Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Wendy Neill
When you were a kid, you may have been in a club. Maybe it was Girl Scouts. Maybe you had a tree house and created a club of your closest friends, posting “No boys allowed!” on the door. In high school, your club might have been the journalism team or FFA. You may have walked around with Greek letters on your shirt in college, or maybe you were in chorus or band.
As an adult, you may find yourself in a club to which you never intended to belong.

Written by Eliuth de Valencia, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colombia

“But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.” (Ps. 13:5–6)

The challenge of balanced, Christ-centered parenting is not without its ups and downs. With three children, we have experienced difficult situations at the family level, wanting to always be obedient to God. Currently we still have two little ones under our care, with the definitive supreme calling to instruct and correct them with reverent fear of the Lord. However, we overlook some situations.

We took it for granted that talking about disability was enough to be conscientious with each other. Without realizing it, moved by the fragility and vulnerability of our youngest daughter, we made room for favoritism, putting aside our son's own needs. Thanks to the Lord who invites us to self-assess ourselves as parents, we were able to reconcile this misguidance and offer all our children equal love.

However, what seems to be a bad trend, gave us a great life lesson for more real evangelism: Life will not always be fair. There will be more disappointments and frustrations that you will experience throughout your life; people will have favorites, at school, at church; some classmates will take credit for something they didn't do; they will give the promotion they have worked so hard for to someone else. For decades, the world's most popular evangelistic message has been drawing people with the promise of God's wonderful plan for their lives. But behind the façade of the “wonderful plan” message is the reality of the trials, temptations, and persecution that Jesus promised (1 Pet. 2:21). How can we reconcile the two?

There is an absolute truth in the whole universe: God works all things according to His will, having control of all past, present and future events of our lives. We see this in the constant narrative throughout the second half of Genesis that aims to show one of God's attributes, His sovereignty.

God blessed the family of the promise. The many sons of Jacob show the beginnings of God's promise to make Abraham's descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Also, throughout the narrative, we are distracted by the fragility and humanity of each of its members from generation to generation. Despite this, God has purposes in their lives, but before using them greatly, he had to work on their character. This leads me to think that we do nothing to earn any of the goodness that He gives us, yet surely, He blesses our obedience. It is transformative to be shaped by trials even if the greatest challenge is to love others. This helps me find out if this common approach to the gospel fits with real life, and with the Scriptures.

Constantly, as a woman, I find myself struggling to understand these truths. My sinful nature is frightened, anxious about obstacles, and has a hard time resting in God. But something changes when I go to Him and He teaches me to understand that His time and His way of working are different from mine and that, at every step, His care will not depart from me, even in the hardest trials, allowing everything to work toward a perfect purpose.

There is a particular story that has given me lessons at every stage of life, and that I bring to my mind to understand and remember that God cares for His children fulfilling the purposes that He orchestrates in an extraordinary way; that is the story of Joseph (Gen. 30-50). I will highlight some aspects of this story:

Of the sons of Jacob, Joseph was God's chosen leader in his generation, and God revealed this calling to Joseph through dreams. Joseph was obedient to God and faithful with his responsibilities, honoring his father and doing what he asked. At that time, Joseph was still young, about seventeen years old, and lived in his father's house with many of his brothers.

Jacob favored Joseph, and this caused division in his house. Because of this, Joseph's brothers had their “it's not fair” moments seeing their younger brother being treated with blatant favoritism and living with the fact that their father clearly loved Joseph more. Furthermore, he was having multiple dreams indicating that one day the entire family would bow down to him. And while Jacob witnessed how parental favoritism (Isaac and Rebekah) destroyed his own family relationships (see Genesis 26), he practiced the same kind of behavior and produced the same kind of division among his children.

The brothers' hatred went unchecked and resulted in a horrible crime out of their frustrations. Their actions reveal the intense fighting and jealousy within Jacob's family; a scenario raised between their mothers (Leah and Rachel) who constantly competed. His brothers rejected Joseph, unaware of God's call on his life. Joseph's obedience and faithfulness contrast with the wickedness of his brothers when they conspired to kill him, sold him into slavery, and deceived their father (Gen. 37).

One cannot help but notice parallels between the stories of Jacob and Joseph:

• Jacob manipulated his brother for his birthright and then stole his blessing. Joseph's brothers tried to destroy the brother to whom the blessing belonged.
• Jacob was persecuted and deceived by Laban, and although Jacob was not innocent of the deception in his actions, God saved and protected him. Joseph was persecuted by his brothers who later deceived their father, but Joseph was innocent, and God was with him as well.
• Even after Esau wanted the death of his brother Jacob, we see God's mercy in giving Jacob a new name, Israel. With the burden of his previous actions towards his brother, Jacob wanted to repay producing a deep reconciliation. Joseph also reconciles with his brothers, “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you” (Gen. 45:5).

When you feel ignored, separated and defeated, remember Joseph as an "archetype" of Christ: who went from suffering to glory, becoming the savior of his brothers who had rejected him and left him for dead.

It does not have to be difficult. Work on the things you can change. Get closer to God, read His Word, strengthen your character, refine the gifts with which He has blessed you, and practice being faithful in difficult times—even the small and invisible ones shape you. God is working in our lives and situations. He is a God who sees, cares and is moving. We can see this in the life of Joseph and find encouragement for our own circumstances. No matter what we face today, we can demonstrate our faith by continuing to believe God's promises. God will continue to carry out His purposes. His faithfulness in the past is a model and a promise for His faithfulness in the future. It will keep working, even when we feel like we're in the pit. As the psalmist proclaimed, we can trust in His faithfulness and His coming deliverance, singing His praises when we are vindicated. One day you will be able to look back and see how God prepared you for something more than you could ever imagine.

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #challenges #trustGodsplan #Joseph #guestwriter #blog

Written by Fabiola de Gómez, Iron Rose Sister Volunteer in Colombia.

My dog, Joy, is always with me. She came into our home six years ago and as her name says, she has brought us a lot of joy! She always wants to be by my side. So much so, that I bump into her several times a day and even more if I feel sad, sick, or down.

Joy reminds me of the joy that is always in us – the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. But this inner joy is sometimes disturbed or silenced by the voice of my worries, anxieties, sadness, or anger. It is in those moments that I ask myself, where is my joy? It is easier for me to feel I have joy when things are “calm and under control”. But what happens when they are not? Those moments are the ones that most test where my confidence truly lies.

In this last year, due to the global pandemic, I could say that for many of us things were out of our control. Perhaps this caused our moods to be affected and at certain moments, our joy to be silenced by the pressures and difficulties of external circumstances.

This causes me to look at Jesus and wonder, how did he do it? Even in the midst of the most difficult moments of His life, His joy was still intact. Despite the anguish, sadness, and pain He experienced, He did not refuse to bear the burden of the cross. We see Him tell Peter in Matthew 16:23 (NIV) “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Jesus maintained His joy because His gaze was fixed on the reward. As Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) says, “…for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.” Jesus shows me where my gaze should be so that joy will be a constant in my life. Doing this is what allows us as Christians to live out the Scripture that says: “rejoice always” (1 Thess. 5:16, NIV) and “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3,NIV)

By looking at the example of Jesus, we can understand that when we value trials for what they add to our faith and not for what they take from us, we can fully experience the utmost joy in their midst. So now I can say: Joy is always with me.

