Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Rianna Elmshaeuser, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Colorado

You are the main character in your story. Everyone in your life is a supporting character or background extra. But rather than asking ourselves what everyone else’s role is in our lives, the question we need to be pondering is, who am I in God’s story? Am I a background character? Am I a lead role or an extra? There are natural objections to this idea that will come to the mind of the average Christian. After all, God has an important role for each of us—a purpose—and that is absolutely correct.

But let’s take a moment and imagine a movie that has only the lead character in it. It is flat and uninteresting. There is no one to help move the plot along, no one to create drama, no colorful characters having coffee in the background of a coffee shop. Extras, background characters, supporting roles, and lead roles are all crucial to creating a vivid and exciting story.

Keep this thought in mind as we look at the relationships of Paul, Silas, Barnabas, and Timothy. The partnership between Paul and Barnabas begins in Acts 13 and continues until they have a falling out in Acts 15. Their partnership begins at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Acts 13:2 tells us, “…the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’” (ESV). After this event, they are sent out into a whirlwind of ministry and trouble. They would enter a city and preach, then be forced to flee from persecution. Throughout these chapters, it is only Paul’s sermons that are recorded.

The Apostle Paul was the greatest evangelist of the early church, if not of all time, aside from Jesus, of course. But would Paul have been able to keep on through persecution and being stoned without so faithful a friend as Barnabas? When Paul was lying on the ground outside the city where the Jews had thrown his mangled body, assuming him dead, would he have had the strength to get up without his friends surrounding him? Perhaps we are not a Paul, the lead role who stirred up every city he entered, converted thousands upon thousands, and wrote a large portion of the New Testament. But the Pauls of today need a Barnabas beside them, encouraging them, picking them up when they are down, and standing beside them when hard times come.

Silas had a similar role in God’s story. He was a partner and friend to Paul after his disagreement with Barnabas. Again, none of Silas’s sermons are recorded, only Paul’s, but they were together in the thick of it. When they were both beaten and thrown in prison, would either of them have found the strength to continue without the other? Imagine being in the dark in chains, badly beaten, and then you hear the clinking of chains and feel your friend’s hand on your arm as they begin to pray with you. As you pray, your hearts grow lighter and you both break into song, praising God. Friendships are of utmost importance and can serve as the guardrail that keeps people from careening over the edge into darkness.

Lastly, consider the relationship of Paul and Timothy. Paul and Silas met Timothy in Derbe and Lystra. Timothy was a young man whose mother and grandmother were believers, but his father was not. He was well spoken of by the church and Paul took him under his wing. We know from 1 Timothy 1:2 that they grew so close that their relationship became that of a father and son. Paul refers to Timothy as, “…my true child in the faith.”

Perhaps you are the one that needs mentoring or maybe you know someone that needs a mentor. On the hero’s Journey, there is always a mentor for the young hero who passes on wisdom to the upcoming generation. Today we do not have to look very far to find a young person struggling along in need of a mentor. Even young ones who come from a believing home need a mentor. Parents cannot be everywhere and see everything all the time. They need others to fill in the gaps.

If you have asked yourself, “What role do I play in God’s story,” and concluded that you are not a lead, rest assured that your role is just as important as someone in the spotlight. Even the people who are not mentioned by name had important roles in the ministry of Paul. They sent money, prayers, and letters encouraging him and other saints. Every person has an important part to play in the story of God, even if it seems negligible by human standards. What is your role in God’s story?

#IronRoseSister #teachthroughrelationships #learnthroughrelationships #intentionalteaching #mentoring #teachbyexample #PaulandBarnabas #PaulandSilas #PaulandTimothy #blog #guestwriter

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

“And I promise to be faithful to you in sickness and in health, in abundance and in scarcity, and to love and respect you all the days of my life until death do us part.”

We all know these beautiful words, whether because we are married or, if you are not married, I am sure you have heard them at someone else’s wedding or in a movie. In the same way, God uses human language to better communicate with us. He uses our traditions, and one of them is the marriage vow, those promises we make to our future husband. In fact, God compares marriage to the relationship we should have with Him.

He wants us to see Him as a spouse whom we always seek to please with passionate, respectful, faithful, and unbreakable love. For this reason, faithfulness is very important for God since it will “measure” our faith. But what do I mean by faithfulness? This word comes from the Hebrew “emet,” which is associated with paternal kindness. This quality or attribute is characteristic of God and is received freely. Furthermore, this quality gives strength to the personal relationship we have with our Creator.

It is easy to understand that we have a God who is faithful to His promises; we know that if He tells us that we will not lack food, we must believe Him and sleep peacefully. However, when we are tested in faithfulness, we must be attentive whether we will always be there for Him. While it is true that this attribute belongs to God by nature, He wants us to be faithful to Him no matter the circumstances we are going through.

For me, this is a hard theme to talk about; during this time of mission alongside my husband, God has tested us in this. Our monetary circumstances have been difficult, and at the beginning of the mission, my oldest son's health was deteriorating. However, we tried to fight day by day with the discouragement that often wanted to take over our minds.

Despite the adverse circumstances and deserts that God allows in our lives, I must realize that these painful processes teach us a lot, even to pray, not more intensely, but to know how to ask. Usually, we pray for God to solve all our problems, but we do not pray for Him to give us the wisdom to seek a solution (James 1:5).

Faithfulness is a gift that we must ask for every day because our nature is to be the opposite. We see this in the people of Israel who were constantly unfaithful to God despite having seen all His wonders.

Like the Israelites, in our time I have seen how easily people go after other gods, reflecting their lack of commitment to God. They do not wish to know their Lord as their spouse. They do not want to study His Word and live in awe of all He has done, but rather, they live in pursuit of earthly things. That is why God demands that we love Him above all things (Deut. 6:5-9), not with a religious love subjected to rituals, but with a pure and sincere love, like the love of a bride—always tender, always fresh.

Are you pursuing this kind of faithfulness in your walk with God as your faithful spouse?

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

As I followed two pickup trucks filled with our possessions, my heart was full of all the reasons I didn’t want to move. Suddenly my four-year-old son's treasure box bounced off the back of the truck in front of me. Could this day get any worse? I cried as we scoured the ditch for his penny collection and the favorite rocks my little boy thought irreplaceable.

