Today's Christian Living September 2023

Suicide Prevention Month: Overcomers in Christ

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On the Cover: Ray Comfort, www.livingwaters.com Photo provided by Living Waters

SEPTEMBER 2023

Features 5 New Technology, Same Calling

VOL. 61 NUMBER 5

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by Stephanie Rische

New communication tools impact an established ministry.

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Crazy Beautiful

by Nita Wilkinson

God brings healing and growth through the unexpected.

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Medical Teams International

by Pam Walker

How Medical Teams International works to relieve human suffering.

Departments

16 No More Chains

by Michelle Adserias

From abuse and imprisonment to freedom and a thriving ministry.

22 Overcoming Suicide

by Hillary Hardin One woman’s God-empowered victory over depression and suicide.

26 Christian Fiction Resource Guide Curl up with a great book and lose yourself in the story.

31 Christian Living Resource Guide Resources to improve your understanding of God and the Christian walk.

37 Through the Valleys Dan Herod encourages those walking through suffering and loss.

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The Fine Print

19 Kids of the Kingdom 25 Quips & Quotes

12 Columns 9

Living in Wisdom Justice and Mercy

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Dave Says Insights for life changes

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Ask Dr. Walt Expert insights on medical topics

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Quick Takes

43 Laugh Lines

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30 Turning Point Please God, Take the Torch 38 Persecution Report U.S. policy impacts India’s Christians 42

Devotional Autumn Aroma

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Grace Notes The Best Gift TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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THE FINE PRINT

Vol. 61

No. 5

President/Publisher Diana Jones dianaj@jpmediallc.com Editor Michelle Adserias michellea@jpmediallc.com

Great Hope S

inead O’Connor recently took her own life, driven by her sorrow over her son’s tragic suicide in 2022. Her name might be unfamiliar to you, but she was a well-known and successful singer/songwriter who “had it all” by the world’s standards. What she desperately needed was the peace and hope only God can give us during life’s trials.

Anxiety, depression and suicide are not exclusive to non-believers, however. True, devoted Christ-followers often fight the battle against the darkness of depression, mental unwellness and suicidal thoughts. In conjunction with Suicide Prevention Month, we’re telling stories about the light God can bring to our darkest hours.

While proper medical and self-care play important roles in our overall well-being, only the truths of God’s Word can defeat the lies Satan, the Deceiver, whispers in our ears. Only our Heavenly Father can comfort us with His unwavering love.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

— John 14:26-27 We’d love it if you’d visit and like our Facebook page! You’ll find some new things there; engaging blogs, weekly book recommendations, encouraging verses and more, all intended to spur you on in your faith.

In Christ, Michelle Adserias, Editor EDITOR’S NOTE: My sincere apologies to Billy Wayne for my error in the last issue.

His last name is Arrington, not Harrington. We’ve corrected the digital edition but, of course, we can’t undo what’s in print. Please forgive my oversight.

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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2023

Contributing Editors Walt Larimore, M.D. Dave Ramsey Jerry Rose Shirley Rose William Morris Sales Account Executive Jill Maggio jillm@jpmediallc.com 800-397-8161 ext. 5 Graphic Designer Sara Wait Bulk Circulation Nancy Plaski 800-397-8161 ext. 2 Founder Kenneth N. Taylor Letters to the Editor: Write Today’s Christian Living, PO Box 282, Iola, WI 54945. Or e-mail: editor@todayschristianliving.org Individual Subscriptions: Visit www.todayschristianliving.org/subscribe or call 800-223-3161.

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If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text “Hopeline” to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

New Technology, Same Calling Ray Comfort on 50 Years of Sharing the Good News

Ray Comfort doing what he does best, preaching the good news.

(Photo provided by Living Waters)

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By Stephanie Rische

ay Comfort lives for one burning passion: to bring the gospel to unreached people. Although the technology he uses to communicate the message has changed over the past five decades, his message has never wavered. His boldness

is a natural overflow of his faith: “Since we have such a hope, we are very bold” —2 Corinthians 3:12.

Ray’s ministry, Living Waters, has a simple mission: “To inspire and equip Christians to fulfill the Great Commission.” He is the author of more than 100 books, including The Evidence TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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Ray and his dog, Lucy. (Photo provided by Living Waters)

Study Bible. He cohosts an evangelistic TV show called Way of the Master, which is now in its 10th season and broadcasts to 190 countries. He also has a YouTube channel, which has hit 250 million views. “These videos are shared with atheists and agnostics, and people are coming to Christ on camera.”

“I’m coming up on 74, and I am in awe that I’ve been able to ride this wave of technology. I can’t believe I can instantly talk to my sister in New Zealand 6,000 miles away. My ministry takes advantage of every means possible to share the gospel.”

As Paul said, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” —1 Corinthians 9:22. Ray believes that Paul would be “green with righteous envy to reach millions 6

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in an instant, when he had to dictate letters to be handwritten and delivered to the early churches.”

A New Person Overnight

Ray grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand, and didn’t set foot in a church until he was 10 years old. “I was brought up in a non-Christian home. My mother was Jewish, and my father was a Gentile, and I got lost.” He became a successful businessman early in life. “By the age of 20, I had everything material I wanted. I went surfing whenever I wanted to. I was happy, but I could see the futility of life.”

Even at a young age, Ray had a keen awareness of his own mortality. “I knew that everything I held dear would be ripped

out of my hands by this monster called death—a monster no one talked about. One day I cried out to the heavens, ‘Why?’ I looked at my wife, who was asleep beside me, knowing she would be ripped from me, too.”

Six months later, Ray went on a trip with friends, one of whom was a believer, and heard the gospel. “I read the passage in Matthew about how lusting after someone was committing adultery in my heart. I was terrified by the idea that God saw my thought life. I suddenly understood the cross, and I was transformed. It was like I became a new person overnight.”

In the Cultural Frying Pan

Ray felt God calling him into ministry immediately after his conversion. “When I came to faith, I realized I had everlasting life as a gift. I wanted to tell the world about it.” But he didn’t enroll in seminary; he took his faith to the streets. “I started out by getting a professional sign made that said, ‘Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.’ I gave out gospel tracts and witnessed on the street.” Eventually he purchased a billboard and bought a printing press to publish gospel tracts. “I had a sign made with John 3:1-16 in large letters and put it at the front of my store. I got a soapbox and started preaching in the heart of our city. I was a religious fanatic back then.” After a pause, Ray says with a chuckle, “Now I’m much worse!”

As Western culture’s view of Christianity has shifted, Ray remains encouraged. “Believe it or not, things are getting better. That might sound like a strange thing to say. But think about the thief on the cross. At first, he blasphemed the name of Jesus and railed against Him. Then he said, ‘Lord, remember me.’ What happened? Well, let me talk about something that seems unrelated: poached eggs.”

Ray makes poached eggs almost every morning, and he says there’s something annoying about it: “The fluff always comes to the top, and I have to scoop it off. Months ago, I put a lid on the frying pan, and to my surprise, it cooked more quickly because of the pressure, and the fluff cooked off. The thief was under pressure—he knew he would die soon and stand in presence of a holy God. When you realize you’re going to die, it has a way of getting rid of the fluff. We live in a generation that’s under pressure like never before. The pandemic made an entire generation recognize their mortality. The knowledge of our mortality is a powerful weapon in sharing the Good News.”

The Biggest Obstacle in Evangelism

According to Ray, the greatest challenge believers face in sharing the gospel is our own fear. “Every time I share the gospel with someone, Zacchaeus becomes Goliath. Fear is always there, sitting on our shoulder. But we need to remember we’re like firefighters. If a firefighter is on the fifth story of a burning building while carrying two children, of course he’s fearful. He has to climb a 60-foot ladder with flames licking his shoulder.

But he does it anyway. How? He’s not thinking about himself; he’s thinking about the children’s mother. His love and commitment keep him there.”

How to Make Sure God Hears Your Prayers Ray reflects on his newest book, How to Make Sure God Hears Your Prayers “Whether or not God hears your prayers doesn’t really matter too much . . . as long as you’re not hanging by a cliff by your fingernails or upside down in turbulence at 20,000 feet. Most people treat God like the sound man at church. When everything is going smoothly, you don’t pay any attention to him. You may go for months, even years, without a problem.

But the moment something goes wrong, people turn around and glare. This is because the world has the wrong image of God. He lavishes His love on us in so many ways—through the birds in the air and blue skies and the love of family and friends, and we rarely pay Him any attention . . . until something goes wrong. And then up goes the fist.

I often hear people say they feel like God isn’t listening to their prayers. The reality is, He may not be listening. There are certain conditions when we pray. God is omniscient, so of course He hears everything. But Scripture says sometimes He doesn’t take notice. If we have iniquity in our hearts, He will not hear.

Sin separates Him from listening to us.

So, if we think God isn’t hearing our prayers, first we need to confess and forsake our sins.

Second, we need to have faith in our hearts.

We make Him a liar if we don’t believe Him. Our whole life is based on faith. If we don’t trust our spouse, we’ll ruin our marriage. If we don’t trust our boss, we’ll get fired from our job. We trust the doctor when he gives us pills; we trust a pilot who takes us across the country. If we trust humans, how much more should we trust God, who cannot lie?”

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We have access to something with even more lifesaving power than a firefighter’s gear. Like the disciples, “we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” —Acts 4:20. “If the world knew what we had, they would ask us. That’s why I have boldness. Think of a waitress serving a group of well-dressed, important businessmen. Is she intimidated to approach them?

No, because she has something they want. We have something the world wants—and something the world needs. We don’t need to be afraid to share that.”

Cultivating a Healthy Fear of God

One of the foundational principles of Living Waters is to point people to the Ten Commandments. “We do what Jesus did—which is very radical compared to the way most people today approach evangelism. Jesus pointed the rich young ruler to the Ten Commandments. The thing is, we don’t know what sin is until we know the law.”

“The fear of the Lord is perhaps the most despised doctrine of the Bible. But Scripture says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. So, we can’t even begin to be wise if we don’t fear him.” Ray had a firsthand experience with the fear of the Lord before he became a Christian. “I was a 17-year-old boy lying in the grass with a 16-year-old girl, and my intentions were not honorable. Then she said something that stopped me in my tracks: ‘You know what, God is watching us.’ It was like a bucket of ice was dropped on me from the heavens. We left in a

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hurry, and later I said, ‘Thank you, Lord, for the fear of God.’” Jesus says in Matthew 10:28, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Ray compares having a healthy fear of God to having a healthy fear of those in authority. “I’m originally from New Zealand. When I was growing up, the police didn’t have guns; they had sticks. When a criminal was naughty, they’d hit him with sticks. When I came to preach in the US and a police officer asked me to move, I knew what they could do to me. That’s why I’ve always been very congenial with the police. It isn’t just reverence, but the fear of what they could do to me. That’s how we should see God. People today see God as a buddy, but that’s not a biblical idea. This knowledge of what He can do to our bodies and souls should cause us to come in line with Him.” More than fifty years after he came to faith, Ray’s heartbeat is still the same: “to seek and to save the lost” —Luke 19:10.

“I’ve had a burning desire to live for the gospel, for the unsaved, right from the beginning. God has honored that cry of my heart and has opened so many doors.”  Stephanie Rische edits and writes in the Chicago area, where she lives with her husband and two sons. When she isn’t chasing down commas or little boys, she blogs at stephanierische.com.

Her memoir, I Was Blind (Dating), but Now I See, recounts how God surprised her with His grace and love.

man was accused of murder and brought before a judge. The man admitted his guilt, the jury found him guilty, and the judge pronounced his sentence with deep sorrow: the death penalty.

The guilty man was his own son.

Despite the judge’s deep love for him, he could not dismiss the charges or avert the penalty. He must uphold the law or be a corrupt, unjust judge.

He was caught in a heart-wrenching dilemma. Then he thought of a solution.

The judge stepped down, removed his robe, and exchanged places with his son.

He was executed in his son’s place.

That’s what Jesus, in His grace and mercy, did for us when he died on the cross. He was not guilty but paid the penalty for our guilt; he was sinless but paid the price for our sin.

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God’s forgiveness is available to anyone who will own, ask forgiveness for, and turn away from their sin (repent) and put their hope, faith, and trust in Christ alone. Only His blood, shed on the cross, can wash away the guilt of our sin so we can forever enjoy God’s forgiveness and fellowship.