Sisters, let us walk with our eyes fixed on Jesus so that our hearts are not discouraged. When moments of difficulty come and you feel your joy is silenced or disturbed, ask yourself, where is my gaze fixed?

Written by Liliana Henriquez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colombia.

I am Venezuelan by birth, but I have been living in Bogotá, Colombia for 4 years. Many said, as I also said before emigrating, "Venezuela and Colombia are neighboring countries, so they should not have big differences, right?" Well, I must say that there are many differences! Like the ones below:

• In Colombia they fill the empanadas with rice. In Venezuela we never use rice for empanadas.
• In Bogotá, specifically, they are very formal when speaking. They generally address each other with "Yes, ma'am," "Yes, your mercy," "Would you please?" and so on. In Venezuela we are more informal, and we treat everyone as if they were our friends. We say "my love" (mi amor) to everyone without any romantic implications.
• In Colombia, the words used for pen and pencil are reversed. There are two very different words for a pencil sharpener. And the word for a black coffee in Colombia is the word for black ink in Venezuela. There are many different words that need to be learned to make ourselves be understood and speak the same “language.”
• In Venezuela, I would dare say that everyone has been to the beach at least once. In Colombia, I know people who have never seen the sea once in their life. Amazing!
• In Colombia, it is normal to see a fruit salad accompanied with grated cheese or the candied guava dessert with chopped cheese. In Venezuela, this type of sweet-savory combination is not common.
• In Colombia, the vast majority of holidays are on Mondays. In Venezuela, the day doesn’t matter. The important thing is the date.
• In Colombia, the day of love and friendship is in September instead of February 14, when we celebrate it in Venezuela.

Those are some of the differences that I have seen between the two cultures. My first year in Bogotá was very shocking. I went from living in a very small city in Venezuela (Punto Fijo, Falcón State) of about 300,000 people, to one of the largest cities in Latin America, Bogotá, which has around 9,000,000 people. Seeing so many people on the streets and on public transportation, it was truly overwhelming.

However, some advice I received when I first arrived was, “You have to adjust to the city. Become great, but without losing your essence." I did that. I dedicated myself to getting to know the people, their culture, their way of speaking, and their customs, and after seeing the differences, I began to see the similarities.

In the church environment, I realized that they sang the same hymns that I knew, the order of the service was very similar, and we had the same doctrine and the same desire to praise God. In the end, we weren't as different as I thought.

Immersing myself in the Colombian culture obviously made me redefine myself because I had to put aside my Venezuelan culture a bit to achieve my adaptation to this new country. Now I am the Venezuelan who understands the Colombian and who understands that one can be the same and different at the same time, that one can share same vision with the brethren of the church, and who does not use culture as an impediment to serve God on this earth.

No matter where we are from, we can adjust culturally to the country where we are living WITHOUT losing our Christian essence. If Jesus is the one who unites us, there are no cultural differences that can separate us. We must focus on having the same purpose: to glorify the name of Christ and preach the gospel. Jesus is the only and the most important thing that we must have in common. As Paul said,

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Cor. 1:10)

If you are immersed in a culture different from that of your origin, I ask you: Are you focusing more on the cultural differences of your new country, or are you adjusting, and at the same time, are you conserving your essence?

(contributed by Wendy Neill)

She is one of my dearest friends.  We went to the same college.  We’ve lived in FOUR of the same places, usually at different times: Dallas, Abilene, Kansas City and Searcy.  We both love long walks, especially when the weather is warm and the flowers are in bloom.  Once a week for six years, we have walked together, talked together, and then prayed together.  How are we different? I am exactly half her age.  She is 92 and I am 46. 

Effie is a woman of small stature and great faith.  The Spirit of God just oozes from her every pore.  Her smile and her open arms remind me how very much I am loved by God.  When I think of wisdom and perseverance, I think of Effie. 

When we are together, I do too much of the talking.  I find it comical that the subject is often MY poor health.  But even though she doesn’t talk as much or dole out advice, I still learn so much from her.  I’ve learned how to be patient and loving toward my Mom who has Alzheimer’s, because Effie stood by her husband through Alzheimer’s, until his death in 2008.  I’ve seen how she has continued to shine as a widow who is also a beautiful daughter of God.  She serves people in the community by visiting with them at a dinner her church holds once a week.  She has been part of ladies’ Bible studies, book clubs and trips to plays and concerts with friends.  She misses her husband, but she keeps living an abundant life, as she is able.

When I worry about my children, or when I’m not seeing eye-to-eye on an issue with my husband, I can count on a wise word from Effie.  It won’t be lengthy, but it will be just what I need. 

What is the secret in the sauce?  Prayer.  No doubt about it.  Effie relies on prayer.  There is even a prayer room at the Red Bridge Church of Christ in Kansas City named after her.  She prays daily for her family members, for the church and….. for me.

Do you have a woman in your life that exemplifies wisdom and perseverance?  Consider making a little extra room in your schedule to spend time with her.  Go on a walk.  Get some coffee.  And pray.  Like iron sharpening iron, she can encourage you to be as beautiful as a rose, despite your thorns.  An “Iron Rose Sister”.

Wendy Neill

Written by Kathy Thompson, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

What challenges you? What seriously tests the limits of your patience?
Maybe it’s a job environment that is often in conflict, or a strained or even broken relationship with someone you love. Maybe it’s a physical disability or an extreme financial situation. Maybe you’re mourning the loss of a loved one, or heartbroken for a loved one who has turned away from God.

Joseph was no stranger to challenges. It started early in life for him, at age 17. We read in Genesis 37 how he was his father’s favorite son, among 12 sons. His father openly showed his favoritism for Joseph by giving him lavish gifts, like a coat made with beautiful colors and ornaments. Then came the first serious challenge in Joseph’s life: his brothers turned against him and sold him to some passing traders! My guess is he had to grow up really quickly then, being suddenly torn from his family and even his culture, and carried off to a foreign land as a slave! No more favored status for him but now he was degraded down to someone’s property. Imagine the depth of betrayal he felt! Betrayed by his own brothers!

But he didn’t turn away from God. The Scripture doesn’t tell us, but I imagine that he grew closer to God through this ordeal. Because the next thing we see is God blessing Joseph in his new role as slave. “The Lord was with Joseph and made him successful…the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake…” (Gen. 39:2-5)

And then there is another hard challenge. Since “Joseph was well built and handsome” (Gen. 39:6), he drew the eye of his master’s wife. I’d like you to notice what he says to her after her repeated advances. “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9) It was his Creator he did not want to sin against—that was his first concern. Then, his second concern was his master’s reaction.

So now he finds himself in prison. Not a good place to be. He must have been screaming on the inside “This is so unfair! I’ve done nothing wrong!” He may have even succumbed to self-pity for a period of time. He went from a darling son to being a slave, sold by his own brothers! Then it got even worse than that; from a slave to a prisoner! But through it all Joseph trusted God. And even in prison, God blessed him. “But the Lord was with Joseph...and gave him favor in the sight of the warden…” (Gen. 39:21).

