Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Estefanía Medrano, Iron Rose Sister Ministries volunteer in El Salvador

A few days ago, I left my home country to visit my family in the United States. I thought that I could take advantage of the trip and work parttime in order to gain experience and earn some income. So, I started a job search. I found an opening at a restaurant, so I called and asked if they were still hiring. They answered that they were and scheduled an interview that same afternoon since they were desperate to hire new personnel. I decided to go, seeking God’s blessing.

The interview was a total success. I agreed with everything they were asking me to do. The schedule was perfect. It was a great opportunity. They told me to come the next day and to purchase a specific outfit and shoes. I left right away, fully ready to learn and do my best.

When I arrived, I introduced myself to a different manager than the one who had interviewed me the day before. This person started to ask for documentation that authorized me to work in the country. However, I did not have it. I was not prepared to provide documentation of that type because the person who interviewed me forgot to ask me if I had it. I never imagined that it was necessary, and I knew that I did not have it, since my stay was not permanent.

At that moment that person, very ashamed, told me that they could not hire me because it was an essential requirement and apologized for not having told me during the interview. Smiling, I told him that there was no problem, that I totally understood. I said goodbye with a handshake and left the place. When I walked through the door, the tears rolled down my cheeks inadvertently, and then I pondered what had happened.

I had never thought about the value of the citizenship of a country, and the rights that it grants to the citizen. At the same time, I was reminded of the most important citizenship that exists, our citizenship in heaven. I will never forget the first thing that came to mind when I left that restaurant. I wondered how I will feel or what it will be like when I am in the presence of God, and He calls His chosen ones to His right side to live an eternity with Him—for those chosen ones to have a guaranteed citizenship in heaven, with all the benefits that it affords. But for those who do not have it, they will not have that pass and will not be allowed to enter. The humiliation will be great, and the weeping will be eternal. I don't think anyone wants to go through that humiliating moment when God tells some that they cannot go and live with Him for eternity.

“But to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” (Mark 10:40, NIV)

“For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” (Heb. 13:14)

The difference between this and my work experience is that we know that we are striving to obtain that citizenship and obtain all its rights and benefits.

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:20)

That hope must be accompanied by the effort to achieve it because it is a unique place.

“And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.” (1 Pet. 1:4)

Can you imagine that great day, dear sister, the day that every Christian hopes his/her name will be called by our heavenly Father? When your name that is written in the book of life is called, it will allow you to enter the heavenly city, because you belong to that place. You are a legitimate citizen, and you will be able to enjoy everything that is there for an eternity.

The day I showed up for work and they told me they couldn't hire me, I felt bad and somewhat humiliated, but then with a more relaxed mind, I understood and accepted that it was fine because the restaurant had policies and rules and I couldn't change them. Then, I remembered the words in Revelation...

“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Rev. 21:27)

God also has rules or requirements, and we cannot go against them. On that great day of judgment, we will have to be aware of our actions, of our profile as Christians. And if our life has aligned with what God requires in His life manual, which is His holy Word, we will be worthy of that great reward.

That is why, sister, I invite you to join me in daily remembering to maintain our focus on eternity, by always thinking about our true citizenship and the privilege of entering that glorious city, where we will be legitimate citizens and enjoy eternity with the King.

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

Immigrants, refugees, and exiles are found throughout the Bible. Abraham, Ruth, and Daniel all ended up living as foreigners, far away from home.

Daniel was part of the first deportation after the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 1:1-2). It seems unfair that Daniel, a true follower of God, had to suffer for the sins of Judah’s leaders, but he did. We often do too.

Daniel found a balance between peacefully submitting to this new earthly power and still remaining faithful to God (1:8). He was able to discern the difference between adjusting to a new language, new customs, new clothing, and more while still being a citizen of God’s heavenly kingdom. He drew the line at defiling himself with the king’s food (chapter 1), he continued to pray even when it was against the law (chapter 6), and he spoke the truth, even when it put him in mortal danger (chapters 2, 4, and 5).

