Pamela Christian's Blog, page 14

Hope Without Faith is Merely Wishful Thinking…

Speaking for a wonderful group of women from the Delta Community Presbyterian Church, I noticed the transformation of every face when I shared about Biblical hope.

Biblical hope is a certain expectation for a matter or promise to be fulfilled. If you have thoughts of doubt or fear concerning what you’re hoping for, then you have no reason to believe you will receive what you desire. Scriptures are clear that the person who prays with doubt, should not expect to receive anything, (James 1:6-8)

For hope to be confident, it must be backed with faith. For faith to be certain, it must be based on truth. To turn your wishful thinking into a confident hope, and receive what you desire, you need to examine your faith and renew your hope, which just happen to the be focus of the first two books in my Faith to Live By series.

A confident hope begins with certain faith—faith that is based on absolute truth. If you are among those who think that truth is relative, you can never have certain faith, which means neither can you have confident hope. People who claim that truth is relative have not sufficiently examined their claim. Lack of knowledge or relying on faulty knowledge is a very dangerous place to live.

Faith is being convinced by sufficient evidence to believe.
Hope is a confident expectation for a reality yet to be received.

There has been an unfortunate teaching within Christianity that has greatly wounded many. It’s become known as the Word Faith Movement. The premise is that if you decree and declare a thing, and you have enough faith then you can expect to receive. It’s also been called the “Name It, Claim It movement.” Sadly, this teaching has distorted a proper understanding of faith and hope, and is a gross misappropriation of Scriptures.

We cannot decree or declare anything we want and then muster up enough “faith” to bring a matter to pass. This is not what Scriptures teach. We can however, decree and declare anything that God has promised is available to us, and by faith, in God’s timing, receive it. The way I say it is, “If God has named it, we’re foolish not to claim it.”

Examine your faith to make certain the object of your faith is trustworthy.
Renew your hope to make certain it is focused on God’s promises for you.

What are you wishing for? What breakthroughs do you need in life? If you can find a Scriptural promise from God that addresses the matter, you can begin to establish your faith on the truth of God’s Word. Then, you can look forward with a confident expectation for your hope to become a reality in the future.

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Pam’s award-winning Faith to Live By book series, is proving to help countless people discover and live in life-giving truth that produces hope and joy in abundance. Read the reviews some of her readers have posted here. If you want to fortify your faith and renew your hope, consider getting Pam’s books using the Promo Code provided with the recent ENewsletter. Not a subscriber to Pam’s ENewsletter? Just click the Subscribe button on the side bar to join, and receive your choice of a free gift in appreciation. Subscribers are uniquely eligible for special promotions.

If you’d like to invite Pam to speak for your church or organization, just use our Contact page to inquire.

How to Position Yourself to Receive God’s Blessings

I recently served as Keynote speaker for a woman’s group. What follows is the crux of the message that the Holy Spirit helped me develop–a message that powerfully impacted the women in attendance. I hope it blesses you the same way.

One premise that we all need to understand is: God’s love is unconditional, but His promises aren’t. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love, or cause God to love us any more or any less. There are however, requirements God has revealed that we need to satisfy to receive what He wants to give us. This does not mean that we work to earn God’s blessings. We do not earn any gift–not from God or anyone else. A gift is freely given, motivated by love, with a desire to provide benefit to the recipient without expectations of any reciprocity. When a “gift” has expectation of reciprocity, it’s called a bribe.

So what does it mean to say that God’s promises are conditional? It means that God’s blessings are essentially rewards. God delights in rewarding His children with gifts and blessings. Hebrews 11:6 clearly states, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who seek Him.” (Italics added for emphasis.)

Consider that to receive the gift of Salvation, we must sincerely believe in Jesus as Savior and receive Him as Lord. When we satisfy that condition, then we are blessed with the gift of being spiritually born-again. Our old sinful spirit nature is completely replaced with an entirely new sinless spirit. We are made new creations, (2 Cor 5:17). This is an example of how we position ourselves to receive God’s blessings. And, God has MANY blessings awaiting us beyond Salvation.