But the hard challenges aren’t done yet for Joseph. God allows him to interpret dreams, during his time in prison, and he does just that for two men from Pharaoh’s court. Knowing the cupbearer would be returned to duty, he asked him to remember him and his wrongful imprisonment. Imagine the hopefulness Joseph had in his heart to think he might be able to get out of this dungeon that he’d been in for 11 years now! For something he didn’t even do! But his hopes are deflated, as he slowly begins to realize that nothing is going to happen to release him from prison. As each day passes and nothing happens, Joseph begins to lose hope. Two full years go by and still nothing. He may have been disappointed, but you know Joseph just clung more tightly to God than ever.

And we know the rest of the story, how it was God’s design to bring the Israelites down to Egypt and He’d been using Joseph all along to accomplish that. How Joseph was raised to great power and had a happy reunion with his father and brothers.

My question is: How do we react to hard challenges in our lives? How do we react to the gut-punch of betrayal from a loved one? To the hot outrage of a false accusation? To the heartbreak of being forgotten?

The Scripture has a lot to say about suffering:

It is for our testing: 1 Peter 4:12-16 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. But to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”

It is for our spiritual maturity: 1 Peter 5:9-10 “But resist him [the devil], firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace. who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

It produces endurance: James 1:2-4 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

It teaches us obedience: Hebrews 5:8 “Although He was a Son, he learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”

It has eternal results: James 1:12 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

Joseph persevered and was abundantly blessed in the end. Sisters, I’d like to encourage each of us to do the same. Persevere in whatever difficult situation you are in, holding tight to our Father; watching, waiting, and even expecting to see God’s resolution. The blessings will multiply and before we know it, we’ll be with Him where trials are no more.

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #challenges #persevere #blessingsthroughchallenges #Joseph #guestwriter #blog

Written by Gisela Millán, volunteer of Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Venezuela

When we talk about a crown we refer to: authority, power, reign, reward.

How incredible that something can be taken away from us that was given to us. Just as a young woman prepares herself physically, spiritually, and academically to compete for a crown, so must we, dear sisters, also prepare ourselves. Although they compete for a corruptible crown, we do not compete. But it is a race for an incorruptible crown. When a king is crowned, his children become his princes and princesses, thus becoming heirs to his kingdom. This is how our heavenly Father made us part of His kingdom, but was it just like that? For being beautiful? Or for just being His daughters and that's it? No! First, we recognized and accepted by believing in the words and promises of Jesus Christ.

In my personal and spiritual life, the enemy has wanted to discourage me so that I toss my crown to the ground, the crown I was given when I decided to believe and receive Christ in my heart. He whispers in my ear, “Look how you are: ugly, spent, you can't keep going; give up already!” He tries to unsettle my emotions, because he knows that's where sickness wins, but God says we are called according to a purpose (Rom. 8:28). I think that winning my crown is not easy if I don't understand what and why I am fighting for. If we don't treasure or hold tight to our sword (Heb. 4:12), how can we fight and conquer? When Joshua went to conquer the promised land, what God reminded him the most was to meditate day and night on His words, to believe them and keep them in his heart, and he did so.

Beloved, I have been fighting for my crown for 6 years, I keep my eyes on the award,
because God says that we are His workmanship, that He is that Warrior who fights for us (Josh. 5:15) and the Lord Jesus Christ made us His daughters. When we faint, and we believe Satan’s lies, that's where we throw our crown down, that's where we lose it. So, what is the use of talking about it and not doing it? We must persevere and not allow anyone to take away from us what was given to us with pure blood. It is a promise that is given with love.

Notice how Jesus Himself tells us, “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (Rev. 3:11).

As I mentioned at the beginning, a girl prepared to win the crown in a beauty pageant. Once crowned, do you think she gets it and that's it? Is the job finished? Does she lose it? No, my sisters, she must keep that award or accolade for a while and keep working. We should do likewise in ministry, at work, in our homes, but mainly within ourselves.

Jesus sends a message to the church in Philadelphia, which means "brotherly love." The Lord is telling them that He is coming back soon, and although it is not an immediate return, if we read this passage today, tomorrow, or a year from now, He speaks to us in the present, encouraging this church to endure. How wonderful are His words that are also a promise for us! That is why we must continue working on ourselves, because we were made new creatures, daughters of the King.

And what is it that we must guard? They say that the church of Philadelphia had little to no strength. I imagine they were a humble, low-income congregation. However, they had received and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and kept His words. And it was what the Lord admired about them. For this reason, He tells them that He loves them, because they were a church that resisted in brotherly love. They say that the name of that church was changed, but they kept the word of God in their hearts, trusting in the promises of Jesus Christ.

John continues narrating and says, let no one take your crown. So, did the Lord leave this church crowned? Or does He crown us when we receive Him and keep His word? I believe that this church is praised by our Lord Jesus Christ, because it remained obedient, loving, enduring, and trusting, my beloved sisters. The truth is, we have a crown, but we must work to hold onto it, because another sister cannot take it from us, but rather the enemy that sows doubts and distrust. 2022 years have passed, but we must continue believing every day in the promises of Jesus Christ and not neglect ourselves! For indeed these are the days of confusion. These are dangerous days. These are days when you and I can stray from the path that God has established for us. Well, is it that the chosen cannot be deceived at the end of time? The way to avoid this is by being close, walking and talking with our Lord Jesus.

God says in His word: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (Jn. 10:27). Listen to the indication of the Holy Spirit, who will guide and direct you, and will establish your feet firmly on the path that He has established for you.

Furthermore, Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 4:1, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”

Indeed, if we work and strive, it is because we have placed our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all, especially for those who believe. Christ Himself gives us the assurance. “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (Jn. 5:24).

The Judgment Seat of Christ has nothing to do with salvation. Instead, it has to do with rewards for service, for constant growth in grace, for patience in doing good. Our just God will forget our work of love, if we have done it out of love for Him.

My beloved ones, let us continue to hope together, working in brotherly love keeping the word of God and practicing it every day, serving God, taking care of that crown that was placed on us.

As Isaiah 62:3 says, "You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God." Amen.

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #daughtersoftheKing #crownoflife #princessesofGod #guestwriter #blog

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

The story of Sapphira and Ananias is very short but full of a great message for us in these times (Acts 5:1-11). At that time the faithful believers brought their offerings so that the apostles could administer them in the best way. This offering was voluntary and the most beautiful thing of all is that they were conscious offerings. That is, each believer gave of his possessions because he understood that the church had a need, and above all, that it would serve to continue to spread the glorious Gospel of Christ (Acts 4:32-36).

However, God shows us that despite the fact that many understood this truth, there were also those who wanted to be seen and applauded by men. The intention of Sapphira and Ananias was not sincere or complete before God. It was not wrong to give only part of the money. What's more, I would say, they didn't even have to do it. But they decided that perhaps this offering would be useful. However, they forgot that everything we do for the Kingdom must be handled with simplicity and in secret, waiting only for God's reward (Mt. 6:3-5).