God is very active in Daniel’s story. He caused the chief court official, Ashpenaz, to show favor and sympathy to Daniel (1:9) and he gave Daniel knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret visions and dreams (1:17, 2:19). He dramatically saved Daniel from a horrific death by shutting the mouths of the lions (7:22).

Many of you reading this are far from home. You may be an immigrant, a refugee, or an exile. You might long for home, though you can’t go back — at least not for now. In reality, we are all living on foreign soil. Heaven is our home. We have to find ways to balance humble submission to earthly powers while remaining faithful to our true King. God is sovereign over all nations and is always near and at work. Daniel’s story is HIStory. So is yours.

Do you feel like a foreigner where you are living right now? How well do you balance humble submission to earthly powers while remaining faithful to your true King?

Written by Sabrina Nino de Campos, Brazil Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Just like in every reconstruction story, mine also involves a pain that is still very present. And even when I don’t feel it all the time, and may even forget it sometimes, it is constant.

I’ve been very blessed in my life. I had the opportunity to grow up in a family that loves God, and I remember that many times as a kid, whenever I felt troubled about any situation in life, I would always thank God for the family He gave me. Ever since I was a kid, I felt like I had a very strong relationship with the Father, especially in prayer. Even in the moments when I felt so far from Him, I don’t remember going to sleep without praying. It had been something my parents taught me, and it became a habit. And that habit kept me close to God during many years of frustration and life changes.

When I graduated high school and had a decision to make as to what I wanted for my future, I decided to enter a missions program called AME. I really wanted to make my own path, after so many years admiring the work my parents did with the church. During those years I participated in the mission work in Bolivia, met my husband, moved to Argentina to partner with the church there, etc. God did great things in my life, and even though in some moments, doubt crept into my mind (just like everyone else’s), I felt like my faith grew stronger every day. And the peace that flooded my life made me more and more confident that obstacles didn’t matter if I could put them at Yahweh’s feet.

Well, all of that changed in August 2019. When my mom, who had been my best friend and biggest supporter, suffered a cardiac arrest and had no oxygen for 33 minutes. My husband and I had to move out of Buenos Aires in less than 48 hours, leaving me with no time to say goodbye. Our journey was interrupted.

We stayed in Brazil for 6 months, where I felt like all hope was lost and felt the worse pain of my life. My mom did wake up from her coma, but she wasn’t herself anymore. Because of the lack of oxygen during those 33 minutes, she had suffered major brain damage that hinders her from being able to remember things for more than just a few seconds. She barely remembers the faces around her. And since I had been away from home since 2015, she doesn’t remember me. She knows my name, but doesn’t know who I am.

I don’t feel like God had prepared me for something like this. How could I ever be ready for this situation? I still don’t have an answer to that question. And since that day, and with all the things that came after that, I don’t feel like it gets any easier. I feel like my prayers have, many times, been like this one on Psalm 88 (ESV):

[…]
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call upon you, O Lord;
I spread out my hands to you.
[…]
But I, O Lord, cry to you;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
O Lord, why do you cast my soul away?
Why do you hide your face from me?
[…]
You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;
my companions have become darkness.

My faith was destroyed in an unexpected way. And that was the first time I felt like the faith I inherited from my parents would no longer be enough to uphold me all my life. I needed to rebuild it. This situation I’m living is not what I wanted, I want a miracle. But that’s not what I’ve received, even though I still wait on Him. What I have received was an invitation to Rebuild my faith. I have learned a lot of new things about God, I have read His Word like I had never done before, with different eyes.

Sometimes I feel like Paul when he was Saul and even though he had good intentions, then Jesus comes and takes his vision away. And whenever he gets his vision back, his perspective is so different. I feel like I’m recovering my vision little by little, and sometimes, honestly, it feels like I’m going blind again. And God once again shows me His light.