“God, I signed up for this when I married a preacher, but I didn't realize how it would hurt to watch my children sacrifice. They are so sad about leaving our home. I want to help people find all the wonders of knowing You, but I don't know how to do that when three children depend on me for everything. God, I will go to this tiny church in this dreary town, but I don't know where I will find the time to meet the people who will listen to your Word. I am completely overwhelmed. Please bring people I can teach right to my door; I don't have any energy to go find them!”

Two days later I sat on the curb drenched in sweat and grape Popsicle. Cleaning and unpacking were brutal tasks in 100-degree weather and the squirming baby on my lap looked as unkempt and exhausted as I did. The tinny music from the ice cream truck had brought us running for relief.

“Welcome neighbor!” I can still remember looking up at the smiling face wreathed in sunlight, as my embarrassment gave way to joy. How I needed that smile! She introduced herself as the local Welcome Wagon President. She lived two doors down, and she was holding a ginger-haired toddler as messy as my own!

“That house has been empty for a year— it must be filthy. I’ll get some rags and be right over!”

God certainly sent this wonderful woman to lessen my load. We became fast friends, and her three children were instant playmates for mine. Through my new friend, I met many others and had lots of opportunities to show the love of Jesus. But God answered every detail of my prayer because the first person we baptized into Jesus in that town was my precious Welcome Wagon neighbor. She and two of her children have served God for over 30 years now.

During 45 years of ministry, God has given my husband and me countless relationships. Sharing His love always results in new Christian family. When He gave His precious Son to pay the price for our souls, He ensured that we would never be alone among His people. The reconciliation we receive because of His atoning sacrifice sets the tone for reconciling with like-minded hearts throughout our spiritual journey.

Paul expressed so well how great relationships are born of the atoning love of God.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Phil. 2:1-4 NIV)

The love of our God fills us to overflowing, and from the overflow, we develop relationships that will last for eternity. Again, Paul says it best.

I pray that out of His glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together will all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide
and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:16-19)

My cry to the Lord all those years ago on the side of the road was for the strength to lead others to Him. He always responds with so much more than I ask for. I asked Him to send me people who would respond to Him because I had no strength to seek them. He sent a friend who strengthened me as Keith and I led her to the Word and to salvation.

Our God is the God of relationships; don’t you want to reach out to others and see how He will satisfy every longing of your heart?

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

“I forgive you… and I love you!” What sweet words when sin has created a breach in a relationship!

Forgiveness comes from our Heavenly Father. Even before the world was created, He knew forgiveness and reconciliation would be part of the plan (Eph. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:9).

In Exodus 34:6-7 we read one of the earliest descriptions of our God, “… merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (ESV). God’s desire to forgive is part of who He is—it’s part of His character. It is why He sent Jesus to earth and why Jesus was willing to die for our sins.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, part of the prayer he taught them was, “… forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (Luke 11:4). We ask God to forgive us—but that means we must also have a heart to forgive others.

In Colossians 3:13 Paul wrote, “… bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

When Jesus was teaching His disciples, Peter asked Him how often he should forgive someone, then suggested, “’Seven times?’ Jesus replied, ‘Seventy times seven’” (Matt. 18:21-22).

The Jews looked back to Amos 2:6 and concluded that they were only required to forgive three times. By asking Jesus if seven was enough, Peter had more than doubled the traditional limit, using a number that in those times symbolized completion or perfection rather than a literal limit to how many times we are to forgive.

Forgiveness from God is unlimited when a person is repentant.

Two things to remember:
       When I forgive, the person may or may not accept it.
       When I ask for forgiveness, the person may or may not give it.

Either way, I have done what God wants me to do.

When I forgive, it takes away my anger and resentment. It means I no longer focus on the sin or hurt, and I may choose to forgive, even if the person has not asked for forgiveness. We live in a world where there are unintentional slights and hurts, and sometimes the offender is totally unaware of how his actions are received.

When I am forgiven, it means the person no longer holds me accountable for those actions.

However, forgiveness does not always mean reconciliation. There may be consequences that can’t be repaired. Some things can never be fixed. The relationship may never go back to what it has been.

That is where our God is different. When He forgives, our sin is forgotten, and the relationship with us as His child, which He intended from the beginning, is restored.

Having a forgiving heart does not mean overlooking sin and brushing it aside. It may mean we confront the person, in love. Galatians 6:1 reads, “If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

We have a responsibility to watch out for others and confront them as Nathan did David (2 Sam 12). We all need a friend who will come to us if they see us doing something that will separate us from God.

The ultimate goal of forgiveness is to be able to return to a holy relationship with our Heavenly Father.

When we pray for forgiveness from our Father, let’s never forget that this forgiveness cost Jesus pain, suffering, and death. That’s how much we are loved!

Written by Katie Forbess, President of Iron Rose Sister Ministries Board of Directors

Grace is defined as undeserved favor. “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV).

I wanted to tell you how saying and hearing, “I forgive you,” is an important part of the forgiveness process. But in the story I will tell, no one told us they were sorry, and we could not say, “I forgive you.” However, I can certainly tell you about the healing that can happen through forgiveness and the fulfillment of the ministry of reconciliation that Christ has called us to.

Grace is defined as undeserved favor, and it is very connected to forgiveness.

Last fall when someone did something unthinkable against my family, we sat at the dining room table and forgave them before we even knew who or what was going on. We knew the whole situation was based on a lie that God would have to bring to light. It was a serious “the truth will set you free” situation.

Why did we choose to forgive? We couldn’t have lived with the waiting and the stress and the unknown of what the following three weeks would bring if we hadn’t. We had been told every Sunday of our lives that Christ died for our sins and we are all sinners and no one is without sin and we must forgive others. Now we had to put it into practice, and we learned that like everything God does, He does it for the good of those who love Him.

The forgiveness we gave had nothing to do with who the offender was because we didn’t know who told the lie. We didn’t forgive because of how awesome we are, because we are not. The only way I can explain it is that the love we have for God and the desire we have to follow the example of Christ in our daily lives made forgiveness our first response. We felt the power of His forgiveness and knew that it was something that we were called to share.

