Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Ana Teresa Vivas, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Canada

In my home country of Venezuela, there is an expression, “If you walk with wolves, you will learn to howl.” You surely have a similar expression in your country. It like what 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’.” We are not talking about that, but by my way of thinking, it is very related to what we are talking about: making disciples.

Evangelize (share the good news of salvation), love God, obey God, build friendships based on love and obedience to God, serve and grow together, get to know each other better, mentor, teach, convey God’s love. Put all of these things in a container and stir until well mixed. Prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit should not be neglected. Repeat as many times as necessary. Make disciples.

When Jesus decided to be accompanied throughout His ministry, He lived day in and day out with twelve men. And they were called disciples. A disciple is a student, an apprentice, or someone who pays attention to what the teacher says and does, and imitates him.

We, as followers of Jeuss, are His disciples. We love Him and we imitate Him and if we lose perspective of who we are and for whom we live (Gal. 2:20; Acts 20:24), we have a command in Matthew 28:19-20. 19 ”Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

However, the passion to show others the treasure that we have is difficult for some people, for many various reasons. Whatever the reason, if you are not delighting in the joy and full life that comes from obedience to this command, you are losing one of the most glorious moments possible. You are losing out the opportunity to see someone born again by faith, see it grow and witness this new creature mutliply the “butterfly effect”* in others. We know the blessing and privilege of seeing a new life come into this physical world, one of the most beautiful miracles to witness. But how much more glorious and grand to be part of and witness spiritual birth, to contribute to the rescue of souls for which Jesus also died! Yet these souls will not have a chance to know and enjoy the Kingdom if our lips are not opened to announce and teach about the abundant life that Jesus gives.

John 10:16, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” John 10:10b, “yo he venido para que tengan vida, y la tengan en abundancia.”

If you walk with wolves, you howl. If you walk with readers, you will also read. If you walk with Jesus, you will make disciples. It is inevitable; it’s part of the new nature God has given us. It is not about competing for numbers: how many I have taught, how many have been converted, how many have remained faithful, etc. NO! It is more about how we live each day, finding the opportunity to share the Good News or to help someone in their faith, so that it grows. Or, simply walking with someone and being present, showing Jesus with your life. Show others your most precious gift, share it and keep learning from our Lord, Teacher, and Leader: Jesus.

Someday, we will share more and we will hear stories of blessings and peace. Stories of transformed lives. Stories from the spiritual realm that are not seen, but are felt.

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* Butterfly effect: 1. The metamorphosis that occurs in the life of a catepillar when it becomes a butterfly; 2. Refers to the smallest things that have a greater effect and impact.

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #makedisciples #walkwithJesus #walklikeJesus #discipleship #guestwriter #blog

Written by Aileen Bonilla, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Ecuador 

The word covenant in the Hebrew language is "berith" and it means alliance, specifically God's alliance with man. It also denotes God's steadfastness in fulfilling His promise (“Berith,” online resource).

Jehovah in His sovereignty sought Abram to make a covenant that would be a blessing to all humanity. It is incredible how God, despite knowing how unfaithful we are, continues with His plan to fulfill a specific purpose.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”(Gen. 17:1-2 NIV)

God asked Abram for two things: faithfulness, that is, not following other gods, and holiness. We may think that it would have been easier to be a woman of faith living in the time of Abram, possibly because it seems that there was not as much evil in the world, and there was no influence of social media. But the reality is that the amount of evil was the same then as we face today. There were many gods, and it was easy to be persuaded to follow them. But despite those temptations, God still demanded fidelity and holiness from Abram.

If we look at the order of the words in the Genesis passage, we understand that without faithfulness to God, it is impossible to have a life of holiness. These words are not independent of one another, but quite the contrary, they go together. We will not be able to lead a blameless life if we are constantly unfaithful to God. We may not be worshiping clay or ceramic gods, but in our hearts, there may be many idols that significantly interfere with our spiritual growth. These idols can be disguised as people, work, professions, social status, etc. I'm not saying that these things are bad—not at all. For example, who does not need to work to live? As long as we don't place our trust in our profession, it will not hurt us.

To serve God correctly, in the way that He desires, it is necessary to abandon our gods or idols. Then our hearts will be open to a pursuit of faithfulness and holiness.

Recently, in the ministry where I serve with my husband, I went through a difficult time. I put my trust in a brother who was very special to us. I thought he would defend our work, but ultimately, he didn't. Perhaps because he came from a family lineage that set a great example and he always seemed to show a pacifying nature, I realized that I was holding him up as an idol in my heart. I learned with much pain that I needed to leave this struggle to God, who judges everything fairly. I learned not to depend on human beings, but to directly ask guidance from the Provider of all things, and to understand that God in His sovereignty has everything under control. I also learned that when I want to control everything, I am not giving God space in my life.

God's wonderful promise to Abram was a firm, everlasting covenant that would bring an incredible blessing— innumerable offspring like the stars in the sky. Because of his and Sarai’s old age, this seemed impossible. Once again Abram did not understand that it was not about what he could do with his own strength, but about the power of El Shaddai. Abram had not done anything extraordinary to deserve this covenant—El Shaddai sought him out and completely changed his life.

After God's first visit in Genesis 15, when Jehovah promises them a son, Abram and Sarai continued to make mistakes. One of the most obvious was when Abram had sexual relations with his Egyptian slave, even though God promised him that he and Sarai would have an offspring. We can see that we lose focus quickly despite knowing God's promises. Sarai wanted to control the means by which Abram would have a son, forgetting that Jehovah is the One Who can make all things possible. She was eventually reminded that Jehovah is not a human being, He does not lie, and His covenant is eternal (Num. 23:19). Let us not forget that our hope should not be put in human beings, but in the Giver of Life.

At that time, El Shaddai promised Abram offspring too numerous to count. Today we see this promise reflected in the church through the wonderful redemptive work of His Son Jesus Christ. Therefore, let us put our trust in God and not in people, especially not ourselves.