The question is, will you accept God’s free gift? It’s only a sincere prayer away. If you’d like to find new life in Christ, tell God you are sorry for your past wrongs and want Him to be your Lord and Savior. He’ll send the Holy Spirit to live in you, guide you, and change you from the inside out.

“It is by grace you have been saved through faith — and this is not through yourselves, it is the gift of God — not of works, so that no one can boast” —Ephesians 2:8-9.

LIVING IN WISDOM

Jerry Rose is an internationally known Christian broadcaster and is former president/ CEO of the Total Living Network. He currently serves as TLN’s chairman of the board and hosts the Emmy awardwinning program Significant Living. Jerry is an ordained minister and the author of five books, including Deep Faith for Dark Valleys and Significant Living, coauthored with his wife, Shirley. He is the past president of the National Religious Broadcasters and currently serves on its board of directors. Jerry is an avid golfer, equestrian, photographer, and grandfather of 20.

Shirley Rose has been in ministry with her husband, Jerry, for more than 30 years.

Her career in Christian television focused on hosting several programs, including the Emmy Award-winning women’s program Aspiring Women. She has authored five books, including The Eve Factor, A Wise Woman Once Said…, and Significant Living, and has contributed to numerous anthologies and periodicals. She is actively pursuing her calling to help other women through writing, speaking, and hosting women’s groups in her home. Her favorite pastimes are country line dancing, travel, and spending time with her 20 grandchildren.

By Jerry and Shirley Rose

Fearless Living A s a young boy I had an unnatural fear of heights. It was a dominating fear that caused me some embarrassing moments.

For example, our local library had a suspended staircase to the second floor where my books of interest were located. But I couldn’t bring myself to walk up there, so I had a friend get the books I needed.

Sometimes my mother would go with me to spare me the embarrassment.

As I grew into adulthood, I overcame much of my phobia. However, my fear of heights, though buried, still remained unresolved and would sometimes surface.

Early in our marriage Shirley and I owned a two-story home that desperately needed painting.

There just wasn’t a budget for hiring it out, so I decided I could do it. However, since it was a twostory house, it meant using a very tall ladder. The old fear reemerged, and though I was determined not to succumb to it, the paint job was left undone.

Then one day I was reading in 1 Kings about Elijah’s incredible victory over the prophets of Baal. After exhausting themselves with chants and incantations, the prophets never received an answer from their gods. But the true God of Elijah did answer as fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering. It was a crucial moment in Israel’s history. The people turned their hearts back to God and the prophets of Baal were put to death.

Shortly after this momentous victory, an angry Queen Jezebel sent a message to Elijah saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” — 1 Kings 19:2. Elijah was so terrified he ran for his life and hid in the wilderness. He became so depressed he asked God to let him die.

I was perplexed. How, after experiencing such a profound victory, could Elijah be so scared of Jezebel that he wanted to give up and die? In that

moment God spoke to my spirit with a simple question. Why do you question Elijah? You can’t trust me on a ladder.

I was stunned! I was a man of faith and a minister. I had moved my family to Illinois to become the Vice-President of a television channel that didn’t yet exist and had no assurances (in the natural) that it ever would exist. But we were there because we believed God had called us. Yet my house remained unpainted because I couldn’t trust God on a ladder. It was then I realized it wasn’t just about a ladder. This was about living close enough to God to trust Him with all my fears—my fear of failure, of never measuring up, the fear that something bad would happen to someone in our family.

A few years later I was to be that family member when I was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Shirley surprised me by saying, “I’ve always had a fear of cancer coming into our home and now it is here. But it’s not as scary as I thought because I know God will get us through this.” And He did. Our faith and God’s supernatural peace has carried us through cancer and many subsequent challenges in our family. There was a remarkable sense of freedom as I realized that just as Elijah didn’t need to fear Jezebel, I could trust God on a ladder. That same day I cautiously began painting and the job was quickly completed, including the upper level.

Fear, of course, is a necessary emotion God built into us as a safeguard against danger. However, the “spirit of fear” is from the enemy and will cripple us and rob us of the abundant life God has promised. Consider this reassuring promise from 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

We live in a scary, uncertain world, but if your life is riddled with fear, you may be allowing your fears to interfere with your relationship with God. This is not God’s plan for you. Have you gone to God and asked him to take your fear away? It happens when we can receive His love. Scripture tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.” — 1 John 4:18.

And finally, from Deuteronomy 31:8 “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”  TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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Crazy Beautiful C

By Nita Wilkinson

an I tell you about my season of being crazy? My doctor told me it’s not clinically correct or socially acceptable to call that journey crazy. But it is the word that best describes my state of mind during a season of mental health struggles.

I have dreamed of writing for Jesus since I was 12 years old.

Finally, after years of hit-and-miss writing, I plunged in with both feet. In September of 2018, I published my first blog, and about three weeks later, I signed up for a writing conference.

And that’s when the crazy kicked in. Seemingly, out of nowhere, I woke up one morning shaking with fear, struggling to breathe, and thinking, “This is why people take their lives.” At that moment, it even occurred to me it might be the best course.

I never had a thought like that before; I could never understand why I considered such a selfish act. That the idea entered my head at all shook me to my core.

How in the world did I get here?

For years, the enemy watched me, talking and dreaming about writing for Jesus. Occasionally, someone would ask me to write something for them, and I would. But, every time I did, something happened to keep me from writing more. I have this vision of Satan smiling as he listened to me talk about writing but not worrying until I took action.

I wrote two children’s devotions that were published. But then, my step-dad died, and I didn’t get back to it again.

My pastor had me write for our church publication, then my son went through a trauma which kept me from pursuing more.

I bought a computer, built a web page, and published a blog three weeks in a row, and I woke up with suicidal thoughts.

I felt this overwhelming hopelessness I had never felt before.

I didn’t know how to deal with it.

I experienced complete separation from God. I prayed, praised, and petitioned anyway. It didn’t bring down whatever walls were between us, so I prayed, “I am yours simply because you say so,” hoping He would honor my feeble attempts at worship.

Clinical depression with a side of anxiety is a strange disease.

I could barely get out of bed. I remember calling my boss one morning at 9:30 and telling him I had my pants and top on. As soon as I could get my socks and shoes on, I would come in. I got there after 1 p.m.

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Another day, when we were expecting an ice storm, I was terrified the electricity would go out. I have been through plenty of power outages and never worried. We have all the things for such an occasion. On this particular day, I drove around every hour to look at the power lines. As soon as I saw ice on them, I went home to worry. The electricity never did go out that night.

And then there was the night I was lying in bed, certain I would dislocate my jaw when I fell asleep, if I could even get to sleep.

Do you see why the word crazy seems to fit my situation so well?

There was also a darkness that had never been a part of my life before. I remember sitting on the side of a hill, watching the autumn colors dance in the wind. The rich reds, warm oranges, and the sunny yellows leaping about should make my heart happy in my favorite season. But there was only a black cloud filling up the foggy recesses of my mind. The fog was clawing at me, choking me, taking my breath away. It was taking my life away. I was exhausted, but there was no rest.

I longed for the comfort of my Savior, but the shadows drove Him away. My soul wept.

I spent 74 days living in that darkness, wishing every day would be my last. I spent many hours with my face to the floor, begging for relief. I laid in bed at night, never sleeping, often reciting Psalm 43:4, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, taking away all my fears.” Seemingly, it was to no avail. For the first time in my life, I had no hope.

Here’s one of the things I love about hope among Christians.

When one person loses hope, there is a tribe of people with an abundance of it. So, the one struggling can borrow hope from their champions. That was my experience. When I had nothing left to give, my husband and close friends rallied around me praying, encouraging me, and generally taking care of me.

They carried the hope I couldn’t find.

My girlfriends remind me of a tribe of elephants. When an elephant is giving birth, the other female elephants in the tribe close ranks and surround her in a protective circle so potential predators can’t see her. First, they surround her, stomping their big, old feet and snorting through those long tusks to keep her safe from hyenas and lions while she is at her most vulnerable.

Then, when the baby is born, they kick dirt on it so those same predators can’t track the smells. After that they trumpet in celebration of the new arrival, but only after they know the baby is safe and the mama is okay. What wonderful champions they are!

I love this beautiful force of nature. And this is what my friends did for me. They protected me with prayer, shouting the name of Jesus over me, so the enemy had to leave. They surrounded me with encouragement and love, cracking the darkness into slivers of light with borrowed hope. And when I grabbed that borrowed hope and found the Light of Jesus again, we all celebrated with raised hands and loud praises.

There was beauty in the ashes of my mental illness. It took me a while to get there, but as God gently nudged me to tell my story, I was astonished at how many women reached out to me. My story resonated with them. They needed to hear there is hope. So, I became the one who could loan out hope, sometimes for women I didn’t even know.

Today, with the help of Jesus, my champions, and medication, I am my usual, happy self. God blessed me with the opportunity to start a ministry for women facing trauma, like mental illness. Gifts with Grace offers women hope, Bible study, and fellowship with others.

While I would never choose those 74 days, I am reminded of God’s promise in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Imagine how beautiful we will find eternity with Him if He can do this much good from my crazy here on earth!  Nita Wilkinson is a writer and speaker that encourages women to pursue joy and freedom with the most important tool in the toolbox of life, the Bible. You can find out more about Nita at her web page www.inthewhisper. org, through her podcast The In the Whisper Podcast and through various social media outlets.

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Medical Teams International Filling Empty Buckets with Hope and Healing

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By Pam S. Walker

or the Apostle Peter, obedience to God meant stepping out of a boat. For Ron Post, founder of Medical Teams International, it meant getting out of his easy chair.

Ron’s step of faith began in 1979, after watching a teenage girl on the news being picked up from a rice field in Cambodia (the “Killing Fields”) while his own teenage daughter laid on the couch, safe at home. He said he felt like someone was giving him a plan in writing. “I could visualize it. It was so overpowering. I was to raise up a medical team and take them to help the Cambodian refugees in Thailand. And I was to do it in two weeks.”

While Ron had a business background, he had no experience in the medical field. He said that nothing could have prepared him for what he would encounter. “Even though I felt inadequate, I realized I felt how God intended, so I would look to Him instead of myself for how I would proceed.” His wife, Jean, confirmed the calling, providing the courage to move forward.

After much prayer and rallying supporters, they raised $250,000. Within two weeks, they were on their way to Thailand with 28 volunteers. Before they arrived, 30 to 40 refugees were dying each day in the camp. Throughout their service time, not one patient died. Ron witnessed many miracles. He helped a five-year-old boy, who weighed only 20 pounds, overcome starvation. He laid hands on a dying man and prayed for healing.

The doctors did not expect him to live. Miraculously, the man recovered and left the hospital soon afterward. This was the beginning of Northwest Medical Teams – now known as Medical Teams International (www.medicalteams.org).

Empty Buckets in Ethiopia

After returning from that trip, Ron yearned for more experiences with helping the needy. It would be another five years before he got to do so. In 1984, God called him back out of his easy chair as he watched another tragic scene unfold on the evening news. This time it was in Ethiopia. Millions were starving due to a civil war and a devastating drought. Again, he felt called to help.

One experience in Ethiopia changed his life forever. Ron writes about this experience in his memoir: Unchained: A Man’s Journey from Abuse to Healing to Saving Lives. “One morning, as I watched the nurses moving down the long line, I spotted two aged women in the distance walking toward me. Each carried a small plastic bucket, hoping to find grain. They stopped just a couple of feet in front of me, and within seconds, one lady started trembling violently and fell to the ground. Nurses rushed to her aid, but it was too late. She died there, just a few feet from help.”

With that horrific image etched permanently in his mind, Ron sensed God telling him that there are many empty buckets 12

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A refugee in Tanzania working with Medical Teams International.

(Photo courtesy of www.medicalteams.org)

in the world and that he needs to help fill them. “When we fill the buckets of others, we find that our own is never empty.”

After the trip to Ethiopia, Ron had a burning desire to tell others about what he had witnessed and to become a spokesperson for the millions who suffer around the world. He also became more aware of the needs of his own country. Urgent and critical needs arose in Mexico when a massive earthquake struck Mexico City. The following year, Medical Teams International established the first community center in a dump outside Mexico City.

