-wisdom-of-purah/

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To order Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here.

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Comments are always welcome. And, I would love to see you subscribe to my blog. To sign up for Newsletter and/or blog, click here.

On my blog, I want to write about topics that serve your needs and about what matters to you. I strive to help you with your needs and interests. Therefore, I am inviting you to share your interests with me so the content I write about will be more relevant to you. Please comment in this blog or email me at pattilondagreene@gmail.com for confidentiality.

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Church and Ministry, Devotionals, God's Will

Why I Self-Published My Books

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[Why I Self-Published My Books – From Email notifications, click the title for best web viewing]

Have you ever been all psyched up to do something and then for some reason, you just get that feeling that you need to do something else? Yesterday I spent a lot of time working on my blog about Purah. Yes, Purah! He’s the Old Testament guy who no one knows about unless you are quite familiar with Gideon’s story in the Book of Judges! However, I wasn’t “feeling it” as I tried to write the article. I began to feel a nudge to blog about how I chose to self-publish my books. If any of you reading this blog know why I was nudged to change the topic, please let me know. I am curious beyond measure!

Over the past three years, many people have asked me why I chose self-publishing my books over traditional publishing. There are spiritual and not-so-spiritual reasons that went into my decision. However, it was a pretty easy decision for me to make — especially since my generous husband was willing to give me the money to fulfill my “publishing dream.”

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
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WHY I SELF-PUBLISHED MY BOOKS

I. First things first – God gave me a message to write about – devotional prayer journaling. By the time I wrote my first book, I had been prayer journaling for 40+ years. All that means is that each year, I made a new notebook where I wrote down my prayer requests, thoughts, dreams, Bible study notes, and various other topics. One day a few months after retiring from my school librarian job, I had been asking God what He wanted me to do. He impressed upon me to walk into my closet. Yes, bizarre as it sounds, God impressed me to walk into my bedroom closet. I did. I looked up to the top shelf of my closet. There were all my journals and prayer requests from 40+ years ago all lined up. In a quiet whisper, God spoke. He said, “I have been preparing you to write prayer journals all these years. Now is the time to do it.”

II. God led me in that direction by finding my initial self-publishing company himself. As a high school librarian, I would receive calls and emails from publishing companies frequently. The spring before I retired, I received an email from CrossBooks, the self-publishing division of Lifeway, at the time. I filled out the form that I would like information about self-publishing. I started receiving a few phone calls and information about the company and I stored that in the back of my mind.

III. I also didn’t want to spend a lot of time messing with publishing companies and receiving rejection letters for years. I told myself I was 58 years old and if I am going to do something, I better do it now. Basically, I was getting old and I wanted to get something in print before I died. That was my thinking at the time.

IV. I wanted to have total creative control in the publishing process which I could do if I self-published.

I loved . . .

  • Deciding what font and size I wanted to use;
  • Picking out my own photos to put in the book [I learned a lot about stock photos, Photoshop, and pixels];
  • Choosing the graphics for my own book;
    Graphics
    Graphics
  • Working at my own pace which for me was FAST compared to others I have talked to. I recently took one of those questionnaires on Facebook and it said my best quality was that I am an over-achiever. So, you can only imagine the hard and concentrated effort I put in my books.
  • Designing my own cover — with the help of a graphic artist.

I’m not here to tell you self-publishing books is for you. It may not always be true for me, but for my first 3 books, it has been the route God has chosen. [I’m working on my 3rd book now.]

I did run across some pros and cons with self-publishing. You may not think they are pros or cons, but for me they were.

PROS OF SELF-PUBLISHING

  • God taught me patience;
  • God taught me to be wise with money;
  • God taught me how to follow his leadings step-by-step even if I didn’t understand them;
  • God impressed upon me that he knows the big picture of my life, and it is always best to follow his leads – in this case, it was to self-publish!

CONS OF SELF-PUBLISHING

  • Having to learn all the Microsoft features needed to type the books before pushing the final copies to Crossbooks, i.e. mark entry, insert index, captions, insert citations, headers, footers, margins, breaks, hyphenations, watermarks, indenting, spacing, wrapping text, and reviewing;
  • Paying for a self-publishing package;
  • Paying for book editing;
  • Having to write my own introduction and preface;
  • Being solely responsible for any omissions or errors in the book;
  • Not selling as many books as I would like to since I do not have the support of a well-known publishing company;
  • Marketing myself. [Honestly, I don’t have enough time to market well with other responsibilities I have right now.]

After both of my books were published, I received a letter from CrossBooks stating Lifeway was eliminating their self-publishing arm and I needed to find a new publishing company or use Westbow Press, the self-publishing division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan. At first, I wasn’t thrilled about having to change publishing companies, but now that I have gone through the transfer process with Westbow Press, I am thrilled with the results. God made provisions in this change where I have been able to fix every known error in the books, change the size of Book 2, and change Book 2’s cover which I wasn’t satisfied with the first time around.

God knows what he is doing all the time. When we step out in faith and are obedient to his promptings, we see God working in our lives and the lives of others. There are days I talk to God and say, “LORD, why have I spent so much time and money on these books and they aren’t getting into the hands of those that need them?” But, when I get into my pity-party mood, I have to continue to trust God because knows what he is doing. Someday when a traditional publisher shows their face, I will seriously consider the option, but I will never regret what I have learned with my first publishing feats by self-publishing. No, not ever!

If you have any comments or questions on this topic, please let me know. I would love to hear them. And, if you were the one I was writing to, let me know. Maybe God will lead me to write on Purah in the future, but today just wasn’t the day!

God Bless.

PATTIGREENE.eps-(1

Bible Verses:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Prayer: 

Oh mighty God, I love you. I want to follow you in every area of my life. Show me step by step what YOU want me to do. Let me follow the path you have for me – not someone else. Please let me find your will as I search the Scriptures, pray, and follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Order now for Mother’s Day!

To order Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here.

To order Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer (A Devotional Prayer Journal) by Patti Greene, click here.

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