Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Be still and know that He is God.
Cease striving.
Stop fighting.
Psalm 46:10 expresses each of these sentiments.
God is in control. And if we will be still, cease striving, and stop fighting, we will know and remember that He is God.
However, my spirit is far from still this evening. I feel anxious. Questioning. Doubtful.
Focused on listening to the Father’s voice, I have been disturbed by some of what I hear. Have I been so focused on my own thoughts and driven by my own desires—an interpretation of what I think God’s will is for my life—that I have ceased listening?
Henri Nouwen said, “How sad it is that thinking often makes prayers cease.”
And prayer is listening as much or more than speaking.
So I will be still. I will cease striving. I will stop fighting the war within me. I will listen.
And I will KNOW that He is God.
This weekend, the theme for the Downtown Church of Christ is Be Still and Know.

Written by Tony Brizendine, husband of Brenda and volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries

I can remember the excitement I felt as if it were yesterday. Brenda and I were picking out the paint colors, cabinets, carpet, and light fixtures for our new home. This is something we had prayed about for years and our dream was finally coming true. We received a phone call from our realtor while we were celebrating my birthday. He congratulated us on securing the property to build our new home on. I thought for sure this was God’s hand blessing us. We had already sold our previous home and were living in the basement of my parent’s house while waiting on our new home to be constructed. We also were pregnant with our daughter and were hoping the new home would be finished before she was born.

The months that followed seemed to contradict all of our excitement. The building of our home was delayed for several months due to a shortage of workers. By the time there were workers available, I received news that I was being laid off from my job. We ultimately had to pull out of building the house a few weeks before Brenda’s due date. I was crushed. No job, no house and a baby on the way. I asked myself over and over, “Why would a good God allow this to happen to us?” I felt angry and abandoned by God.

A few days after our daughter was born, I received a call from a former boss of mine. He invited me to apply for an open job with his new company. Within a week after his call and interviewing, I was employed again. My parents and younger sister helped us with our newborn daughter while we were living with them, which was a huge blessing for us. Two months later, our realtor called us and had a great home available for us to purchase that suited our needs perfectly. We were able to move into our house the weekend of my birthday, exactly 1 year after we had secured the property for the home we wanted to build.

After having some time to reflect, I realized that I was not putting God first. In that season, I had become selfish and shortsighted. I didn’t see God as my provider. I saw myself and my job as my provider instead of Him. He is the Great “I AM” and as Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” God is not interested in just granting the desires of our heart, He wants our whole heart. While we see the surface level things, He can see from a much higher level than we can.

While I was very grateful to God for restoring my employment and helping us through that season, I felt as though our dream was lost. Yet three years later, God provided a home that was not far from where we originally wanted to build, and was constructed at the same time we lost our “dream house”. The selling owners took very good care of the house, which was far beyond our expectations, and left it in pristine condition. It was as if God had these people taking care of it for us while He waited for the right time to deliver it.

God had seen what we needed on the surface level, but He wanted us to learn to see Him first, The One, The Whole. Thanks for letting me share this reminder to keep our eyes fixed on the I AM.

Moses came down from Mount Sinai and had to cover his face because of the splendor and radiance that blinded the Israelites. His time with God was reflected on his face. For some, this was intimidating, and for some, I believe it was inspiring.
When I meet someone who has obviously spent time in God’s presence, I am inspired to know how she has arrived at that moment in her relationship with God. I may not be able to go through the same experiences that brought her there, but I can learn from her and be inspired by her story and be equipped to know God in new ways.
However, I am convicted as I write this because I have not been spending as much time in the Word, in prayer, or with other Christians as I know are necessary and beneficial—three key elements for growing in my knowledge of God. (Remember yesterday’s post? I’m not talking about knowing about Him, saber, but rather my knowledge of Him, or knowing Him, conocer).

Most of you know that I love languages. I call Spanish my nerdy passion and I enjoying being able to explore other cultures through their use of language.
There are some words that are more easily expressed in one language than another. And some words we don’t attempt to say in our own language, but rather borrow them from another, like “bon apetit,” or “quesadilla.” Not all borrowed words refer to foods, like “déjà vu,” or “Colorado” (meaning red-colored, a description of the river that runs through that state).
Today, I want to introduce you to two different Spanish words for “to know.” Their distinct meanings will help highlight an important aspect of Knowing God.

Can I truly know God without gleaning insight from His Word? In the Old and New Testaments, we come to know who God is and how He works. We see what is important to Him and where He places His priorities.
The entire story of Scripture is a window into the character of God and how, out of His infinite love, He relentlessly pursues us.
God starts as the Creator (Gen. 1) and we quickly see what He thinks of sin (Gen. 3 and 6). And while we may not understand how it all fits together as we progress through the book of Genesis, we see God’s promises, like the ones to Abraham (Gen. 12), and can recognize when they are later fulfilled.