Miracles in Mexico

Ron recalls many miracles throughout his 40 years of ministry in his book. One particular time, they needed land to build a surgery center in Mexico. All the land was selling for $40,000 an acre. They were directed to a property of 30 acres but knew they could not afford it. They did the only thing they knew to do – they prayed. Picking up a branch of thorns and remembering what the Lord suffered for us, the men joined in praising the Lord. They met with the owner and asked what he wanted for his property. He said he would take $16,000. Not per acre, but for the entire property.

Throughout the World

During the 20 years of leading Medical Teams International, Ron has traveled the globe in response to disasters, disease, and other healthcare concerns. The ministry sent over $30 million in medical supplies to the Kurdish people in Northern Iraq living under Saddam Hussein’s threatening regime. They treated over 400 patients a day.

When the Yugoslav Wars forced millions to leave their homes, their volunteers provided care and healing to the Croatian and Bosnian refugees. After thousands were slaughtered during the

Ron Post took a step of faith, following God’s call to make a difference. (Photo courtesy of Medical Teams International.)

Rwandan Civil War, the organization brought hope and healing to those traumatized by the horrific war.

Medical Teams International has also given sight to the blind through cataract surgeries and provided new smiles to people born with cleft lips and palates. They have won thousands to Christ through Children’s Bible Club programs and offer free dental care to 20,000 people a year through their 13 Mobile Dental Vans in the US. They have even provided life-saving treatment to animals. In a project titled Project Hee-Haw, the organization donated over 1,000 donkeys to remote communities in Northern Iraq during the first gulf war. Their animals, a vital income resource for the people, were dying off for lack of vaccinations. They started a

vaccination program and vaccinated over 3 million animals annually for four years, saving the entire animal herd.

Medical Teams International continues to help those impacted by sudden emergencies and long-term crises by providing medical care, equipping local clinics with training and supplies, and empowering communities to care for themselves after they leave.

Faithful Partner in Ministry

From the beginning, Ron’s wife, Jean, was his greatest encourager and motivator. When they struggled with income for the ministry, Jean organized fundraising banquets that became their most important source of income for the next ten years.

Ron said she worked tirelessly to organize 21 fundraising banTODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

13

Unchained: A Man’s Journey from Abuse to Healing to Saving Lives For over 20 years, Ron Post, the founder of Medical Teams International, shared stories of his many journeys to bring help and healing to a hurting world on national radio and television programs. Now he is recounting these stories of God’s miraculous work in his memoir, Unchained: A Man’s Journey from Abuse to Healing to Saving Lives. Through his years leading the global medical humanitarian organization, Ron received various prestigious awards, including the National Jefferson Award, the World Service Award from Kiwanis International, and the 1000 Points of Light Award from President George W. Bush. Newsweek magazine named him one of America’s Unsung Heroes. But even with all the accolades, he felt one story needed to be told after keeping it hidden for 73 years. He had been sexually abused as a child. And while he has since forgiven his abusers, he hopes his book will encourage others to experience the same freedom and forgiveness he has found in his walk with the Lord.

At the close of his book, Ron challenges readers to “become unchained from your past and find freedom with Christ for your future. Will today be the day you rise from your easy chair and become all God created and desires you to be? You can trust Him. He is faithful, loves you like no other, and has called you.”

Ron’s book may be purchased from Amazon or his website, www.ronpost.org.

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quets a year. Her banquet manual, which she developed, is used nationwide by thousands of ministries today. Jean went home to be with the Lord in December 2022. “She finished her race and fought the good fight,” Ron said. “She has received her heavenly reward for her faithfulness to the Lord.”

Bringing Hope to the Hard Places

When asked how he maintained hope while facing such sorrow, Ron said, “I have hope in Christ, who gave my life meaning and purpose, and who is always near, always encouraging me to go on. I see hope in the eyes of a lady who lost everything, including all her children, save one, and that one was near death. But watching her as she sees our doctor working to save that child gives her hope. And when the child lives, her life is reborn, and death has no more sting for her.”

Ron Post.

And he learned early on that success looks different when doing Kingdom work. “You may not save every life you help. God has not called us to be successful. He’s called us to be faithful, to be faithful in our relationship with Christ.”

Another Easy Chair Moment — the Beginning of Mission Increase

In 1997, Ron again felt God calling him out of his easy chair — this time to start a ministry. Mission Increase helps train Christian ministries to do fundraising biblically. Most nonprofits see donors as “just something they must have to continue their work.” Mission Increase presents ministries with practical ways to get donors more involved in their outreach or service. It has grown so much there are now training centers in major cities nationwide.

Although Ron has retired from both ministries, he remains their biggest cheerleader and stays in close contact with both organizations. Medical Teams International serves nearly 2.6 million people in various refugee camps worldwide, while Mission Increase is training about 3,500 ministries each year.

Created to Do Good Works

One verse that exemplifies Ron’s ministry and life calling is Ephesians 2:10, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.”

Elaborating on this, Ron said, “God placed in every one of us the need to do good things. When we help one person, we are exercising that gene He placed in us, and that is what causes us to feel good about what we did for someone. I will gladly serve Him wherever He calls me to be.”

Ron’s commitment to fill empty buckets with hope and healing began by getting out of that easy chair and saying “Yes” to God, and helping just one person at a time.  Pam S. Walker is the former National Editor of Answers magazine, a publication of Answers in Genesis, and is a freelance writer living in the Cincinnati area where she writes for various Christian publications.

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significantliving.org Significant Living 11

No More

Chains

Left to fend for himself, Reginald ambushed a man at the iolence seemed to follow Reginald Foreman wherever grocery store and stole his food. As he sat alone in the dark he went. He was bullied at school. He lived in constant kitchen (the electricity had been cut off), he heard a voice in the fear of the gangs that roamed the streets of his neighdarkness say, “You know that was wrong.” borhood in The Projects, downtown Chicago.

That warning didn’t stop Reginald’s downward spiral. DesWhen his mom moved him to Alabama to live with his perate for money, he robbed a bank, at gunpoint. Despite the grandma, Reginald hoped for a better life. letter he’d written the judge in advance of Things didn’t improve much. Though his his hearing, asking for mercy, 19-year-old grandma took him to church, he didn’t re- “Die daily to self. Reginald Foreman was sentenced to 18½ ally know God in those early years. Still, he years; nine years at the state penitentiary revered church, talked to God, and sensed for robbery, and 9½ years in federal prison Stay in purpose. for armed robbery – to be served consecusome sort of call on his life – something he didn’t understand and couldn’t explain. tively, not concurrently.

But Reginald’s mother was still an adReginald began his state prison term, Stay in God’s dict, relying on the string of men who left and depression set in. He was contemplatmoney on her dresser to support her drug ing suicide when his grandma reminded habit. One day she was in a rage. She behim to pray. He did. He also began attendwill.” gan beating him over the head repeatedly. ing a Bible study. It wasn’t long before he Thankfully, his uncle intervened. The famput his faith in Christ. Fortunately, an oldily agreed. It was time for Reginald to go live with his father er inmate took him under his wing. When Reginald learned he and stepmother in Miami. had missed his window of opportunity to file an appeal, this Overnight, he exchanged poverty for a comfortable, middleHispanic brother told him, “Now you will see God’s power beclass lifestyle. Though his home life was better, Reginald startcause you have no way out.” ed being bullied again. Then he got mixed up with the wrong crowd and started getting into trouble. Once again, violence God Makes a Way became a normal part of his life.

After serving 4½ years at the state penitentiary, an opporSadly, his father also fell in with the wrong crowd. The tunity to appeal miraculously opened. Reginald won! He excarousing and drug dealing destroyed his parent’s marriage. pected to be sent to federal prison next, but on the day of his When they divorced, Reginald was left alone and unsupported release, he was taken to the Greyhound station and set free. at his father’s house. He called relatives for help, but no one Knowing he needed some accountability if he hoped to stay believed he was in real trouble – that the successful life his out of trouble, Reginald contacted an aunt in St. Louis, a true father built had crumbled.

Christ-follower who helped him stay spiritually grounded.

V

By Michelle Adserias

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Reginald got a job and was actively involved in his church.

For three years, he lived in freedom; working, serving and developing close relationships.

God’s Ways Are Not Our Ways

One day, out of the blue, a federal marshal knocked on his door. “You were let out of prison erroneously,” he explained.

Reginald should never have been released. He would have to return and serve his federal sentence.

Reginald was devastated. Just when things seemed to be going in the right direction, everything crumbled once again. He was so angry, he sat in his cell going crazy at God, yelling: “Where were you when my mother was beating me?”

“Where were you when I was getting chased home every day after school?”

“Where were you when I was hungry?”

God quietly replied, “I have a purpose for it all.”

Then God sent a group of older men to pour all His goodness into Reginald’s life. When the opportunity to appeal his federal sentence came, Reginald once again won and served a reduced sentence. By God’s grace, his 19½ year sentence became 8½ years actual time served.

A Fresh Start

Back in St. Louis he found a job working for a print shop. He had hidden abilities as an artist and writer which his stepmom encouraged him to use. Reginald started designing t-shirts and rubbing shoulders with those in the fashion world. He was invited to tell his story at a Christian comedy show. God had been pestering him to write a book about his story, but Reginald kept running from it. Finally, in 2015, his book Live Determined: Don’t Let Your Struggles Bully Your Dreams was in print. Speaking opportunities opened up on TBN and other Christian networks.

In the meantime, Reginald met Tiffany. Despite words of caution spoken into his life, and his own misgivings, he looked past his concerns (as love does) and married her. They lost their first child to a miscarriage. The loss was so devastating, they were hesitant to try again. But when his wife came to him, explaining that God had reassured her they would have twins, Reginald was willing to try again.

It wasn’t long before the doctor confirmed God’s promise.

Reginald was hoping children would bring some stability to their strained marriage, help silence the fighting. Sadly, 17 weeks into the pregnancy, Tiffany’s water broke. They lost their little girl. At 27 weeks, their baby boy’s heartbeat was compromised and Jeremiah was delivered by c-section.

Jeremiah was born with cerebral palsy. The sorrow of losing two children and the added stress of caring for a child with unique needs was nearly unbearable. Anyone who’s lost a child understands the toll it can take on a marriage. Reginald knew Tiffany was exhausted and hurting. He wanted to be her strength and encouragement. But in time, he and his wife divorced. She moved in with her father and Reginald suddenly had no home.

He slept on friends’ couches and in their basements for two years. All the while, God was reshaping Reginald’s purpose.

Reggie the Lion and Jeremiah Reggie the Lion and Jeremiah is a chapter book with stories, focused on teaching important biblical principles to kids, about nine Bible superheroes. Each chapter includes a coloring page to help get kids actively involved in the story and reinforce the truths in each chapter. His book is available at reggiethelion.com.

Reginald also hopes to bring his characters to life through a set of plush toys he has designed as companions to his book. The faith-based toy line, Reggie the Lion and Friends, will speak positive, faith-based messages to children.

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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He was chasing success and, by the world’s standards, had achieved it. He gave it up to chase after what God intended for him – ministry.

A Plan and a Purpose

Reginald wasn’t sure where God would lead him next, but he was sure of one thing. He Reginald and his son, Jeremiah, did not want to go back speaking to students. to Alabama. He wanted to be near his son, Jeremiah. While he was praying for direction, he met his wife, LaTonya, through an online dating service. When it was clear God intended for them to have a future together, they married.

God started prompting Reginald to move back to Alabama to serve God, love others and be healed. It was all part of God reshaping his servant’s purpose. Though leaving Jeremiah in North Carolina was painful, Reginald knew disobeying God would be even more painful.

Reginald is now living in Alabama with his wife and ministry partner, LaTonya. God has given them a growing children’s

ministry. What began as a father’s desire to instill confidence in his son, to reassure Jeremiah that God has a unique and mighty purpose for his life, has overflowed into a desire to tell all kids they have the potential to be superheroes. Anyone who surrenders to Christ and obediently follows Him can tap into God’s power.

Jeremiah has decided he would like to follow in his father’s footsteps. He’s determined that being in a wheelchair, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, isn’t going to stop him. He also wants to speak, and teach, and encourage kids to find their strength in God. He recently joined his dad for a speaking engagement at a school and encouraged his peers to see their own value every day.

