Your Testimony and Praise Has Power

YOUR TESTIMONY AND PRAISE HAS POWER

"And they overcame him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Revelation 12:11).

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Your testimony is about what you have experienced - what you have seen and heard. A real Christian can talk about their experiences with God through Jesus Christ. We as Christians are called to a relationship of real communication with the Son of God. God comes to live inside us. Things change. God deals with every person in a different way. The more Christians that come forward and talk about how God has
intervened in their life, the more people will begin to realize that God is for real, miracles do happen, and prayer works. This will inspire others to seek God and turn from their sins so that they too can know the peace and satisfaction that comes to a person who truly gives their life over to God.

Acts 1:8 says, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

To be a witness to Jesus is to speak and communicate the things
that you have seen and heard in your life, that happened because of Jesus. It’s the Holy Spirit who makes Jesus real to us, and makes Jesus real through us. God's plan is for people to hear the good news that Jesus Christ paid for their sins, and conquered death for us through rising from the dead. After believing, people should go on to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, and then testify to others what God has done for them.

One of the greatest testimonies was from a power pagan emperor who came to know that the God of Israel was indeed God over all. King Nebuchadnezzar actually said in an announcement that went across the whole known world:

"I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me." (Daniel 4:2).

Like Nebuchadnezzar, we should seek to glorify God all over the world. Now, with Radio Shine and the advent of the internet, it is possible to do this all over the world with very modest resources. I want to encourage YOU to do your part in spreading the fame of our God by writing down your story or sharing it with us all through the medium of the Radio or the internet.

Many people are getting challenged and uplifted by the testimonies that our listeners share on Wednesday and everyday by their phone calls, letters and e-mails. You too can share your story with the world through this station and our e-mail info@radioshine.org or steve@radioshine.org.. You can reach people that no one else can reach by sharing what the Lord has done for you

The Bible says, "Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!" (1 Chronicles 16:8).

If you have been rescued by God from your sin and the consequences of it, one of the ways you can express thanks to God is by telling others of what happened. Writing your story down will equip you to share it verbally with others, and will enable you to reach at least one person per day for the rest of your life for the Lord.

Other Considerations on Sharing your Testimony

If you have really drawn near to God, you will be like Peter, who said, "For we cannot but speak of the things we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20) Even when he was persecuted and threatened on account of his testimony, and the power of the name of Jesus that he was operating in. The most important thing to testify of, though,
is not physical miracles, as wonderful as they are, but the way God has redeemed your soul - bought you out of the hand of the devil for himself.

The Bibles says in Psalm 107:2, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy".

It is a wonderful thing when we can honestly testify that we now know God has forgiven our sins. If God has redeemed you, then you
should say so - publicly. And one of the best public forums today for this is Christian Radio and the internet. Go to steve@radioshine.org any time and share what God is doing in your life or call (888) 587-4463 Wednesday Mornings between 6:30am – 9am to testify for Our Lord Jesus. Radio Shine is here to encourage you in your faith!

Confidence in the Faith

Confidence in the Faith

Hebrews 10:35-36

³⁵So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. ³⁶You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

*How is Your Faith doing in Everyday Life

The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight (seeJohn 1:35-37 and John 3:30).

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Where does Faith come from??

God grants us true faith by His Spirit at regeneration (when we are "born again")

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

"I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." Philippians 3:8-10

"Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. " Psalm 2:12

After we become a Christian we need to remember the consequences of turning our eyes back to the world and doubting our faith!

Because of the warning contained within Hebrews 10:35-39, chapter 11 places the virtue of faith in direct contrast to the sin of unbelief by exposing what unbelief caused to occur. The Israelites drew back in fear rather than trusting God and boldly going forward. Thus, the main point of the epistle of Hebrews is that they will be destroyed who, by failing to put their trust in the living God, shrink back from this Christian war we have been called to fight, whereas those who believe will be saved. Maybe these never really believed in the first place. It doesn’t mean we won’t feel weak in our faith. He uses our weakness to remind us that we need Him!

He uses our weaknesses to prove His strength & establish our faith:

"And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

"...we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead..." 2 Corinthians 1:8-9

"Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not cast it out?'