Sapphira and her husband thought that their hypocrisy would go unnoticed, they thought that they could deceive God. Hypocrisy is not only an evil that affects our interpersonal relationships, but also affects our relationship with God. He hates it when we try to think of Him as an object to be mocked, and even more so if we teach this horrible attitude to others.

Let’s look at this text: “There are six things the LORD hates, no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kills the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family” (Prov. 6:16-19, NLT). In this text there is an incredible order. First, we are shown that God hates arrogant eyes, followed by a lying tongue. For those who suffer from pride, their life will usually be full of lies.

Pride has always been man's worst enemy, since this defect prevents a person from being corrected, instructed, or grateful. Sapphira and Ananias's attitude was pride disguised as generosity. Therefore, God purged His Church in this way, as this brings blessing to all.

Half-truths are also lies. It seems to sound strong because many times we have gone down that path, perhaps to look good or not look so bad in some situation. The fabricated lies are very dangerous and, above all, the Lord greatly hates them.

Arrogance, as the Proverbs text shows us, brings serious consequences to our lives, not just for telling lies. It also brings discord in the family. Since the Church is the family of God, He will not let this evil grow out of proportion. Like Sapphira and Ananias, we can have that attitude.

We can have a false pride in being humble, and this is also very detestable for everyone. It's like a bad perfume that permeates the whole room. Cheap perfume is scandalous, and nauseating. In the same way, pride in our faith and humility becomes like that cheap perfume. Would you rather be a subtle and delicate perfume or a cheap and scandalous one?

Jesus said of Himself: “Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart,” (Mt. 11:29). Sometimes we assume we know everything, perhaps due to the years we have been in the church, but the truth is that our earthly life is a time for continuous learning. That is the true key, to never stop learning.

On the other hand, only Jesus can authoritatively attribute these qualities because He is the source of everything, be it knowledge, wisdom, goodness, love, humility, meekness, among other wonderful characteristics. So, it leads us to reflect that if we don’t spend time with the Teacher, then falling into lies and pride will be much easier.

Let’s not run to do evil, I imagine this couple trying to get where the apostles were to give them this supposed gift. They were eager to be recognized by the people, as were many Pharisees of the time. But, in this new Kingdom it was no longer going to be like that.

God tells us that we are new creatures through Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17), this translates as a reprogramming in our being. That is, if before we loved to brag about our achievements, now this should no longer be valuable in our eyes. Let us enter the Heavenly home not by means of our "good deeds" nor by our "titles," but by faith or trust placed in Christ Jesus.

It is sad to see how many Christians lie about irrelevant things. In the different ministries, many make excuses for not getting involved, as if saying that they really don’t want to or don’t feel prepared for what they see as difficult. Also, I have been able to observe the other extreme, those who do everything with pompoms and tambourines to appear as the most generous or the most concerned about their neighbor. One more reason why God decided to uproot this couple in the early Church.

Finally, Sapphira should have been that wise and prudent woman advising her husband to do the right thing before God. This teaches us how true the advice of Proverbs 14:1 is. As women we must ask God for a lot of wisdom, through the study of the Word, meditation, prayer and fasting. These four components together will help us connect with God in an incredible way.

Join me in praying: Lord, help us to be more like You. Our hearts often think about the evil, but we know that you can change that reality. Cleanse us from evil every day and help us to be able to be more committed to Your work. In Jesus, amen.

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #pride #humility #liesandtruth #guestwriter #blog

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

Today’s world encourages us to begin saving and investing for retirement with the goal of retiring as early as possible to live a life of leisure.

But… is that found in Scripture? Our Creator in His infinite wisdom made us so that (unless disease sets in) we can continue to learn and serve our entire life.

One of the sweetest promises is in Revelation 2:10b (ESV), “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

The apostle John was probably between the age of 80 and 90 and had endured persecution when he wrote these words of Jesus after seeing a vision of heaven—the place Jesus told His disciples He was preparing (John 14:1-3).

Other Bible characters come to mind when I think about continuing to learn, serve, and be faithful.

Noah was 500 years old and had never seen what God told him about, but he believed and obeyed in faith, building the ark that saved his family from the flood.

When God called Abram at age 75, he left his homeland and the idolatry that was prevalent there and followed God in faith. It was another 25 years before the promised son was born, and during these years of waiting, Abraham continued to learn of God’s faithfulness. When he was told to take his son Isaac to Mount Moriah and offer him as a sacrifice, he obeyed because he believed God could raise him from the dead (Heb. 11:17-19). In James 2:23, we read, “And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’—and he was called a friend of God,” faithful until his death at age 175.

Joseph was sold into slavery at age 17, approximately 12 years before his grandfather Isaac died. How often did Joseph hear his aged blind grandfather speak of the trip to Mt Moriah and other stories of faith, keeping those precious words in his heart of how God kept His promises?

Genesis 50:20-21 shows us Joseph’s faith which led him to show kindness towards his brothers.

“’As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”

Moses reached his peak beginning at age 80, 40 years after fleeing the palace of Egypt. During the last 40 years of his life, he met with God, learning to follow God as he led approximately two million Israelites out of Egypt, then wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.

Solomon asked of the LORD: “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil...” (1 Kings 3:9). However, later Solomon chose to make alliances with foreign nations, taking foreign wives, and building places for worshiping their foreign gods. Towards the end of his life, Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes, saying that the pleasures he chased were meaningless, and closing with these words in 12:13b, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

Daniel was a prophet during the reign of six kings who ruled the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires for about 70 years. Daniel had three events where he faced near-certain death, found in chapters 1, 2, and 6. He prophesied about the Messiah who would come during the last great ancient empire… the Roman Empire.

Luke 2:22-48 tells of Simeon and the widow Anna, aged 84, who never left the temple, “worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day” (v. 37b). The Lord had told Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When Joseph and Mary went to the temple for Mary’s purification, Simeon exalted the baby Jesus and prophesied words of warning to Mary. Anna gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Sometimes life is overwhelming, and we have to simply trust Paul’s words in Philippians 1:6: “…he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.”

Like those who have gone before us, let us all “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14), ”running with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:1b-2a).

#IronRoseSister #teachthroughrelationships #learnthroughrelationships #lifelonglearner #befaithfuluntodeath #blog #guestwriter

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

When we observe each lineage and relate the origins, it is possible to find facts very well anticipated by our Creator and Heavenly Father in His maximum creation, we being an important part of it. Every biblical character teaches holy purposes of our God. Likewise, every being on the face of the earth is designed for every good work and for His service.

We study about Moses in the Old Testament starting in Exodus chapter 2 that mentions his birth. I find that he was a man of God of Hebrew origin, brother of Miriam and Aaron, both older than him. His birth occurred when an Egyptian pharaoh set out to kill all Hebrew children. Definitely for great holy purpose, he was hidden for several months and placed in a basket in the Nile River by his mother to be saved, found by Pharaoh's daughter, who raised him as a Pharaoh's son.

In the midst of a quiet life, Moses, seeing the insensitive work towards the Hebrew slaves, killed a brutal Egyptian watchman who mistreated one of them. Having to flee from there for many years, he reached Midian where he remained for forty years. He married Zipporah and they had a son whom they named Gershom. 