Consider the conditions and benefits of God’s promises as identified in the following Scriptures from the Amplified Bible:

Psalm 35:27:

“Let those who favor my righteous cause, and have pleasure in my uprightness shout for joy and be glad and say continuously, Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” 

Psalm 84:11:

“For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

John 10:10:

“The thief comes in only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance (to the fill, till it overflows).” 

2 Corinthians 8:9:

“For you are becoming progressively acquainted with and recognizing more strongly and clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (His kindness, His gracious generosity, His undeserved favor and spiritual blessing), [in] that though He was [so very] rich, yet for your sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied).” 

Deuteronomy 8:18:

“But you shall [earnestly] remember the Lord your God, for it is He Who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

Proverbs 3:9-10:

“Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the first fruits of all your income; So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.”

Malachi 3:10:

“Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Proverbs 19:17:

“He who has pity on the poor, lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him.”

James 1:27:

“External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.”

Exodus 22:22-24:

“Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry.  And My wrath shall burn; I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.”

Deuteronomy 28:10-13:

“And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name [and in the presence of] the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. The Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them.”

These are just a few examples from Scripture of the promised rewards we can enjoy simply by satisfying the conditions  of God’s promises. We position ourselves to be blessed by obeying what God requires of us.

 

This post exemplifies the ministry and message that I enjoy bringing you. If you like this and would like to read more, please visit the archives of my blog. Alternately, consider inviting me to some speak for your church, civic group or organization. Just use the Contact Us form on this site to reach me.

How to Possess a Confident, Contagious Faith

Faith. Everybody has it, whether they realize it or not. You have to have faith to function in this world–faith that the chair will sustain you, faith that the sun will rise, and on and on. But what about possessing a confident, contagious faith that not only buoys you in life, but encourages others? What about being so certain about your life on earth and your eternal future that you were able to rise above any adverse circumstance you experience? It is possible. Not so sure? Read more and start on this journey of possessing a confident, contagious faith.

No one wants a faith that is based on deception. So, the first question to ask is: ‘Is truth absolute?”

Once I started on this journey to learn all I could about truth, there was no stopping me. I listened to religious teaching and talk radio all day long every day. I went to seminars. I enrolled at Biola University’s certification course in apologetics. Apologetics is an academic word that simply means “defending the faith.” If you want a more in-depth definition, it is a systematic argument or discourse in the defense of faith—any faith or doctrine. In the search for truth, we are subject to specific laws. In the same way that we are subject to various laws of physics, we are subject to other natural laws. These are known as the Laws of Rational Thought:

The Law of Non-Contradiction (A is not non-A): Opposite truth claims cannot both be true. For example, if an atheist believes God does not exist and a theist believes God does exist, it is impossible for both to be right.

The Law of Excluded Middle (either A or non-A): This asserts that it is either A or non-A, but not both. God cannot exist and not exist. In other words, there is no middle ground; opposites cannot be the same.

The Law of Identity (A is A): This law simply states that something is what we say it is: A is A. When someone says, “I loved the book,” it is understood to mean a “book” (and not a duck or an automobile). Without the law of identity, there would be chaos and language would be incoherent.4

There is an absolute standard regarding any truth, though not everyone is willing to accept it. To confirm that a matter is truth, three essential characteristics must be in place at the same time:

The truth is based in reality.
Only one thing can be true and all opposing matters are false.
The truth is universal.

As a mother of two, I had more than one occasion where my children sought to create a truth they preferred, generally in attempt to avoid a consequence they knew was “bad.” You can imagine the scenario that would cause me to say, “Sorry sweetie, but the chocolate crumbs on your hands and face provide evidence that you did eat the last of the cookies.”

What is the application of discovering truth?

All the cookies are gone—the truth is based in reality.
The cookies can’t both be in the jar and gone at the same time—one matter is true, all opposing matters are false.
Based on the evidence of a precious child’s face covered with cookie crumbs, any mother in the world would come to the same conclusion—the truth is universal.