So Jesus said to them, 'Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:19-20

Apart from God's moral law, we wouldn't see our sin and weakness

"...the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor." Galatians 3:24-25

"'Woe to the rebellious children,' says the Lord,
'Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,'" Isaiah 30:1

"Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the Lord.
For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness....
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought....
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart; I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 17:5-10

Preaching builds faith among those who will believe

"And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has

believed our report?' So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:14-17

"For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." 1 Corinthians 1:22-24

"He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy. And they glorified God in me." Galatians1:23-24

"Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, 'In you all the nations shall be blessed.' So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham." Galatians 3:7-9

True wisdom or victory comes through genuine faith:

"By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." Hebrews 11:3

"...whatever is not from faith is sin." Romans 14:23

"And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight, if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard..." Colossians 1:21-23

"Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, 'In you all the nations shall be blessed.' So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham." Galatians 3:7-9

The reality here is that we have to stay in contact with Our Lord and Savior. To be one with Him means that we seek to walk to the beat of His drum, not ours.

*It is a painful business to get through into the stride of God, it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride; but when we have got into it, the only characteristic that manifests itself is the life of God. The individual person is merged into a personal union with God, and the stride and the power of God alone are manifested.

It is difficult to get into stride with God, because when we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined into His ways. It was said of Jesus - "He shall not fail nor be discouraged," because He never worked from His own individual standpoint but always from the standpoint of His Father, and we have to learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned by atmosphere, not by intellectual reasoning. God's Spirit alters the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and things begin to be possible which never were possible before. Getting into the stride of God means nothing less than union with Himself. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don't give in because the pain is bad just now, get on with it, and before long you will find you have a new vision and a new purpose.

"Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." John 4:41-42

"For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day." 2 Timothy 1:11-12

*Excerpts taken from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. (c) l935 by Dodd Mead & Co., renewed (c) 1963 by the Oswald Chambers Publications Assn., Ltd., and is used by permission of Discovery House Publishers, Box 3566, Grand Rapids MI 4950l. All rights reserved.

The Key for Healing a Broken Heart

The Key for Healing a Broken Heart

Is there hope for healing a broken heart? Something or someone has just broken your heart. You were caught off-guard by a betrayal, a shocking behavior, or loss of a loved one. Suddenly you are feeling like you’ve lost all hope . . . you can feel a physical aching in your chest that leaves you wounded and scarred. How can you ever hope to recover or discover what steps will end this suffering?

We all know that emotions are a vital part of the way we are made. Yet we can’t understand why it takes so long to heal from emotional injuries. We would never prematurely remove a cast or sutures until the broken bone or skin was fully restored. We must realize complete emotional healing requires time. The book of Psalms offers great comfort when experiencing long-term emotions like sadness, fear, and grief. “He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). God is the only One that can restore our emotions and our attitude Our human tendency is to avoid painful situations, even burying them. That will bring tragic results.

Broken heart - pain and implications of no healing

A broken heart can result in a hardened heart - difficulty loving.

A broken heart can result in bitterness - the intention to get revenge.

A broken heart can bring on health problems, even heart problems as a result in emotion express in our body.

So what is the Key to Healing a Broken Heart – The key is trust!
But can we ever trust those who hurt us so deeply? Yes, if we first trust our Lord. There are some steps we can take to restore this Trust.

Broken heart prayer - how to do it.

Recall

Psalm 16:8 "I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
-First tell Jesus what you need and recall to him your hurt as the result of your experience. Trust and stand by faith in the position that Jesus is taking care of your heart. If you feel a positive emotion after praying and doing this, then wait and soak in that feeling.

You may be sensing the love and life of God. Invite the Holy Spirit to stay and deepen the effect of this prayer.

I know this can make a great difference in your life. It can help your heart from getting totally bitter and hard.

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• Release – “. . (Mark 11:25). And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Choose to let go of past hurts and forgive those who caused them. Over the years bad experiences will drive a wedge between us and friends, families and even between us and our Lord. Miraculously, when we choose to forgive God removes us from the conflict and wedge. Our heart may be sadden that others have not chose to forgive, but because we have, God will remove our guilt and replaced it with His Peace.

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• Refocus – (Ephesians 3:20) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, By [God’s] mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. Fix your eyes back on Jesus. Immerse yourself in God’s Word and think on things of Him. He will be faithful to put you back on track.
• Receive – “[God] comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1: 3-4) Receive His healing, His truth and His purpose for you. Then watch Him used this painful experience in your life to point someone else to Him.
• Healing a Broken Heart – There is a reason
  Once there was a young man who proclaimed to have the most beautiful, flawless heart. An old man challenged him. The crowd looked at the old man’s heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars. Some pieces had been removed and others had been put in, but didn’t fit quite right. The old man looked at the young man, “I would never trade my heart for yours. Every scar represents a person I’ve given my love -- I tear out a piece and give it to them. Sometimes they give me a piece of their broken heart, which I fit along jagged edges. When the person doesn’t return my love, a painful gouge is left. Those gouges stay open, reminding me that I love these people too. Perhaps someday they will return and fill that space.”
  