Written by Erica Peck

Close your eyes and listen to the sound of a baby’s laughter. Is there any sound more pleasing to the ear that can automatically lift the corners of your mouth into a broad smile?
One of the best parts of my day is giving my boys a bath before bedtime. With my two-year-old, we have a now-standing tradition of me wrapping the towel around him, scooping him up in my arms, and walking over to the bathroom mirror, where we sing the “Frosty the Snowman” (just the first line) at the top of our lungs, all the while making funny faces, about 5 or 6 times. And then the laughter starts, and it doesn’t stop.

My six-year-old loves to make up rhymes with words, and we’ll sit just around anywhere making up silly rhymes until we’re both giggling.

Motherhood, and life, is not always full of giggles. It gets busy. Stressful. Burdensome. If all we do is dwell in how hard things are at the moment, and we don’t take the time to be silly, and find joy in the moments God gives us, we are saying “no, not right now” to the precious gift of joy He longs to give us. Can you imagine a small child saying “Nah, I don’t really want that gift you are holding out to me” to their mom or dad trying to give them one of the best gifts in the world? If we can’t even imagine a child doing that, to their earthly parent, why do we do that on a consistent basis with our heavenly Father? I believe that us accepting God’s gift of JOY gladdens His heart.

Will you accept with joy the gift He is holding out to you today? Be open to it; He freely gives with open hands. Enjoy it!

God’s Restoration in Relationships
Written by Faith Bailey

When thinking of restoration, several instances flood my mind. Prisoners have been used to turn the hearts of their captors to Christ and compassion; men and women have been made whole again after a terrible heartbreak; dreams have been reshaped and brought back to life; siblings have put down their grudges and grievances; and marriages have been given back to the God of Love after 50 years of hurt and distrust. Perhaps one of the most miraculous ways God brings restoration on this earth is in relationships. It truly takes a power that is out of this world to change hearts and bring about forgiveness, healing, and sincere companionship.

Last summer, I was able to see a glimpse of this process first hand, and compare restoration of the world verses the transformative power of God. In Rwanda in East Africa, I had the chance to work with an international school and some missionaries, and spend considerable time learning from nationals. Known for its tragic history of genocide and civil conflict, Rwandans have spent the last few years trying to mend their reputation and their relationships. The message you’ll often hear is that they are “one” and that there is complete forgiveness.

Coming in as an outsider, you will be overwhelmed by the absolute beauty of the country and the people. Your heart will be broken by the story of their past, and lifted by the new story of forgiveness and brotherhood. However, you may also feel a spiritual darkness always around you. Stay long enough and you will see the fear and distrust between people on the streets as you pass by. I truly believe they crave restoration and will continue to encourage healing and unity with all of their strength. Many see Rwanda as an incredible example for even attempting this extreme level of forgiveness. Despite their efforts and rising reputation, in very few situations did I feel the peace that comes when people are truly being restored by the power of Christ.

It was made obvious to me that relationships cannot be fully restored through human effort, but only through God the Father and the working of the Holy Spirit. There are agents of change in Rwanda who, through prayer, seek people of peace and use their circles of influence to facilitate this healing. In these circles, I felt a lightness and a peace. Among Christians who are seeking Christ, we were told stories of their families and of the war. They normally won't tell you about these things, but restored people fear the unspoken less. They are willing to bring things to the light, because they have experienced God´s comfort.

I don’t understand completely how He brings things back together. But I know that apart from Him, there is no lasting healing. He restores. He refreshes the soul. He brings dead bones back to life. Who else can do what He can do?

“The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life...’”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

Then he said to me... “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” (Ezekiel 37:1-5, 7-10,14)

As surely as things are destroyed and fall apart in this world, restoration happens in the Kingdom of God every day. God is not one to make empty promises. If He calls us to love our enemy, we can rest assured knowing He has overcome the situation. In Christ, we have the hope of restoration in our relationships, which are so essential to life. The fatherless have been placed in families. The silenced have been given a voice. Captives to hatred have been set free. And His restoration is continually stretching further and deeper in these hearts.

#IronRoseSister #restoration #Hebringsthedeadbonesbacktolife #restoringrelationships

Written by Karyn Dancy, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

I was reading a devotional about Jonah this morning that really hit home for me. It was pointing out how Jonah was running because God is merciful, and Jonah didn’t feel the Ninevites deserved mercy. God is merciful. Even to the Ninevites who did deplorable things.

Do you ever think about why God would spare the Ninevites, but not Sodom and Gomorrah? He knew what they would become.

It struck me because God is merciful to me. Over and over, God has been so patient with me, teaching me step by step what I was able to accept and improve on a little bit at a time. For example, I’ve struggled with depression ever since a terrible car accident that caused some brain damage 20 years ago. I was even suicidal. Ten years ago, though, I had what seemed to be a revelation to me. You see, I always thought that my faith in God was strong, but in one life changing moment ten years ago I had a realization that if I didn’t trust that God had a plan for my life, then my faith was not strong because He promised me that He has good plans for me in Jeremiah 29:11.

I feel like that must be such an obvious thing to anyone who’s thought about it, but for me it took time to come to this realization. God revealed it to me at just the right time, though. It was an ah-ha moment that I needed to be able to fight the depression and trust in the Lord. It gave me a story to share.

Believe me, there are plenty more stories in which I have been on the wrong path in life, much more embarrassing ones, but God was patient with me and helped me come to an understanding of what I needed at just the right time. I could look back on all my years of getting things wrong and think God should’ve abandoned me so many times, but I’m still here, so He must see that I will be a part of His plan one day. Maybe that day is today. I’ll probably always be a work in progress till He calls me home.

I’ve been very negative about myself, beating myself up for my past and also for my physical appearance. It’s time to redefine myself. God sees something in me. I’m going to take hold of that and look for it. I’m going to look for His will in my life. I’m still going to stumble, but I know that God knows I’m going to get there. That’s enough for me.

In case you need the reminder today, His mercy is enough for you too!

Written by Sabrina Nino de Campos, Portuguese Team Leader for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Texas

God has given us, through the beauty of our cultures, the little things that make us who we are. The types of food we share with our family, the jokes we hear from our neighbors, the music, the traditions. Everything is a gift of God that was made to be shared.