The first time God revealed Himself to Moses was through the burning bush (Ex. 3).
13 Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
We may not get the privilege of a burning bush by which we can recognize God, but He makes His presence known as the Great I AM, even today.

(taken from chapter 9 of Who Has the Last Word? “Recognizing God’s Voice,” pg. 157-8)
Elijah recognized God’s voice as a whisper (1 Kings 19:12-13). The sheep recognized and followed the voice of the Good Shepherd (John 10:2-5). It’s about knowing God, not just about Him, in order to recognize His voice of truth in the midst of trying times.
The more time we spend in the Word, the more we come to know His words, and the easier it is to discern His words of truth amidst the bombardment of lies.
My sister and brother-in-law were on a camping trip outside of cell range. But our other housemate needed to reach them in order to ask permission to bring home a puppy she wanted to adopt.

There are some things I know with certainty. I have my dad’s legs. I have my mom’s smile. I am the oldest of four girls. And red is better than pink.
You may argue with me on the last point, but I know what is true for me. “What is true for me...” The relative nature of truth has become a challenge in our churches and our personal lives.

“We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.” ~ Anonymous
I have heard that quote a number of times in my life and as we begin a new calendar year, it seems an appropriate phrase to repeat and reflect on.
For those of us who are planners, we often need this reminder that we are not in control. My organizational skills and passion for a well-thought out plan used to be much more intense. I have mellowed in my old age —more through my travels and the experiences that constantly remind me that the best-made plans never work out how we want anyway. Also, because I am not, never have been, nor should I be, in control. The future is an unknown. And that’s okay.

24 days of Prayer leading up to 24 hours of Prayer, February 24

2 Corinthians 1:11 “as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”

For the past three years, Iron Rose Sister Ministries (IRSM) has placed a strong emphasis on prayer for the month of February. We encourage others to join us in prayer, during that month, for specific things that God has called us to as a ministry and as individuals.
Starting tomorrow, we invite you to join us for our 24 days of prayer leading up to our 24-hour Prayer-a-thon on February 24th.

Written by Ann Thiede, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas 

“Insecure” describes me from my childhood through my teenage years, wanting to fit in, becoming a people-pleaser which led to conflicts within and ungodly choices. I craved relationships—people with whom I could be close and share my heart. Unfortunately, many of my contemporaries during my high school and college days followed the crowd. But, praise God, a few helped me walk toward Christ.

Matthew, in his gospel, recorded these last words of Jesus:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

I’m forever grateful for God’s beautiful orchestration through four peers, drawing me to Him and teaching me what it looks like to follow Him. These are some discipleship steps I’ve learned.

The first step involves getting to know Jesus as you read the Gospels with a hungry, teachable heart, and the willingness to let go of preconceived ideas. In searching for what you believe, you will find Who you believe. I encourage you to read through John’s gospel first, taking note of all of the titles Jesus gives Himself. For example, in John 6:35 He says, “I am the bread of life,” and then “…sothe one who feeds on Me will live because of Me” (6:57b). Ask yourself: What would it look like to feed on Christ?

The writer of Hebrews says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb.

Remember my issue of people-pleasing, wanting approval? Jesus wants us to please Him above all others. His desire is to draw us toward His likeness, giving us the courage to talk as He talked, live and love as He lived and loved, and to reach out and share the Good News even as He did.“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). It is the heart of Christ that we who are disciples make disciples by sharing His Good News, studying the Word with those who don’t know Him, planting seeds of faith or watering what others have planted, and watching God bring the increase of souls into the Kingdom.

Discipleship means adhering to God’s Word first and foremost. Spirit-inspired words throughout the Bible embody truth. Luke records these insightful thoughts: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts

Following Christ as His disciple also means walking together in this life with other disciples; encouraging one another, praying with one another, and sharing joy and grief together. Surrendering to Him as Lord and Savior means becoming a part of His Body, the church. Jesus intends for disciples to function together in harmony. I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31 and Romans 12:4-8, both beautiful passages about the church and what your part may be, according to the gifts God has given you. Many disciples over the years have enriched my life, encouraging me to be more like Jesus. These relationships go deep as we share life including our spiritual struggles and victories. The Holy Spirit has taught me the value of Paul’s admonition when he says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). If you desire qualities you see in another person that are Christlike, start asking God!

As you’ve read, in what area of being a disciple of Jesus do you desire growth?

• Getting to know Jesus better through the Gospels
• Developing a consistent prayer life
• Allowing Him to make changes in your life
• Making disciples by sharing Christ with others
• Letting the Word be your guide for truth above all
• Deepening relationships with other disciples

Go to Jesus and share with a fellow disciple. And remember, Jesus has promised to be with you, always.