  
  

We would never choose to have a broken heart! The agony and recovery time is just too unbearable. There is Someone, however, who had a flawless heart and chose to have it broken. Medically when a heart ruptures (breaks) water gushes out (John 19:33-34). So in every way, Jesus experienced a broken heart. He understands betrayal, temptation, and loss (Isaiah 53:3; Luke 22:33-34; Matthew 14:10-13). He is our Comforter, Counselor, and Companion who fills our heart’s empty spaces.

Healing Prayer is for those who are ready to say: "I can't do this. I need God to do it."

Are you ready to say: "This is too much for me. I need God to heal my life?" When we admit our own poverty, lack of resources, helplessness, then we are ready to let God heal us. Are you willing to let go of -control. Ready to let God heal your broken heart? the broken heart prayer is a way to: "Let go and let God."

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).

The image of heartbreak describing the devastating emotional pain of a broken relationship or loss of a loved one transcends culture and is expressed in the same way in almost every language. We feel the pain of betrayal, separation and isolation deeply at the core of our soul. It feels as if our heart really is breaking - because of course, it is. God understands this experience because he himself has lived through a broken heart. . Through his love for us, he has endured unfaithfulness and desertion. God understands our loneliness and identifies with us. We can talk to him about this experience and ask him for help at our deepest point of despair - because he's been there himself! If you are at that point right now cry out to Him. He specializes in mending broken people. I know because He has put me back to together over and over again and brought meaning to situations I would have never known if I had not Call on His precious name for help.

PRAYER

"God, you care deeply for broken-hearted people. This is a promise you make: You are close. We pray for all those who are crippled by broken relationships. Our hearts take the blow of disappointment. We feel crushed because our hopes are dashed. God, heal broken hearts. We cannot fix our own wounds. But you can. If pieces of our heart have been lost, or are held captive by another, recover them and bring them back to us and miraculously "put us back together" so that our heart is whole again. You are a mender of broken hearts. We ask for this miracle, in the name of Jesus."

Pour Out Your Heart To The Lord

POUR OUT YOUR HEART TO THE LORD

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. —Psalm 62:8

I READ A STORY ABOUT A GUY WHO WENT TO A ELECTRONIC STORE to purchase a small digital voice recorder. The clerk who helped him purchase the recorder told him that he kept one just like it in his car when he worked in California. He explained “When I began driving home after work I switched it on, and I talked about everything that happened that day on the job, good and bad. When I pulled into my driveway, I hit the erase button.” Then he smiled. After telling everything to his voice recorder, he apparently had no need to go over the day’s problems with his wife or family.

It reminded me of how often I needlessly rehearse my disappointments and problems to others instead of telling them to God. The psalmist wrote: “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Ps. 62:8). Twice he spoke of waiting silently for God, his rock and salvation (vv.1-2,5-7).

Why should we seek Him? Because He has the power and the willingness, if we will trust Him, to give us a completely new nature. He will break the vain, frustrating, repetitious cycle.

Both Jesus and Paul remind us that our calling is rife with possibilities, so much so that we can consider each moment as big as eternity. It is as though the New Testament writers are saying, "Don't be like the slave who refuses when presented with freedom, or the diseased person who rejects help when offered healing. God's door is open to us! Cry out to Him and charge through it by cooperating with Him!"

While there is great comfort in sharing our difficulties with a friend, we miss the greatest help if we fail to bring them to the Lord Jesus.

Our lives are full of stress, anxiety and worry. As His Child, let’s be found pouring our hearts out to someone that can help us gain understanding and can bring peace and comfort to our hearts and minds. Remember! No matter where we are, Jesus is only a prayer away.