In this postmodern American culture, discovering the truth may be more difficult than ever, but it is still not impossible, nor does it require genius. We must rationally examine all truth claims. Every religion and philosophy has the responsibility of giving evidence for its truth claims, and such evidence should be available for believers and unbelievers—the burden of proof is on the claimant.5

People who choose to maintain beliefs based on their personal preferences, as opposed to objective, verifiable evidence, have a general sense they are operating with ideals contrary to most others. The only way they can alleviate this is to seek to change the beliefs of others. As in the example of my children and the missing cookies, they work very hard to substantiate their claims, seeking to convince others that their beliefs are valid and deserving of respect and should therefore bring no negative consequences.

One of the ways people seek to have their personal truth claims acknowledged by others is to attempt to alter reality in the minds of those who oppose their beliefs. Revisionism is one such tactic. Public school textbooks, for example, have been revised as a means to indoctrinate the most impressionable in society: our children.

Consider how evolution is taught in public schools today as fact, not theory, while the Creation account for the origin of humanity is taught as a fairy tale. Clearly this is not teaching with respect to individual intelligence or using sound logic and reason. What should be presented are the objective facts and evidence so that the student can decide. Instead, our schools provide deductive instruction that tells students what to think rather than offer inductive instruction that encourages people how to think.

In this postmodern culture that has elevated tolerance without wisdom, claims that truth is relative are made with few people prepared to challenge or debate the claim. Until we can agree that truth is objective and verifiable there can be no debate with relativists. Another way I like to say it, “You just can’t reason with crazy.”

Consider the following false objections that relativists make concerning absolute truth and the reasonable corresponding responses.

If truth is absolute, then no new truth would be possible. This mistakes the process of discovery with truth. People once thought the earth was flat when in reality it was a sphere. Truth is revealed or understood over a period of time. It is not altered with new information.

Absolute truth is too narrow. Any truth claim is narrow because truth by its nature means that anything that opposes it is false.

Absolute truth is dogmatic. Yes, it is, because the claim of truth excludes non-truth, which makes it reasonable to be dogmatic.

No one can know something is true. We can know if something is true based on the process of discovery. If we don’t understand the truth about a matter, it doesn’t alter the truth. Truth exists beyond our selves.

In conclusion, absolute truth stands on its own. Absolute truth is absolutely true no matter what evidence has been or is yet to be discovered. Truth corresponds to facts. Truth does not change just because we learn something new about it.6 Truth is not subject to our feelings or opinions rather, the converse is correct.

Man has the ability to think logically and apply reason using our intellect, and at the same time has an amazing gift of imagination. The danger is when one’s imagination clouds or impairs a person’s ability to remain grounded in empirical truth—that is, practical, verifiable evidence from experience and not theory.

Your comments are always welcome.

If you like this post, I invite you to read more from my blog and of course my books in the Faith to Live By series. It is my passion to help others discover and live in the same confident faith, based on objective, verifiable evidence, that I have found. With this you can have a confident and contagious faith that brings hope that is certain for you and others, no matter what!

Also, consider having me come speak to your church, civic group, or other organization. Helping others discover fresh wisdom and insights, and find joy and victory even in this fallen world, is my life’s purpose. Just use the Contact Us page on my web site. I’m truly looking forward to hearing from you.

Moving Beyond the Mediocre Faith

Sharon Jaynes is a friend and colleague of mine and a highly successful author. So I jumped at the chance to feature her in my Book Corner Blog. Her newest book, Take Hold of the Faith You Long For, is the focus of today’s post.

New book by Sharon Jaynes

I was alone, or at least I felt that way. Women huddled in happy clusters chatting about first one thing and then another. Some propped babies on their hips. Others clutched Bibles in their hands.

Most wore smiles on their faces. I wore one too. But it wasn’t a reflection of what was in my heart. The upturned lips were simply the camouflage I wore to blend in—to avoid being found out.

What I really wanted to do was run and hide. On the outside I was a well-put-together church mom with cute shoes and snappy jeans, but on the inside I was a little girl cowering in the far recesses of the playground hoping no one would notice me.

What’s wrong with me? I wondered. Why don’t I feel the joy these other women feel? What holds me back from experiencing the confidence and assurance they seem to experience? Where is that abundant life Jesus talked about? If I am a new creation like the Bible says, why don’t I feel like one? Why do I continue to act like the same old me, struggle with the same negative emotions, and wrestle with the same old sins?