When I was 17, I decided that I wanted to be a missionary. I moved from my city, out of my parents’ house and went into a program called AME (Adventurers in Evangelistic Missions, a Brazilian school inspired by AIM). My mission field was in Bolivia, where I served for a year and also where I met my husband. The year after, I moved to Argentina where I got married, and we lived and also served the church there. During our time in Argentina, we came in contact with people from all over Latin America and some other places. After our time there, we moved back to Brazil, leading us to where we are now in the U.S.

Through all the crazy changes in our lives, it is hard to define what culture our family belongs to. I am a Brazilian; my husband is an American. And what best defines us is: we’re from everywhere. Our culture was defined and redefined a bunch of times, to the point where we feel like we belong to a lot of cultures and none at the same time.

This is also what I think God’s plan is for His people, a redefined culture that doesn’t belong to any earthly place, but rather belongs to Him.

"After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands." (Rev. 7:9, ESV)

I love this verse in Revelation, when we have a tiny vision of the beauty of God’s plan. People from all types of cultures and tongues, coming together and praising the One that makes us not only His people, but also family.

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Cor. 12:12-13, ESV)

As a family and one body, one in thought and one in Spirit, we should also strive to include the ones that feel alone in the world. God had a plan when He said to Abraham, “and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3, ESV). As His people, it is our duty to bless all families on Earth, redefine the barriers of this world, and use our differences and special qualities as a source of love on this planet. We need to redefine our culture and extend our hands to our brothers and sisters, or to anyone that needs Him.

We can start with small things. Just start by loving somebody that is different from you… learning a new language or just learning how to greet that person from work in his/her language… maybe just learning cool facts about the place where somebody comes from to start out a conversation… sharing more and more of the love and grace of God in this world through those beautiful things that make us who we are. Coming together. Redefining Culture.

Written by Jennifer Percell, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in St. Joseph, MO

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. (Ps. 65:8, NIV)

Good Morning Sisters! Yes, it is morning, the morning of joy. Every day that we wake up and have opportunity to praise the great God of heaven is a new morning of joy.

Several months ago, these statements would have only brought pain to my heart. My heart was wrapped in a great cloud of darkness. Not only were we isolated in a frightening pandemic, my beloved older sister was suffering a terrible illness, I had many concerns for my children, and I was suffering a difficult illness myself. There seemed to be little hope to brighten any morning.

My prayers were quite desperate in those months. Since I am bound by human perspective, I could see little chance of change in any of the situations that were weighing me down. My desperate pleas were that God would bring some change to seemingly unchangeable circumstances. Those prayers did little to comfort me though, because I could not see the possibilities. I knew God's vision was so much greater than mine, but since I could not see resolutions, my heart refused to hope.

As I write today, we are still in the midst of a frightening pandemic. My sister's illness has progressed to a terrible condition, my illness remains undiagnosed and quite painful, and I still feel great concern for my children and grandchildren. In the midst of all of this I struggle to describe my joy. The deep rivers of unquenchable joy that have overtaken me feed my hungry soul in a way I have not known in my 61 years of this hard life.

The way that God reached His great strong hands into my very being and reshaped my heart was more effective and perfect than any surgery that may attempt to heal my body. I laugh out loud at my weak perspective that believed change was not possible. Can anyone look at 2020 and feel that life does not change? The changes wrought by experiencing great upheaval seem to us to be very negative. If I could recount to you the answered prayers God gave to me through the last months, you would see—you could not help but see—His great hand on every single moment of my days. You would see, as I have seen, that when life is most hopeless is when our vision can finally clear, and the incredible, indescribable love of the God of heaven will shine in brilliant technicolor rainbows.

As you cry your tears and sob with fear, please open your eyes and see Him. See Him reaching into your heart, making tender, gentle adjustments to your perspective. I wish I could describe how it works. If I could, I would not need Him so much. Step out of your darkness and allow the warmth of His light to nurture you. My sisters, the morning is so very, very beautiful.

Read from His word right now, read how the Potter works in Jeremiah 18:4, and Isaiah 29:16 and 64:8.

Read Lamentations 3:1-59 and sing new songs of everlasting joy. How is your morning going?

Written by Therese Martin, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Washington

We use lots of different imagery to describe our relationship with God. Parent/ child, groom/bride, shepherd/sheep, potter/clay; these are all useful and true, but how often do we think about the one Jacob encountered one night…grappling partners?

In Genesis, chapter 32, we read about Jacob wrestling with “a man” who is usually assumed to be the Lord in some form. The passage certainly implies it. “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God, and with men, and have prevailed” (Gen. 32:28). The grappling match went on all night, leaving Jacob with a painful hip where his opponent touched him. It’s significant enough that, in the Jewish dietary laws, the sciatic nerve of meat animals and its surrounding tissues are not eaten, in remembrance of this famous grappling event. Aside from the prohibition against consuming blood, it’s the only dietary rule that predates the laws given to Moses.

I can relate to this in so many ways. First, I have chronic hip pain, from sciatica and femoral acetabular impingement. It gets bad enough that I sometimes can’t walk, and I often use a cane. Pain is a daily reminder of so many things! Time is passing, and I’m older every day. Bodies are frail, no matter how much we try to strengthen them. And I sometimes need a reminder that life isn’t easy, that for most of the world it’s a daily struggle against many kinds of adversity, from health problems and economic concerns to natural disasters, wars, and injustice.

I haven’t given up. I still practice karate, which brings me to the second point; the match itself. It’s late at night, and Jacob is camping in the wilderness. A man shows up, and what do they do? Do they sit by the fire and chat? No, they wrestle. There’s no mention of why. Did this stranger just walk up and say, “Hey there, let’s wrestle”? Apparently so, because they keep it up all night.

I can see that happening, at least with my family. All four of my sons have trained in martial arts; three black belts, one brown. My oldest has a second-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He teaches law enforcement officers and military personnel how to subdue without damaging the subject. His teaching style is extremely gentle and encouraging, but relentless. They learn. And sometimes it’s painful.

This led me to the third point. Are we accepting our Lord’s invitation to grapple with Him? Sounds crazy, but sometimes that’s how He rolls. Literally. In Jiu Jitsu, they use the term “rolling” to describe the training they do on the mat. “I rolled for a couple of hours on Saturday” means the person grappled on the mat for two hours with instructors or fellow students. It’s challenging, to say the least. And I wonder if some of the challenges we face in life are God’s invitations to step on the mat and spar with Him. He teaches us through these challenges, and we learn things we could never learn otherwise.