The hymn writer, Joseph Scriven, said it so well:

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and grief’s to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Celebrating God’s Faithfulness

From Radio Shine’s Praise and Share Edition

Steve White - Host

A wise man once said that the proof of the durability of Christianity is not how steep the race is, but how long. I have found that to be true. It is not how persuasively we win the argument about the nature of truth, but what works when we put it into practice, what endures because it is based on revelation and what is fluff. In my estimation, the most remarkable, most powerful, but most simple, truth is that God is real and that he is faithful to His children. That is why Christianity works. Christians should be the most positive people in the world. Celebration of His reality and faithfulness has the latent capacity to act as a gigantic magnet to draw others to him. It is time to respond to skepticism and pervasive negativity by celebrating God’s faithfulness, deliberately, consciously, joyfully and very publicly.

When you are a child, the future is all potential. When the hair turns grey and the decade milestones come and go there are moments to reflect on what actually took place. As I look back, I know God has always been there. He has provided everything I have needed (not necessarily all that I wanted or demanded). I have sensed His presence with me, even in times of loneliness and the loss of loved ones (Christians face grief and loss like everyone else, but we know God is with us at those times). The Bible tells us there is a time and a season for everything. The strongest Christian will face life and death, health and sickness, abundance and lack, some experiences that build up and others that seem to demolish possessions and plans. Things will not always go well. Job observed that God sometimes allows seemingly bad things to happen (Job 2:10). There is no sense living in denial. Christians are not immune from the highs and lows of relationships and personal feelings about circumstances. It is in looking back that we can evaluate the totality of what has gone before and see the hand of God upholding and His Spirit sustaining us (Psalm 139). As Jesus reminded us, God is a God of the living, of the “now”.

God is able to do more than we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). He says, “If you call on me I will answer you.” (Jeremiah 33:3; Psalm 50:15). Friends care, but they are limited. There are many things they simply cannot do to help, even if they are available and disposed to do so. On the other hand, God will not allow us to be removed (Psalm 55:22). Nothing can take us out of His hand (John 10:28-29). He has promised us “rest” (Matthew 11:28). We can trust him with our all, as a lifestyle choice. We know that he makes everything that happens in our circumstances work for good (Romans 8:28) and he is able to keep us from falling (1 Corinthians 1:8, 9; Jude 24).

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Problems are a part of life, but God does not abandon us because we get into fixes. He does not destroy his servants. Even when we feel he is squeezing us, to produce change, we can still affirm that we trust Him with our lives. When faced with unusual or trying circumstances, Biblical faith says, “This has a purpose” (Job 23:10). Too many people opt for a form of Christian fatalism, directly or indirectly blaming God for allowing events to occur. It is easy to be cemented to our setbacks, but this is not God’s way. The Bible repeatedly calls him the “God of hope”. He is faithful when Christians suffer persecution, when a friend dies at the hands of an assailant, when abuse occurs, when financial problems appear overwhelming, when a sickness is not healed, when a friend is killed in a car accident, when Christians perish in a tsunami? It is assuring to know He has a purpose. Life is not a tiny blip of nothingness in the cosmos. Life IS God. His purpose is always to build something that will last for eternity.

Are we really convinced that God cares, that he is able and trustworthy? Do we live as though that confidence is real? Is it right or wrong to query God’s faithfulness? There is no sense pretending. He can always remove a trial, if he desires, but sometimes he chooses not to do so. Paul asked three times for a particular trial to be lifted, but was told God’s grace was enough. Only our heavenly father knows what is really in our hearts when we react against what is going on in our lives. I believe we can ask for an explanation about what is happening without judging God (Romans 9:19-21). When we regularly and actively celebrate God’s faithfulness as part of our lives, we won’t be so quick to jump to conclusions and think God has let us down when things do not work out the way we want. God is faithful.

There are many ways in which Christians experience God’s faithfulness. These include his presence in times of suffering; His strength in times of temptation; His faithfulness in showing us how to live wisely in all our human relationships, through His Word and His people; His faithfulness in avenging those who suffer for him. The bottom line is that we can trust him with our lives and know He has our good at heart (this is what Satan failed to realize when he mistakenly thought Job’s reaction to suffering would be to curse God to His face, cf Job 1:11; 2:5). The fact is, he has a purpose (cf Job 23:10). It is not enough to say, “God knows” when circumstances are beyond our control. That can imply that He is aware but indifferent. Some things happen by divine permission and we never work them out objectively. However, there is always a bottom line. David said that he had never seen the righteous going without. In times of trouble (and he had lots of those), he kept reminding himself that God was his refuge and help (Ps 46:1, 2). That can be our experience as well.