The problem was I was stuck. Yes, I had professed Jesus as my Lord and Savior. But I had a niggling feeling He meant something more than heaven when He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Have you ever watched a circus performer on a flying trapeze? The aerialist swings out, swings back, and then usually on the peak of the third swing he takes hold of another bar or performer. That’s when the fun begins as back-flips, somersaults, and triples twists wow the crowd.

But what if, when the trapeze artist took hold of the second bar, he refused to let go of the first? He would be left hanging in the middle. Stuck. That would not be the greatest show on earth.

And that’s where many of us spend our lives…stuck…dangling over “life to the full” but never quite letting go of what holds us hostage to a mediocre “less than” faith. I know it’s where I spent many years…until God challenged me to take hold of the truth and make it mine.

Paul wrote, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). And in order to take hold and make our own everything that Christ has taken hold of for us and placed in us, we need to let go of everything that keeps us from doing so.

If we would grasp and make our own what Jesus has already done for us, and what He had deposited in us, our lives would look very different than the tepid faith of the average churchgoer.

God’s power, provision, and purposes are for “who so ever will” (Mark 8:34 KJV). Will what? Will let go of all that holds you back from experiencing the abundant life of the adventurous faith and take hold of truth that makes it so.

So one day I sat at a crossroads with God and decided I was going to believe that I was who He said I was. Regardless of my past mistakes and failures, I was going to take hold of the truth that I was forgiven and free. Regardless of my deep-seated struggles with worthlessness and insignificance, I was going to take hold of my new identity in Christ. I was going to let go of the past, move forward in the present, and live bold in the adventurous faith that God intended all along.

And that’s what God wants for all of us. So today, I challenging all of us to let go of all that holds us back and take hold of all that Jesus has already taken hold of for us and placed in us.

• Let go of insecurity and take hold of your true identity as a child of God.

• Let go of the scarcity mentality that says that you’re not enough and take hold of God’s abundant promises that say you have everything you need.

• Let go of crippling bitterness and take hold of radical forgiveness.

• Let go of shame-filled condemnation and take hold of grace-filled acceptance.

• Let go of weak-kneed worry and take hold of sure-footed confidence.

• Let go of comparison to others and take hold of your God-fashioned uniqueness.

• Let go of debilitating discouragement and take hold of your next assignment

• Let go of timid reluctance and take hold of bold believing.

And that’s what God wants for all of us. So today, let’s ask ourselves if we’re hanging on to something that God is calling us to let go of. Shame? Resentment? Condemnation? Unbelief? Ingratitude? Bitterness? Unforgiveness? A false sense of who we are?

If He brings something to mind, let it go, move forward, and live bold. And when you do, that is the greatest show on earth…life to the full. The faith you’ve always longed for is just a decision away.

View the Book Trailer here: https://vimeo.com/160754501

Back Cover Copy:

On the outside, many of us are well-put-together church-goers with trendy shoes, beautiful families, and wide, white smiles. On the inside, we’re little girls hesitating at the edge of the playground, wishing we could join in, but feeling something’s not quite right. We don’t know how to truly take hold of the “life to the full” that Jesus offers us. So we settle for a life that’s . . . less.

But a mediocre, mundane faith is not your destiny! In this liberating and empowering book, Sharon Jaynes reveals the most common reasons we get stuck in our Christian faith. She shows you how to break free of all that holds you back, move forward with all that God promises, and live the adventurous faith of bold believing. She shows you how to leave behind feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy that hold you hostage and take hold of the mountain-moving faith God intends. She uncovers untapped sources of confidence and courage, equipping you to move from simply knowing the truth to actually living it out boldly in a life marked by true freedom and expectancy.