The process of rebuilding is painful. It involves rebuilding my relationship with God; it involves my prayer life, the way I think about how God moves, the way I live my faith. But the most important thing I’ve learned is that I don’t need to be on this journey alone. I have brothers and sisters that are also going through this process. And better yet, God wants to accompany me through this process. Just like the psalmist that prays his pain, God also wants to hear my voice even if it’s full of sadness and even anger towards Him. We can’t rebuild a friendship by deciding to ignore the other person. Communication is needed.

Let’s not be afraid of rebuilding our relationship with God. Maybe you had something painful happen to you, something that changed your life story. Or maybe you just want to relearn how to pray, read, or listen to God in a more honest way.

No matter what, Yahweh wants to be by your side, just like He does with me too. And let’s not forget, God knows pain all too well. But just like He promises us pain (John 16:33), he also says, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20b, ESV).

Written by Abby Baumgartner, volunteer for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Lifting my head out of the water, I breathe and open my eyes just in time to hear the questioning cries from the shoreline: “Master Naaman! Are you healed?”

I look down at my arm and see that, for the sixth time now, I’ve gotten my hopes up; the pale, pink spots of leprosy still cover my arm. I turn towards shore, shaking my head as choruses of “That’s ok,” “That was only six. You’re supposed to dip seven times,” and “Seventh time is the charm!” drift back to me from the shore.

But this is ridiculous.

How did I—the commanding general of the Syrian army—end up washing myself in the Jordan river with an audience on the shoreline? Good question.

It all started when I discovered spots of leprosy on my arm. With no cure, this disease decays the skin and is a horrifying death sentence. I immediately began searching for some way to be healed, and no idea was too crazy to try. My wife’s servant, an Israelite girl my army captured in a raid, spoke of a prophet in Israel who could heal leprosy. I decided to seek healing from this prophet, after all, what did I stand to lose?

Armed with a letter of recommendation from the King of Syria and gifts of silver, gold, and fine clothing, I went to Israel and met with the king. I read him the letter and offered the gifts, but instead of answering me, the king declared he could not help me. We were at a standstill, and I started to think I’d wasted my time, until a messenger came before the king saying, “I carry with me a message from Elisha the prophet “Let him come now to me that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel” (2 Kings 5:8, ESV).

So, I packed up again and traveled to meet Elisha, but when I arrived at the prophet’s house, he wouldn’t even come to meet me. Instead, he sent another messenger to say, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean” (2 Kings 5:10b).

Humiliated and with burning rage, I said, “Behold, I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord, his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Demascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” (2 Kings 5:11b-12a).

Having said my piece, I turned to go, but one of my servants said, “Do not be angry, but,
My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” (2 Kings 5:13b, NIV).

I turned and looked back at my servants and the messenger. That same servant spoke again saying, “He’s not asking you do accomplish some super-human feat; he’s just asking you to wash.”

“But it makes no sense!” I replied, “Why—”

“Why not! We’ve all heard of the power of the Israelite God and the miracles worked by His prophets—this may still be your best chance,” he said. “And even if it doesn’t work, the only negative is that you’ll get a little wet.”

So, now I stand here in the Jordan River. I’ve dipped six times with no change in my skin, and I feel like a fool. Just one more time, I tell myself. As I sink into the Jordan a seventh time, a momentary wave of peace washes over me, then all too quickly, I rise from the water again. Before I even open my eyes, I hear calls from the shore, “Master Naaman! Are you healed?”

Fearing the worst, I look down at my arms. My skin is clear again! I jump back to the shore shouting, “The leprosy is gone! It’s all gone! Praise the Lord, God of Israel!”

I run to Elisha’s house, and this time he comes to meet me. With a knowing grin, he asks, “Naaman, have you washed in the Jordan seven times?”

“Yes!” I reply, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant” and I offer him the gifts of gold, silver, and clothes (2 Kings 5:15b, ESV).

Elisha says, “No. As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none” (2 Kings 5:16).

Now I understand. My healing wasn’t something I could manhandle through feats of strength or buy with gold; in fact, I could not earn my healing at all. Nothing I could do would measure up. Washing in the Jordan was so simple, and yet it brought a healing that I couldn’t gain in any other way.