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God shows his faithfulness by putting us in relationships, such as families; or providing experienced Christians as leaders and mentors to care for us spiritually. (Hebrews 13:17). Whatever happens, He is described as a father looking after his family, caring for the vulnerable, a pastor overseeing his sheep (Psalm 23). Even the deaths of his people are “precious” in his sight “

Psalm 116:15). (Ps.41:3, Isa.63:9, John 11:3, 2Cor. 12:9, Phil.4:13, 2Cor.4:16,

Acts 17:28, Isa.40:29-31, Deut.33:27)

He is faithful, even in death!

DEATH~
WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN IT .

A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, 'Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.' Very quietly, the doctor said, 'I don't know..' 'You don't know? You're, a Christian man, and don't know what's on the other side?' The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, And when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough.' May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

May His peace be within you today because…..HE IS FAITHFUL!

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Handing Down Our Family Faith To The Next Generation

HANDING DOWN OUR FAMILY FAITH TO THE NEXT GENERATION

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

The best people to lead children to Christ are their parents. And the best time to begin handing down your faith to children is when they are young and in your home. Now, you cannot force faith upon them. Parents cannot make children believe what they believe, but explanation can lead to understanding.

Here are ways to pass down your faith in you family, summarized in six words. As you read them, I encourage you to think of ways you can apply these ideas in the life of your family.

First of all, we hand down our faith by principle.

By that I mean instructing our children in the ways of God. As you go about your daily routine, the teachings of the Word should direct your thought patterns and govern your actions. Try to weave the Word of God into your conversation about whatever subject happens to surface. Follow the advice of Scripture to talk about the things of God when you are seated, when you stand, when you walk, when you arise, and when you lie down (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). You may protest, “I just don’t know how to start.” Here is the way: find out what your children are interested in, and then talk about those things in light of God’s truth. Show how it applies to real life situations.

Second, we hand down our faith by pattern.

Children probably learn more by watching what we do than by listening to what we say. What patterns are your children picking up from you? Have they heard you call their names out to God as you pray for them? Have you asked them to join you in prayer as you sought God’s guidance for a problem? We are not going to be perfect; our loved ones will see our successes and our failures. But you must try to provide the best pattern for your children because it will have a profound effect on them. There is nothing like a mother and a father living out biblical principles.

Third, we hand down our faith by persistence.

We pass it on by doing what needs to be done whether or not it is convenient. Live out the pattern over and over. Think about how your behavior lines up with the Scriptural principles you have taught them. Are there inconsistencies? If we daily exemplify principles in keeping with God’s Word, we impress upon our children what they will carry into adulthood.

Fourth, we hand down our faith by participation.

Something positive happens when we get involved in what concerns or interests our children. We establish a caring relationship which makes communication and instruction easier. Be open enough to listen to their viewpoints, even when you disagree with them. Establish an atmosphere that is not threatening but is conducive to the sharing of ideas. We can only hand down our faith to children who are receptive to it.

The fifth way is the best motivation for learning––praise.

We all like and appreciate praise. We make time to tell our children what they have done wrong, but focusing on what they have done right may be even more important. Praise them for even the smallest things. If you think they could improve in some area, don’t shame them into doing better. Ask if they need help and offer to help them. Rather than telling them what to do, go together to the Word of God to see what He has to say about a situation. When you see them applying what they have learned, praise them.

The last idea is prayer (though ideally prayer should be a part of all six ideas).

God answers the prayers of godly parents who want to raise godly children. Parents who spend time praying for and with their children demonstrate the importance of prayer. Jesus set the example by praying in all kinds of situations, and we can do no less as examples for our children.

Do you have a faith that is worth handing down? Think about the example you set and the legacy you are leaving. Have you loved God and practiced the principles of Scripture? Have you have loved your children and listened to them? Then you will leave them a faith to sustain them through every difficulty, every heartache, and every trial of life.

ONE ON ONE TALKING POINTS - JAN 27

ONE ON ONE TALKING POINTS

Taken from john 14:27

While the world is busy with its "peace talks" and "peace conferences," hearts of individuals are confused and frustrated as they seek what they desperately hope will bring peace. Both men and nations are looking in the wrong place and for the wrong thing.

What is peace? If you were asked to define it, what would be your definition? Perhaps you would say, "Peace is what one has when everything is running smoothly, when things seem to be going my way and there are no trials or problems to give me a moment's concern." We think we have peace when the family finances are stable and when we are in good health.