Endorsements:

“Get ready to have your world rocked in a way that will make you never want to go back to the way things were before.”—Holley Gerth, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of You’re Already Amazing

“Take Hold of the Faith You Long For is an absolute triumph. A must-read.”—Emily T. Wierenga, founder of The Lulu Tree and author of Atlas Girl and Making It Home

“Sharon Jaynes shows us how to go from a sluggish faith to one that’s truly alive. She offers hope, inspiration, and fresh perspective for faith-worn believers.”—Heidi St. John, speaker, author, and creator of The Busy Mom blog

Autho’s Biography:

Sharon Jaynes is an international speaker for women’s events and author of 20 books including The Power of a Woman’s Words and Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe.  Sharon has been encouraging and equipping women through ministry for over thirty years. She is co-founder of Girlfriends in God, Inc., former vice president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, and bestselling author of twenty books. A frequent guest on radio and television programs, Sharon speaks at women’s conferences and events all across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and South America. She and her husband Steve live in North Carolina. Learn more at http://www.sharonjaynes.com.

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Take Hold of the Faith You Long For–Let Go. Move Forward. Live Bold.

ISBN 978-0-80101885-5

Baker Books

May 3, 2016

Can be purchased from the above link all fine Christian retail stores.

Disclaimer: While Pamela Christian Ministries seeks to present compelling content from reputable contributors, we make it known that the views expressed in all guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views, policies and/or opinions of Pamela Christian Ministries, its owners, management, staff or sponsors. Pamela Christian Ministries has no professional affiliation with the Guest/organization identified here, their business, products, service, contests or claims.

The Guest and/or their business/organization assume all responsibility for the representations made in this post.

The Three Realms of our Being

The second book in my Faith to Live By series is Renew Your Hope! Remedy for Personal Breakthroughs. What I seek to accomplish with this book

is to  help Believers in Jesus, demonstrate faith that moves mountains. A key component to wielding effective faith, is possessing a confidence of who we are in Christ. The following is an excerpt from the book: 

To best take hold of the new identity and authority we have in Christ, we need to understand the realms of our being. As Terri Fivash, author of Spiritual Toolbox explains, there are three realms in which humans interact. There are the physical, the mental, and the spiritual realm:

The physical realm is what is normally thought of as the real world. It is the space and things around is, governed by laws of physics such as gravity, friction and velocity. Anything which can be perceived by sight, hearing, small, taste and touch is part of this realm.

The mental realm is usually referred to as “mind” in the Bible. It consists of everything that goes on in the mind or that which is part of the mind. This includes thoughts, emotions/feelings, decisions, and the human will. This is also what is called the “soul” by many people.

The spiritual realm is third. The Bible often calls this realm the “heart.” The apostle Paul calls it “the things which are not seen.” He also tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:18 that this realm is the highest reality. “For the things that are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” The unseen is eternal because it emanates directly from God. His simple existence creates this realm. “for God is a spirit,” John 4:24.

The heart can be thought of as that part of you which perceives and communicates with the spiritual realm. If we didn’t have a heart we could not know this part of reality. “even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11-12 KJV)

The Laws of the Realms

Each realm is governed by law. The laws are in continual operation, whether we are aware of their existence or not. We are acquainted with many of the laws of the physical realm, gravity being one. However, we likely seldom think about them, and yet we use them every day. Science has helped us discover these laws and how to use them to our advantage.

The human brain or the mental realm, also operates by law. Psychology, psychiatry, and neurology are providing a much broader and richer understanding of mental law. They are showing how the brain works and what thoughts and memories are.

The ability to spiritually discern matters was given to man at creation. Mankind was created by God in three parts: body, soul, and spirit. Our spirit being is that which allows us to discern spirits and communicate with God. The laws governing the spiritual realm, like all the other realms, operate all the time whether we know or are aware of them or not. Unless we understand the laws of the spiritual realm, we may cause blessing or cursing upon ourselves. Blessing is giving God permission to work in your life. Cursing is giving Satan permission to work in your life.

As we walk this earth, we cannot avoid operating in all three of these realms and the laws that govern them. When we are ignorant of the laws of the realms, we can be violating laws and bringing harm upon our selves and others without realizing it. Learning about the laws and how to use them is key. This will be the topic of the next blog post.

Your comments to this article are most welcome!

