What If YOUR Tape or Photo Was Leaked?

We live in a time where the leaking of  tapes and photos and conversations, revealing your most intimate, behind-closed-doors life is all too common, and most times shoots the ‘victim’ to notoriety.  Society records and photographs everything, all the time, everywhere, and it can be shared with the world in a matter of seconds via different forms of social media.  Tabloids pay top dollar for photos, videos, and recordings of celebrities.  No place is sacred.  Then there’s damage control. Professionals are hired to put a spin on the events, to shed a more favorable light on their clients’ escapades.

What if satan (your enemy) leaked YOUR tape? Or YOUR photos? Or YOUR conversations. Or YOUR thoughts?  What type of damage control, or spin would the Holy Spirit have to put on your escapades?   Not of your past or your ‘BC days’ (Before Christ), but of your present day, Christian life?  Would you be ashamed of what the world would see?

Although our life lived in front of the world is a testament to our Christianity, we should be more concerned with what our omnipresent (everywhere at the same time), ominiscient (having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things) God sees and knows. 

Psalm 139:1-12 (NIV) explains it perfectly: “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely.  You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”

Wow!  Meditate on that for a moment.  You cannot hide your innermost thoughts and actions from the presence of God, and it is senseless to try, just ask Jonah (Read Jonah, Chapter 1)!

So, as we approach a new year, let’s record a new tape.  One of agape love (selfless, sacrificial, unconditional), service to our brothers and sisters, humbleness, and righteousness (morally good, free of sin).  Let’s not only live as though the world were watching, let’s live as though God is watching . . . because He is!

Missionary Margaret Slaughter

Intercessory Prayer . . . What is it & Why should we do it?

How many times throughout the day does someone share their problems or concerns with you?  Likely all day long.  Those times are great opportunities for intercessory prayer!

What is intercessory prayer? Intercession is defined as: the act of interceding or offering petitionary prayer to God on behalf of others.

Each day, God presents us with opportunities to come to Him on the behalf of others.

Jesus Christ is a perfect example of an intercessor.  “Who then will condemn us? No one – for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading (interceding) for us.” –Romans 8:34 NLT 

Jesus was also an intercessor here on earth.  There are many examples of the people of God interceding on the behalf of others: Abraham interceded on behalf of the people of Sodom (Genesis 18); Moses continually interceded on behalf of the Hebrew people (Exodus 15:25); Paul interceded on behalf of the believers (Philippians 1:9-11)

Why should we intercede?

We are commanded to intercede on the behalf of others, otherwise we sin against the Lord: “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.” --1Samuel 12:23 NIV

If the Holy Spirit can be an intercessor, why shouldn’t we? “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” –Romans 8:26-27

Ideas for intercessory prayer

Family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors.

Your church, state and federal leaders!  We are presently seeing a level of local unrest we have not seen in a long time.  Pray for your leaders, that they are able to make wise decisions on behalf of their congregation and community.

Always be ready

Keep a pen and notepad, or prayer journal readily available so that you can jot down prayer requests, concerns, or issues as people share them with you.

Be open to God’s prompting regarding prayer needs throughout the day. Let’s become the intercessors God calls us to be.

Missionary Margaret Slaughter

 

Fruitful or Withered?

Over the years I’ve tried my hand at gardening.  I’ve tried everything people have recommended to be successful . . . watering, fertilizing, pruning, talking to the plants, sunshine, shade . . . all to no avail.  Needless to say, I’m not a very good gardener.  But, I know someone who is the perfect gardener . . . Jesus!

In John 15:5-6 Jesus says (red letter), “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

The vine (Christ) is the source of life for the branches (Christians), and the branches must abide in the vine to live and bear fruit.  It’s simple – apart from Jesus we can do nothing.  A branch that is truly connected to the vine is secure and will never be removed.  But a vine that appears to be connected – a vine that only has a superficial connection – will be removed.

The superficial vines appear to have a real connection – they attend church, quote scriptures, and go through the religious motions, but they do not have a relationship with the vine. 

So, I ask you the question . . . . are you Fruitful (bearing fruit), or are you withered?  Maybe you need a little pruning?

When a gardener sees that a plant is not growing or budding, they begin a pruning process, cutting away the withered leaves and branches. 

Once the withered pieces are removed, the plant can now flourish and bear new leaves and branches. Verse 2 says, ‘he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”  This is the same process Jesus does in our lives.  When we become stagnant in our ministries, our prayer life, our study of the Bible, etc. the Lord will begin to cut away the excess.

In the pruning process, withered branches are cut off.   The only good purpose for withered branches is a fire (verse 6).  They are good for nothing else.

In order to flourish (bear fruit), we must remain in Christ, and he will remain in us.  Remaining in Christ means being connected to Him. Doing those things which bring Him glory.  Verse 8, “When you produce much fruit, you are my disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

How do you know if you are fruitful or withered?

Check yourself against the characteristics of Christ.  It is impossible to remain in the vine, and not show His characteristics – love, humility, compassion, obedience, merciful, patient, temperate, kind, gentle, forgiving, and faithful to name a few. 

If you are withering, let Jesus complete the pruning process, you’ll bear much more fruit when He’s done!

 Missionary Margaret Slaughter  

Have You Lost Your Connection?

I was listening to iHeart Radio the other day, and the music suddenly stopped.  When I tried to reconnect, I got an error message that said “Audio Stream is Unavailable – Connection Lost”.  Well, that error message got me thinking . . . Have I also lost my connection with God?

Is our relationship with God like a cell phone connection: sometimes good, sometimes strong, sometimes weak? Is God asking you, “Can you hear me now?”  Oftentimes in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, our time with God gets crowded out, and as a result, “Audio Stream is Unavailable – Connection Lost”.  We are unable to hear God’s still, small voice.

A cell phone will not recharge without a good connection to the power source.  A television or radio will not play without a good connection to the power source.  You cannot lay the plug NEAR the power source, you must plug INTO the power source.

How do you know if your connection is weak, or you’ve lost your connection altogether? Plug into the power source, God, and check your actions, reactions and thoughts against the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  If God’s Word is true, and I do believe that it is, all we need to do to re-connect with God is to ‘come near’.

Plugging in to our power source requires spending time in prayer, constant two-way communication.  Spend more time listening rather than talking or requesting during your prayer time.  There’s a reason God gave us two ears and one mouth! 

We also must spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word.  Joshua 1:8, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Spend time worshiping God. Easton’s Bible dictionary defines worship as: homage rendered to God which it is sinful (idolatry) to render to any created being (see Exodus 34:14). Don’t you enjoy when people tell you how wonderful you are, and how much they love you?  Well, imagine how God the Father would feel if you treated him the same.

Here’s a good one . . . surrender.  Every day you wake up, decide who is going to be in control of your life, you or God.  Listening for instructions will definitely keep you connected to your power source!

Let’s get reconnected!

Missionary Margaret Slaughter