This message is captured in his book about the Bible’s superheroes; Reggie the Lion and Jeremiah. As Reggie tells Jeremiah about our Bible heroes, he also focuses on their individual superpowers. For example, David’s superpower was courage and Noah’s was obedience. Each story demonstrates how, whether old or young, we can tap into God’s power to do heroic things for His kingdom, despite our imperfections.

Reginald is a free man now. He has been freed from prison bars, freed from anger and violence, and freed from condemnation. He is free to minister to and serve others wherever God leads him. His life has been riddled with violence, imprisonment, losses and sorrows, but God used every ache to mold a man wholly devoted to His Savior. You can learn more about his ministry at reginaldforeman.com. 

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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

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KIDS OF THE KINGDOM

“This is for my dad who is too old to go trick or treating.”

T

he math teacher saw that Harold wasn’t paying attention in class, so she called on him.

“Harold! What are 2 and 4 and 28 and 44?”

Little Harold quickly replied, “NBC, ESPN, Hallmark, and the Cartoon Network.”

—From Mikey’s Funnies www.mikeysfunnies.com

I

f you had one dollar and you asked your father for another, how many dollars would you have?”

Editor’s Pick for Kids

“One dollar.”

“You don’t know your arithmetic.”

“You don’t know my father!”

—From Mikey’s Funnies www.mikeysfunnies.com

If you have a joke or funny story you’d like to share, email editor@ todayschristianliving.org. If we print your joke, we’ll pay you $25.

Crafted by God

By Dr. Georgia Purdom and Stacia McKeever [MasterBooks]

Teach your children the truth about when life begins and how it progresses from fertilization to birth with the beautifully illustrated and interactive book, Crafted by God. Ages 7 and up will learn how the Bible and science can be trusted as they explore the stages of an unborn baby’s development.

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

19

DAVE SAYS

By Dave Ramsey

She’s taking this whole thing pretty seriously if she’s eyeballing interest rates, buddy. She loves the thought of you two having control of your money.

Use this momentum to work together as a team, and knock out that debt!

— Dave

20

Dear Dave, © [KMPZZZ] / Adobe Stock

Dave Ramsey is a seven-time #1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week.

He has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more.

Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth, and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

Dear Dave, We are ready to start Baby Step 2, and we have about $35,000 in total debt. Our two smallest debts, a credit card and a truck we financed, are both $4,500 right now, and we have a combined income of about $95,000 a year. Since the credit card has a higher interest rate, my wife thinks we should pay it off first. To me, the truck is a necessity, and we should pay it off first for that reason. What do you say?

—Grant Dear Grant, When the rule of paying off debts from smallest to largest doesn’t apply, I think you should attack the one with the larger interest rate first. In your case, that’d be the credit card debt.

I get what you’re saying about the truck. And I agree that transportation is a necessity. You guys might be in a bind if something happened and you lost a vehicle, but it’s also a situation you could probably work around for a little while if you had no choice. My guess is you have friends or relatives who could loan you a car in a pinch, and public transportation is an option for some folks. So yeah, knock out the credit card first, then move on to the truck.

Do you understand my reasoning, Grant? Going this route serves two purposes: First, it will save you a little money. And second, I’ve got a feeling it will fire up your wife, and get her on board with the idea of you two getting your finances in order even more than she already is.

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2023

I need your advice. I just accepted a new job in a field I love three weeks ago. Yesterday, I was recruited and offered a position by a huge company for the same kind of position, and they pay more than twice what I’m making now. I did not send in a resume or fill out an application for the job that was just offered. They came directly to me, and it was a huge surprise. I don’t have a contract with my current employer, but they are good people and I want to handle things well and do the right thing. Can you help?

—Jenny Dear Jenny, Long story short, I think you take the new job.

Now, how do you handle this with your present employer? With total honesty, respect and a lot of gratitude. Walk into your boss’s office, and lay out the whole situation truthfully. Let them know what has happened, how it happened, and while you feel awful about how things worked out, you had no intention of misleading them or causing problems.

On top of all that, promise to do everything possible to make the transition as easy as you can.

In uncomfortable scenarios, it’s always a good idea to try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Let’s pretend you own a business, and you just hired a young lady. A few weeks later, someone comes in, completely out of the blue, and offers her more than double what she’s making with you. I can tell you what would happen at my company.

I’d tell her to take it. I’m serious. I mean, as an employer I’m certainly not going to double her income that quickly. And while I’d be surprised, and a little disappointed, I’d be happy she has the chance to take such a big step up.

If an organization cares about its people, and one of those team members has the opportunity to significantly increase their income—and they’re not breaking a contract or promise in the process—this type of scenario is perfectly reasonable, even if it’s a little inconvenient for the current employer in the

short term. I know it’ll be uncomfortable for you, Jenny, but they can’t realistically expect you to pass up a chance to do what you love at double-plus what you’re making now.

Congratulations!

— Dave

your hands, just like you don’t want to be stuck in a call center if you hate talking on the phone and being cooped up inside.

Everyone wants to be successful in their job, enjoy what they do and make lots of money. If you wake up excited about what you’re facing every day, chances are you’ll be successful and happy. If you wake up dreading the day and your job, I can almost guarantee you won’t be successful or happy.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to change jobs or be an entrepreneur. Being able to spend more time with your family is a noble and worthwhile thing, too. But I’m not hearing a lot of direction in what you’re saying right now. Maybe work with a career coach and spend some time tossing ideas around with your wife. I know you both want great things for your child, but you’re not going to make the best possible decisions for yourself—and your family—without a lot more planning and thoughtful discussion.

— Dave

Dear Dave, I am getting older, and health issues over the last year have made me begin thinking about selling my small business. I have spoken with a couple of potential buyers recently, and one of them seems to be the kind of person who would handle the company very well. How and when do I tell my employees about what is going on and what may happen?

—Marjorie Dear Dave, My wife and I are in our late-twenties, and we have a full emergency fund saved up. Our only debt is our home. We have talked about having a child sometime next year, but I am on the road three weeks a month for my job. I don’t want to be gone so much once we have a child, and I am thinking about opening my own business, so I can eliminate the travel and control my hours better. Do you have any thoughts on this situation?

—Mike Dear Mike, An entrepreneur is the person I know who can go from sheer terror to sheer exhilaration and back every few hours. You’ve got to have a strong mind and a strong heart to be successful, plus there’s a good chance your idea won’t last long if you don’t love what you’re doing. Remember, too, you’re basically on straight commission as an entrepreneur, and there probably won’t be a regular paycheck you can count on for a while.

My advice to anyone, entrepreneur or not, is to make sure your work falls in line with the passions, skills and talents you were born with. You don’t need to work in the construction business if you don’t like being outdoors and working with

Dear Marjorie, In my mind, a good, effective leader is willing to share and discuss things with their team—whether they’re good or bad.

When talking to the folks at my company, I try not to get into a lot of unnecessary stuff, but if there’s any doubt, I’m going to over-share rather than leave them fearful, uninformed or confused.

Think about it this way. If the roles were reversed, and you were in their shoes, when would you want to know? If you’d worked for someone a few years, would you feel betrayed if you didn’t know about something like this? It might sound simple, but I think that’s a good, fair way to process the situation.

If I make a mistake with my team, it’s always one of overcommunication. I expect and trust them to be mature adults in the workplace, and they know this ahead of time. Still, I try to make sure I’m very transparent about how we’re doing as a team and as a company. No small business owner can be successful without great people around them. Your team needs to hear that once in a while, too, in addition to knowing you’re always going to shoot straight with them.

Human beings just want to be treated with dignity and respect. They want to know what’s going on. When it’s something that impacts their day-to-day lives—and potentially their livelihoods—they deserve to know the facts as quickly as possible.

— Dave  TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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Overcoming Suicide and Finding Jesus in the Storm

B

By Hillary Hardin

eing different is not always easy. I was never a first choice for a date, or as a friend, growing up. People liked me, but just did not always find I was “good enough” for their liking. Even in college, I was always told I was smart, had a lot to offer, and would go far in life “even after my troubles here and there.” Sometimes it really did not matter. I had a lesson in living to learn and I want to share with others how I overcame and survived a horrific battle with multiple suicide attempts. Finding my place in this life was one of the most difficult things to do after going through so many valleys. Failure was not about to take my life, and the Lord Jesus Christ made sure of that.

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It was the morning of January 19th, 2013, the night before I began to battle with suicide. I had just begun to walk in my calling to do music and it seemed as if there was something trying to get a hold of me. I just wasn’t certain what. I had accepted my call to Christ and wanted to get things in my life on the right track.

I worked in management, and being a positive-minded person, people seemed to target me at breaking point - to see if they could get me to go off and get upset. I believed people could just accept or understand that sometimes the hills and valleys you overcome in life only make you stronger - platform you to a place of happiness when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. I was wrong. I came to find I was a light

in the place of darkness on my job. People may have gone to church or read the Bible, but really had not taken the love of Jesus into their hearts and learned to love and live again. Come to mention it, it humbled me and, well, for the most part broke my heart, which only intensified my bit with suicide.

God Intervenes

In the Spring of 2013, moments before I nearly took my life, Christ responded and I yielded to Him for help. With tears rolling down my face, pain in my heart, and gut-wrenching agony and despair, I was able to release myself from the items I planned to use to hang myself in my own kitchen. I began to pace the floor, then I stopped in the hallway of my home. I asked the Lord, “What is your thought on suicide?” The Holy Spirit responded to me and said, “Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?” -Ecclesiastes 7:17. I asked Him what He was saying to me. The Holy Spirit responded again: “It is an issue of the heart. Change what is in the heart.” He then said, “teach them about my love, for they know not my love.”

At that moment, I got up and got dressed. I went into the studio and recorded “God’s Love Is Not Denied” the same day I was about to take my life. Not only did Christ come in and love me, the Holy Ghost inspired me to write a song about the love of God that cannot be denied. That song not only became a personal testimony for me, but it became a part of the reason God wants me to sing, even in the valley. He gets glory out of my praise.

By the summer of 2014, I walked away from ministry due to the things I saw other people do. It all hit me really bad; ministry leaders who had no real respect for salvation or the Word of God, watered down teachings, and almost no respect for marriage, youth, or themselves.

I began to re-read the Bible and what God did to people who were doing evil things. It bothered me that not only did they have reprobate minds, they didn’t seem disturbed by their sin.

They didn’t want to come out of where they were. That is a dangerous place - to do wrong and believe it is right. I remember telling the Lord I did not want that kind of mind. In a few moments of quietness; the Holy Ghost responded and said, “Well then, you need to stop trying to kill yourself and the wanting to commit suicide.” He told me I had been throwing a temper tantrum and I needed to stop.

A Life Redeemed

I had to learn to stop hurting myself. I would abuse myself by slapping myself and calling myself out by name because people did not love me the way I loved them. I fell into deep depression and wanted to just leave this world.

But God said, “NOT SO. You will not leave until it is your time to leave. So, until then, stop it and just love me. Love those you see that don’t even love you. They have no knowledge of me.

Love them and set them free.”

My next endeavor was to become certified in Christian Counseling. I began working with children in foster care during my fall semester of college at Belhaven University. I found more healing with the worship arts program the Lord placed upon my heart. It incorporated children, teens, and young adults, as well as the elderly. I valued being able to love on them and share with them the things I taught my own children.

My first inspirational message of confidence came from my 13-year-old daughter, Meghan. When I told her I would be working with the girls in a foster care home, she was excited.

“Mommy, just teach them the same things you teach us.” I was speechless. Her positive and loving words helped me move forward.

God revealed to me that nothing in this world was so bad it had to alter the life of my children, my family, my friends, or people I had come in contact with. He confirmed there was nothing in this world so bad that He was unable to take it for me and help me through, if only I yielded to His voice. Even when the flesh grew weak and the voice grew louder, the Lord yet said no and told death to behave. For it was not His will for me to perish. He was clear: He wanted the suicidal thoughts to stop.

Not only was it life changing, but it was the moment for me to fully receive what God began doing in me, saving my soul. I had been through some hard times and had not fully gotten to the place of forgiving myself, of not holding myself hostage to what people would think of me if they knew this or that. The Holy Spirit reminded me, “They cannot judge you when they have been in bad situations themselves, hidden things, and hurt people too.”