Forgiveness doesn’t have anything to do with me or the other person. Forgiveness has everything to do with obedience and our true reconciliation with God.

Jesus is clear in the Lord’s Prayer regarding the connection between forgiving others and God forgiving us. We have to forgive others in order to be forgiven. I think this is because we can’t even start to fathom God’s forgiveness until we go through the process of forgiving others. The difference is that we are sinners just like the one we are forgiving, unlike God who is perfect and forgives us anyway, in the most complete way.

Can you remember the feeling of being forgiven of your sins when you came out of the waters of baptism? Can you remember the feeling of taking the Lord’s Supper for the first time as a member of the church?

Do you remember a time when you hurt someone and had to ask for forgiveness? Do you remember the worry of wondering whether they would forgive you or not? With God, we do not have to wonder. We are forgiven and we will be forgiven. What will we do with that within our other relationships?

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12).

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

Based on my life experience, I often think about the fact that each child is a product of the relationships, education, and environment that were influenced by the adults with whom they grew up.

Beloved sisters, each of us has gone through the childhood phase when we were able to grow and move forward. I consider those first years of life to be of great importance in developing the various interpersonal relationships we find and develop later in each subsequent cycle of life. These relationships become the foundation for the young person or adult that we are today.

When I look back on the age of childhood, many memories come to mind. However, there are other events that I cannot remember, likely because those moments were not significant in my early life. No doubt, my learning process as a child was different from yours; but for each of us, learning will continue as we acquire additional information and attitudes that we can put into practice as time goes by.

I learned everything from my environment: walking, talking, and responding to my surroundings, fundamentally influenced by my maternal grandmother who demonstrated a wide variety of teaching patterns.

As a result of growing up in a dysfunctional family, I experienced significant consequences for not knowing how to control my natural fears. Fear was one of the first emotions that caused me a lot of insecurity, emotional blockage, and mistrust in communications within my environment. This is what I continue to struggle with: letting the Holy Spirit heal my fears so they don't become obstacles to doing what I need to do or passing them on to the ones I love.

But despite my challenging childhood, the negative impact of absentee parents, an inflexible upbringing, and a lack of attention to my need for communication, I grew up. Today, through understanding, forgiving, and breaking away from past situations of great uncertainty which have threatened to wreak havoc on my present relationship with Christ, I can strengthen my conviction, having been rescued from the destructive influence of my earthly parents. This aligns with what I have read and reflected on in 1 Peter 1:18. To become a person approved by the Heavenly Father, I have decided to live my new life in Christ, as described in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV), “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Every day, comforted by the quotation above and in my relationship with the Lord Jesus, I feel the need to continue to learn to be free from what damages the soul, mind, heart, and faith in God. We must not forget that we are free and that there will always be freedom in Jesus Christ, as stated in the letter to the Galatians, chapter 5 verse 1, which reminds us again that "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

When we are aware that in the old life before knowing Christ, there were moments of destruction of what was good and pure, which came from God, we can strengthen ourselves and experience the freedom to be and act according to God's heart, which is a great blessing.

To be free is to not repeat the sin that separates us from the presence of God. It is knowing how to choose between good and evil and being called to freedom to serve one another out of love. Being free, we are separated from evil, not allowing the slavery of sin or guilt to lead us to do the opposite of the will of our sovereign God.

To be free is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, whom we receive in our new birth in the waters of baptism (Acts 2:38). He frees us from fear and assures us that God is with us until the end of the world and that He redeems us for eternal salvation.

There are many blessings from God's freedom in the Christian life; it is a privilege of the immense love of our Creator, who knows us and always covers us with eternal love (see Jeremiah 31:3).

To conclude, I encourage you to remember what was admirable from your childhood and to always cultivate innocence, humility, forgiveness, and a smile, so you can become like children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, fulfilling what is mentioned in Matthew 19:14.

Written by Sadia Morales, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Mexico

Has your life been full of confusion? Have you come to feel so confused that you have had to run to your room or someplace where you could be alone? In that place, have you felt as if you were sitting under a juniper tree where you just wanted to die; where you cry so much that you fall asleep tired, exhausted, afraid, with many lies rolling around in your head and in your heart?

On one of those days, I received a message that filled my life with confusion—a confusion that caused me to flee into the darkness of the night where only lies, fear, and tears accompanied me.

A great confusion seized me... just like Elijah in that desert. Do you know the story? He was confused even though he had come from many victories, victories in which he showed the power of God. Elijah came to feel this way in 1 Kings chapter 18.

Many of us, despite many victories won, arrive in the desert on day one of our journey through a time of confusion and sit down under the juniper tree just wishing to die (1 Kings 19:4-18). We eventually fall asleep, and while we rest, God works. But many times, instead of resting and letting God work, we do the opposite. Many times, we work without stopping so we do not allow ourselves to feel. But really, we must stop to rest (Ps. 46:10).

It is in those moments when God Himself will send angels to pick you up and tell you, “Eat.” It can be your husband, your children, your family, your friends, your acquaintances, or God Himself giving you the strength to get up and eat and drink so that you are able to go back to bed for the rest needed to continue your journey. And again, the angel will touch you saying, “Get up and eat, woman, because a long road awaits you.”

That physical food, as well as spiritual, will strengthen us to take the road to Horeb, the mountain of God. It took Elijah 40 days and 40 nights to get there. And you? How long have you been in this fight where lies overwhelm you, where you feel persecuted, where you fear for your life, and you continue to hide in a cave of fear or shame because a tragedy or some message or news brought confusion to your life and you don’t know how to get out or what to do?

You may have been in the cave for a long time, but today, Jehovah your God says to you, “Daughter, what are you doing in here?” Go outside and stand on the mountain before Jehovah, for Jehovah your God always passes by; He has always been there. Just go out to see Him. But first sharpen your physical and spiritual senses, because a great and powerful wind will blow through the mountains and break the rocks. And just as it was for Elijah, Jehovah will not be in the wind. And after the wind, an earthquake will pass, but Jehovah will not be in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, a fire will pass, but Jehovah will not be in the fire.

Life itself is full of confusion. It may tear us, break us.