And what about the times we challenge Him to a match? When we say, like Jacob, “I will not let you go until you bless me!” (Gen. 32:26) We know that we ought to do something, but we don’t want to. We struggle with it, even though it may be clear that it’s what God wants. We sail away from Nineveh, or put out a fleece to see if anything unusual happens to it. We wrestle with God, and it’s always a learning experience.

Maybe pain is a reminder that we learn from the process of grappling with the challenges of life, not from avoiding them. When I take that first step in the morning and pain shoots up my leg, should I just get back in bed? Or should I take it as an invitation to step on the mat, and to accept my sparring partner’s offer? “Let’s roll!”

Yes, Lord. May I always be willing to grapple with the gift of Your sparring lessons!

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #pain #grapplingwiththeLord #wrestlingwithGod #guestwriter #blog

Written by Tiffany Jacox, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Nebraska

When I was first approached with the opportunity to share about the beautiful story of Hannah, I was a little intimidated. I wasn’t sure it was something I could relate to well enough that I could adequately tell her story. I imagine God gave a big grin and said let me show you.

As I thought about this task before me and thought about Hannah, her faith, and her persistence, I stopped, and I prayed. When I finished praying, I grabbed my Bible and I opened it up. My Bible opened right up to 1 Samuel. It lay there as if it were open and smiling with God saying, share My word. Hannah was an amazing woman in the Bible, a woman of amazing faith and strength. Her story is one of torment, pain, waiting, and promise.

Hannah was married to Elkanah who was also married to Peninnah. Peninnah had children and Hannah had none. Hannah deeply desired children. Elkanah loved Hannah and when he went to make the annual sacrifices he made a double-portion sacrifice for her. Now Peninnah would provoke Hannah and torment her for being childless. This would upset Hannah and she wouldn’t sleep or eat. Her husband, Elkanah, didn’t understand this because he believed that he was good to her and thought that should be enough. Doesn’t this sound like some of us in life sometimes? Men and women? We sure are different, aren’t we?

Hannah finally got some sleep and ate some food and then rose up and went to the temple. She prayed. She prayed HARD! She prayed and she wept bitterly. She made a vow with the Lord and asked if He gave her a son, she would give him to the Lord all the days of his life and a razor will never come to his head.

Now she was in intense prayer here. Have you ever been in intense prayer with the Lord? Maybe during a very difficult time in your life or the life of a friend or loved one? Think about when Jesus was praying in the garden and He had sweat on His head like drops of blood in Luke 22:44.

Hannah was praying hard, and she was crying and talking to God and meanwhile Eli, the priest, was standing at the doorway watching this. She was talking with God and her lips were moving but no sound was coming out. Eli asked her if she was drunk and she responded, “I am not drunk! I am oppressed in spirit and have poured my heart out to the Lord.”

Hannah showed us her full faith in the Lord and laid down her burdens at His feet in prayer. Eli told her to go in peace and may God grant her petition. Hannah was no longer sad. Our burden is light when we rely on the Lord.

The Lord remembered Hannah and she conceived a son. She named him Samuel because she asked him from the Lord. Hannah did not make the journey for the annual sacrifice the following year, waiting until the child was weaned because of the promise she made to the Lord. Once the child was weaned, she took him to the temple and gave thanks to the Lord and they worshipped the Lord. She kept her promise, just as God had kept His.

Hannah endured very difficult times, but she leaned on the Lord and she went to Him in prayer. She relied on God to provide. She was patient. She was remembered and rewarded. I will admit I need to work on my prayer life; it does not look like Hannah’s. How does your life look like Hannah’s? Are you fervent in prayer like Hannah? Has a prayer been answered after a long wait? Or like me, do you realize you need to work on your faithful devotion to prayer?

Written by Johanna Zabala, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Ecuador

We cannot always be there to teach others directly, but God, the Architect of Life, in His great promise of love, left us the great Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who will always be with us to guide and teach us (John 14:26).

From the beginning, our Creator has given us precious samples of His immense faithfulness (Gen. 1-2; Ps. 19). For this reason, my beloved, when Jesus was here on earth, He experienced situations similar to ours. He was born, raised, taught, modeled, died, and rose again out of love for all mankind (John 3:16-17). For this reason, I certainly consider that when we read about His life and work, He teaches us infinite truths that only come from Him.

By living a life in Christ, there are many opportunities that, as Christian women, mothers, daughters, and citizens, we have to teach and instruct each other. We likely communicate knowledge in different ways and in different situations where we find ourselves. Daring to teach and instruct the precepts of the Heavenly Father is a divine privilege that leads us to obey His commandment to go and make disciples in every nation, teaching them what He Himself has commanded in order to increase their faith and belief that He will be with us every day until the end of the age (Matt. 28:16-20).

From the moment I was baptized, I have been learning to be a disciple of the Lord. My brothers and sisters in the same faith were in charge of igniting the flame of instructing me in the path leading me to fulfill the most significant profession of serving the Almighty. Some of them are no longer here on earth, but I continue with the teachings that they instilled in me.

I became a mother at the same time that I met God, and I am grateful with all my being, and to the glory of God, because my first daughter grew up in the instruction of fearing and loving the Lord; this brings peace to my heart (Prov. 22:6). Confident in the divine magnificence and in biblical promises, I have always believed in the power of the Holy Spirit and His guidance in everything that lies ahead and as the light that illuminates my feet in each step that I take (Ps. 119:105).

In my experience as a mother, I can say that the transformation that has been done in me served as an example and will continue to show steps for my daughter to continue growing toward the goal of gaining eternal life.

Every day, immersed in faith, I have learned to be constantly under the direction of the Holy Spirit, sharing the Word, praying and being in communion with others, continuing to follow the example of Christ, who despite not being here physically, allows us to follow His beautiful footsteps while holding His hand.

The particular result that we achieve, by learning directly from the grace of the One who knows everything, allows me to continue in the lessons learned, and to continue teaching others in this way at all times. When I no longer am among my friends and loved ones, I know that they will know how to advance in the footsteps of the Master and His teachings, and this conviction arises from His love and from continuing to follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit.