Moses is called by God through a burning bush, under the mission of returning to Egypt and freeing the Hebrew people from slavery. Returning to Egypt, the Israelites began to trust him as God's messenger. His greatest challenge or difficulty was convincing Pharaoh to let the slaves go through the ten plagues. But the hard-hearted Pharaoh changed his mind as soon as Moses and the Hebrew people fled. God parted the Red Sea, allowing the Hebrews to pass through and the Egyptians to be entombed within the sea.

In the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, God delivers to Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai for the people of Israel. After great controversies, struggles, disobedience, idolatry, weariness of serving the Lord, and also submerged under opposition in the desert, it is said that he did not enter the promised land either (Deut. 1:34-46).

Like Moses, and from my heart too, I will tell you that I am a daughter of God. Born in Venezuela, to a tall and passionate man named Juan, and a beautiful-looking woman with great character, named Marta. From them, I have six siblings, two older than me and four younger than me. I grew up in the care of my maternal grandmother. I was trained in the midst of great opportunities and at the same time with some economic limitations, an experience possibly similar to yours; however, always God provided.

When fearsome adolescence arrived, there were emotional needs, but God continued protecting me. At the age of twenty-one, God gave me my precious first daughter, whom I named Crismarie Alemar, uniting the important things in my life through Christ, Mary, Alejandro and Marta.

At the age of twenty-two, Jesus Christ called me to meet Him and to be part of Him. Being born again by water and Spirit at twenty-three years of age, as we see in John 3:1-21. My life started getting in order and I continued learning.

At the age of twenty-nine, I married my brave husband Jahan Rangel. We have both walked under the direction of the Lord. At the age of thirty-three there was another gift, our handsome second son named Cristian Abdías.

After ten years in social slavery, trials and challenges in our beloved country Venezuela, God allowed us through our daughter to come to Ecuador to continue learning. Those were times of opportunities and challenges, not so much on an economic level, but always on a spiritual level.

The Lord continues to call us to spread the gospel in this city of different cultures and where, as in every place, there is resistance to knowing the greatness of the salvation of the soul and the blessing of eternal life. It is not easy; but neither is it impossible (Luke 1:37).

Among the challenges and difficulties found here, there is the power to achieve what Galatians 6:10 tells us; that is, helping each other as brothers, despite the distrust or xenophobia (rejection of foreigners) among some weaker brothers in faith. This led us to the decision and the need to return to our country of origin, and as Moses did. Romans 8:28 teaches us today that everything works together for good.

To return to our country is to return to Egypt to continue freeing souls for Christ and encouraging the brothers and sisters to remain in the unity of faith, in the midst of tribulations, doubts, and scarcity.

Remembering the Ten Commandments given in the time of Moses and our ten-in-one, and the main one, seen in Mark 12:30-31, it propels our faith to a total dependence on Godwith all our being, soul, strength, and heart, and to love others as we love ourselves.

Likewise, it is necessary to start over each day in the joy of salvation and in prayer (1 Thes. 5:16-18), activating the Holy Spirit of the Father to value, at all times, the great sacrifice of Jesus, because He loved us so much.

Sister, without fear, it is time to strengthen our faith and reflect the peace that comes from Him. Let's not forget Galatians 2:20. Let’s fight together to enter and love the promise of eternal life. Are we encouraged and strengthened towards eternity and in doing the will of God? Amen.

Listen to Him!
Written by Debora Rodrigo

As human beings, we have been blessed with the enormous gift of being able to speak. By speaking, we can communicate, express our feelings, ask for help when we need it, etc. But many times, we overuse this divine gift leaving in disuse another gift of equal or greater blessing: the gift of listening.

Numerous investigations talk about the benefits of listening more and speaking less. Some have even claimed that this is precisely the key to success. And it seems that there is much truth in the fact that the more you speak, the more wrong you are. But not only do we make more mistakes, we also lose the opportunity to listen, and therefore to learn and acquire knowledge. These are probably some of the reasons why James wrote: "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak" (James 1:19).

The disciples, the humans that they were, had the same problem of speaking more than they should. In a well-known passage in the Gospels we are told one of the times in which Peter was speaking without really knowing what to say (Matthew 17: 1-8). In it, Jesus takes His three special disciples with them and takes them to a separate place. The Gospels tell us how there, before them, Jesus was transfigured, and Moses and Elijah, who were talking with Him, appeared next to Him. I imagine the faces of amazement of Peter, James and John, completely frightened by what was happening before them. It was surely a moment to listen and not speak. But that was not what happened.

While Jesus was talking with Moses and Elijah, Peter broke into the conversation and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah" (Matthew 17: 4). However, notice how the Gospel of Mark points out that Peter spoke even though "he did not know what to say, they were so frightened" (Mark 9: 6). Perhaps, it would have been better to remain quiet and listen to that conversation that Jesus had with Moses and Elijah (Mark 9: 4). Not everyone is offered the privilege of witnessing such an event!

Let's see what happened next. Immediately, while Peter was still giving his opinion, a cloud covered them, and a voice was heard saying: "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"(Matthew 17: 5).

I guess Peter got the message. I think the other disciples present that day also understood that when the Son's voice is audible, we do not need to cover it with ours. Today, what do your emotions and the situations you are facing make you want to talk about? Have you listened to the Son? Are you sure you have something better to say? Listen to Him!

#IronRoseSister #ListentoIAM #Listentoothers #guestwriter

Written by Wendy Neill, Advancement Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

God is eternal, and he created you to live eternally. John tells us that if we believe in his Son, we can know that we have eternal life.

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1John 5:11-13)

Leaning into this knowledge can make all the difference in how we live. Randy Alcorn, the Founder and Director of Eternal Perspective Ministries, often uses this analogy: “live for the line.”

I think of our lives in terms of a dot and a line, signifying two phases. Our present life on earth is the dot. It begins. It ends. It’s brief. However, from the dot, a line extends that goes on forever. That line is eternity, which Christians will spend in heaven. Right now we’re living in the dot. But what are we living for? The shortsighted person lives for the dot. The person with perspective lives for the line. (Source: blog post on EPM’s website.)

What are some practical ways we can embrace our eternal nature and “live for the line?” Let me offer three suggestions:

1. Eagerly anticipate heaven - We have so intertwined the topic of heaven with our fear of death, that we often avoid the subject. But God tells us about our future home for a reason. He wants us to look forward to it! I encourage you to download our free ePetal study Heaven on the Horizon and spend time in the Word learning about your eternal home. In my own life, I have found that focusing on heaven brings joy and purpose to my life. It provides strength to get through my momentary struggles (2 Corinthians 4:17).
   
   
2. Store up treasure in heaven - Jesus taught us to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20). How? Serve others as if you were serving the Lord (Colossians 3:22-25), expect and abide mistreatment (Hebrews 11:26, James 1:12), do good to your enemies (Luke 6:35), plant and water kingdom seeds (1 Corinthians 3:8), and care for the poor and marginalized (Luke 14:13-14).
   
   
3. Lead others to heaven - When you are truly focused on heaven, your joy rubs off on others. It is easier to share your faith when you know, deep down, that what you are offering others is eternal rest, joy, and relationship, instead of a list of rules and church attendance.

How will you “live for the line” this week?