Perhaps our problems make us feel that we are at the center of an earthquake, or in the midst of a troubling situation we feel a suffocating fire that does not let us breathe. It seems like that fire will consume us. But today I tell you, He is a God of peace. He will arrive! Of course, He will come, just as He came to Elijah in a gentle and delicate wind. Elijah heard it, covered his face, and went to the door of the cave. Then a voice came to him whispering, “What are you doing here, _____?” (add your name).

Jehovah tells you, “Go my daughter. Go back to your path— you still have a lot to do.” “Keep all the things I have commanded you. I will be with you every day, until the end of the world." Amen (Matt. 28:20).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Elesa Goad Mason, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Texas

When I think of faithfulness and loyalty, the first picture in my mind is a dog: a being that keeps coming back regardless of how it’s loved or treated, that is loyal and protective even at the risk of its own peril. I would like to think that my beloved pets will be there with me, sharing in our eternal home.

In the Bible there are many people who were faithful and loyal to God. Some who are lesser known and showed great faith to the Lord, even if only to touch His garment, are the Roman officer who begged for his daughter’s life (Matt. 8:5-13), the woman in the crowd who desperately had to touch His robe (Mark 5:25-34), and finally the persistent Gentile woman pleading for her daughter’s sanity (Matt. 15:21-28).

One of the most famously loyal people in the Bible, of course, is Jesus Himself. There were many other great ones including Abraham, Elijah, John the Baptist, and Ruth, whose loyalty took the path of greatest resistance (Ruth 1:12-13). My favorite though is Moses, the only character the Bible described as a “friend of God” (Ex. 33:11 ESV). I can only imagine what it would feel like to be so close to God that He considered me His friend.

When Moses was 40, his journey of faithfulness took an abrupt turn when he killed an Egyptian soldier (Ex 2:11-15). He spent the following 40 years building what he thought was his life as a shepherd in the desert of Midian. Things certainly changed when he was 80 years old and encountered God in a burning bush. I don’t know about you, but if I were 80 and had this massive ask from God like Moses did, I’d be wondering what took Him so long to give me a call!

If nothing else, Moses trusted God so deeply that he left the throne of Egypt to become a lowly servant and shepherd in the desert. In that moment, God saw his faith and groomed him to be one of the most important men in the Old Testament!

God and Moses had a very faithful and loyal relationship. His exciting life has been the subject of many Bible class stories taught for generations. Moses did everything God asked him to, and he did it well. In turn, God gave Moses everything he needed to accomplish what He asked. Throughout all the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, God provided what the people needed so they would believe Moses and put their faith and hope in the One True God.

Having such a close relationship with God had to have been overwhelming. Imagine being able to hear the voice of God and have His glory literally pass before you – so close that God would have to lift you into the cleft of a rock to protect you from dying should you see his face (Ex. 33:18-20). Moses was a pinnacle of faithfulness and loyalty that was built on the Firm Foundation, which is later revealed to us in the bodily form of Jesus Christ. It is in Him that we are to put all our loyalty and faith.

To have a solid faith as Moses did is what we should strive for. But sometimes faithfulness isn’t as easy as we might think, even for Moses.

Numbers 20 tells the story of God providing water through Moses to an ungrateful people. Moses struck the rock twice with his staff instead of speaking to it as God commanded and told the people that we will provide this water. God was so angry at Moses and Aaron that He told them they would never enter the Promised Land with the Israelites. That seems to me to be quite a rough punishment for such a technical slip.

However, by saying “we,” not only did Moses fail to teach the Israelites about God’s power, but he minimized God’s strength by striking the rock. I don’t believe God felt Moses had lost his faith in Him. But He is a jealous God (Ex. 34:14) and will not tolerate anything less than our total conviction. Moses broke faith with God and his lack of humility kept him out of the Promised Land. How many “Promised Lands” do we miss out on due to our lack of humility?

Even though Moses couldn’t cross over, God’s grace showed His faithfulness to Moses when He allowed him to see the land and later, I’m certain, welcomed him home with great love. Deuteronomy 34 tells us God himself buried Moses in the land of Moab.

What can we learn from this? When we fall in love with who we are or what we can do instead of what God has given us or what only He can do, we break faith and fail to acknowledge everything God is. At those moments when God says no because our faith fails us, and it will, His eternal grace says yes!

Written by volunteers with Iron Rose Sister Ministries Crismarie Rivas (daughter) in Ecuador, and Johanna Zabala (mother) in Venezuela

When we talk about grace in relationships, we focus on personal, family, work, social, and friendship areas, immediately connecting them to the precious spiritual aspect because, as we know, grace would not be grace if it had not been given by God.

A clear example in scripture is the apostle Paul, who, through the Holy Spirit, speaks to the church in Ephesus and to us today, affirming that "by grace we have been saved" (Eph. 2:1-10 NKJV).

This shows us the free and undeserved favor that comes from the love and will of God toward every human being on the face of the earth. Also, it carries a series of unique characteristics of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: His love, goodness, compassion, consideration, and mercy shown to each of us.

Today, we live in a society that little knows the redeeming grace of Jesus Christ. Because of this, there is very little grace in the world's relationships.

However, for each of us as daughters of God and knowing His will through His grace given through His son, our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to demonstrate grace in relationships, especially in the family of faith. This encompasses everything: love, kindness, compassion, consideration, and mercy.

These are key elements to a genuinely gracious, single-minded relationship with Christ. This relationship leads us to practice the direct command to love one another, as indicated in 1 John 4:7, and links us to obedience to God.

To this effect, the grace of God is a divine and wonderful gift that gives us love, forgiveness, and strength to foster understanding, reconciliation, and spiritual growth that unites us powerfully.

The Bible repeatedly teaches about the application of grace in our relationships. Going back to Ephesians 1:6-7 (NKJV), we are reminded, "To the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he has made us accepted in the Beloved, in Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." This tells us that the grace of God accepts us as we are and frees us from the burden of sin through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Likewise, grace precedes forgiveness and reconciliation. "Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do" (Col. 3:13).