It was ridiculous. It made no sense to me, but maybe that’s part of the point, too. I have to trust that the Lord is greater and stronger than I am, and I have to obey His call, even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense in the moment. Healing only came when I surrendered, let go of my pride, and obeyed.

“Thank you, Elisha. I understand now that I cannot repay you, so I will instead ask one more thing. [P]lease let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth,” I say (2 Kings 5:17). “Because from now on, I will only worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord, God of Israel. And I ask that even when I have to enter the temples of false gods with my king, that the Lord will forgive me.”

“Go in peace,” Elisha tells me, and I do (2 Kings 5:19).

What seemingly ridiculous thing is God calling you to obey?

Co-written by Chrystal and Michelle J. Goff, sisters in Searcy, Arkansas, volunteer and director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries, respectively

The remnant of Israelites was weary. They had been beaten down and their cities destroyed by their enemies. Many of their relatives that were taken under Babylonian captivity continued to live in exile under Medo-Persian rule. A few waves of Israelites had returned to Judah, under Zerubbabel and later with Ezra, but the temple remained incomplete and the city of Jerusalem in ruins.

Nehemiah was burdened by the broken-down conditions in Judah, as reported by his brother. His family’s place of origin was a heap of rubble, not a town.

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” (Neh. 1:3)

Nehemiah, fasted, prayed, and cried out to God for relief on behalf of his people. Strengthened with resolve, Nehemiah prayed at every step along the way as he, a humble cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, requested the time off, the materials, and letters of safe passage to go and rebuild the city wall.

Yet even before Nehemiah could share with the people what God had placed in his heart to do, he began to face opposition. Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite, “the bullies,” as we will call them, were “disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites” (Neh. 2:10).

The bullies didn’t think they would have to try so hard to oppose Nehemiah. He was a lowly cupbearer, so how would he know how to be a good leader for the rebuilding of the wall? They underestimated God and Nehemiah’s dedication to asking for help to fulfill his calling.

We lose count of the times that Nehemiah finds strength in the Lord to rebuild the wall. He, in turn, encourages the Jews, who have also cried out to God. God provides a solution. The Jews implement it, as they continue building. Then the bullies get angry and try a new scheme… The opposition tried a little bit of everything: rumors, deceit, poking fun, belittling, lies, intimidation, physical and verbal attacks.

Nehemiah and the Jews pray again, God strengthens them, they employ a new strategy, and the bullies get more frustrated. Repeat, ad nauseum!

At one point, the Israelites had to be workmen by day and guards by night. Half worked while the other half stood guard with swords. Those carrying materials could only carry half as much because of their sword in the other hand (Neh. 4:16-18). How frustrating! We can barely walk and chew gum at the same time! But God gave them the strength and balance.

The opposition was filled with obvious lies and manipulative secrecy. Five times in a row, the bullies tried to trap and harm Nehemiah, inviting him to a nearby town. The fifth time, Nehemiah’s response to their flagrant lies is hilarious:

 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” (Neh. 6:8)

Sometimes, whatever opposes us, whatever we feel bullied by feels relentless, conniving, wearying, ruthless… and we feel helpless to complete our task. We cry out, “This is trying to slow me down and thwart my efforts. Help!” Crying out to God in prayer and relinquishing the opposition to God, He does provide solutions, strategies, and strength.

They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.” (Neh. 6:9)

Bullied, bantered, and beaten down through the fifty-two days of intensive wall rebuilding and the opposition leading up to that, the Israelites has been strengthened by God. They then gathered before the newly rebuilt Water Gate as Ezra read from the Law.

Years before Netflix, the Israelites binged on the Word of the LORD, from daybreak to noon, and their response affirmed that, “Yes, they were still watching.” They were cut to the heart by what they heard and began to grieve the perpetuated sin of their ancestors.