Written by Ximena Ramirez, Christian sister in Montevideo, Uruguay

In this world, we are in the midst of various cultures, each with their own rules and customs. In general, we work day-to-day to survive and each day we pile on even more: things, responsibilities, and worries. In today’s world, time seems to pass even more quickly than before—running from one side to another in order to get what we want. In spite of it all, if we were asked if we are free, the majority of us would respond, “Yes.”

From a political and legal perspective, we consider ourselves free; we have the freedom to do what we want and to go where we choose without someone prohibiting it. Throughout the course of human history, we have fought in order to obtain that freedom. In other countries, they continue to fight to obtain that freedom or to reclaim it. We also long for the freedom of expression and thought. Without doubt, each of these freedoms are important, but do we truly feel free? Are our thoughts and expressions truly free?

We all know, deep down, that we are not totally free. As human beings, we have created our own limitations without realizing it. The amount of money we have or don’t, our jobs, our families, our commitments, our goals, our prejudices—anything that hinders us from flying free like a bird—make us less free. Don’t you think?

Now, if we were to stop a minute and think from the Christian perspective, we should remember that our Teacher and Shepherd clearly said that,
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).

But what kind of freedom is Jesus talking about? The Jews with whom He was speaking didn’t understand that He was speaking of a different kind of freedom.

The freedom Jesus spoke of was spiritual, mental, and true freedom, because it is what frees us from sin, and we know that this world is immersed in sin. This is why our freedom does not depend on any human limitations—we have already been set free! (Gal. 5:1)

When we don’t feel free, we may feel powerless, useless, overwhelmed, or depressed. Stress and depression are the two most common illnesses in modern day health.

Followers of Christ should remember daily that we no longer belong to this world, even though we live in it (2 Cor. 10:3) and that we have access to true freedom through the Truth that He taught us. The mission of Jesus was to show us the way to that freedom we lost in the beginning and lead us to the transformation of our minds and thoughts, which lead to a different way of acting and living (2 Cor. 10:5). That freedom is found within us but is reflected externally. We can free ourselves from all the evil that overwhelms us if we follow the teachings of Jesus and His Word (James 1:25).

What is the Truth we will come to know as disciples of Jesus? I remember a TV series from the 1990’s, The X Files, that always closed with the line, “The truth is out there.” And in a way, the truth is out there because we can see it through His creation, in how perfect the universe is, yet the Truth is Jesus Himself—in His Word and within us if we are in Him (John 14:6). Knowing, understanding, and practicing what we learn from Jesus and His words allow us to live truly free.

This Truth can seem mysterious, but if we look to Jesus and what He teaches, we will see that it is actually simpler than we think. As His followers, we should try to do what He says and we will realize that our lives are fuller, more loving, more peaceful, and freer.

Free like Paul said, “To live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). We will be free from our worries and sadness if we claim our true purpose and abandon the drive to have more, to be successful in our careers, to have a beautiful family, to have a child, to travel to far-off lands, to feel happy, etc.

Our new purpose is to be free from the limitations that we face as humans. The purpose we now have is greater and goes beyond those limitations, which, in turn, allows us to realize the changes within ourselves toward freedom (Gal. 2:20).

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians recommends what we should think on (Phil. 4:8), practical advice, especially for the days in which we find it difficult to clear our minds of negative thoughts. We are bombarded by news of world tragedies, economic crises, and injustices. It is a challenge to not dwell on these things and not allow them to influence how we live our lives. However, we can focus our thoughts on things above that will allow us to act and react differently, to have a better attitude, knowing that we have a Savior that has already freed us, and that now calls us to follow Him and live as free disciples.

The Freedom in which we live is here and the only way to get to it is in Jesus. Seek Him, His word, and His example in order to put into practice what we learn from Him.

Our Teacher leads us to salvation and eternal life, but He also serves as a guide for life here on earth—a life filled with peace that leads us to do good things, think good things, and live by the Spirit. Our mind and our heart are free because we allow Jesus to rule in our lives.

#IronRoseSister #freedom #truth #guestwriter

Written by Lisanka Martinez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Venezuela

As a teenager, I heard a story in which a man cheated on his wife with a cousin of hers. Shocked, I discussed it at home and we remembered a family situation from when I was a child: my aunt's husband tried to make her younger sister fall in love with him, who, offended, told her sister, but she did not believe him and preferred to trust the word of her husband. This kept them as enemies for some time and all of us in the family were involved in one way or another. That memory allowed mom to free herself from another memory that she had preferred to hide from us while we were younger: In her family there had been the shameful case of a man who had children with 2 sisters. I couldn't understand it, it seemed so horrible to me. I described the man as a depraved monster and the women as stupid, submissive, fearful, and even scoundrels who accepted that situation for years. Mom tried to justify them due to their ignorance, coupled with fear and loneliness. I was left very confused and reluctant to accept this type of behavior in the middle of the 20th century.

Years later, being a Christian and preparing for some Bible classes, I had the opportunity to learn and analyze a little of Jacob's story. There I found out that he had been married and had children with 2 sisters. What an ugly story for a relevant character in the Bible! Oh! The poor man had been deceived, but why did he continue with her? And poor Rachel, how bad her father had been in making that change. She, as a daughter and a woman, could not disobey him and protest. Poor dear! I hardly even thought about that older sister who was also a main character in that drama. When I thought of Leah, I saw her as the accomplice of the father who had stolen his sister's happiness, perhaps out of selfishness, perhaps because of the tradition of that time that determined that the eldest should marry first. I saw her as a bad guy in that story. In my critical and romantic mind, I reasoned that she should have warned Jacob of the deception so that the marriage would not be consummated and help him plan on how to achieve happiness with his beloved Rachel.

Sometimes we, as humans, want explanations adapted to our understanding of the facts that God shows us in the Bible. We act with such arrogance that we dare to question divine purposes without remembering how fortunate we are that He loves and forgives us. There should be no doubt of that.

Sometime later, preparing a class on domestic violence, I had the opportunity to re-analyze this story. Now, I dedicated myself to thinking in more detail about each character and, of course, I got another perspective on Leah.

Etymologically her name means: tired, languid, melancholic, and hardworking. These four characteristics can define someone who is not happy or appreciated, and who does not have much support, perhaps someone who feels lonely even when surrounded by many people.

Leah was the oldest sister and the first thing that is said about her is that she had "delicate" eyes, for which some authors affirm that she had downcast, sad eyes; perhaps due to some disease. There is no certainty of this, but it is certain that Rachel was more beautiful and vivacious. What a disappointment for Jacob. And what about how Leah felt? Perhaps she was the most disappointed, but she couldn't protest. She could only obey her father.

The Bible tells us that Leah was despised and that she was comforted by God (v.31). Sibling rivalries are common. What is not common is that they stay strong as adults. Let's imagine Leah feeling underestimated and competing with a rival, not only more beautiful but also loved. There is a lot of loneliness in the person who does not receive enough love!

Despite these circumstances, Leah learned to rest and seek comfort in God. This is noticeable in the names that she was choosing for her children. Each name is a wish that her husband stop belittling her, but also that she is sure of having divine favor. We can see in them her personal and intimate relationship with God.