The Lord taught me to be wise and to understand that I am to love everyone as He has loved me - even those who mistreat and disappoint me. He asked me, “What reward do you have if you can only love those who love you?” Agape love is love freely given and not given with choice or favoritism. “Love them. Set them free.”

In 2015, I began to share Suicide Prevention awareness with others. I was awarded a proclamation by the Mayor of McComb and the city, as we made a mark together observing National Suicide Prevention Week. It was a heart-felt moment for me. I had a story to give and was willing to help anyone who may have been in need. I share my story because there are so many lives who need to know they can overcome.  Hillary Hardin lives in New Jersey and is the proud mother of three college graduates; Hannah Katherine, Meghan, and Reaghan.

Hardin strives to put Christ first in all she does. She has many and varied ministries and serves God as a musician, a health care advocate, a shoe designer and more. You can learn about her wide-reaching ministry, and her most recent book, God’s Love is Not Denied, at https://hillaryhardin.wordpress.com/author/hillaryhardin/ TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

23

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QUIPS & QUOTES

Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.

– St. Francis of Assisi The secret of all failure is disobedience.

– Mary Slessor If you lack joy, your Christianity must be leaking somewhere.

– Billy Sunday No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face.

– John Donne

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Christian Fiction Resource Guide

he library we frequented, when I was little, was housed in a grand home someone had donated to our small city. I remember climbing the creaky wooden stairs to the children’s department, eager to see what new books had arrived.

The best thing about that library was a deep, cushioned window seat that overlooked the elm-lined street below.

I’d grab a book that looked intriguing, crawl up into the little alcove, and lose myself in the pages. The idyllic setting helped instill a lifelong love affair with books.

Storytelling has always held a revered place in Christian teaching. Nathan used the story of a wealthy man who stole a poor man’s only lamb to help David see he’d sinned when he stole Bathsheba from Uriah. Most of us are familiar with the Prodigal Son, a story Jesus used to demonstrate God’s unconditional love for His children. These are just two of the many parables and stories in God’s inspired word, the Bible, that bring biblical teachings to life.

Stories, like the ones you’ll find in these Christian novels, have the power to teach, encourage and engage us. They usher us into new adventures, fascinating histories and bone-chilling suspense. In their pages, we may see glimpses of ourselves through the characters or the circumstances they are facing.

And isn’t it nice to know the content will be God-honoring? No doubt there are countless intriguing secular fiction books out there. But sometimes you have to wade through offensive language or explicit scenes to get to the plot and its resolution.

Here are some new options for your rainy day and latenight reading.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

—Philippians 4:8

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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2023

Special Advertising Section

Text Until Then Text

The Heart Who Wanted to Be Whole

By Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall [Tyndale]

By Beth Guckenberger [David C Cook]

From New York Times bestselling author Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall comes a new Amish novel about an Old Order Amish couple. While separated by time and distance, Vin and Celeste each struggle with learning to trust God’s will. You can find it at: www.tyndale.com/p/until-then/9781496454263

This vibrant picture book for kids ages 4-8 encourages children to hear and speak God’s truths loud and clear.

The Heart Who Wanted to Be Whole reminds us that no matter how hurtful the enemy’s lies are, God’s Word is stronger – and only He can make us whole. You can find it at: davidccook.org/books/the-heart-who-wanted-to-be-whole/

Voice of the Ancient

Clever Cub Forgives a Friend/ Clever Cub Invites Someone New

By Connilyn Cossette [Bethany House]

Avidan, a soldier in the newly crowned King Saul’s army, is searching for his missing cousin and instead stumbles across Keziah—the daughter of a powerful man. Traveling together, they must rely on each other to stay alive and trust the King of Israel to guide their every step. You can find it wherever books are sold and at BakerBookHouse.com

By Bob Hartman [David C Cook]

Children ages 3 to 6 will find biblical wisdom about loving others in books 10 and 11 of the popular Clever Cub Bible Stories series from author Bob Hartman. You can find this series at: davidccook.org/clever-cub-books/

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

27

ASK DR. WALT

Cooking Oils Question: Which cooking oils are good and which are bad?

Walt Larimore, MD, has been called one of America’s best-known family physicians and has been named in the “Guide to America’s Top Family Doctors,”“The Best Doctors in America,” “Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare,” and “Who’s Who in America.”

He’s a former vice president and physician in residence at Focus on the Family, and the American Life League named him a “Rock-Solid Pro-Life” awardee. He’s also an award-winning medical journalist and the bestselling author of over 40 books. He and his wife of 49 years, Barb, have two adult children and reside in Colorado Springs. You can find his daily blog at www.DrWalt.com and follow him on Facebook at “DrWalt.com.” Have questions for Dr. Walt?

Email them to editor@ todayschristianliving.org.

This column is for informational purposes only, does not constitute health or medical advice, and is not intended to substitute for the diagnosis or recommendation(s) of your healthcare professional(s).

28

Answer: Certainly, it’s important to know

how to choose a healthy oil, but it’s also critical to know whether the oil is healthy to ingest if you’ve heated it while cooking, since they have a range of smoke points or temperatures at which they’re no longer stable. Here are the four I usually recommend: • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) has a medium smoke point of about 350°F, which is a common cooking temperature for many recipes, particularly baked goods.

If cooking with olive oil, limit use to later stages of cooking, keeping heating time to a minimum. EVOO has been the gold standard for cooking oils in kitchens across the globe for centuries and can be used for baking, sautéing, or cold dressings. In addition to a pleasurable taste, it has several potential health benefits that require intakes of about 2 to 4 tablespoons per day. Purchase EVOO in dark-colored glass bottles to protect it from light and store it in a dark cabinet.

The color of the oil is not an indicator of quality or flavor. EVOO is generally safe and well-tolerated, but it may interact with some medications. Although the US government has established standards for EVOO, no agency is responsible for routinely testing EVOO products, and there have been reports that some products are “fake” or adulterated with other types of oils.”

ConsumerLab.com (tinyurl.com/ykz2z9zw) and HealthLine (tinyurl.com/399nhmws) have recommendations about specific EVOO products.

• Avocado Oil has a smoke point of approximately 520°F, making it great for high heat cooking like deep frying. It has an avocado-like taste, which makes it perfect for sweet or savory cooking. It also has a nutritional composition like EVOO, providing antioxidants and healthy monounsaturated fats. Good avocado oil is expensive, costing several times the amount of the better EVOOs. It should be stored

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2023

By Walt Larimore, MD

at room temperature and away from light, preferably in a dark-glass bottle or stainlesssteel container. Avocado oil that is unopened should remain stable for at least two years if properly stored. It is not necessary to refrigerate avocado oil, even after it is opened. ConsumerLab.com (tinyurl. com/2hw79zx6) and HealthLine (tinyurl. com/399nhmws) have recommendations about specific avocado oil products.

• Sesame oil also offers numerous benefits and has a medium-high smoke point of 410°F and versatile, nutty flavor. Just remember that toasted sesame oil isn’t the same thing and it’s more suitable for finishing a dish.

HealthLine (tinyurl.com/399nhmws) has recommendations about specific sesame oil products.

• Safflower oil has a smoke point at about 510°F. It’s low in saturated fat and contains a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids.

It has a neutral flavor and is said to work well for marinades, sauces, and dips, as well as barbecuing and frying on the stovetop.

HealthLine (tinyurl.com/399nhmws) has recommendations about specific safflower products.

What about cooking sprays? HealthLine advises, “When you need to prevent food from sticking to the pan or want a very light layer of oil on your food, there’s a good chance you reach for a can of cooking spray instead. To get the oil out of the can, chemicals like butane, isobutane, and propane are often used as propellants. While in large amounts, these ingredients can be toxic, regular use of cooking spray has been deemed safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union based on current research.” Nevertheless, if you want to avoid exposure to these propellants, consider nonaerosol products or oil spray bottles that you can fill with your favorite oil. HealthLine (tinyurl.com/399nhmws) has recommendations about specific products.

Finally, what oils should never be used in high heat cooking? Here are the HealthLine recommendations: • Fish or algae oil are omega-3-rich dietary supplements that should be ingested cold and in small doses. Don’t use these products for cooking purposes.

and certifications are available. The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) works with most states to validate the competency of acupuncture practitioners prior to licensure. The procedure is likely safe for adults and possibly safe in children and pregnant women when preformed properly with sterile needles.

The Natural MedicinesTM experts rate acupuncture as “Possibly Effective” for a wide variety of conditions including back and neck pain, chemotherapy-induced or postoperative nausea and vomiting, fibromyalgia, labor pain, migraine and tension headache, and osteoarthritis. Most research shows acupuncture is not effective for asthma, infertility, or smoking cessation. However, the list of conditions for which there is “Insufficient Evidence” to rate acupuncture is as long as your arm and includes such issues as Alzheimer’s or dementia, anxiety or depression, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, hearing loss, irritable bowel syndrome, menopausal hot flashes, menstrual cramps or pain, neuropathy, Parkinson disease, PTSD, sciatica, sleep apnea, or weight loss.

Vitamin Water Question: Is vitamin-enhanced water healthy?

• Flax oil is high in the heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids but has a low smoke point at around 217°F and should be reserved for cold uses like salad dressings.

• Palm oil is healthy but calorie dense. Furthermore, its production has been strongly linked to rainforest destruction and a loss of biodiversity.

• Walnut oil is high in healthy omega-3s but is also best reserved for cold preparations like salad dressing. It has a low smoke point and goes rancid quickly. So storing it in the refrigerator will help preserve its shelf life.

• Coconut oil is controversial (tinyurl.com/35r55u9v) as there is conflicting evidence on health benefits. The American Heart Association advises against consuming it to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Acupuncture Question: Does acupuncture have any medical benefit?

Answer: Acupuncture is a medical procedure in which

specific body areas are stimulated by piercing with fine needles, to which electric currents or heat can be applied. The practice is said to have originated in China over 2,000 years ago as a component of traditional Chinese medicine. Most states regulate the practice of acupuncture, for which a variety of degrees

Answer: Vitamin waters and other electrolyte drinks are

increasingly popular among many consumers. The global market for them was $7.2 billion in 2021 and has been predicted to reach $11.9 billion by 2027. Nevertheless, many nutritionists are concerned about the presence of too much sugar in the drinks and recommend keeping several considerations in mind before stocking up on too much vitamin water.

For those not in the know, vitamin water is made up of water mixed with minerals and vitamins such as A, C, and several B vitamins. Popular versions are often infused with electrolytes. They come in a wide variety of flavors and quite often are sweetened with sugar or other natural or artificial sweeteners.

The CDC warns against consuming too many “added sugars” because they are known to contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and premature death. In a recent interview with USA Today (tinyurl.com/5n74wbs4), Walter Willett, MD, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, said, “Most of the commercial vitamin waters contain sugar or other sweeteners that can be harmful.”

He pointed to one analysis which found that one of the most popular brands of vitamin water contained “the same amount of fructose as a bottle of (Coca-Cola).” Willett also pointed out that they are “a very expensive way to get vitamins.” He and his colleagues recommend drinking plain water instead.

The bottom line on vitamin waters is that if they are consumed infrequently and sparingly, they aren’t likely to cause harm, but they probably do not provide any health benefit on their own.  TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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TURNING POINT

By Laura Beth Wyatt

Please God, Take the Torch

S

By Laura Beth Wyatt

Laura Beth Wyatt lives in rural Kentucky with her husband of 16 years and their three boys.

She works full-time as a registered nurse and has been writing since she was a child. As a sexual abuse survivor, she suffers from depression and PTSD, but finds strength in her faith, her family, and in her writing.

ometimes I get tired. Bone-deep weary, even.

My arm begins to shake with the effort of holding that torch so high, the one that keeps the darkness at bay. The one that lights the part of my soul that keeps me going every day. Sometimes I drop to my knees. Fear of that light extinguishing is oftentimes the only thing that keeps my exhausted arm elevated. Because if that light goes out… then I go out with it. I find myself in a puddle on the floor, unable to move, unable to breathe sometimes. The past comes back to grip me in its claws with a vengeance, as if it’s angry that I’ve kept it at bay for so long - ferocious and starving and in desperate need to consume every bit of what’s left of me.

The descent is so self-destructive that it takes me days, sometimes weeks to recover.

Today I prayed. There aren’t a lot of days I can even figure out what to say to God. What to pray at

If you have a turning point in your life you would like to share, email your story to editor@ todayschristianliving.org.