Grace calls us to forgive as Christ forgave us. By forgiving, we immediately open the door to reconciliation and maturity in each of our relationships. First Corinthians 13:4-7 beautifully tells us,

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

So, it is great to recognize that grace enables us to be patient and tolerant in all our relationships, reflecting God's love in our conduct and actions. And it is here when grace becomes selfless service, a unique and holy act frees us to serve others with love without expecting anything in return, following the faithful example of the beloved Jesus.

Finally, grace also allows for edifying communication. Ephesians 4:29 reaffirms, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." Sanctifying grace is also manifested in the way we communicate. As women of God, when we edify and encourage each other with our words, we show grace to those who listen to us.

In conclusion, beloved sisters, God's grace is essential in every healthy and fruitful relationship. There is an indisputable need to apply it in our personal, family, and spiritual interactions so that we can all experience the fullness of love and peace that comes from God. From now on, may this exclusive favor from the Heavenly Father inspire us to live in grace and to always reflect it in each of our relationships. Let us ask ourselves daily, “Does the grace of the Holy Spirit accompany us and unify us all the time?”

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

Struggles… life can be hard. We can plan, but then something happens that shatters those plans, and it is not always because of something we have done that our plans did not work as we expected; often it is something over which we have no control.

So, where does that leave us?

We can be angry and bitter, or we can try again. It’s easy for someone to say, “Pick up the pieces and move on.” It’s harder when I am the person picking up the pieces and trying to make the best decision about what to do next when it seems every way is blocked.

It took Thomas Edison 2,774 tries until he got the right filament for the light bulb—one that would burn for more than a few minutes.

When an assistant complained they were learning nothing, the reply was, “Oh, we have. We’ve learned over 2,000 ways that don’t work.”

Can we imagine a world without the light bulb? It’s something we take for granted… as a necessity… but how different would our lives be if he had given up?

Having a positive attitude in looking at what might be considered a failure will help us work through the problem.

When a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis, it struggles. Its wings are weak and wet, but it is in breaking through those strands of silk that the wings gain strength, allowing it to fly. If someone tries to help by cutting the silk threads of the chrysalis, the butterfly will die within minutes. It needs the struggle to be healthy.

It is in our struggles that we grow… even when we don’t like the process.

Romans 5:3-5 (ESV) reads,

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Suffering… endurance… character… hope.

Financial struggles can make us more compassionate toward those who have less than we do and help us learn to budget.

Health struggles make us thankful for medical care and for better health when it comes.

Relationship struggles help us appreciate those friends or relatives who encourage us.

Think about the struggles some of those in the Bible experienced:

Noah and his family lost everyone they knew in the flood. When the door of the ark was opened, they stepped into a world where there was no one else.

Sarah was barren, longed for a child, and was mocked by her handmaiden.

Naomi lost her husband and both sons while living in a foreign land.

David found himself in a dark place, far from his shepherd days and glory as king after taking another man’s wife.

Elijah was hated by Jezebel and fled after a “mountain top” experience on Mt Carmel.

Daniel was one of numerous young teens captured and taken to a foreign land… away from family and friends.

The apostle Paul tells of his struggles in 2 Corinthians 11:24-29, yet he was still able to write,

“We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

“The Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one” (2 Thes. 3:3).

The writer of Hebrews gives this assurance, “He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).

We belong to the Father, and Jesus is interceding for us. When struggles come, we need to remember the words written long ago by David, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Ps. 118:6)

We have the assurance that God is faithful, that Jesus is our Advocate, and that the Spirit lives in us, so let’s use these struggles to live as “children of Light”! (Eph. 5:8)

Written by Claudia Pérez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Alabama

What happens when a Christian and her faith are tested in times of struggle? Who has not experienced difficult situations? Truth be told, we have all had struggles at some point. In those moments of uncertainty, we ask ourselves, “Why me? What should I do with this struggle?” instead of asking ourselves, “Why is this happening to me? What am I going to learn from this?” or even “Why does God allow us to have these struggles?” Maybe we think that in our lives as His daughters, we will only have paths that are filled with light and that are colorful and beautiful.

The reality, however, is that it is through these struggles that the Lord's purpose is fulfilled in our lives. A global pandemic showed us this.

Two years ago, many of us fought a fight that completely changed our lifestyle. Locked up, without contact with each other, grandchildren were looking for a way to hug their grandparents through transparent curtains, masks, and gloves. Screens became the only contact in the family, school, and work. All physical contact was prohibited. The church was affected worldwide. And in that struggle, many of us asked, “Why, Lord?”

In those moments of struggle, many forgot the word of the Lord, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:35 KJV).

In those moments of struggle where our God tested our faith, many became stronger, and sadly, others went astray. Two years ago, I was in a hospital in Mexico in the COVID area, isolated from everything and everyone. The only thing that sustained me was my faith; that faith that makes us strong in our weaknesses and that hope of eternal life. I was trusting that my spiritual family was praying for me. It was not an easy fight. There were weeks of strengthening myself in the Only One who can make us strong. These were weeks of uncertainty, and it was in those moments when the word of God strengthened me. Without access to anything, with nurses and doctors that God put in my path, and with confidence in the promises of the Lord in my mind, I remembered those hymns of encouragement, strength, hope, and trust.

I remembered the words of the apostle Paul,

“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's” (Ro. 14:8).

The day finally came when the will of the Lord was fulfilled and I left that place, more strengthened than when I entered, with the sole purpose of continuing to fulfill His command, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). In those moments of struggle my faith grew even more.

I remembered 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Clinically, my diagnosis was not encouraging at all. But the Lord says, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (Ps. 42:11).

Maybe you are going through a struggle right now. Ask yourself, “What am I living this for?” Remember that He will complete His work in you. God has a purpose for our lives. And, it is through struggles that our faith is tested by fire. “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1Pe. 1:7).

So, if you are going through a difficult time, I invite you to trust Him, honor and glorify Him who can do everything in everything— because when we are weak, then we are strong.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“He hasn't texted in two years. She has convinced him that he doesn't need me. How can he just forget his own mom?”

“Oh, Sarah, I'm so sorry, I know we are never supposed to give up, but I feel the same way. At least my girls still text but it's nothing like it used to be. We were so close and now we are strangers. Did your son have faith?”

“He led the youth group—he even planned to be a youth director. But she is not interested so he just quit.”