Pamela Christian is an author, speaker and media personality. The above is an excerpt from Faith to Live By book series. Renew Your Hope! Remedy for Personal Breakthroughs won the 2015 Indie Excellence Award and placed with the 2015 Sellah and Golden Scroll awards. Her speaking itinerary for 2016 is actively booking now. To learn if she will be speaking near you, or to inquire about booking her for your church or organization, please use our Contact Us form.

Little Women, Big God!

 

I’m pleased to help get the word out about Debbie Wilson’s newest and much needed book! Read what Debbie has written here about her book:

Little Women, Big God: It’s not the size of your problems, but the size of your God

God’s ways continually surprise me. If you were God what type of people would you choose to belong to your Son’s family tree? Whose stories would you highlight in Scripture?

Would you choose any of the following?

~ A woman who seduced her father-in-law

~ A professional prostitute

~ Someone from an ethnic group that had been banned from God’s assembly because of their treachery against His people

While we work hard to garner the good opinion of strangers and friends, Jesus highlights the infamy in His family tree. I’m convinced He showcased these women for us. Their stories remind us it doesn’t matter how big of a mess we’ve made in our lives, how much we’ve lost, or how little we know about God. Little faith in a big God is enough to change our destinies.

This Little Woman

Mother’s Day weekend of my senior year in high school, we buried my mother. The following year, my dad married an insecure woman who didn’t want any reminder of my mother around—including my sister and me. I returned from out of town to find my childhood home emptied. She’d even disposed of my deceased grandmother’s monogrammed sheets and my mother’s satin comforter that covered me every night. Soon, even Pepper, my pet poodle, was gone.

In a brief year, the foundation of a stable home was swept away. I had no power to stop the mounting losses.

Maybe that is why the women in Jesus’ family tree resonate with me. These women faced crushing problems with no power or resources to overcome them, but they had a Big God. They remind me that my security is not determined by the size of my problems—or the size of my strength—but by the size of my God.

I relate to Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary as they faced failure, loss, betrayal, and a murderous hunt. Their stories spotlight God’s care for ordinary women and how He uses our weaknesses as opportunities to reveal His strength and our failures as avenues for His grace.

I know of no greater thrill than hearing from God. Drawing from my years as a counselor, I’ve included thought-provoking questions and insights in this Bible study to help you practically apply faith when facing such challenges as rejection and temptation, selecting a mate, and forgiving yourself and your enemy. This study is not written to merely inform, but to transform.

The book is divided into ten chapters. Each chapter is divided into five sections (days) so that you can easily complete a chapter a week. It can be used individually or with a small group.

As I found out, life has only one unshakable foundation. Little women need a big God. We have one in Jesus.

About Debbie:

Debbie W. Wilson is an ordinary woman who has experienced an extraordinary God. Drawing from her personal walk with Christ, twenty-four years as a Christian counselor, and decades as a Bible teacher, Debbie speaks and writes to help women discover relevant faith. She and her husband, Larry, founded Lighthouse Ministries in 1991. They, along with their two grown children and two standard poodles, enjoy calling North Carolina home. Share her journey to refreshing faith at her blog and on Facebook.

Click here to learn more and order your copy of Little Women, Big God.

Debbie’s other book is Give Yourself a Break: Discover the Secrets to God’s Rest .

What others are saying about Little Women, Big God:

“Women in the Church today are hungry for excellent Bible study material, and this book will be such a blessing to those who use it. I am now in my retirement years, and I have spent those years teaching a women’s Bible study at my church. Guess which book will be the focus of the next study?”

—Diane Passno, Bible teacher, senior vice president, Focus on the Family (retired)

“In her new Bible study, Debbie brings new perspective on how to see ourselves in the lives of these unlikely women. These pages filled with truth helped me to realize the wonder and matchless love that a Big God has for this little woman. May all my days be spent boldly living out that love and truth.”

—Amy Richissin, development officer, Turning Point

“Today’s challenges are not new to God. Using the stories of the women of old, Little Women, Big God shows you how to overcome your trials.”

—DiAnn Mills, author of Deadlock and Deadly Encounter

Optional Giveaway:

Debbie Wilson wants to celebrate the release of her new book Little Women, Big God: It’s not the size of your problems, but the size of your God with you. Please leave a comment to enter to win a free copy. If you’re in a hurry, simply say, “I’m leaning on my big God!”