All submissions must be under 800 words. If we print your story, we will pay you $75. We reserve the right to edit for length and content.

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. —Psalm 55:22

All submissions become the property of Today’s Christian Living.

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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

all. It’s not an excuse, it’s just the way it is. Sometimes it feels so trite to keep asking for the same thing over and over again.

But today was different. Today I asked God to take the torch. If only for today, would He hold it for me to keep the darkness away? Hold it for me so that I may focus on other things without that fear creeping in the back of my mind, without the darkness lurking, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? If God could hold that torch for me, I realized, He would hold it higher than I ever could.

Longer, too. And perhaps it would even burn brighter in His hands.

I struggle with myself, as I’m sure most people do. If you’ve ever been abused—any form of abuse—then it takes a lifelong toll on you. It costs me something every day I live. And I wonder what would happen if I refused to pay that toll, if I could eventually be at peace with myself.

Abuse causes us to pay the price for someone else’s sin. It’s one thing to suffer for our own sins, our own poor decisions, but to suffer the consequences of another’s sinful nature? Well, that just stinks. But it is what it is. And here I am, thinking myself unworthy, unlovable and unable to pull myself out of the pit of despair.

Then I remember that I am so special, so loved and highly thought of, that God sent someone to die for me. For me. Sometimes I have to let that sink in for a moment. Because it wasn’t just someone. It was God’s son. Specifically created to take on my sins so that I could enter into heaven. Why is it so easy to keep forgetting that? All these opinions and approvals I seek here on earth mean nothing; nothing compared to God’s love for me.

When I change my perspective, I change my life. I change my outcome. Not because I did anything at all, but because God has already done it for me. If I just allow myself to see it, accept and appreciate it.

He holds my torch today. He’d hold it for me forever if I could stop being so stubborn, stop trying to do everything on my own. Will you choose to pass the torch today? Will you let Him hold it for you, too? 

SEPTEMBER 2023

Special Advertising Section

M

y husband once compared our relationship to a rubber band. Sometimes we’re very close, like a relaxed rubber band. We’re spending quality time together, we’re in agreement on the daily things of life and we’re content with all of God’s blessings.

Then there are those seasons when we’re each busy with our own responsibilities, we can’t seem to agree on anything, and we’re both a little discontented and grumbly.

The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. —Lamentations 3:23-25

We’re distant – like a rubber band stretched to its extreme.

But we’re still together. We’re still connected. We’re still an unbroken circle.

That’s an excellent analogy for our relationship with God, as well. As we live the Christian life, sometimes we distance ourselves from God through our choices. Sometimes, though we are diligently pursuing Him, God seems distant from us.

But God assures us of this:

New Book from Josh McDowell!

By Josh McDowell [Josh McDowell Ministry]

Josh McDowell provides answers to tough questions about the life, ministry, and divinity of Jesus. Handy and readable format, he offers quick insights about Christ to refute skeptics, encourage curious seekers, and alleviate nagging doubts in the minds of brand new or lifelong Christians.

Buy Now! store.josh.org

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Special Advertising Section

The Hem of His Garment

Spiritual Practices for Soul Care: 40 Ways to Deepen Your Faith

By Barbara L. Peacock [Baker Books]

Speaking from personal and professional experience, a neuropsychologist offers a new way to view pain in light of the Scriptures, both validating the experience of the sufferer and helping them to grow closer to God in spite of it. You can find it at: drmichellebengtson.com

If you long for a deeper experience of God, discover forty ways to help you put the spiritual disciplines into action each day. From prayer and meditation to serving and socializing to resting and healing, these simple, restorative practices will help you develop the kind of Christian walk you desire. You can find it at: https://bit.ly/40Practices

Grit Don’t Quit : Developing Resilience

You Are More Than You’ve Been Told:

and Faith When Giving Up Isn’t an Option

Unlock a Fresh Way to Live Through the Rhythms of Jesus

By Michelle Bengtson [Revell]

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If we can prove to ourselves that the true power is getting back up, we can prove to others that success isn’t only for the smart, talented, or well-connected.

No matter how many times we fall, our real power comes from when we get back up. You can find it at: https://www.biancaolthoff.com/gdq

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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

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There is a way to know who you really are. It’s shockingly practical, down-to-earth, and tangible.

While Jesus was on earth, He lived out rhythms that helped Him fight the enemy’s lies. Through His habits, we will discover a roadmap to living lighter, and living as who we really are. You can find it at: http://youaremorethanyouvebeentold.com/

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Signs and Secrets of the Messiah

All Hope is Found

By Sarah Jakes Roberts [Thomas Nelson]

With Rabbi Jason Sobel as your guide, dive deep into Scripture, biblical culture, and ancient texts to help you better understand the truths and the power behind God’s miracles. You’ll be inspired to increase your faith that Jesus can perform miracles in your life even today. You can find it at: www.fusionglobal.org/signs-and-secrets-of-the-messiah/

A compelling new guide exploring the potent power of hope. All Hope is Found is deeply rooted in scriptures, touches upon hope as a dynamic force capable of initiating change, influencing mindset, and inspiring actions.

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Rooted: The NIV Bible for Men helps you connect with your identity in Christ as it highlights timeless virtues that are still valued today. Drawing on the truths of Scripture, the features will motivate you to redeem your God-given passions, drives, and purposes so you can live out your faith. You can find it at: amazon.com/flourishandrooted

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How to Talk about Jesus without Looking like an Idiot

The NIV Women’s Devotional Bible features hundreds of devotions. It includes guided reflections to help you apply Scripture to your daily life, and it will allow you to get to know the women of the Bible through candid portrayals, helping you to see them in both their victories and struggles. You can find it at: amazon.com/devotionalbibles

CSB Life Counsel Bible

By Andy Bannister [Tyndale]

Discussions about faith don’t need to be awkward.

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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2023

By CSB Bibles by Holman [New Growth Press]

Experience the gospel of grace in every part of your life with the NEW CSB Life Counsel Study Bible. Equipping you with biblical truth, counsel, encouragement, and hope, and featuring over 150 articles to help navigate life’s hard seasons and today’s tough issues. You can find it at: lifecounselbible.com

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Proverbs: A Strong Man is Wise

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Proverbs: A Strong Man Is Wise centers on a passage from the book of Proverbs and includes a reflection question, takeaway, and prayer. This 30-day devotional offers practical advice based on Scripture for the most important issues men face today. You can find it at: davidccook.org/books/proverbs-a-strong-man-is-wise/

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Homicide detective J. Warner Wallace applies ten common rules of evidence to make the case for Christianity in this completely updated and expanded edition of the bestselling apologetic classic that has changed lives around the world. You can find it at: davidccook.org/books/cold-case-christianity-expanded-edition/

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American Dictionary of the English Language

Table Life: An Invitation to Everyday Discipleship

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From Distrust to Trust: Controversies and Conversations in Faith Communities

36

By Greg Mamula [Judson Press]

Discover how the spiritual disciplines of eating together, listening, storytelling, scripture reading, and communion in a community shape us into people who recognize and celebrate the presence of Christ in every aspect of life. You can find it at: https://www.judsonpress.com/Products/J283/table-life.aspx

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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2023

Through the Valleys Excerpt from The Three Mile Valley by Dan Herod (Photo credit: Michelle Adserias)

Dan and Marlena Herod’s one-year-old daughter, Peyton, died of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) within hours a receiving a clean bill of health from the pediatrician. Dan recalls the day: “On November 30, 2011, my family stepped into the darkest, most shadowy, incomprehensible valley we have ever encountered.”

In his book, The Three Mile Valley, Dan offers empathy and encouragement to others who face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Includes video add-ons and discussion questions.

W

hen I hear bad news or a negative report, I want it to come layered in optimism. I love the way Jesus tells it like it is. He pulls no punches and tells us how life is going to go.

Let’s look at … John 16:33. [“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.”]

Jesus promises us peace in Him. When you’re suffering, peace is power, because it calms the storm inside of you. His presence in your valley changes you but doesn’t guarantee your situation will change.

Following Jesus doesn’t exempt us from hard times. We are going to feel pain in life, with or without Jesus.

When Jesus is the name you trust more, you receive more than you could ever pay for. His presence changes everything because He is greater than the obstacle you can’t overcome.

His presence promises peace as your problems promise pain.

Your pain is powerful, but Jesus is powerful, too.

Jesus gave us the good news, and now it is time for some bad news.

According to Him, we will have “many trials and sorrows.”

Multiple. More than one.

It should come as no surprise that some stretches of life will break us down. The exact word Jesus chose to use means tribulation, which is another way to say “Ouchie mama!”

Now for more good news. Jesus has conquered every sickness, setback, dysfunction, and disease we will ever encounter.

He didn’t just battle on our behalf. He overcame in our place.

This makes Him the Master Valley Walker.

Jesus conquered your darkest day and your loneliest night as He hung on the cross. You don’t have to suffer in solitude because your valley has the footprints of Jesus all over it.

I love the fact that because He suffered in our place, we can have peace in every place we suffer.

What does this mean for you?

Jesus walked through The Three Mile Valley. He overcame everything that overcomes you. There is nothing too hard for Him. He is the way forward, your newfound sense of hope.

Now, he walks beside you in life. The 23rd Psalm reminds us that He is the good shepherd who walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death.

This brings us to the… cliché we’ve all heard too many times: God would never give you more than you can handle. This most definitely is not true.

You can attest to seasons in your own life when you were stretched past your limits. I personally know what it is like to be so depressed that I would have been okay if I stopped existing.

The powerful truth we can all embrace in the place of the catchphrase above is this: God would never give you more than He can handle.

This simple, yet profound truth changes everything. You don’t have to have all the answers because God does.

We don’t have to keep it all together, because our Creator is holding us in the palm of His hand.

When we are weak, He is strong.

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

— 2 Corinthians 12:9 Dan Herod is the director of Youth Alive for Wisconsin and Northern Michigan. He is known for starting the conversations we didn’t know we needed to have. Gifted with an uncommon path in life, he writes and speaks to empower people. *Excerpt reprinted with permission from Dan Herod. All rights reserved.

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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PERSECUTION REPORT

By Jerry Dykstra and Open Doors contributors

By Will Morris

Indian Christians Left Vulnerable

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TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

SEPTEMBER 2023

© [pjhpix] / Adobe Stock

Will Morris is the Middle East Correspondent for Morning Star News and one of its founding writers. He is an award-winning journalist and photographer whose byline has appeared in numerous domestic and international publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post and even Stars and Stripes.

Mr. Morris has spent roughly a decade covering the Persecuted Church and conducting research about freedom of religion - mostly in the Muslim-majority countries in which he lived. He also covers national security and environmental issues.

Will Morris holds a degree in International Studies from the Ohio State University where his coursework focused on the Middle East and Development.

He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, where he served in the infantry.

You can contact Mr. Morris at veritas@ witnessmedia.org

he disappointing outcome of this summer’s lations of religious freedom” ineligible for a visa state visit by the prime minister of India to to the United States. The 2005 decision to revoke the United States casts doubt on how com- Modi’s visa was based on his failure to stop a semitted the current administration is to reining in ries of riots by Hindus against minority Muslims the persecution of Christians in India or around in Gujarat State, where he was chief minister, or the world. governor, at the time.

In June, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi In February 2002, at a train station in the town visited the U.S. on a four-day official state visit, of Godhra, a group of Muslims clashed with a where he was warmly welcomed by President Joe group of Hindu pilgrims. In the ensuing melee, Biden, attended a lavish state dinner and addressed a train caught fire and the 58 passengers inside, a joint session of Congress. He also announced mostly Hindu pilgrims, were killed. For several with Biden, the establishment of numerous joint days, Hindu mobs tore into surrounding Muslim defense, trade, science and technology agreements communities, with no restraint, seeking retribuwith the U.S. that are worth billions of dollars. tion. They attacked Muslim men on sight and While the visit was a success in terms of advanc- bludgeoned them to death, raped Muslim women ing U.S. — Indian relations, it was an abject failure in terms of promoting human rights, specifically reducing Christian persecution. Not once did Biden publicly express disappointment about the continued refusal of the Indian government to meaningfully address attacks by Hindu nationalists against Christians, a long-standing problem that has destroyed or ended the lives of countless innocent believers.

