The pace of Southern family life slows down in the summertime, making room for lazy days in the sun at the beach, or skipping rocks in a mountain creek, or catching fireflies in the twilight hours, or churning homemade ice cream on the back porch, or reading a good book during a thunderstorm, or chatting with friends on a balmy evening in a restaurant’s outside seating. Often it’s a time to get together with extended family over a backyard barbeque as cousins play games, siblings reconnect, aunts and uncles describe their vacation plans, and grandparents smile at everyone, thankful that their hearing is impaired.
Following my Bible study workshop for 2300 women in Hickory, NC, my daughter, Rachel-Ruth Wright, led ten brave children in a Bible study on stage using the same Scripture the women had just studied! Each child was given a Bible, which they read verse by verse, discussing what it meant in their own lives. It was thrilling to hear their insights, and to see their joy as they realized Heaven is being prepared for them!
The angel was loudly proclaiming that Jesus Christ is worth whatever the cost or sacrifice necessary in order to follow Him as a disciple in a life of obedient faith. That has caused me to reflect…
When it comes to all matters of life and faith, this AnGeL testifies that God’s Word is absolutely trustworthy and true. Paul encouraged Timothy, who was living in a wicked and idolatrous empire, that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16) God’s Word serves as a spiritual compass, guiding us through this life’s journey until we are safely Home. (Psalm 73:24)
If you spend much time outdoors, either on the open sea, or in the desert, or in the mountains, I’m sure you appreciate the value of a compass. Growing up in the mountains of Western North Carolina, I have always enjoyed hiking. One fourteen-mile hike as a teenager in particular stands out in my mind because somewhere along the way, my companion and I got completely lost in a huge laurel thicket! So my friend took a compass out of his pocket, noted the needle pointing north, and as a result adjusted our direction. We chose the right way out, and eventually emerged where we needed to be, and then finally returned home.1
The James Brown arena was transformed into a Most Holy Place as God poured out His blessing on Just Give Me Jesus/Augusta, September 21-22. Thousands of women, with hundreds of men and children, experienced personal revival as they had a fresh encounter with Jesus through prayer, praise, and the proclamation of His Word. To God be the glory!
During this wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas season, do you ever get down? Do you ever feel overwhelmed by life? A feeling that seems to be in stark contrast with the music, the festivities, the decorations, and all that goes with the Holidays? I wonder if pressure, stress, job assignments, battles, and the 24/7 service that angels render to their King, ever tempt them to stutter in their praise and worship of Him? Even as I ask that question, I immediately know the answer. No! They are never interrupted in their worship. (Revelation 4:8) And that continuous praise must be intentional, because they do a lot of work. (Psalm 103:20-21)
What an absolute joy it has been to use the promotional opportunities for the new children’s book, such as this book signing in Wilmington, North Carolina, to encourage little people to come to Jesus. Because Heaven is God’s promise for them, too! Picture taken by Lumina News, copyright February 2012.
There are times when we are so physically weary, so overloaded with responsibility, so pulled on by others, so sapped of emotional energy, so tapped out mentally, so attacked by the enemy, that we need to be ministered to ourselves. Jesus found Himself in this situation following a forty-day period in the wilderness where He had been under constant pressure physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. God sent angels to minister to Him because without the supernatural strength from Heaven that they brought, He may not have been able at that time to begin His public ministry.