Extras:

         Book Publisher and Date: Leafwood Publishers, March 8, 2016
         Book ISBN 978-0-89112-386-6
         Book Description:   Meet the surprising women in Jesus’s family tree as they journey through impossible circumstances and discover that quality of life is not  determined by the size of our problems but by the size of our God. This interactive study will expand your view of God and transform your faith.

Disclaimer: While Pamela Christian Ministries seeks to present compelling content from reputable contributors, we make it known that the views expressed in all guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views, policies and/or opinions of Pamela Christian Ministries, its owners, management, staff or sponsors. Pamela Christian Ministries has no professional affiliation with the Guest/organization identified here, their business, products, service, contests or claims.

The Guest and/or their business/organization assume all responsibility for the representations made in this post.

How to Discern Truth from Deception

Every day we make decisions. Depending on the circumstances, some will be minor decisions, while others can impact our entire life. When it comes to life-imacting decisions, it is especially...



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How to Discern Truth from Deception

Every day we make decisions. Depending on the circumstances, some will be minor decisions, while others can impact our entire life. When it comes to life-impacting decisions, it is especially important that we know how to discern truth. When I travel and speak, I most always ask, “Who in this room wants to live your life on the basis of a lie?” No one ever raises their hand to that question, which is quite revealing. Since no one every raises their hand, it means that truth is universal. It also means that universally, we all prefer truth over deception, which reveals we all have a moral compass. This one question also reveals that universally we all want to make the “right decisions.” But how can we be certain we’re making decisions that line up with truth? It’s actually quite simple.

Truth can be confidently concluded because of the Laws of Rational Thought:

The Law of Non-Contradiction (A is not non-A): Opposite truth claims annot both be true. For example, if an athiest believes that God does not exist and a thiest believes that God does exist, it is impossible for both to be right.

The Law of Excluded Middle (either A or non-A): This asserts that it is either A or non-A, but not both. God cannot exist and not exist. In other words, there is no middle ground; opposites cannot be the same.

The Law of Identity (A is A): This law simply states that something is what we say it is: A is A. When someone says, “I loved the book,” it is understood to mean a “book” (and not a duck or an automobile). Without the law of identify, thre would be chaos and language would be incoherent. 1

There is an absolute standard regarding any truth, though not everyone is willing to accept it. to confirm that a matter is truth, three essential characteristics must be in place at the same time:

The truth is based on reality.
Only one think can be true and all opposing matters are false.
The truth is universal.


With this much information, (little in actuallity!) we can confidently approach difficult decisions with the discernment we need to make the right decisions.

Your comments to this article are most welcome!

Pamela Christian is an author, speaker and media personality. The above is an excerpt from Examine Your Faith! Finding Truth in a World of Lies, the first in her Faith to Live By book series. Her speaking itenary for 2016 is actively booking now. To learn if she will be speaking near you, or to inquire about booking her for your church or organization, please use our Contact Us form.

We Limit God's Blessings

We have not because we ask not, or because we ask amis, as we read in James Chapter 4. Yet God longs to lavish His love and many blessins upon us in this life, and particularly in this New Year. Are...



The content you see here is just part of the recent post. Please visit my official blog site to read more...http://bit.ly/11OsDCl

We Limit God’s Blessings

We have not because we ask not, or because we ask amis, as we read in James Chapter 4. Yet God longs to lavish His love and many blessins upon us in this life, and particularly in this New Year. Are you prepared to receive?

I have long regarded the time between the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) and the Gregorian New Year (January 1st)  a very special time of godly inspiration. A time when those who seek God can enjoy an extra sensitivity to His voice. And it has been during these months (September 2015 to January 1, 2016) that there has been much said about the time we have eneterd and are entering. Many prophetic words have cited that this is a new season, unlike any other. Isaiah 43:18-19 has been referenced repeatedly for months, by many different people: “Forget the former things. Do not dwell in the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”(NIV)

We’ve been told that the ways of old will no longer apply to this new season– that how we went about things in the past  will simply not work moving forward.