At this moment, my daughter and I are pilgrims or foreigners in other people's lands, and the Holy Spirit has given us many lessons for our edification. I am sure that if we are separated due to travel or other situations, we can remember those lessons to encourage us to always continue learning and teaching others.

The certainty that He is always there and that He will be there until the end of the age motivates me, and hopefully all of us, to consider that, even when we are no longer here, our children, students, or disciples will not deviate for any reason from His commandments and the ultimate goal of eternity with God.

#IronRoseSister #teachthroughrelationships #learnthroughrelationships #intentionalteaching #HolySpirit #preparation #Jesusteaches #blog #guestspeaker

Written by Jennifer Percell, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Missouri

September of 2009 was warm and sunny in northern Missouri. We had returned to the Midwest in June after working with a congregation in Quebec City for four years. Autumn in Quebec was chilly and the sun set quite early as winter crept in. As much as I had loved the experience in Canada I was feeling so blessed to be back among friends in a culture and language I knew well. It was a time when everything felt good and right. That October, however, became a chapter in my story that was not so good and right.

As I settled into bed one night beside my husband, I quickly entered the deep sleep of contentment. Suddenly I sat straight up and felt that I could hear myself screaming. “He's here! He's here! Wake up Keith, He's really here!!” I grabbed my husband's arm and shook him, it felt so urgent to wake him. I then fell to my knees crying, praying, laughing, and feeling the most ecstatic joy I had ever imagined. All around me a brilliant Light was radiating a pulsing joy. I felt like my heart would burst out of my body but my eyes were so focused on the sky that my body seemed a trivial worry. I was still aware of shaking Keith's arm but everything else around me dissolved into the Light. I realized my human eyes could not bear this sight but the eyes that now stared at the Light were new eyes, eyes that absorbed this warm, pulsing atmosphere with a driving thirst, a thirst that was completely and wholly quenched. The calm and complete perfection I felt is still hard to describe with words.

The morning came as always, and the first thing I did was apologize to Keith for screaming and waking him up. I was totally surprised when he denied that I had done so. The realization that this incredible experience had only been a dream was a great disappointment. But as I sat on the bed remembering and thinking about my dream, I knew something was changed in me. I had a new understanding that affected me deeply. I had tasted a heavenly perspective.

I cannot say that God uses dreams today as He did in many Biblical accounts. I have no idea how dreams work, but one thing I can say is that this was a very good dream. I firmly believe all good things come from God so it is comforting to me to say that this dream was a gift from God. A gift I would need very soon.

A few short days later, on October 9th, Keith and I sat side by side on the exam table at my doctor's office. I remember insignificant things like how our legs dangled in unison and how we laughed awkwardly at some mundane conversation. I remember watching the sweet young doctor search for words to soften her news, “It is a carcinoma of the breast.”

Courage that God gives comes to us in many different ways. For me that day, I did not feel a blow of shock and dismay. I heard her words, squeezed Keith's hand and then said, “Okay, what's next?”

I believe the doctor was as surprised as I was by that reaction. No tears, no fear or anger or 'why me?', just a deep calm and mild curiosity. I was not afraid. I am not saying that it wasn't hard. I had surgery, radiation, and a painful few years of unwanted side effects. As cancer stories go though, mine was not terrible, I was very blessed. I have often looked back at that time and realized that I had a lot of uncharacteristic courage. I have never doubted the connection between that courage and the dream I remember so well.

The part of my HIStory that I would like to offer to you for encouragement is this; a heavenly perspective completely changes an earthly experience. I believe the great courage I felt was a direct result of being confronted with such a dramatic picture of the wonder of eternity.

Esther received courage from Mordecai's explanation of the situation her people were in and the role she could play in their deliverance. The Bible says she said, “If I perish, I perish” (Es. 4:16). I believe Esther understood the priceless fact that some things are far more important than our own earthly lives. She had a heavenly perspective of the situation.

Of course, my cancer story and Esther's heroic actions are far from the same situation. What is the same is that God gave us each great courage by teaching us that this life is only a season. Just like winter in Quebec that always gives way to spring, even when it seems that it never will, our troubles and sorrows here are temporary.

The godly timing of my beautiful dream gave me the courage I needed to endure cancer. Since that time, I have remembered through so many trials that I can endure anything for a time because indescribable joy comes in the end.

Do you need the reminder that whatever you may be suffering will only last for a season? Have courage my sisters, there's a Great Day coming.

By Jennifer Percell

The #MeToo movement is growing. Each day more people come forward and I am saddened by how many suffer from the selfish acts of others. Me too.

As I listen to brave women tell their stories I remember my own isolation and crippling fear. I remember being physically captive and mentally isolated from others by the stigma of the shocking and repulsive acts. During the abuse and for many years after, my mind fought the lies my abuser recorded there for his own protection. Messages seared into my brain by his words and actions caused despair that seemed insurmountable. I was wounded and broken, and I felt no hope for rescue from the hopeless life that trapped me.

Then one day I found myself with a bunch of church kids. I had gone to a retreat with them to escape for a day and had entertained thoughts of running away while I was out of the house. That afternoon we were all sitting under a tree. One boy with a guitar, one with a Bible. The boy with the Bible read:
“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:37-39).

Now, 43 years later I can still feel the shock, someone was telling me that there was power and love that was stronger than my abusive father. That was the first glimpse of hope in my life and I craved more and more of this new information.

I learned that God is the Great Physician, He heals, His love is real, and He sees me as precious. I could trust Him, He made me, and He could fix my brokenness. And best of all, He could go with me into the horrible places I was suffering. He could enter my mind and emotions during the abuse and hold me close to Him. He could protect my soul from the pain that was killing all hope in me.

Three years later I could finally leave my abusive home. I knew I needed lots of help. God provided counselors and medications and a support network of good people. All of these were priceless as I fought hard for healing and I recommend that anyone who has suffered use all these tools.