Even though we may be peaceful when everything is ideal, this is not real peace. We recognize all too well that we are not able to maintain these conditions by our own power. Circumstances are often beyond our control, and there is uncertainty because our whole situation may be shaken overnight. Then what happens to our "peace"?

This surface "peace" depends upon circumstances. God has promised us something much better. He offers us an inner rest that remains unshaken regardless of circumstances— completely opposite to what the world calls peace. We see this in John 14:27 where Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Did you notice the contrast? His peace is not the same peace that the world offers. He says, the kind of peace that I give keeps your heart from being troubled and keeps your heart from being afraid. He didn't say it would be a matter of having no problems, because we see in many places in the Scriptures, that trials will come our way. Those who have trusted Christ as Saviour still have problems, but we have One to whom we may bring them. This is how God's peace contrasts with what the world has to offer— the world gives tranquilizers, God gives us grace.

And God's peace (be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace) which transcends all understanding, shall garrison and mount guards over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.— Phil. 4:7 (Amplified)

This peace that comes from God is the kind that the world cannot understand. They look on the situations in our lives and wonder why we haven't come unglued. They, and even we, can't understand, because this is not a natural kind of peace. This is a peace from God. It is supernatural.

Peace is not just the absence of problems, but it is knowing what to do with whatever may come into one's life. It is knowing that every situation and every area of our lives are in God's competent hands. It is a matter of believing that the One to whom I have committed them has the answer, and that He has the power to bring it about. Peace comes from utter trust in Him, and His ability to bring me through. It is not my ability to close my eyes to this problem and pretend that it will go away, or to weather it with gritted teeth and with a stoical attitude. Peace, is knowing that God cannot fail. Here are some of the reasons why.

God Knows / But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.— Job 23:10

The Lord knows all about what's going on inside us. Sometimes just a deep depression. Sometimes you're not even able to put your finger on it and diagnose it yourself, but He says I know all about that. Because He knows everything there is to know about us. He knows our every thought. He knows everything that we do, our mistakes and sins. He knows us much better than we know ourselves. The amazing thing is that He loves us in spite of what we are.

God Cares / Casting the whole of our care— all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all— on Him: for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully.— I Peter 5:7 (Amplified) What an invitation! Can you ask for more? Bring your problems to Him, because He cares. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Are you heavy laden? Have you ever been? Where do you go? Jesus says come to me— I'll give you rest.

GOD IS ABLE / Not only does He know and care, but He is able. We may have many friends who know our problems and they care, but this is where they fall short— they are not able. They haven't the power no matter how much they would like to bring us through. They just do not have the ability. The Lord is the one with the power and the ability to deliver us. How able is He? Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.— Ephesians 3:20

This is the Peace everyone is looking for and this Truth comes with a Promise. Our Lord Jesus is our Shepherd through thick and thin, joy and sorrow, health and sickness, success and failure, life and death. Call on His Name now and receive His unspeakable Peace. Please e-mail me with your questions or comments at steve@radioshine.org

What does the Bible say about asking?

What does the Bible say about asking?

I recently did a bible study to find out what the Bible says about asking. I was very encouraged when I saw all of the verses about asking next to each other. God really does want us to ask Him for things! There are a few pre-requisites mentioned, but for the most part we have not because we ask not! Let’s make sure we keep all in context.


How to Ask God For Help In Times of Need

Asking God for help isn't always easy. It all depends on your faith, how much you rely on God, and how much you believe in him. During times of need, we sometimes lose faith in ourselves, others, and God himself. It's important to remember that God loves us and wants only good for us in order to believe he can and will help us. Here are some tips for asking God for help when times are tough and you need support to help you get through.

1. Step 1

Believe in God and have faith that he's with you. The first step in asking God to help in hard times is to have faith in him and his abilities. You must believe that God is there for you and has the ability to help you through this tough time in your life. If you do not believe, you will not receive his guidance. No matter how hard things are right now, you must find some optimism and belief in order to succeed past this hardship. God will help if you truly believe and let him in.

2. Step 2

Speak to God and talk to him of your trouble. God is always listening and wants to help us make our lives better. When times are hard, he is there guiding us through to an happier way. Pray to God and ask him for his guidance. Tell him that you need help because you are no longer able to do this alone. God will listen and help you. He may not do exactly as you wish because God has his own plan for us, but he will ease your troubles if you allow him to do so by asking his help.