Yet God strengthened the people with a reminder of what that day was all about: Rejoicing in the strength of the Lord! There would come a time for them to confess their sins, to commit to repentant, changed hearts and practices as the people of God.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep… This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Neh. 8:9-10, excerpts)

No matter what the opposition (external bullies or internal struggles), God strengthens us.
The book of Nehemiah concludes with the wall as an instrument of dedication to God’s ways, His Law. On the Sabbath, the gates were closed and locked in protection of the holiness of the day dedicated to God and to remembering Him.

In what ways have you faced opposition to rebuilding or a rededication of all facets of your life to God? How have you seen God strengthen you in that calling?

Written by Michelle J. Goff, Founder and Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries 

On the 4^th of July (Independence Day), we sat outside at Grandpa and Grandma’s farm, watching the fireworks in the distance and delighting in our annual tradition of root beer floats. Those grandparents are no longer with us, but my nephew and niece have been warned by their mom that they will hear that story every time we enjoy Independence Day fireworks with family, sipping root beer.

On the maternal side of the family, Granddaddy loves to tell jokes. He collected them for years as a speech professor and occasional preacher. As kids, whenever we heard a good joke, we would call him up and retell it. These days, he regales us with his favorites, telling them as if for the first time. When he asks, “Have you heard that one?”, one sister has learned to cleverly respond, “Not today!” The first time he caught on to her joke, he winked, laughed, and said, “Oh, you’re definitely part of this family with that sense of humor!”

Whether time-honored traditions or long-standing jokes, we celebrate the connections they bring. From both sides of my family, another connection is their legacies of faith. I know this because of the stories passed down.

The Iowa grandparents led a quiet life as farmers. The Florida two were teachers in a big city, rampant with worldly influence. Both couples were challenged to live out their faith in their respective contexts. And since we grandkids lived at least an 18-hour car ride from the nearest, we relied more heavily on our parents to pass down the generational stories of faith.

Prayer was a vital lifeline for all four grandparents. Dean and Evelyn prayed that their crops would produce a harvest ample enough to sell and provide for their own needs. They prayed over whether they should take my dad and aunt in as teenagers (as foster parents). They prayed that God would provide preachers for their one-room church building, built by previous generations.

George and Barbara prayed that God would use them to plant seeds of truth and faith in their students. They prayed that God would lead them in starting a nonprofit called Christian Homes for Children in South Florida and use them to bless children who were not able to receive loving care in other places. George even wrote a book, Prayer Power, contributing the proceeds from book sales to that foster care ministry. Even earlier this year, Grandmommy wanted to pray with whichever family member visited her hospital room.

Their “God stories,” as I have endearingly termed them, remind me of God’s faithfulness throughout all generations and have inspired me in how I live out my own faith.

My mom, a gifted storyteller, has created an expectation that we share the God stories. We cannot keep them to ourselves! She never passes up an opportunity to demonstrate how she saw God working, and it doesn’t matter whether the other person is a believer. Her story becomes an intentional invitation to allow Him to author their story.

The beautiful thing is that the more we tell God stories and recognize His hand at work, the more we see Him and invite Him to be the living, active, all-powerful God that He is in our lives.

In a recent conversation, already needing to get back to work, I asked a couple of friends to give me five more minutes to share the full backstory of connections, because only then would the bigger God story of it all be revealed. Neither hesitated in granting my request, anticipating how they would be blessed by hearing it all come together as only God could orchestrate.

The following five minutes cannot be summarized in an 800-word blog post. I would need a map to illustrate what parts of the world I was referring to (five countries on three continents). Hand motions were required to draw connections, from the family where the story began through the interweaving of other families’ lives. We fast-forwarded and rewound our timeline as we navigated the intricacies of the tapestry God was creating. And yes, I showed pictures.

Iron Rose Sister Ministries and hundreds, maybe thousands, of women are reaping the blessing of those interconnected, generational God stories being passed down… and I’m only referring to that morning’s snippets of those families’ entwined God stories (Wyatt, Holland, Goff, Fincher, White, Yarbrough, Brizendine, and Batres).