But I believe that it is God who truly healed my heart and soul. It was only when I crawled upon the lap of my heavenly Daddy and let Him hold and comfort me did I truly feel relief. I remember how He gave me 15 minutes of peace and later twenty. How there was a whole morning without hyper-vigilance and focus on my own surroundings. How one day I noticed I had been in the middle of something for a whole day, living my life and not fearfully on the outside looking in.

Only my God could go back through all the pain with me and let me be a needy child again. This time one with a strong, safe and kind Father. A Father who could carry me out of the worst of times and into a life of hope and joy and peace.

If you have suffered abuse and not yet found healing from the inside out, go to the Great Physician. He was there with you protecting your mind and heart from irreparable damage. He is there today ready to repair every broken piece you give to Him. For nothing in all creation can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus your Lord.

May all of us who have been healed by our Great God say, “Me Too... God has healed Me Too”

Jennifer Percell

If you would like additional information about the #ChurchToo movement as well, we invite you to read this article by the Christian Chronicle.

#IronRoseSister #womenspiritualhealth #metoo #healed

Written by Meagan Adams, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in McRae, AR

One of my favorite Christmas songs is It Came Upon the Midnight Clear by Edmund H. Sears. If you sing more than the first verse you realize that it’s not exactly the cheeriest holiday song. There is a poignancy to it, but also a call to something better. In the second stanza, Sears describes a scene where the angels are still singing their song of “Peace on the earth, good will to men from heaven’s all gracious king” but it goes largely unheard as it competes with the earth’s “Babel sounds.” In many ways, 2020 was a year of “Babel sounds” – confusion, conflict, uncertainty. It felt like all progress stopped and we all just ran around with no agreement on how to get anything done. Mankind’s perceived invincibility to accomplish anything it wanted was quickly derailed by a virus.

The third and fourth stanzas of Sears’s poem are the least-often sung. In years past, I focused on the third stanza:

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

This verse reminds me that there is a different reality than the world that I see. I wake up to my phone’s alarm and the first thing I see are news notifications of all that is going wrong in this world. It’s easy to get discouraged by it and to be frustrated that after all God went through to try to show us the way of peace and harmony, the world as a whole won’t listen. But that is not all there is. The angels continue to sing God’s love song – His message outlasts the futile and destructive behaviors of mankind.

This year, however, the fourth verse spoke to me:

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! For glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing,
O rest beside the weary road,
And hear the angels sing!

In the past, this seemed only to apply to the oppressed people of the world, and I know that I am among the privileged. I haven’t had to experience ongoing, overwhelming injustice and hardship. Still, if anything describes the 2020 experience, words like “crushing,” “toil,” and “weary” seem to be apt descriptors. The force of the coronavirus-world weighs down on my shoulders, life seems an uphill climb, and my steps are slow and painful (both literally & figuratively!). Hmm, seems like somebody else needs to listen to God’s song, to reframe my view of reality. I need to heed the call to take a break from weariness, to rest in God’s presence, and to let God’s music fill me. I need to listen to the angels sing.

Written by Debora Rodrigo de Racancoj

Love. The emotion that is most talked about in society. It is easy to turn on the radio or television and listen to things like: "Everything you need is love," "Love went away," or "How I wish I did not love you." But... what does the present society know about love?
As society has told me so many times, it seems that love comes to our lives in an unexpected way. Suddenly, without being able to avoid it, it installs itself in our heart and acts for us. It makes us feel uncontrollable impulses, causes physiological symptoms, even butterflies in the stomach. And suddenly, it leaves, also without warning. Love is over.

Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

Do you think about being HOLY? What does it mean to you?

Peter writes, “as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘you shall be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Pet 1:15-16 ESV.)

Simply defined, “holy” means “set apart for a purpose.” The word is used over 900 times in Scripture. To me, that means it is important...that God is trying to get a message across to us.

In Isaiah 6:1-6 we read of Isaiah’s vision and how in verse 1 the train of God’s robe filled the temple. In ancient days the length of the train of a king’s robe measured his greatness. Isaiah tells us God’s train filled the temple, and the earth is filled with His glory.

We are the temple of God, and His glory should fill our lives.

“Be holy as I am holy” is found several times in Leviticus and in 1 Peter 1:16. Other passages like John 14:23, 1 Corinthians 3:16, and Galatians 3:20 speak of Christ and the Spirit living in us.

So, if the Holy One lives in us, we have become the temple in which He resides. What does it mean for us to become the temple of God?

In John 17 Jesus prayed for us to live in the world, yet be separate from the world and that we would be protected from the evil one. We stand between two places…the holy and the common…the clean and the unclean…and we daily seek the difference and strive to make choices that bring glory to the Father. Part of being holy is making a decision between what Jesus would have us do and the enticement of the world around us.

When we are holy it affects our speech, our dress, our choice of entertainment, how we spend our time, and our attitude towards others. We don’t joke about the Holy One, but we treat Him with reverence.

Our Heavenly Father demands that we treat Him as holy. Moses was not allowed into the Promised Land because he did not uphold God as holy (Numbers 20:12.)

Nadab and Abihu failed to treat God as holy. In Exodus 24 and Leviticus 9 we read they had been among those chosen to go with Moses and the 70 to see God…then in Leviticus 10 they decided to “do things their way.” (verses 1-5). God was not pleased and they died. They treated God casually, not as holy.

In Lev 10:3 (ESV) we read: “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.” And Aaron held his peace.”

Sanctified means: set apart or declared holy.

Glorified means: to honor or exalt.

We all bear the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin…they exalted the words of the serpent and did not honor the holiness of God.

God demands to be treated as holy, and He wants us to be like Him. Heb 12:14 (ESV): “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

That’s how important our holiness is to God. If we are not holy, we will not see Him.

Jesus did not come to earth and die because of pity. He came to make us holy and return us to the relationship for which we were created.

As believers we are to be holy not because we want to be loved by God but because we are already loved in Christ. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19), and the best way to show that we love God is by seeking to become holy because He is Holy.

One thing I have done in reading through the Bible is to write down Scriptures that mention holy or being like Jesus. Making Jesus our LORD is the path to being holy as He is holy, and we do that by absolute surrender to His will.
I want to challenge you as you read through the Scriptures to mark or make a list of Scriptures that speak to being holy. They may not have the word “holy” in them. It may be a scripture like Eph 4:32 which tells us to be kind and tender-hearted towards one another.