Just as Leah learned to cope with the rivalry with her sister, her husband's lack of love, and her initial loneliness by taking refuge in God and in loving her children, we too can learn to depend solely on divine love, knowing that we must take all our cares to God instead of complaining or being bitter. We can know with certainty that the best option is to rest and trust in God.

It doesn't matter if we are single, married, or single again, loneliness can sometimes creep up on us and bring us negative consequences in our walk with Christ. It can make us feel belittled, worthless, unloved. However, all these are tricks of the enemy.

What can we do when loneliness creeps into our lives? Or when we have unreciprocated love, or we are not valued in our workplace, or we are not taken into account for service in the congregation? Are we going to feel depressed or defeated? Or, on the contrary, will we understand that we are all valuable to God, that we are unique and there is no one exactly the same in the world, that God loves us, sees us, listens to us, and provides for us? Isn't all this a sign that we are not alone?

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #loneliness #Leah #loveofGod #guestwriter #blog

Written by Debora Rodrigo de Racancoj

Many of us have followed Christ for years. We attend church regularly. And many of us may not miss any of the weekly meetings offered at our church. We read the Bible regularly, more or less. In fact, many of our Bibles are worn out from using them. They may be full of marks and highlights. We may even be able to recite some of its passages by memory. And in many of our lives, it is easy to find moments dedicated to God in one way or another. But one of the activities in which we, today's Christian women, most commonly fail is in prayer. That moment alone with God is set aside during the little time the daily chores leave us. It may happen that, like many of us, prayer is your pending assignment.

Love is Eternal

Written by Wendy Neill
I remember the “Aha” moment. I wrote it in the margins of my Bible beside 1 Corinthians 13:13. It was September of 1998 and Brother Ira Edwards was teaching Bible class in Delta, Colorado. I was a mother of a one year old, so I was probably struggling to stay awake, but Brother Ira was a wise teacher and I enjoyed hearing what he had to say.

1 Corinthians 13:13 says “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” There are a lot of reasons love might be considered the greatest (and Michelle has provided us with a great list in her recent post). But the reason Brother Ira pointed out that day really spoke to me. He said, “Love is the only one of the three that is eternal. In heaven, there will be no more need for faith and hope.” Wow. Have you ever thought about that? When we get to heaven, we will be face-to-face with God who IS love. We will no longer need faith, because our faith will be replaced by sight. We will no longer need hope, because all of our hopes will be fulfilled. But his love for us will last forever and we will soak it up like a warm bath.

I wrote a blog post here last year about my friend, Effie. This year, Effie went home to the Lord. I miss her, but it is a thrill for me to think that she no longer needs faith and hope, because she is in the presence of Love. And so is Brother Ira. And so I will be someday.

Written by Rayne Paz, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Brazil

Jesus revolutionized the world. His actions caused dislike and distrust in a society that was trying to understand God’s will but was wrong so many times. Christ brought a direct message from God - what God really wanted from His creation. But some of His followers were being treated negatively Women!

How did Jesus treat and relate to this particular audience?

The middle eastern woman was very underestimated. References from the Old Testament like Deborah, Ruth, and Esther had been forgotten during God’s “silent years”, which led to women being undervalued and underrepresented.

During New Testament times, women were seen as inferior compared to men, but Jesus saw them as equal partners. Not as superiors , but as God’s divine creation and of importance to God and to society. Jesus faced the challenge of including women as participants in His redeeming work. He knew the impact that women would have on His journey. Luke talks about this in chapter 8, verses 1-3, “After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.”

Jesus traveled with His disciples, both men and women, but the women were the ones who supported him financially. Amongst them was Mary Magdalene.

Mary’s past was not the best, she was tormented by demons (Luke 8:2). That fact was a part of who she was, part of her HIStory. Perhaps she was insecure about possibly falling again, but this time everything was different; she had been set free by the CHRIST and from that moment on she decided to follow and support Him.

Mary was a faithful follower of Jesus until the day of His crucifixion. When everyone ran away because they were scared, embarrassed, or powerless seeing their Master on the cross, Mary and the other women were there (Mt 27:55-56) touched, moved, and worried for their Lord. These women were among the last people to see Jesus’ face before He died on the cross and God allowed them to be the first ones to see His body resurrected (Mt 28:1-10).

After three-day Mary went to the tomb to anoint Christ’s body. She was worried about being able to open the tomb by herself, but bravely went anyways (Mark 16:1-3). Seeing the empty tomb and receiving the order to go and announce that Jesus was resurrected was really scary, so she didn’t say anything (Mark 16:8). She was just a woman, who would believe her? And maybe they would think it was her fault. It was too risky. But everything changed when Jesus Himself came to her. The one who gave her a second chance, freed her and healed her. Christ called her by her name: Mary! Her eyes were opened at that moment and she overcame her fear because of the faith she had in the resurrected Christ, Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:18, NAA) Her encounter with the Master made her overcome her fears to testify and announce the resurrection.

We learn so much from Mary Magdalene’s HIStory! A lot of times we are free, but our own past clings on to us in a way that makes us feel insecure. Just like Mary, we need to overcome our fears because in doing so we can have an encounter with the Lord, and gain resilience, new life, confidence, and faithfulness. No matter what our situation is, with Him, even when we feel broken, sad, or helpless, we can be confident that will be with Him. Just like Mary Magdalene, if we stay with Him until the end, we will be able to see Him resurrected. He already is!

Are you ready to announce the good news to all?

Written by Carolina Pérez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in New York

I was born and grew up in a Christian home watching my parents serve in different places in Ecuador. I remember when I was little that my family and I always arrived early to the congregation and my dad liked to sit in the very front. When we started the singing, he always told me and my sister, “Sing loud so they can hear you!” So, I had the idea that the louder I sang, the more God would hear me. Even today, I sing loudly, but my perspective about how He hears me has certainly changed.

I grew up with the idea that worshipping God was just on Sundays at church, singing, praying, and attending Sunday school classes, or when I got a little bigger, listening to a sermon. And maybe this is how you have understood it too (especially if you are a new convert or you are still learning). “We are going to worship the Lord!” It is a common expression in Sunday contexts and it’s true that when we gather and we are together as brothers and sisters, this is what we do, but worship goes much beyond there and implies so much more than two hours a week.

As the years have gone by, I understood that worship shouldn’t be part of my life, but rather that it must be my way of life. In other words, it should influence every area of my existence. Worship implies having a genuine fear of the Lord and obedience of His statutes. Not doing this leads me many times to not worship God with my decisions and my attitudes when faced with life situations. For example, in 2014, my husband, my son, and I moved to New York City. For me, it was a difficult decision because I was leaving behind my family, my friendships, the congregation where I had grown up, etc. More than once, I asked the Lord, why? It was far from my heart and mind to worship God for what was happening in that moment. To be honest, it was the last thing I was thinking about. But in 2017, after some painful but necessary events, the Heavenly Father allowed me to see, in an amazing way, that the best thing that could’ve happened to us as a family was to remove us from our comfort zone and our original plans. It was then that I began to truly worship God. I understood that what Romans 8:28 says is real and I experienced it in my life and in my family’s. That is why I worship and, even though I am far from perfect, and I have still not completely adapted to my new place of residence, today at least I see the circumstances from another point of view, and I thank the Father every day for the love and mercy He has shown us.