“Same with the girls—they were both so faithful—now they say my faith makes me unsafe! Don't they remember I was the one who taught them that family is their safe place and that I would love them no matter what?”

Sarah and I had this conversation every week. Our friendship had bonded over pain for our prodigal children. Her son's fiancé told him his family was toxic. Sarah had no idea why, and his betrayal of their relationship had left her broken. We tried to encourage each other but neither of us could see a path to reconciliation with our adult children. So many of our friends had similar stories; lonely mothers unable to navigate new definitions of relationship expectations.

I often ask God to answer my prayers with a story I could tell that would encourage others and glorify Him. I had no stories for Sarah because my own pain had clouded my hope. There was no way I could see that her son would change his heart. It seemed that the only kind thing would be to help Sarah accept a life without him, just as I was trying to resign myself to the new reality of the loss of my daughters’ faith and close friendship.

Two years passed; each week we shared tears, prayers, and sorrows. When one of us had a strong week, we would feel hopeful, but our tears were far more common. I wanted to be a faithful friend— the one who never gave up and always left her feeling comforted and sure of God's blessings, but I was not confident. I saw no solution for either of us—no way for the lost relationships to heal.

But God...

Sarah's smile was radiant as we talked last month. She showed me a picture so full of life and joy that I could not contain my tears. In the picture, she cradled a newborn grandson. Two more years had passed, years during which God had written a redemption story in Sarah's life: a story with chapters of tragedy, fear, timid efforts to connect, love that wouldn't quit trying, and open arms of forgiving welcome. Chapters no one expected. Chapters only God saw coming. The story concluded with Sarah's home and arms full again. Her son has a new love, forgiveness has been sought and given, and new life has come to this family. All of them are open to growing in faith. Hope now radiates in my friend Sarah.

Now as I share joy with Sarah, my own hope is revived. Just last week another mother who endured years of fear for her prodigal children shared the story God wrote in their lives and the reconciliation they are enjoying. It is so easy to see the pain around us, but sisters, we are also surrounded with redemption. Our God is the God of reconciliation who desires that all men come back to Him. As we share our pain, let us remember that all hope for resolution of that pain lies in a perfect, benevolent, Father who cares for our erring children even more than we do. Because of this, let us never give up praying for the souls of our loved ones.

Hear the words of living active faith from Romans 12, verses 11, 12, 15, and 21:

11. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
15. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
21. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NIV)

Dear sisters, are you waiting for a dear prodigal to return, or are you a prodigal afraid you won't be welcomed home? Please remember what I have forgotten too many times—absolutely nothing is impossible in the hands of our Great God. He is the God of reconciliation, and right now, as you are waiting, He is writing a story of love just for you.

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

Hope is an important part of the richness of the human heart, as it prepares us for the spiritual fruits of patience, faith, and peace. This means that, when thinking about hope, it ties us to faith and the love of God which are preciously linked. 

When I think about hope, I feel like God’s heir through the firm conviction that there is eternal life (Tit. 3:7). This motivates me, through the Holy Spirit, to overcome difficulties and all kinds of obstacles that arise in this earthly life, thus living out total consecration to God. 

Daily, we observe a society in turmoil due to so much evil, suffering, adversity, and problems. I believe this has caused many people to lose hope, not recognizing true hope in the Author of salvation, Jesus Christ (Heb. 12:2). 

With this in mind, I would like to share an example of the current situation that we live in my country, Venezuela. Day after day, people suffer from the economic crisis: lack of sources for work, electricitye rationing by the State (between 2 to 4 hours a day), lack of basic food in many homes, including Christian homes. There are health care centers in poor condition, declines in the educational system, deterioration and lack of attention in various State institutions, and repression and persecution of anyone who opposes the government system.

Each of these situations has forged in us the spiritual character and the understanding that we should not put our trust in a political system or an earthly power, nor in the things we see or surround us since if we do, we will lose out conviction and hope of how real the promise of eternal life is. This situation has strengthened my spiritual life as a daughter of the Most High God, by trusting in His will at all times and having that intimate relationship with Him through prayer and study of His Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide me to live in the spiritual and to do the will of God, with the peace and quietness of spirit that only He can give me (Rom. 5:1-5).

I should not put my hope in the things of this world (1 Co. 15:19). In my opinion, hope is certainty in the present and a firm expectation for the future, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ. It is for this reason that I emphasize lovingly bringing the hope of eternal life to everyone who is hopeless, and preaching to them the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of their soul. 

When I begin to experience and understand God's plan and purpose in my life, I develop a deep relationship with Christ. I trust in His will, and I begin to take firm steps even in the midst of storms, for we were called to one hope (Eph. 1:18). Beloved sisters, we must understand that hope is a bond and an essential element that allows for a spiritual transformation, strengthens our faith, and gives us security and confidence in the power of God.

I encourage you not to lose hope because it brings spiritual blessings to our lives and the lives of our families, reflected in the following ways:
   1. It leads us to praise and glorify God.
   2. It causes us joy and rejoicing.
   3. It renews us day by day.
   4. It inspires us to live a life of holiness.
   5. It inspires us to persevere.
   6. It inspires us with security and firmness.
   7. It inspires us with peace and tranquility.

Considering each of these aspects, we must not risk losing these blessings but rather live in holiness and obedience to please our God, longing in anticipation for His glorious coming, which is the foundation of our faith and hope. 

Currently, as daughters of God, every first day of the week in each of our congregations, we announce the long-awaited coming of our Savior Jesus Christ through the worship service when we participate in the memorial of the Lord's Supper, which the apostle Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, especially in verse 26, where he mentions that we wait, anticipate, and announce His coming or return. So, do you joyfully await the return of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Written by Jocelynn Goff, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries and mother of Michelle J. Goff

One Sunday many years ago in “early marriage days,” my husband came up to me after church saying, “See that man over there? I invited him for lunch.” “You did what?!” I asked incredulously as I looked at the man who had just walked into the church building that morning. He looked like he had slept in his ill-fitting suit. He had huge dandruff flakes all over the shoulders of his suit and in his eyebrows, in other words, a less than appealing presence of a man. I said, “He’s a stranger and we’ve got a baby to think about.” My husband replied, “I thought of that. That’s why I invited the preacher and his wife for lunch as well.” Again, my reply was, “You did what?!” I only have a one-pound meatloaf in the oven. We don’t have enough.” My husband gently said, “We have plenty. This man has $2.32 to his name and needs a bus ticket and ride to the bus station to get to his family. He came to the church for help.” Oh my! I was immediately humbled and changed my response to a prayer. “Dear Lord, please forgive my harsh, immediate judgment and please provide enough for us to share as You did with the small boy’s lunch of five loaves and two fish.” This was my prayer all the way home from church as I was also thinking of what else to add to the one-pound meatloaf.