Remember: without holiness we will not see God. Let’s live our lives, asking if what we are doing is making us more like God… let’s strive to be holy as He is holy!

Written by Francia Oviedo, Creative Assistant with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Honduras

I have heard that women use 20,000 words a day and men 13,000. I can assure you that I hit that mark (haha). Wow, but how many problems have those 20,000 words gotten me into when I don’t use them wisely, when I allow my words to be guided by the flesh and not by the Spirit? This reminds me of Balaam.

Balaam was a words guy, so much so that three chapters are needed in the Bible to tell his story, found in the book of Numbers, chapters 22-24. Balaam was a man known to use his words to bless or curse peoples. He was just the man Balak, the king of Moab, needed in order that his words might be used to curse the people of Israel.

22:5 sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said:
“A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6 Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.” (Num. 22:5-6)

But Balaam pledged to go to that place and do that deed even when God had not allowed it. Such were the circumstances that God had to give him a lesson and make his donkey talk! Finally, Balaam obeyed God and was unable to pronounce any words that God did not allow him to speak.

But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.” (Num. 22:18)

Fortunately, he obeyed and used his words in accordance with God’s will. Instead of cursing the people of Israel, he ended up blessing them three times. Thankfully, God led Balaam to use his words wisely, and we all have that power in our mouths. Most of us use 10,000, 20,000, or even more words per day and, like Balaam, we should seek God’s wisdom to choose well whatever we say.

Every word that comes from our mouths has the power to create, to give life, to encourage, to bless, but also has the power to darken, to discourage, to hurt, to curse others or even ourselves. Proverbs tells us, “The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly” (15:2) and it also says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (18:21).

Like me, I’m sure you can remember a personal story when you used your words in the wrong way, but like Balaam, we always have the opportunity to choose the right words, ones that reflect the love and wisdom of God, ones that create, encourage, and give life. It is a daily choice. I encourage you to remember, the next time you think about how many words you say a day, that you can choose ones that will be a blessing to those around you, and also to yourself.

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #wisdom #words #powerofthetongue #bless #Balaam #guestwriter #blog

Written by Katie Forbess, President of the Board of Directors of Iron Rose Sister Ministries, with the collaboration of Jubilee Forbess, her daughter

I finally made it to my closet. I have wanted for years to create a place of prayer there. I have always felt the need, but it never happened until I was invited to spend 29 days in quiet prayer, for Advent 2022. I realized that shutting everything else out is so important because it makes you focus on the presence of God. By repeating, “reveal yourself to me,” I was strengthened in remembering that prayer is where you are alone, but with the Creator God. So, through growing up in the church and trusting God through many trying times, I have found the following lessons and am eager to share them. I wrote pages and pages of anecdotes narrating this story, but, like prayer, this doesn’t need to be so complicated. 

The only way you can truly learn to pray is by doing it. Jesus told the disciples,

“When you pray,say: "`Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation”(Luke 11:2-4)

Why? They were Jewish men who already prayed. They just needed a little tweaking, because… The Messiah was among them. They needed a little perspective. They needed a reminder of what they should ask for, what they should not ask for, and how forgiving others was the key to being forgiven. Prayer is a command. 

My prayer life is what it is because of all the prayers and sermons and songs and books that have come before today. I reflected upon a short story, “Eleven,” that speaks of being all the ages and realized that my prayer life is all the teachings, plus the decision to engage daily. The Scripture. The songs. The answered prayers of 45 years. These were my teachers and my foundation, the pure material that has come through in life’s many trials. Prayer is like breathing. 

Jeff lost his wallet. We prayed as we left to run errands. He found it while we were gone. Prayer is simple. 

God is faithful when we take one step towards Him. I also believe that the verse in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “When I am weak, then I am strong,” is now etched on my heart. When we returned to the United States from Bolivia, I cried every Sunday during the singing. With emotions and transformation that I can’t explain well in words—works of the Spirit, I am sure—I poured out my soul to God in prayer. I chose not to wipe the tears away. Prayer is hard. 

There was a time when I was driving every day after work to take college classes in Greeley, Colorado. On my way there, I was listening to rock music and reading the NY Times. It was a time that would end in a miscarriage, but before that, I realized that I needed to use my time differently and started to listen to purely KLOVE (Christian radio). The same thing seemed to happen in November of 2022. Things were so hard and I needed to be in constant prayer. Fire refines us and shows us who we really are. Sometimes it only warms me, other times it lights the way. Sometimes it burns me, and other times it sweats the impurities out of me. Prayer, then, is like fire. 

I had to pray for the enemy. Keep quiet and let God fight for us. I had to reach out and contact the prayer warriors and ask them to pray for something I simply couldn’t talk about. I had to give thanks, because there was no doubt that the hand of God was in even this terrible situation. I had to trust that God would shut the mouths of lions and He seemed to surround me with lambs. Prayer is a gift. 

Looking through your life and the lessons that Jesus has taught you about prayer, which ones surprise you the most during a time of crisis?

Written by Débora Rodrigo de Racancoj
It is easy to find some guidance tables that doctors and other professionals make available to parents and educators that show how many hours of sleep a day are needed for an average child, according to his or her age. Professionals know and insist on the importance of rest for people, especially for children. It is a key piece in their development. It makes them grow healthy and develop properly.
We, as Christians, are also in constant growth and development (Phil. 1: 6). Rest for our spirit is also fundamental for us, just as physical rest is for children.

Today’s story will be written from two perspectives: mine, Michelle Goff, and that of our new student intern, Faith Bailey. We invite you to see how the Holy Spirit works in the lives of others, even when we are not aware, and especially when we get out of the way.

Faith Bailey:
There are times in life when the steps you take come so easily that it’s difficult to know if you’re following God’s best plan for you or just taking the path of least resistance. Other times, you may be struggling so much to make the pieces fit that you question the influence God’s will has in your decisions. Unless we tune our eyes to see the Spirit working in our lives, the confidence we have in our decision-making skills may seem shaky and the whole process unnecessarily stressful. I recently experienced something like this.