All of this makes me think of Mary’s story. This humble young woman was engaged to be married to Joseph. Just before the wedding, the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her that she had been chosen by God to be the mother of His Son, Jesus. Mary didn’t understand what was happening, nor did she understand how she would become pregnant if she was a virgin. The angel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and that she would conceive. He also told her that this baby would have a special purpose for all humanity. Of course, she was stunned and didn’t understand it all, yet she said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), thus showing her heart as willing and trusting in God’s promises.

This declaration, made by this servant, was very important, not just because of the faith it demonstrated, but also seeing it in the light of the context in which it happened. What occurred was not easy and the circumstances made it even less so. Mary, engaged to be married, was to remain pure for her husband. Evidently, being pregnant before consummating the marriage implied a tremendous offense to the marriage, not to mention that it was a sin in the eyes of the community. In the Old Testament, we are told that a man or a woman who committed this offense was to be put to death, stoned (Deut. 22:23-24). In other words, the ending that Mary expected after the angel’s visit was not the beautiful celebration as she had originally planned, but rather her death. With this in mind, it is understandable that Mary would have been troubled, confused, and even a little scared. Yet, her worship of God did not cease. She accepted the Almighty’s will for her life in spite of the dire consequences of what was awaiting her. The original plans changed radically for her, but without doubting, she remained loyal to her Father. In fact, we can see in Luke 1:46-55 a beautiful song praise that she expressed when her cousin Elizabeth helped her process everything that was happening. She recognized the grace of the Lord poured out in her life and she worshipped.

I want us to understand that our body, soul, and spirit were designed to worship God. When we are conscious of this, we will seek to do His will in every scope of life and not just for two hours each Sunday. Everything that you are and that you do glorifies the Lord. When we understand this concept, our view of worship will surely change.

Below, I will give you a few examples which you could certainly add to as you continue reading the Bible. For example, we can worship when:

• We wait patiently and prayerfully for the man with whom you want to share your life.
• We fulfill our duties, lovingly taking care of our children and our home.
• You submit to your husband with love (Col. 3:18).
• We are integral in our workplace (Col. 3:23-24).
• We help our neighbor or our brother/sister who is in need (Matt. 25:31-46).
• We listen to and lovingly support people who are going through a difficult time.
• You use your talents to serve in the congregation.
• In middle of trials, you decide to trust that God is in control of everything.

As you can see, worship is broader and deeper than what we believed, right? Our worship should be 24/7 because this is how we reveal that we understand who God is and who we are. Are you ready to truly worship?

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

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, whichwe have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, andwe proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”

(1 John 1:1-2, emphasis added)

When John speaks to the brothers in this way, what he is saying in today’s language is: “I want to talk to you about something I know a lot about, or more so someone I knew well. I know what I’m talking about.” Doesn’t that appear to be what he is saying? And when you know less about a certain topic, well, then you easily accept direction, supervision, and guidance from someone who knows more.

Even though the Bible does not mention the word “mentoring,” its practice can be observed through diverse relationships throughout the Scriptures, from the Old to the New Testament. For this reason, it is so important that we recognize the practice, identify the aspects that relate to use and live them out, as part of our identity as Christians, actually our identity as people when you get down to it. And, did you know? Mentorship is equivalent to discipleship. Someone who disciples is a mentor, even when, at times, they don’t “check all the boxes.”

Mentor: Counselor, guide, teacher.

As I mentioned before, there are various examples in the Bible of mentoring relationships; but let’s look at Jesus’ example. Jesus chose 12 men to whom He delegated the task of replicating what He did with them. He taught them something He knew extremely well, the Kingdom. He encouraged and equipped them to complete a mission. He was patient and He loved them. He was their friend and He served them, knowing Who He was and where He was going (John 13:1).

A mentor like Jesus knows who He is, is surrounded by friends, disciples, who are dedicated to His purpose, with perseverance. Just as Paul did and entrusted to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

A mentor is an instrument of God.

“I came to do my Father’s will,” Jesus said in John 6:38.

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles…” (Luke 6:12-13)

A mentor has clear goals in mind and works toward them, guiding his/her disciples there.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matt. 4:19)

If we are imitators of Jesus, and since we have the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, we also need to and should want to be in mentoring or discipleship relationships. We are also called to be part of this pattern of teaching and growth that we see in the New Testament.

There is no addendum to the Bible where the characteristics of a mentor are listed, but Jesus showed us how to do it: Get close to one or more people that need to be instructed and learn about the Kingdom. Teach them, treat them with love, develop a friendship with them, and persevere toward the goal of walking with Jesus at all times and encourage others to persevere in that walk. That was the key to the spreading of the gospel in the ancient world: The mentoring relationship that Jesus had with His disciples.

I know that it looks simplistic to mention only these few aspects, but these are at the heart of this service, central to our mission (Matt. 28:18-20).

In the same way as the apostle John, we also have seen and “touched” Jesus. We know Him adequately enough to speak to the world about Him. It is our mission to do so.

Written by Kara Benson, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

We are messengers. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:17-20).

We need to use our tongues. As messengers, we use our speech to carry God’s message of truth, hope, love, and redemption to the world. There is a popular quote that says, “Teach the gospel at all times. And if necessary, use words.” However, at some point, the words have to come out of our mouths. Paul writes in Romans 10:14, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” We should use our tongues to share the good news with those around us. Living a good, moral life simply is not enough. Being described by our neighbors and coworkers as a nice, hardworking person who doesn’t cuss simply is not enough. If we do not share the gospel, then those around us might not come to know our Creator and His message of reconciliation. If we are waiting for someone to notice our good, moral life and ask us about it before we share the message… that day may never come. We are called to be a city on a hill, the light of the world, and the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13-14).

Reflection question: Do your neighbors know that you are a Christian? Or could you be confused for a “good, moral person” who happens to be gone on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights?

As messengers, we need to be careful how we use our tongues. Recently, I had an interesting encounter with someone at work. When I approached the front counter, I welcomed an individual to our café and asked what he would like to order. He replied that he was not there to order, but instead handed me his daughter’s uniform. I thanked him and wished him well. “Have a blessed day,” he said before turning and walking out the door. Little did I know that just before walking into our café, he had cursed out someone over the phone. I share this anecdote as an example of the danger of hypocrisy. We should examine ourselves and ask the question, are we silencing our witness with our own words?

James writes, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water” (James 3:9-12).

Many of us may not struggle with profanity or cursing others. But do we struggle with complaining? I, for one, am certainly guilty of complaining. A few months ago, I listened to a sermon on this topic. The world does not need more complainers; it needs more light and joy. Philippians 2:14-15 says, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” In these verses, complaining is contrasted with being pure, unblemished, and shining like stars.

Reflection question: What is the message we are bringing? Are we consistently bringing a message of hope, joy, and peace, or are we frequently bringing a message of frustration, worry, and annoyance?

Let us remember that we are Christ’s ambassadors and we carefully use our tongues to deliver God’s message to the world.

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