When we arrived home, I got the meatloaf out of the oven and noticed that it had actually shrunk, not grown. “Oh my! Dear Lord, we still need a miracle multiplication here like You did with the small boy’s lunch.” I added to the meatloaf meal three cans of green beans, two boxes of macaroni and cheese, and a can of fruit cocktail with a sliced banana. Then I sliced the meatloaf and served the meal.

Everyone was served some of everything: meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and fruit salad. We had pleasant conversation over lunch. The preacher and his wife agreed to take the man to the bus station and the church would pay for his bus ticket so he could go home to family.

After lunch and everyone had left, I cleared off the table and noticed the meatloaf. Do you know what? I had meatloaf left over! Everyone had been served, yet there was meatloaf left over. I remember in Mark’s account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish” (Mark 6:42-43 NIV).

So, the next day as I ate a sandwich made with leftover meatloaf, I was again reminded of my prayer for God to multiply the meatloaf as He did with the loaves and fishes and He did, and He gave me leftovers as a reminder of His abundant provision.

My reflection afterward was also for the scripture, Hebrews 13:2, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” While I do not know if this man was an angel, I do know that this event and every time I remember it causes me to reflect on this verse and consider the real meaning of hospitality. We often think it’s opening our home to our family and friends. Actually, that is fellowship.

Fellowship is when connectedness or relationship is shared among those with a common aim or background. Hospitality is providing an act of service of welcoming, receiving, hosting, or entertaining guests or strangers. It’s an act of service often to the least of these. In Matthew 25:40 Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” As I’m sure you, like I do, want to serve Jesus Himself then we must learn to serve the “least of these.” This provides the greatest blessing to them, to us, and is Kingdom living.

Written by Cecília Santana, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Salvador, Brazil

Throughout my Christian walk, I’ve understood that obeying God comes down to relationships. I can already hear you saying, “How so?” Hold on, I’ll explain! In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus says to love first the Lord God with everything we have and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. In practice, these two commandments mean that we need to be in relationship with God first (praying and meditating on the Bible) and this relationship will influence all of our other relationships.

We can only love who we know, and to know, we must spend time together. In Acts 2:44-46 we see that the first Christians regularly did things together. Sometimes in the current digital age, virtual friends get more attention than real friends. As Christians, we must be mindful to not neglect time with each other, especially post-pandemic where even church services became virtual, and the practice of hospitality is running the risk of being forgotten.

The Bible talks a lot about the importance of hospitality and today I want to cite two reasons to exercise this gift:

1 - God gave the first example for us to follow.

God wanted to be in relationship with us so He created a “perfect home.” The Garden of Eden had everything we needed and, most importantly, God walked with us there (Gen. 2:15-25). However, we know that this relationship was broken by the sin of Adam and Eve and they were forced to “leave home” as a result (Gen. 3:23,24). Soon after, God as a Loving Father brought about the renewing of His relationship with mankind through Noah when He told him to build a “safe house” free from evil, better known as Noah’s Ark (Gen. 6-9).

But again, disobedience distanced us until God once again restored our relationship, this time through Abraham, and the first step was to “leave home” (Gen. 12:1-3). This relationship was so deep that we see God revealing his plans for Abraham’s descendants. They would be guests in another country for a while (Gen. 15:13), but then they would have their own home; a land flowing with milk and honey (Gen. 15:18-19 and Deut. 6:3). Abraham was an exemplary host when he received the angels (Gen. 18:1-8), as was his nephew, Lot (Gen. 19:1-3). In both cases, these visits proved to be huge unexpected blessings!

The promise made to Abraham (Gen. 12:3) has reached all the way to us as daughters, by faith through our relationship with Christ who came down from Heaven to live on earth with us for 33 years (John 3:16) and continues to live in us through the Holy Spirit. The most beautiful part of this relationship is that Christ prepared our eternal dwelling (John 14:2-4), so we know that we are foreigners in this passing world and we cannot become attached to anything here. Everything is borrowed from God and should be used to bring others to Christ.

2 - Hospitality is an opportunity to exercise practical love.

Through our earthly home entrusted to us by Christ, some of us have the opportunity to show His love to the residents (parents, kids, spouse) who need a welcoming place, a “little piece of Heaven” in this dark world, where they can renew their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. Whether we share our home with others or live alone, this love should extend to neighbors, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, and even to strangers! (Rom. 12:13; Gal. 6:10)

As wise women, we have the responsibility to maintain our homes (Prov. 14:1), be good managers and attentive to how everything is going like the “exemplary woman” of Proverbs 31. Our doors need to be open to teaching the Word as Lydia did (Acts 16:14,15, 40) so that Jesus can enter and transform lives as He did with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10).

I am grateful to the woman who opened her home through which my husband and I came to Jesus and were converted more than 20 years ago. Therefore, my advice to those who think their homes are too small or too ugly is to let go of this idea because all guests need is for us to show them God’s love.

To conclude, I want to share three practical tips from the scriptures and my personal experience:

• Don’t complain! 1 Peter 4:9-11 tells us that we should practice hospitality without grumbling. I have had the opportunity to serve by helping with domestic tasks in homes where, even with problems, my merciful hosts were hospitable. I have also received guests who were challenging, and I learned to be more meek, patient, and self-controlled.
• Never expect anything in return! Everything we do is to glorify and honor God (1 Cor. 10:31). Our reward is eternal (Matt. 10:42). It is much better when the initiative to reciprocate is free and spontaneous, as it was with Elijah in 2 Kings 4:8-32. Be like the Shunammite woman— do your best and God will bless you— and if you are the guest, be a nice surprise!
• Finally: Rejoice, be generous and grateful for the opportunity to serve! Hospitality continues to be God’s powerful means of deepening relationships and changing lives!