The best part is that the eternal impact and blessing of the story is not yet fully written. The oldest generation has gone before us, leaving their legacy. It is our responsibility to carry on and pass down their stories of faith.

We may doubt our impact while on this earth. Yet when we share God stories that narrate another person’s faith, we affirm the ripple effect of one life on the legacy of God’s faithfulness.

I cannot wait to hear the God stories to come! Hopefully in heaven, God will gloriously reveal the millions of backstories, faithfully passed down. Oh, to sing those stories with the angels and the thousand generations (Deut. 7:9)!

What God story can you pass down or be a part of today?

Written by Michelle J. Goff, Founder and Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries

While making a short trip out of town, I felt torn: too many people to see and not enough time. Instead of spreading myself too thin, I prayed fervently that God would lead me to who might be most encouraged by a visit.

One name kept coming to mind… so I texted my friend and asked if she had some time later that day to get together to catch up. About an hour later, she replied, letting me know that she was going to be getting off work at 4pm and would love to meet.

What she didn’t mention until later was that she wasn’t supposed to get off until 8… and that she rarely ever gets released early from work. That “small” detail of her early availability was only one piece of the God story that was being unveiled.

Friendships that span years of shared experiences develop roots. Even if it has been years since you have spoken, friends can pick up right where they left off and share in the deepest joys and challenges of life.

As my friend and I spoke on the front porch, then over dinner, the evidence of God’s hand at work to orchestrate our time together became more evident. We rejoiced over God’s faithfulness and provision. We wept over the pain of the consequences of sin, even sin that was not our own. We shared the more current struggles that we can lift up to the Father on each other’s behalf.

Our divine appointment became its own God story filled with many mini God stories! And when we departed later that evening, we definitively felt more deeply connected to God and to one another.

As a ministry this year, that is our goal—to equip women to connect to God and to one another more deeply through stories.

When we share our God stories, we open our eyes to how God is working today. We begin to recognize His living and active hand in more and more situations.

The more we see God in our lives, the more our stories become His stories… HIStories.

The more we see God and His love through the stories of Bible, the more we see and trust His sovereignty… their stories become His stories… HIStories.

Our HIStories and Bible HIStories are woven together as integral pieces of God’s eternal love story. The focal point of God’s love story is Christ.

Other ministries and local church groups have used the term HIStories as a way of highlighting similar types of God stories are. We are adopting that established term. However, the Spanish version of this term, DIOStorias, is a word I made up to highlight the same point. When you bring those two words together, they form a cross, our focal point.

I grew up in church, learning the stories of Noah and the flood, Abraham’s faith, Daniel in the lions’ den, baby Jesus in the manger, and many others. However, I did not understand that those stories were characters in God’s greater, larger story of the Bible. It is one big love story. God invites us to be characters in HIStory, recipients of His love. In college, professors began to help me connect the dots and focus on the eternal story that God is writing in each of our hearts.

Every story of the Old Testament was a foreshadowing and affirmation of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, when the Lamb of God became flesh and dwelled among us. God’s relationship with the Israelites, His chosen people, illustrates the character of God and reminds us that we always have the choice to turn to Him and obey His commands, which are designed for our good.

Our God, Yahweh, the Great I AM is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the author, creator, and architect of the greatest story ever told.

We are one part of God’s eternal story. He could’ve used anyone, yet our Heavenly Father chose each of the imperfect candidates in Scripture that He might receive the glory. Will you allow God to use you as an imperfect candidate to tell your story that God might receive the glory? Like Esther, who knows but that you have been called for such a time as this…

Please contact us if you are interested in sharing a HIStory from the Bible or a HIStory from your own life. Thanks for accepting the invitation to connect to God and one another more deeply through these God stories, and for sharing your own with others! It is our opportunity to give God the glory and invite others into their own HIStory with Him.

Written by Elina Vath, Virtual Assistant for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Ohio 

Each week across city, region, country, and hemisphere, we commemorate together the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through the Lord’s Supper. Redemption and salvation through Jesus were foretold in the garden of Eden, fulfilled in Jerusalem, and will continue until He returns.