When asked by a reporter about discrimination against religious minority groups in India, Modi dodged the The brightly decorated Burmese teak archways in a Hindu temple in question and claimed there was “abso- Ahmedabad, India. lutely no space for discrimination” in Indian democracy. His response was so off base it and burned thousands of homes. When the smoke would have been laughable, if not for the mountain finally cleared a week later, approximately 1,000 of bodies left in the wake of attacks by Hindu na- people had been murdered. tionalists.

No evidence ever emerged proving Modi actively participated in the attacks, and Modi has always Modi’s History as a Leader claimed he did what he could to defuse the situaAs the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the tion. But U.S. authorities found that he did not take biggest Hindutva party in India, Modi has made any significant action to stop the killings, either. a political career pandering to a group of people His inaction amounted to tacit approval of the killwho envision an India free from non-Hindus, and ings. In 2014, when Modi became prime minister, who are willing to resort to violence to achieve it. pragmatism forced the State Department to reverse Modi bares the distinction of being the only per- its decision and it issued a visa to Modi. son ever to be barred from the U.S. for violating the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act. The India’s Christians Suffer Religious Freedom Act makes any foreign governCurrently, living conditions for Christians in ment official who “was responsible for or directly India are grim. Ten years ago, India ranked 31st carried out, at any time, particularly severe vio- on Open Doors’ World Watch List of the countries

© [saiko3p] / Adobe Stock

Facade of a temple, Akshardham, Delhi, India.

where it is most difficult to be a Christian. (Open Doors is a Christian support organization.) Now it ranks 11th. Human rights groups put the blame squarely at Modi’s feet and say his influence has been critical in creating a permissive environment for anti-Christian Hindu militants.

“Since the current government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in May 2014 (and was re-elected with an even greater mandate in May 2019), pressure on Christians in India has risen dramatically,” the 2023 Open Doors’ World Watch List states. “Hindu radicals can continue their attacks unabated, and the level of impunity is very high.”

In May, extremist Hindus from the Meitei ethnic group began attacking Meitei Christians and Christians from the Kuki ethnic group in Manipur state in northeastern India. The attacks continued into June with as many as 150 Christians killed, several hundred churches and Christian schools burned down and between 20,000 and 50,000 Christians left without homes.

In statements issued in June by Archbishop Joseph Pamplany of the Eastern Rite Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India, Pamplany compared the recent killings in Manipur State to the 2002 Gujarat massacre.

“When such ethnic cleansing is happening in our country, our prime minister told the American Congress that there is absolutely no discrimination in India,” Pamplany said. “Honorable prime minister, we have to ask you this: can you keep your hand on your chest and tell the suffering Christians of Manipur that there is no religious discrimination in this country?”

ize the government there is a few bricks shy of a whole house and absolutely ruthless to anyone but pliant, dyed-in-the-wool Shia Muslims?) This all may be true, but designation as a CPC would at least put Modi on notice he is being watched. It is worth noting that the Biden administration also refused to designate Nigeria as a CPC, where last year 5,621 Christians were killed for their faith by Islamic militants and tribalists more than any other country.

No one knows if Biden took Modi to task privately over his government’s failure to address persecution in general or to stop the attacks in Manipur. But Biden’s public approach to India guts U.S. prestige and any claim we have to be a nation led by principles and a sense of morality.

I understand in the real world, Biden is dealing with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a seemingly intractable set of issues with China. Either of those problems could spill over into regional or even global war. Biden needs close ties with India to offset Sino-Russian relations. But he needs to find a way that doesn’t embolden persecutors or demoralize the persecuted church. 

Turning a Blind Eye

PRAY that U.S. President Biden will be blessed with a sound body and mind in everything he is faced with for the country and that he will show wisdom when dealing with the religious persecution of members of all faiths, but especially Christians in India and Nigeria.

In addition to refusing to confront Modi in person, the Biden administration has ignored other routes available to confront him. Since taking office, Biden has turned a deaf ear to countless calls to select India as a Country of Particular Concern through the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom.

Some will argue that selection as a CPC has no practical outcome and does little more than call attention to obvious problems. (Does Iran really need CPC status for people to real-

PRAYER POINTS: PRAY that Christians in India will see persecution as modernday confirmation of what God promises in scripture, that they will be strong, have all their needs met and experience peace “which surpasses all understanding” even the midst of violence.

PRAY that Indian Prime Minister Modi will come to understand that modern India is a multi-cultural society of many faiths. The greatness of India and any Indian leader will come from their ability to unite all of its people, not from pitting them against each other.

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QUICK TAKES

Chasing Proof, Finding Faith

Confessions of a Christian Spinster

By Tom Rudelius, PhD [Tyndale House] He had science and an Ivy League pedigree—why did he need God? Immersed in his physics studies at Cornell, Tom Rudelius never thought much about God until his brother, a new convert to Christianity, challenged him to explore faith. To placate his twin, he reluctantly began exploring the Bible and the life of Jesus.

In Chasing Proof, Finding Faith, Tom traces his journey to unexpected faith, through initial doubts and anxiety, to a firmer, life-transforming allegiance to Jesus. Along the way, he explores creation and cosmic origins, the problem of evil and suffering, the compatibility of miracles with science, the plausibility of Jesus’ resurrection and the reliability of the Bible.

While Tom never found absolute proof of God or Christianity, he ultimately concluded that the existing evidence for both is compelling and compatible with science. His searingly honest story is a potent guide for those doubting or exploring faith.

By Alisha Plummer [Kregel Publications] Being single in today’s church often feels like a waiting game. The church isn’t quite sure what to do with someone who hasn’t said “I do.” Unlike today’s church, God is not mystified by unmarried Christfollowers in the pews. In fact, He has masterful plans for the unmarried. Alisha Plummer points out how God is eager to empower them with purpose and passion.

In Confessions of a Christian Spinster, Alisha explores God’s design specifically for Christian singlehood through amusing stories and scripture-based truths. She tackles questions like: Where do I fit in? Has God forgotten me? What if I never get married? Further, she calls for an adjustment to the church’s couple-centric tendencies. Single brothers and sisters are not only valued by God but integral to his kingdom.

Using humor and a delightful writing style, Alisha encourages singles to seize their role in the church and inspire their pastoral staff to reinvent their singleness culture.

Facing the Enemy

Extraordinary Hearing

By DiAnn Mills [Tyndale House] For the past five years, FBI Special Agent Risa Jacobs has worked with the Houston FBI. She’s never had a reason to believe there’s a target on her back . . . until now.

When the long-awaited reunion between Risa and her brother, Trenton, ends in tragedy, Risa is riddled with guilt. On leave from the FBI, Risa returns to her former career as an English teacher, only to see her past and present collide when one of her students, Carson Mercury, turns in an assignment that reads like an eyewitness account of her brother’s murder, with details never revealed publicly.

Alarmed by Carson’s inside knowledge of Trenton’s death, Risa reaches out to her former FBI partner, Special Agent Gage Patterson. He agrees to help look into Carson’s background. Risa and Gage soon discover their cases might be connected. There’s a far more sinister plot at play than they ever imagined, and innocent lives are in danger.

By Greg Pruett [Tyndale House] You don’t have to wonder if God still speaks. He reveals Himself to everyone, without exception. The difference between God’s people and all other people scattered over the earth is this: When God speaks, His people listen.

Join Greg Pruett as he teaches you how to develop extraordinary hearing—discernible guidance from God in your day-to-day life, based on the leading of the Holy Spirit within you. He’ll offer answers to your questions about prayer and discernment, such as: How can I tell if it’s really God speaking?

Does God still communicate with us the way He did with people in the Bible?

How can I hear Him more clearly when I pray? What can I do to learn to listen?

Extraordinary Hearing gives practical, biblical insights on how to pray and how to hear from God that will help unleash the power of prayer in your life.

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The Influential Mentor

By Maina Mwaura [Moody Publishers] Over the span of four years, journalist Maina Mwaura noticed an intriguing pattern while interviewing hundreds of prominent leaders: many of them were deeply shaped by longtime Dallas Theological Seminary professor Howard Hendricks. The Influential Mentor tells the story of Hendricks’ life while capturing his visionary character and leadership legacy.

Hendricks, like all of us, struggled. He overcame a difficult childhood and battled depression. Parenting was a challenge.

Yet he got up every week for sixty years to teach and mentor with zeal and humility. This book combines the reality of struggle with the audacity of faith to empower others to lead in a manner worthy of Christ.

But this is a book about more than Howard Hendricks. It’s about well-tested methods to help leaders weather cultural storms and be more effective. As Christians apply the lessons of Prof Hendricks’ life, they too will be encouraged and strengthened!

Raised to Stay

By Natalie Runion [David C Cook] Raised to Stay is for anyone weary of God’s people but longing to keep their faith in God. God might seem silent right now.

God’s people might not seem worth the wounds. But Natalie Runion has encouraging words for all who are wandering, wondering, and wrestling. We can move toward trusting God again, knowing that even though Christian community may fail us, the love of God never fails.

When we say yes to God, we don’t say yes to church politics, ladder climbing, or burnout. We say yes to Jesus. We say yes to hope. Through honest words and deeply personal story, Runion challenges us to be part of a generation known for the passionate pursuit of Christ - to be remembered for loving one another, forgiving one another, and persevering with one another in our hunger for God. We aren’t quitters. We are the stayers.

The Bible is Funny Card Game

By Anthony Russo [Ink & Willow] This hilarious card game is perfect for families, friends, and small groups—ages 12 and up!

With 70 prompts, offering contemporary scenarios on a variety of topics, and 165 obscure, even outrageous, Bible verses, The Bible Is Funny invites players, with or without an abundance of Bible knowledge, to match out-of-context verses with prompts about everyday situation.

The goal? To win the funniest pairing.

An excuse I would use to get out of going somewhere...

- I am very old. Joshua 23:2 - My breath is offensive. Job 19:17 - My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. Psalm 38:7 This game ensures you’ll never again look at an out-of-context Bible verse the same way.

TCL Editor’s Note: I was concerned this game might be sacrilegious or disrespectful toward God’s Word. So, I took it home and played it with my family. My opinion? It’s good, clean, unoffensive fun.

Mixed: Embracing Complexity by Uncovering Your God-led Identity

By Eli Bonilla Jr. [Thomas Nelson] Discover how you can gain a stronger sense of who God made you to be and step confidently into every relationship, fully owning your unique distinctions and celebrating the differences of others.

In Mixed, Eli questions the basis of unity and inclusion and explores the multiple components of our identity, discovering how they can all be reconciled for God’s purpose as we reflect His image. Mixed will help you find peace with your complexity, understand yourself better, experience more human connections through a God-led identity, develop greater cultural empathy, and fight for people in the margins.

God made you the way you are for good reason, and you belong wherever He says you belong. Pairing personal stories with biblical teaching, Eli will inspire you to confidently share who you are, and to embrace others who are beautifully complex.

TODAYSCHRISTIANLIVING.ORG

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GOD CAN HEAL CHURCH HURT

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Get started by enrolling today.

Call 800-428-0408, option 2, or click the QR code to learn more.

Available from David C Cook and everywhere books are sold

Autumn Aroma

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By Michelle Adserias

he daytime temperatures may say summer, but the aroma says autumn. Even when it’s unseasonably warm, the air is fall-scent infused. There’s a sweet, musty smell of fading flowers mingled with sun-drenched leaves and pine windfall baking in the hot sun. It’s the smell that takes me back to carefree days playing in leaf piles.

My garden says it’s autumn, too. I’ve harvested and preserved more than we can possibly use in a year… and given a great deal more away. My string beans are finally strung out. My cucumber vines are in a pickle. And my sweet corn is earless. Only my cold-weather veggies are still cranking out crops. Now I look forward to putting up the fall fruits: apples, grapes and cranberries.

These days my body agrees autumn has arrived. It would be an overstatement to say I feel old, but I certainly don’t feel young anymore.

My energy level is falling with the leaves. My memory is decaying with the windfall. And my

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body is fading with the flowers. My only hope is in knowing God has preserved my soul.

Our culture makes getting older out to be some kind of cruel curse. Marketers make millions on products purported to preserve youthfulness.

Fitness freaks try to dupe death by always eating and exercising just right. Many people are preoccupied with trying to cheat time. While eating right, exercising and staying young at heart are all good things, aging and death are inescapable.