Written by Brenda Davis, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

“Above all, love each other deeply.” (1 Pe. 4:8a NIV)

God did not create us to go through life alone. I am blessed to be surrounded by people that I love and by those who love me. God’s Word is filled with reminders that we need to love each other. Jesus spoke plainly about how we are to love. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (Jn. 15:12).

But is simply loving enough? Paul tells the Romans that they need to “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Ro. 12:10 ESV). I love this concept. Imagine how the world would be if everyone tried to outdo one another in showing honor? Peter also goes above and beyond encouraging us to love when he says we need to love each other deeply.

This deep love is demonstrated in the relationship between Paul and Onesimus. The two became such close friends that Paul refers to Onesimus as “my very heart” (Phm. 1:12). Another touching story of this kind of love is that of David and Jonathan found in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. Their relationship was built on loyalty, trust, and love so deep that Jonathan even risked his life to protect David from his father's anger.

If you Google “How to deepen your spiritual relationships” you will get about 293,000,000 results! Thankfully, the Scriptures provide ample guidance for how to develop this deeper kind of love.

Begin by focusing your relationships on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Php. 4:8). As 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Encourage one another and build one another up.”

Here are three additional suggestions for developing deeper love in our relationships.

Stay in the Word Together
Deep relationships are based on Biblical truths. When we are not digging into the Scriptures to see how to love deeply, it’s hard to build a relationship based on truth and honesty. But when we let the Scriptures guide us, our relationships will grow and reach maturity, as Paul states in Ephesians 4:15 (NIV). "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

Have Deeper Conversations
Conversation with someone we love should edify us and “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24b). But we often spend entire conversations talking about our children, current events, and social activities, ignoring opportunities to dig deep into each other’s life instead of sharing our stories, struggles, and dreams.

To go deep, these conversations often mean delving into difficult areas, and we may be presented with some hard truths. Messy conversations are part of spiritual growth, and the more truthful we are, the messier and more painful it can be. But “wounds from a friend can be trusted” (Pr. 27:6a). Depth takes courage!

When you love someone deeply, it's almost like there's nothing you can't share with them. You can tell them how you truly feel, knowing that you will not betray each other’s trust. "A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret" (Pr. 11:13). You know they won't judge you, and when you experience this lack of judgment, you'll feel safe and secure.

In addition, you can bring up touchy subjects with them because you know that you can be open and honest. Are you an honest friend? Do you only tell those you love what they need to hear, or is it more important that they like you? When we love deeply, we tell them the truth when we see them going the wrong way, even if it may hurt at first.

Listen
At times, you can communicate more with just your presence than with words. Deep love means giving focused attention without interrupting. Maintaining eye contact and actively listening to what the other person has to say and responding with sincere facial expression and body language sends a strong message of love.

James exhorts us to be “quick to listen,” and “slow to speak” (Jas. 1:19-20). In Proverbs 18:2 we read, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (ESV). So, Paul says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Php. 2:3-5).

Dear sisters, love deeply! “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you” (1 Th. 3:12).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Nilaurys Garcia, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Canada 

What a joy it is when you get along with all of the people in your circle, or those with whom you associate. There is a sense of peace in those moments and it can be even a little scary because you wonder when something might go wrong in one of those relationships. If I tell you that having differences of opinion is normal and that you can't get along with everyone all of the time, chances are, you'd agree with me. It's easy to have a good relationship with someone with whom you always get along and who thinks like you. It requires more effort when there have been exchanges of not-so-friendly words or when the other person has hurt your feelings.

You may have heard the phrase, “divide and conquer.” It is a well-known strategy in games, in wars, and in situations where the enemy must be separated so their strength will be weakened, most of the time because they will not have the support of a team. Sometimes I have used this strategy to complete a project by having the team split up the tasks and thereby conquering the goal.

Taking it to a more personal and relational level, I have tried to divide or separate people from the way they behaved in the past. I remember who they are and how they responded, and that helps me have a clearer and more objective approach as I deal with the current situation. While a negative impression based on past events will certainly impact our response, it should not determine the way we deal with a current situation. When we separate the bad from the good, we will get better results. A relationship can change a lot when the context is changed, meaning the place, the other participants, and even the topics of conversation.

I like to think about the opposite of “divide and conquer,” the sum of everyone’s efforts can outweigh each individual’s work. It sounds a bit complicated, but there´s a reason why the opposite works very well against enemies. Returning to the strategy where activities are separated to achieve a common goal, much more can be achieved when we collaborate for the fulfillment of an objective since there is support and complement. A biblical example is that a rope made of three strands is more difficult to break. "

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken!" (Eccl. 4:12 NIV)

The relationship we have with Christ is easier if we do it in community, instead of trying to do it on our own. On more than one occasion I have needed help from my family in Christ to face a situation, reaffirm my faith, and get much closer to our Creator. When thinking about how to counteract the effects of division, a story that comes to mind is found in Exodus 17:8-13, when Joshua leads the people in battle against the Amalekites.

Moses supported the Israelite army from the top of a nearby hill by holding up the rod of God. If Moses lowered his arms, the enemy would overpower Joshua’s army. To achieve victory, Aaron and Hur supported Moses, holding up both of his arms until sunset. Isn't this story wonderful? I get excited knowing that the united support of a few and the efforts of many gave the victory to Israel. I wonder what would have happened if Aaron had been angry with Moses over some argument between brothers and refused to help him. It would be a very different ending.

Although I have had moments when I have wanted to surrender, I have had the support of the people with whom I have relationships to encourage me to move forward. I see this in the effort of my brethren in preventing the enemy from dividing and conquering me in my Christian walk. When we have differences with others, we cannot let disagreement become a barrier in our relationships, destroy unity, or let one of our brothers or sisters fall simply because they have a different opinion from ours. And at other times, it might very well be me that is the difficult person to love, and the one who needs my loved ones to see beyond my complicated attitude.

Would you join me in staying united to protect the people of God?