3. Step 3

Attend church and become closer to God. God helps those who help themselves first by finding their way to him. People who go to church admit to having a closer relationship with God. They find that their faith is stronger, their prayers are answered quicker, and they feel support from everywhere. Many people I know who attend church, never feel alone. They always have a close bond with God and with others who believe in God. Going to church can help you learn of God's amazing ways and how to talk to God to receive his help in your life.

4. Step 4

Read the Bible to find God's wisdom. God's words are powerful words and can help us through the darkest days. Reading the Bible can help you to find peace in your troubles by relating events in your life to events in the days of the Bible. God tells us how to handle our lives through scriptures in the Bible and can help us to get past tough times with his wisdom. If you don't understand what you read in the Bible, look online for explanation of scriptures to help.

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Matthew 7:7-11 (NKJV)
7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 For what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Matthew 21:22 (NKJV)
22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

John 14:13-14 (NKJV)
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Ephesians 1:17

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.


New International Version

James 1:5 (NKJV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

I was thinking that since this is the first Thrifty Tips post of the New Year, I would tackle learning something new for this month. For myself, one of the things I am trying to do is learn to be a little more organized in my life. I have jumped full force into Menu Plan Monday at I'm An Organizing Junkie. I cannot begin to tell you what an amazing feeling it is to come home from work and not be stressed about what is for dinner or leaving work and knowing that I can't go straight home because I have to pick up something for dinner. It is total bliss!

LEARN SOME COMPUTER ONLINE

How about a little free computer education? HP has free online classes at the HP Learning Center. These classes are free and available 24/7!

Here is just a sample of some of the classes:


Linux 101: a beginner's guide (Ideal for me. I just learned to not call it Linus).

Adobe Photoshop CS4 for photography

Organize, archive and retrieve your digital photos (quick lesson)

Facebook and Twitter: getting started (quick lesson)

There are many others. Give it a browse. Some lessons very nicely explain things to those of us who are simply not that savvy. Some help you get started with simple things that you might not know how to do or who to ask.

LINK: HP Learning Center


MAKE THAT BATH BEAUTIFUL

Home Depot's Free Do-It-Herself Workshop on Bathroom updates will be held on Thursday, January 14th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Some of the following subjects include installing a faucet and installing a toilet. They will go over some brands that can help you save money too!


KIDS GET PENNY WISE

Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics for kids are featuring a cool bank your kids can make. This is a great way to get them extra enthused about saving. Get in touch with your local Lowe's to register. This activity takes place on Saturday January 9th from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. Remember the clinics are recommended for children in 1st through 5th grade.



On January 14th, your kids can learn to make their own Tic Tac Toe board. This is so cute, and something that they can keep for a long time. The clinic runs from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. The link below will take you to a where you can sign up for one or both clinics.


LINK: LOWE'S BUILD AND GROW CLINICS


RECIPES!!!!


Because Safeway has a very nice sale on Fresh Whole Chicken, I thought it would be nice to go over some ways to stretch that chicken out for a few days to really take advantage of their 47 cents a pound savings. The main thing to do when you are planning on stretching out that chicken is to plan what you are going to make in advance. This way you can focus on what parts of the chicken you are going to use for each meal. My family is a white meat chicken kind of family, but I have noticed that you can totally use the dark meat in other recipes when you are adding other ingredients and the flavor is pretty sweet! That is sweet as in awesome not as in sugary. :)

Roast Chicken with Lemons by Marcella Hazan Knopf
This seemed like a great and fairly inexpensive way to start things off. You need a 3 to 4 pound chicken, though I would go higher for the stretchability, two lemons, and pepper. It says fresh from a peppermill, but I don't think it HAS to be peppermilled. then again, you can purchase that fairly cheaply at Ross.

Garlic Chicken Lettuce Wraps (recipe from Thrifty Fun)
Really I think there are many ways you can work this out. It all depends on the items you have on hand. The recipe calls for butter lettuce, but you can totally get away with inexpensive iceberg lettuce for a decent cup and maybe line it with green leaf or romaine for more nutrition.

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili (recipe from the Recipezaar)
The cool thing about the chicken chili is you can just add whatever chicken is left at this point, and it is kind of nice to do something different from the usual chicken soup. This is a great treat for this time of year.

I have also used left over chicken to make chicken enchiladas, burritos, tacos, and stir fry (great when you have any random frozen veggies on hand). Certainly, the options are quite limitless. The above recipe links are good because you can pretty much make any of them with limited additional shopping.