I’ve never viewed getting older as a bad thing, just a different thing. I relish the good and accept the not-so-good in every season of the year. Likewise, I am relishing the good in this season of my life and learning to accept the challenges. It’s much different than the carefree springtime of my childhood and the adventurefilled summer of my young adulthood. But I’m enjoying the fruits of my earlier years of labor, and the autumn aroma of security in Christ.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…”

—Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV

LAUGH LINES

“This is the part of the mating ritual where she tests his jar opening skills. ”

T

wo beefy men came to my house to install some new floor covering in the kitchen. Once they had moved the stove and refrigerator out of the way, it was not long before the job was done.

As they were getting ready to leave, I asked them to put the heavy appliances back in place. The two men demanded $45 for this service, stating it was not in their contract. I really had no choice but to pay them.

As soon as they left, however, the doorbell rang. It was the two men. They asked me to move my car, which was blocking their van.

I told them my fee was $45.

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INDEX & WEB LISTING ACTS Retirement-Life Communities............................................ 2 www.actsretirement.org

B&H Publishing Group................................................................ 34 www.bhpublishinggroup.com

Baker Publishing.....................................................................27, 32 www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Christianbook.com....................................................................... 48 www.christianbook.com

David C Cook Publishing..................................................27, 35, 42 www.davidccook.org

Foundation for American Christian Education......................... 36 —From Mikey’s Funnies www.mikeysfunnies.com

Face.net/1828

HarperCollins Christian Publishing......................................32-34 www.harpercollinschristian.com

wo patients are talking in a doctor’s office.

Josh McDowell Ministry.............................................................. 31

“You know, I had an appendectomy last month and the doctor left a sponge in me by mistake.”

Judson Press.................................................................................. 36

“A sponge!” exclaims the other. “And do you feel much pain” “No pain at all,” says the first, “but do I get horribly thirsty” That’s when I overheard another pupil say to him, “Why bother to look it up? She doesn’t know how to spell it anyway.”

—From Mikey’s Funnies www.mikeysfunnies.com

www.josh.org

www.judsonpress.com

Total Living Network.................................................................... 47 www.tln.com

Trinity School of Natural Health................................................. 42 www.trinityschool.org

Tyndale House Publishers............................................. 1, 11, 27, 34 www.tyndale.com

Please note: The Advertisers’ Index is published as a convenience to our readers. While every effort is made to obtain accuracy and completeness, last minute changes may occasionally result in unavoidable omissions or errors.

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By Andy Bannister

Afraid of Talking About Your Faith at Work? So Was I. Andy Bannister is a highly in-demand speaker, writer, and broadcaster. Based in the United Kingdom, he’s the director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, an evangelism and training ministry.

He is an adjunct professor at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, and an adjunct research fellow at Melbourne School of Theology in Australia. In all that he does, Andy is passionate about getting the gospel out of the four walls of the church and equipping Christians to share their faith in their communities. Andy is married to Astrid, and they have two children, Caitriona and Christopher.

They live in Wiltshire in England.

Adapted from How to Talk about Jesus without Looking like an Idiot: A Panic-Free Guide to Having Natural Conversations about Your Faith by Andy Bannister. Copyright © 2023. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.

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By Andy Bannister Excerpt from: How to Talk about Jesus without Looking like an Idiot: A Panic-Free Guide to Having Natural Conversations about Your Faith

I

have worked for some remarkably strange people in my time, but none was so wonderfully and extravagantly eccentric as Professor Arthur Crump.

He was my first boss and head of the psychiatry department at St. George’s, the London hospital where I’d landed my first job after leaving school. When he wasn’t shuffling up and down the corridors shoeless and wearing odd socks or talking lovingly to the rubber plant in his office (which for some reason was named Oswald), one of Arthur’s hobbies was photography.

On one occasion, Arthur had decided it would be a capital idea to come into work before the crack of dawn, head up to the roof of the secure psychiatry ward, and take a picture of the sun rising over the river that wound through the hospital grounds. So there Arthur was at 4:00 a.m., equipped with his Nikon and a flask of coffee, and sure enough, he took some quite impressive photographs. But then disaster struck! A gust of wind blew the fire door shut, and Arthur found himself stranded on the roof. This was in the days before mobile phones, so he sat and waited for somebody to arrive who could help to release him.

About 6:00 a.m., a milk delivery driver pulled into the hospital car park. Arthur leaned over the parapet and from three storeys up boomed, “Hello, my good man, I’m stuck on the roof!” The driver ignored him, and so Arthur tried again: “I’m stuck up here on the roof! Could you find somebody to let me out?”

The driver yelled back, “Not a chance, mate.

You’re a raving lunatic!”

TODAY’S CHRISTIAN LIVING

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“No, no, you don’t understand,” Arthur shouted, “I’m actually the professor of psychiatry!”

“Yeah, mate, and I’m the queen of England!” came the reply as the driver climbed back into his truck and drove away, leaving Arthur stranded for two more hours until he was finally recognised and rescued.

For years, that story was repeated around our department to hoots of laughter, along with tales of the other strange things Arthur had done.

“Olympic-level eccentric” or “Nice but really weird” were the kind of phrases his colleagues used to describe him.

And I was worried those same colleagues would conclude exactly the same thing about me if they knew my deepest secret—the secret I tried to hide during all my years working at St. George’s. Many of my colleagues at the hospital had literal skeletons in their cupboards, whereas I had a metaphorical one. I was not the queen of England or the professor of psychiatry. But I was a Christian.

“ You’ re not alone in finding it

tough to share y our f aith... ”

Yes, I was a Christian—and not in some vague “I’m a Christian because I was christened as a child and can remember one-and-a-half verses of ‘Jerusalem’1 from singing hymns at school” sense of the word. No, I was a Christian in the incredibly serious and committed sense. Outside of work, I was very engaged in my local church, heavily involved with youth work and other activities. If you had asked me, I would have described my faith as the most important thing in my life.

But at work, I would have done anything to avoid being outed as a Christian.

So why was it that I found it perfectly simple to talk to my colleagues about the weather, sports, or my hobbies,2 but when it came to the most important thing in my life—my faith in Jesus—I clammed up more tightly than an oyster with lockjaw?

In 1989, Billy Graham had spoken in London, a few miles from where I lived. Billy preached his heart out, after which, thousands responded and gave their lives to Christ. I sat and watched, impressed, concluding that to be effective at telling others about Jesus you had to be an incredibly gifted orator.

I also found it intimidating to have one or two friends who were very clearly gifted in this way. My friend Michael, for example, seemed able to simply sneeze and people became Christians. Every time we met, he would have some remarkable new story, my favourite of which was a long-winded recounting of how he’d managed to lead his dentist to Christ whilst his dentist was performing a root canal on him.

And so, as a young Christian, it seemed patently obvious.

Telling others about Jesus was for specialists. It was for professionals. And it wasn’t for me.

If I had a time machine, I would love to go back and say a few things to my twenty-three-year-old self. Probably beginning with “Don’t try to look cool by wearing black turtlenecks— with your complexion, you look like a small, startled badger.”

More seriously, I’d want to say, “You’re not alone in finding it tough to share your faith. I would want to explain that tell-

ing others about Jesus doesn’t have to be intimidating, because there are really simple, basic, and practical tools that anybody can use to help them do it more naturally. And above all, I would want to point out to my younger self that God really can use anybody, not just specialists, as his ambassadors.

If my younger self had asked me to justify especially that last claim, I’d have said one word: “Jonah.”

Have you ever thought what a terrible evangelist he was?

God commands him to go to Nineveh, but Jonah is such a racist, he doesn’t want to preach to those people. And when God sends him anyway, he jumps on a boat headed in quite literally the opposite direction. Only after a violent storm and a few days stuck inside a giant fish does Jonah, grudgingly, go to Nineveh, where he preaches what is, quite frankly, a rubbish sermon (and short: just five words in Hebrew!). Yet despite his cowardice, racism, and laziness, God uses Jonah to save an entire city full of people. As Glen Scrivener puts it, The great evangelist of the Bible is not Jonah, it’s the Lord.

And that’s good news because by the Spirit, the Lord continues to reach out through rubbish evangelists like Jonah, like me, like you. As you seek to share your faith with others today, take heart: nothing can thwart God’s gospel mission to the ends of the earth—not even you can thwart it. Because “Salvation comes from the Lord” Jonah 2:9.3 I find those words deeply encouraging. Not even you or I— however rubbish evangelists or fearful we may think we are— can muck up God’s plans. But if we let him, God can work through even us.

The answer to the first verse of this peculiarly British hymn is “No, they didn’t,” and the answer to the second is “Fetch it yourself.”

1

“I love collecting stamps,” I once explained to a coworker. “What a brilliant hobby,” she said. “Philately will get you nowhere,” I replied.

2

Glen Scrivener, Reading Between the Lines: Old Testament Daily Readings, Volume 1 (Leyland, UK: 10Publishing, 2018), 469.

3

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GRACE NOTES

By Tammy Varner Hornbeck

God Loves the Sinner Tammy Varner Hornbeck lives in Cedar Creek Lake, Texas with the love of her life, Quinton. They reside with their Maltesepoodle, Little Jack, and three cats; Neut, Little Bit and Spaz.

Together, they have five children and eight grandchildren.

Tammy is a Pre-K Special Education teacher and a passionate follower of Christ. She devours books, bakes, quilts and uses her writing gift to share what God has done in her life.

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He pulled the trigger. The boom caused me to ome people believe God doesn’t make Himself known to sinners until they accept Him. flinch, and I clenched my fists in anticipation of I don’t believe that, because He showed him- the pain. It didn’t come. I opened my eyes in shock self to me by saving my life when I was not living and saw the same surprise reflected in his eyes. He had miraculously missed. I turned to look, and the for Him in any way.

The Bible says in Mark 2:16-17, “When the bullet had gone about a foot above my head.

I turned around to see our roommate, who ususcribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to ally didn’t get involved in our domestic squabbles, His disciples, ‘Why is He eating and drinking with jump up and push him out of the door. When they tax collectors and sinners?’ And hearing this, Jesus left, I remembered my two toddler children were said to them, ‘It is not those who are healthy who in the next room. I rushed to check on them and need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not broke down in tears of gratitude when I realized they were unharmed. Thankfully, they slept become to call the righteous, but sinners.’”

This is what God did when he kept a bullet from low the gunline and, miraculously, the gunshot and shouting had not woken killing me. them up. A new stronger deMy first marriage was sire to live for them surged abusive. One night, about through me. midnight, a man who People have this misworked for my husband taken idea that you have to came by the house, lookget saved and change your ing for him. My husband whole life before God will had a rule; no one came love and care for you. That to the house if he wasn’t “ God k nows our is a lie! I am proof that God there. When he saw an uninvited visitor’s truck hearts and minds loves the sinner, he died for the sinner. Sometimes He in the driveway, he was in works in sinners’ lives slowone of his rages. even better ly, behind the scenes at first, It didn’t matter that the to get their attention. Then, guy thought my husband than we do. ” when their hearts and minds was home. It didn’t matter are ready — He saves them! that he never stepped foot For each sinner it is different, unique to their in the house because I sent him away. According to my husband’s erratic, drug-induced logic, the guy needs. For me, it was physically being saved from should have somehow known that my husband was death itself. For others it is financial rescue. For some it is emotional and spiritual healing. For not there.

For whatever reason, this fight became the worst some it is a miraculous healing. God knows our and the last fight we would have. Violence esca- hearts and minds even better than we do. He knows lated to the point of him drawing a gun on me. I what we need in order to believe. I had surrendered myself to death and it was through that surrender, had no idea where or when he got the gun.

I had my back facing the wall that protected my God knew I would live my life for Him if He saved children on the other side. He was literally three me. And I did.

Was I the perfect Christian people often think of? feet from me and had the gun pointed at my head. I was trembling with fear and there was nowhere to No. But little by little God pruned my sinful nature. hide. The rage and the hate in his eyes were unmis- He did not mold me into the perfect Christian, but takable. He wanted to kill me. He was going to kill the newly-saved sinner who would never be perme! Five years of being beaten had me believing fect. But I will always love and trust the invisible the only way out was death and I accepted that. I God that deflected a bullet. God became real to me that day and He’s waiting to become real to you.  closed my eyes and waited.

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