All of this has resonated in my spirit. I have personally been longing for a new season of minisry impact. Recently, my Pastor spoke over me that I would have new power, new vision and a new place, which brought great joy and eager anticipation to me for what lies ahead.

Today in my prayer time, as I often do, I asked the Lord to speak to me, then I write down what I believe I’m hearing. What I heard is a today word for all who profess the name of Jesus.

Lord what do You want me to know today?

That you are loved no matter what you do. My love will never, never, never depart. You will always have my love and I will always work to restore you when you fall. There is no punishment for those I love; who humble themselves and love Me. There is correction because I love you enough to bring you into all that is good and bountiful. Yes, I want to exalt my people, just as you read this morning. Peter 5:6 reveals that I want to exalt you. I want to lift you up and make you great. Yes, the meaning of exalt is “to raise to the very summit of opulence and prosperity.”*

The spirit of lack and poverty must be broken off my people. This prevents them from believing in and receiving all that I have for them—all that they need. I know what you need to live. I know what you need to do great things. I know the great things I have planned for you to do. You need the resources and I want you to have them. I want you to have all the resources you need to do an excellent job, for my namesake. Finances, people, exposure, opportunities—I know what you need.Expect me to give them to you and that will help open up the pathways for receiving them. Yes, Luke 11:9-13, read it and apply it! My Holy Spirit is the power to do all things even that which seems impossible!   

I am speaking this truth to many of My children at this time. As you embrace My word and respond to My word, great things will occur, attracting others to you and you will help turn them to Me. This too will inspire more of My children to Ask, Seek, Knock with expectancy, so that I will work in their lives, attracting yet even more ultimately unto Me. Yes, this is the time of the Great White Harvest—a time all of heaven and earth has been waiting for! Don’t focus on governments, or politics, or wars, or ravages of nature in this world. These things must come to pass before the return of My Son. You have been forewarned, not to make you fearful or to hide and hoard. No! You have been forewarned that you may call out to Me, receive what you have need of, and help one another. 
 
As we have entered the Jewish New Year of 5776, we have finished three seven-year cycles, to now enter into the fourth and defining seven-year period, and the year of Jubilee. “Being radical, joyious, generous lovers of God and lovers of people is what warfare looks like in this season”** It is time for us to understand and embrace God’s love and work to establish His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. “Change is coming, but it is good change. It is the age of the Kingdom, and it is just beginning. New splashes of Heaven culture and Kingdom solutions will be springing up all over. Waves of glory are coming in with all of this and [God’s] prsence will begin to be establishd in the earth at a whole other level. Certainly those who are seeking this will find it as you find what you are looking for. Is it possible for all this to happen and you not notice? Unfortunately yes”*** The very question in Isaiah 43:19, “Do you not perceive it?” reveals some will not perceive the new thing God is doing. Just as many religious leaders held to specific doctrines and beliefs about the coming of the Messiah that caused them to not recognize Jesus in His first coming, so can our beliefs and mind-sets prevent us from recognizing the power in the preparation for Jesus’ second coming.

My mandate from God is to help people discover and live in the same life-giving truth I have been blessed to find. I pray that the ministry work I do will benefit you greatly. My word for you today is to seek the Lord with your whole heart. Deliberately connect with Him as never before. Trust in His undeserved love and His incredible goodness. With thanksgiving for all He has done for your salvation; ask Him for all the things you need–for the desires of your heart. Then, based on His revealed word, joyfully expect Him to work in your life for your good and the benefit of many others.

May we all enter into this New Year with eager expectation because of who God is and what He has already revealed that He wants to and will do for those who believe. Amen! I welcome your comments.

* Experience the Imossible, Bill Johnson (Chosen Books 2015) p. 181
** Rosh Hashanah 5776: The Year You Will Roar, Johnny Enlow (Elijah List 2015)
*** Ibid.

Pam’s first two books in the Faith to Live By series provide excellent insight to faith and hope. The third book due out in 2016, will explore God’s love. What Pam has written in this blog post provides evidence of her heart’s desire to see you discover and live in the same life-giving truth she’s been blessed to find. If you haven’t, consider reading Pams books because they have been written with your success in mind.