It was well before Thanksgiving when I started researching opportunities for this summer. I had a desire to use a passion for languages to assist people in the discovery of Scripture. I had very specific requests, and I brought it to God frequently as I searched for the right fit. Along the way, God proved again and again that He was trustworthy and trained me to listen. I began to see evidence of the Spirit working in my life to affirm and guide my thoughts and actions. After months of praying, I had found the “perfect” internship, but soon learned it was canceled this summer... By mid-April, I had no prospects in sight. I desperately tried to work something out, and finally became exhausted of attempting to force what I wanted.

I remember very distinctly praying one last time before the summer fell into place. I didn’t want to strive anymore. I wanted to obey. It felt like I had been working against the Spirit. I felt the only way I could proceed confidently was if I knew I was working toward God’s best plan. I asked Him to just hit me in the face with it (in His gentle, loving way).

Within 12 hours, I was sitting in Starbucks, after deciding to skip my class at the last second. Michelle and I started talking. Our conversation quickly turned to Iron Rose Sister Ministries. When she mentioned they had been praying for increased involvement, my ears perked up. My mind automatically started thinking of the list I had stored in my brain for months, and checked off so many of the descriptions I had been praying for.

After we officially started this journey together, I faced the daunting task of raising funds. In just a month or so all of the funds I needed became available. During that time, the Spirit reminded me of a quote from Hudson Taylor, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” God had led me this far. His love and ability to provide what we need can’t be taken away.

Even though we sometimes have different plans, I had to trust that He would led me in my next steps. I knew I would be better off in the center of His will than anywhere else. These moments may seem small when they stand alone, but they led me to Iron Rose Sister Ministries and tell a story of God’s faithfulness. I have seen the Spirit’s guiding and urging along the way, and can therefore be confident that God’s Work will be done.

Michelle Goff:
Given that our primary purpose as a ministry is to equip women, we always want to be able to take advantage of the opportunity to train young women that plan to work in ministry or missions in the future. We pray that God will lead us to the right person at the right time, but this year, I had tried to make it happen several times and several ways, yet to no avail. I finally let it go and had made my peace with having no intern this summer at all.
One Friday morning in mid-April, while other IRSM representatives were taking care of a booth in Kansas, I met with someone in Starbucks to seek her expertise and share resources for an event I will be speaking at in Panama in August. Blessed by our time together, I texted the Board member with whom I was scheduled to have a phone meeting immediately following the morning coffee date. She was unavailable at that moment and instead of heading home to work with Erica, our ministry assistant, I felt the Spirit urging me to stay seated there in Starbucks.

The timing for my phone meeting kept getting delayed and I was confused as to why we could not seem to connect for our planned conversation. At least a dozen times I debated the timing of my transition to head back home to work and conduct the pending phone meeting from there. The logical thing was to head home. The practical thing was to head home. And yet I stayed.

Finally, after about an hour of highly productive work, I felt a peace about leaving. As soon as I was ready to go, the board member texted that she was ready to talk, but one final prompting of the Spirit told me to wait until I got in the car and put in my Bluetooth to start our conversation. Attempting to be obedient, I texted her back to give me a couple of minutes and I’d be ready.

Well, the “couple of minutes” turned into more like 15 minutes because as I walked toward the door (on the opposite side of Starbucks than I usually work or meet with students), I “happened” to run into Faith... And what she shared above is the rest of the story.

I am humbled by the way the Spirit works and am grateful for God’s gentle reminder of His timing, His plans, His selection of workers, and His going before us. We trust the Spirit’s guidance and direction in the same way as He leads us to the full-time Assistant Director we are seeking. God is faithful. And I cannot wait to see how He keeps putting all the pieces together!

For more information about the Assistant Director position, the job description is available on our website. The post is open through June 11, 2018. We appreciate your prayers in this search!

#IronRoseSister #HolySpirit #summerintern #missions

Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas.

What do you think of when you hear the word “humble” or “humility”?

Humility is defined as: not proud or arrogant… expressing an attitude of deference… modest… unpretentious… not looking at others as inferior to oneself (or not thinking of self as better than others).

Humility does not mean a person debases himself or puts himself down. It is possible to recognize our skills and strong points… and to be happy with our talents, but still be humble because we have an attitude of thankfulness for what we have, and we realize we are blessed. It gives us a healthy perception of ourselves.

In both the Old and New Testaments, humility is a quality to be desired. It is essential for establishing a right relationship with God and a healthy relationship with others. It also describes a character quality that properly and accurately values oneself while recognizing one’s sinfulness… sinfulness that is covered by the blood of Jesus Christ when we are immersed for remission of sins.

Humility does not demand everything go my way… it does not think first of self. Selfishness is one of humility’s opposites, because it puts self first.

When pregnant Hagar was told to return to Sarai and submit to her, she did (Gen. 16:9). Years later when Ishmael was laughing at Isaac, and he and Hagar were sent away (Gen. 21), we have no record of her rebelling or arguing, but in humility she took the provisions Abram gave her and left.

Moses shows his humility when God is angry with the Israelites and threatens to destroy them and start anew with Moses, and Moses pleads with Him not to do it (Ex. 32).

Twice David stopped his men from killing Saul (1 Sam. 24, 26) saying, "I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD's anointed" (24:10b). David was much loved, and he could have done it and become king, but he chose to let God be in control.

John (the Baptizer), cousin of Jesus, had quite a following, but he said about Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Jesus is our ultimate example in humility. On the night He was betrayed, He took a towel and basin of water and washed His disciples’ feet… knowing Judas would betray Him, Peter would deny Him, and they all would run except for John (John 13).

Paul wrote: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (held on to), but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

Proverbs 11:2 tells us: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”

Isaiah 66:2 reads, “All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

In Philippians 2:3 we read, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

Ephesians 4:1, 2 reads, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.”

Colossians 3:12 tells us, “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”

Micah 6:8 says, “What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

It’s easy for us to want our way, to demand our rights, to want to be noticed.

In Luke 14 Jesus tells a parable about choosing a seat of honor at a banquet, then being asked by the host to move, because that seat was for someone else. In verse 11, Jesus says, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

As we give honor to others, people will notice, and most importantly, we will be pleasing our Heavenly Father.

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #humility #guestwriter #blog