FREEBIES!!!!

I love getting a little freebie here and there. Here are just a few.

If you are a Sam's Club member you can get in on a freebie for a sample of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. This is definitely a good time to have those on hand. A nice thing about a free sample like this is you can pop it in the car or in your office desk to have on hand rather than a bulky container.

LINK: Clorox Disinfecting Wipes - Sam's Club

If you adopted a dog in 2009, you can sign up with Pedigree to get free dog food for a month. This is a limited time deal so get on it right away. You need to fill out a form that you can link to on their web page. They also need copies of all the important adoption documents including receipt for fee or donation receipt. They need to get this form by February 2010. What an awesome thing to do for people who adopted shelter dogs!

LINK: Pedegree Adoption Drive

Until March 31st or while supplies last 3M has free samples of their Post-it durable tabs. I have never had a tab stay nice and it would be nice to try these out and see how well they work. I have a new planner for 2010 and I would love to try these to separate the sections.

LINK: Post-it Durable Tabs

I love Emergen-C products. They are a great way to get a little vitamin C boost, and right now you can sign up to get a free sample of Emergen-C fizzy drink mix. I don't know how long this will last so check it out at the link.

LINK: Emergen-C Fizzy Drink Sample

I am sucker for recipe books and right now you can sign up for a free breakfast and brunch recipe book from Gooseberry Patch, Post Raisin Bran and Sun Maid Raisin and dried fruit. With my new goal of keeping a menu planned, I think this would be ideal for weekend meals.

LINK: Free Gooseberry Patch Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook

FREE MUSIC -

Amazon has tons of free music downloads. Here is a link to 13 free Christian song downloads including songs by BarlowGirl, Rachel Lampa and Big Daddy Weave.

LINK: Amazon Free Christian Music Download



Free CCM's download of the week is from the Catalyst Music Project and includes song and cord chart for “What A Savior” performed by Laura Story and written by Jeremiah Jones.

Learn a little bit more about the Catalyst Music Project here: Catalyst Music Project

LINK: Free CCM Download Of The Week- Catalyst Music Project


Parachute Festival 2010 has more music downloads for you! These are songs from this year's line up. The Parachute Festival is this amazing music festival in New Zealand centered on bringing Jesus Christ to people through music. You can learn more and sign up for your downloads at the link at the bottom. First, check out the music:

One - Rapture Ruckus
Count Me In - Leeland
Shout it out - Parachute Band
Streams Of Woe At Acheron - Falling Up
No Reason To Hide - Hillsong United
Dance Or Die (The Secret Handshake) - Family Force 5
Mess Of Me - Switchfoot
Writing On the Walls - Underoath

LINK: Parachute Festival Free Music

I picked up this link from the awesome Homeschool Freebie of the Day. It was for January 5th, but it still works now so go check it out. They have a sister site called Homeschool Radio Shows, just head over there and you can download The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It is a little radio drama from 1950 and very well done. They also have The Blizzard of 1888 and Sgt. Yukon. The titles make me chilly, but I love listening to audios of stories and radio shows. I don't know how long this will last so check it out at the link below:

LINK: Homeschool Radio Shows


ON TO GROCERIES-

Fry's -


-- Sweet California Clementines 3 pounds $1.99
-- Truckload Case Sale (many items are on special sale in this event here are a few)
Libby's canned veggies 50 cents each
Valley Fresh canned chicken 99 cents
Spam $1.88
-- Roast Sale - Many of Fry's roasts are on sale at a buy 1 get 1 free. This averages to around $2.49 a pound. It is a little over my limit but it may not be over yours.

Recipe you can use for Valley Fresh canned chicken -

Easy and Tasty Chicken Tortilla Soup (from AllRecipes.com)
Buffalo Chicken Dipping Balls (an appetiser from AllRecipes.com)

Albertsons

-- Russett Potatoes $1.88 for 15 pounds
-- Tilapia, Catfish, Swai or Pollock Fillets $2.88 a pound
-- Lots of items are also 10 for $10, but really you can by one or more.
Bar S Jumbo Franks
Half Gallon of Milk

Safeway


-- Rancher's Reserve Boneless Beef Top Round Roast $1.77 a pound
-- Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit 2 for $1.00
-- Safeway Fresh Whole Chicken 46 cents a pound (limit 6) --Dont forget to check out the recipes above for stetching that bird!



See you next week!