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Monday, May 26, 2014

The Way

"A woman named Lydia,
a dealer in purple cloth, a worshiper of God,
listened, and the Lord opened her heart..."
Acts 16:14

I can imagine Lydia listening to Paul eagerly,
drinking in his words.
She was already a worshiper of the true God,
and He opened her heart to receive
Paul's words, to accept them,
to respond to them.
The message found a place in her heart.

It's easy to see how Lydia would
open her heart and follow Jesus
after Paul spoke to her.
He was obviously a charismatic speaker.
But how about others?
Why did they decide to follow?

How did Christianity grow from Lydia, 
the first Christian convert in Europe, 
living a clandestine, persecuted way of life,
to being the legal religion
under Constantine the Great?
A miracle? Most certainly. 
There are always miracles 
for those who believe.

But in sociologist Rodney Stark's book,
The Rise of Christianity,
he proposes that "the way" provided
a better life for its followers.
There were more women followers because
women were honored and respected,
unlike their low status in the pagan world.
He cites that "loving one another"
and helping each other attracted many followers.

"Amidst the epidemics and fires,
and other disasters that beleaguered
the Greco-Roman cities,
Christian communities were a stronghold
of mutual aid, which resulted in a
survival rate far greater than that
of the pagans.
In the meantime, voluntary martyrdom,
especially a generation 
after the death of Christ,
reinforced the commitment of 
the Christian rank and file."
Rodney Stark

Do our actions attract others 
to our way of life as Christians,
the way the first Christians did?

"The churches were strengthened in the faith 
and daily their number increased."
Acts 16:5

Jesus' followers grew in numbers after He died.
How about today?

In his book Witness Essentials,
Dan Meyer lists some encouraging statistics
about the growth of the church around the world:

In 1900 Korea had no Protestant church.
Today, there are over 7,000 churches
in just the city of Seoul, South Korea.

At the end of the 19th century,
the southern portion of Africa
was only 3 percent Christian.
Today, 63 percent of the population
is Christian, while membership in the
churches in Africa is
increasing by 34,000 people per day.

In India, 14 million of the 140 million members
of the "untouchable" caste have become Christians.

More people in the Islamic world have come
to Christ in the last 25 years than in the
entire history of Christian missions.

In Islamic Indonesia, the percentage of Christians
is now so high (around 15 percent)
that the Muslim government will
no longer print statistics.

In China, it is estimated that there are now
more self-avowed disciples of Jesus
than members of the Communist party.
Even the most conservative estimates
suggest that China will soon have
more Christians than any country.

Across the planet, followers of Jesus
are increasing by more than eighty thousand per day.

510 new churches form every day.

Meyer concludes: "The irony is that,
except for the Middle East
(where Christianity was born)
and Europe and America
(to whose civilization it gave birth),
Christianity is expanding everywhere today."

 "They laid hands in them and 
they received the Holy Spirit." Acts 8:17

I went to have myself baptized in the
Holy Spirit about 3 or 4 times, maybe more!
Each time, brothers and sisters 
would lay hands on me, 
just like in the apostles' day.
Each time, people around me would 
get slain and speak in tongues.
Me? Nothing. :^(((

One day I decided to just speak 
in "tongues" the whole day.
I spoke in "tongues" in the car,
and everywhere I went. 
My mom took pity on me 
and asked me to stop.
I didn't. I just continued
until I got back home.
I locked myself in my room,
sat down on my rocking chair,
and just continued with my "tongues".

Then suddenly,
it was as if I had a fountain in my mouth,
"rivers of living water", and words came,
filling me with joy.
After a long time, I asked God, 
what was I saying?
And my "tongues" became English,
and I was praising the Lord!

Yes, the Holy Spirit is real,
and He still comes to those who seek Him.
And He has many other gifts to give!
The gift of healing, miracles, the word of wisdom,
prophecy, discernment of spirits, teaching, 
generosity, leadership, service...
We just have to DO it, practice it, claim it.
Like, I'm claiming the gift of healing.
I just have to remember to lay hands 
on the sick ALL THE TIME!!!












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Friday, May 23, 2014

Paint Party Friday: A Friend Is...

This morning I am painting the verse
from John 15:15, where Jesus is saying,
"I have called you friends."

How great is that???
The creator of the universe,
the one who put breath in our bodies,
HE calls us friends!
Instead of something else we deserve!!!

But what is a friend?
A friend is not someone who 
gives us everything we ask for.
A friend is not someone who says
everything we want to hear
even if it is a lie!

A friend is someone we can trust
to do what is best for us.
A friend is someone who will 
tell us the truth whether or not
it will make us happy.

Thank you Jesus for being our friend!
Even if you don't always answer
my prayers the way I want You too,
I trust and love You!
I know You want the absolute
best for me!

 I call You my friend too!

 "If you keep my commandments, 
you will remain in my love..." John 15:10. 
To learn to obey God, we have to learn to trust Him.
 And we can't live an obedient, 
Godly life, without an open Bible. 
The same way we teach our children to obey us, 
God is also teaching us to obey, step by step. 
Because He knows if we live in disobedience, 
we will never experience the fullness 
our God has in store for us! 
Lord, help me to see my disobedience! 
I want the fullness of life you promise 
to Your obedient children! 
"So keep the words of this covenant to do them, 
that you may prosper in all you do." Dt. 29:9



Linking with

So many WONDERFUL blogfriends 
to discover here!

Thank you for dropping by!
You are appreciated!

Patsy


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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

WOYWW: Hold Your Peace

Here is my desk as I am preparing
to paint the verse in John 15:
"I am the VINE,
you are the BRANCHES."

You can see some ATCs I am preparing
for next week's WOYWW anniversary!

I have drawn this verse many times
and I thought that this time,
I will draw a woman
with a grape vine in her hair!!!

The verse continues,
"Whoever remains in me and I in Him
will bear much fruit..." 

"..because without me 
you can do nothing."
John 15:5

Picture yourself in a vineyard.
The grapes are lush,
bursting with color and life.

In the far side of the vineyard,
there is a branch, all withered,
brown, its grapes crumpled and dry,
and all because it was cut away.

"Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch
and wither..." John 15:6

I don't want to be pruned from the VINE
and neither do you!
In an old fashioned version of this verse,
we can read,
"Whoever ABIDES in me..."
This speaks of LIVING in Christ,
having an ABODE in Him, a HOME.

Having the SAP of Christ
run through us,
His life, His power.
How do we do that?

 The WORD of God is spiritual food.
It is sustenance for our spiritual bodies.

  In Jeremiah 15:6, the prophet said,
"When Your WORDS came, I ate them.
They were my joy and my heart's delight,
for I bear Your name, O Lord God Almighty."

Let us eat God's Word, savor it,
so His sap will run through our lives
in abundance!

 "Peace I leave with you..." John 14:27. 
Jesus never promised a life 
without challenges or problems, 
but He did promise us PEACE. 

 When there are storms, there is an eye,
 where all is CALM. 
When we are in the midst of challenges, 
we need to find the eye, where we rest in God. 
Exodus 14:14 says, "The Lord shall fight for you, 
you need only to be still, 
hold your peace and remain at rest."




Blessings!
Patsy



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