Before His death, Jesus entered Jerusalem as King, just as the prophet Zechariah said He would. And although it was the last week of Jesus’ human life, He did not receive any relief from those who were determined to see Him fail. Time after time, Jesus looked straight into the hearts of the teachers of the law and completely annihilated their arguments. In a single day, Jesus sent the Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees home with their tails between their legs.

Chapter 22 of Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life tells us that the Sadducees attempted to trap Him with a question meant to disprove the resurrection. Jesus knew the scheming intention behind the Sadducees’ question for exactly what it was: a weak attempt to show His ignorance of Moses’ teachings, as if Jesus Himself hadn’t been there when Moses floated in a basket on the Nile, murdered the Egyptian, met his wife, removed his sandals, spread his arms over the Red Sea, and breathed his last.

I picture Jesus shaking His head, sighing a heavy sigh, and then effectively bulldozing the Sadducees' trap with these words, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matt. 22:29 ESV). No signs of intimidation or hesitation; rather, Jesus spoke with authority. “You are WRONG,” He told the richest, most powerful Jews of the time. But Jesus didn’t stop there. He then accused the Sadducees of not having done their homework, bringing the conversation to a full stop.

And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.(Matt. 22:31-32)

You see, Jesus knew Moses personally. And when God said to Moses in the book of Exodus, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” Jesus watched as Moses was overcome by the sheer power of those words. Matthew tells us that Jesus’ wisdom and power in repeating these words had the same impact on the Sadducees and everyone who heard Him speak—they were all astonished.

Everything about God is alive. His words are alive, His Spirit is alive, His Son is alive, His kingdom is alive, and we are part of this living kingdom. Abraham, who looked at the stars in the night sky, as God made a promise, is alive. Isaac, the one through whom God began fulfilling that promise, is alive. Jacob, the forefather of Moses and someone used by God to preserve Jesus’ bloodline, is alive. Those who have gone before us are alive. Generation to generation, here we stand today, thousands of years later, as followers of the God of (the living) Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Because of Jesus, who is the Life, you and I are counted among the stars in heaven. Generation upon generation of God’s people will live even after our bodies die.

May we all rejoice together at the history of our faith family, and that our names are written in the heavens as part of a promise that continues to be fulfilled.

Written by Michelle J. Goff, Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Obedience is a bending of our own will to the will of another, usually someone in authority. No one can serve two masters. We apply this truth to God and money, but it applies to God and any facet of “self” that has not surrendered to Him.

The Spirit gave me the word “obedience” when I first felt that it was the right time to write One Single Reason: Conversations with Single Women. Over the course of the project, I came to discover a renewed and heightened understanding of that word. God ushered me into an affirmation of His faithfulness that could only be tasted through my obedience.

At times, the obedience provided comfort. I was simply doing what God had asked me to do. At other moments, the obedience provided clarity. God had not called me to please the myriad of groups who wanted me to be their poster child for their cause through this book. Sometimes, the obedience implied discomfort and sacrifice. What God had asked me to do was not easy. Finally, the obedience implied rest and trust. When I trusted God and His guidance through the process, I could rest in the truth that He would do His part if I obediently did mine.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to Him and He will direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).

Obedience is monumentally more difficult without trust—quite nearly impossible.
Obedience through the pain means that I trust that the pain will be worthwhile and that it is only temporary, not eternal.
Obedience over time means that it is not conditional on when I feel like being obedient.
Obedience is a decision, a commitment, a fulfilled promise.

My obedience required relentless perseverance, continual submission, and complete trust.

What I didn’t know when I first answered God’s call to be obedient in the writing of this book is what other areas of obedience were included in this package deal…

Obedience to writing One Single Reason meant that I had to be obedient in a painful healing process—not just about being single.
Obedience to hearing and sharing more of the stories of other women meant that I had to be obedient and faithful to their voices.
Obedience to researching God’s Word and His will as it related to the topic of singleness meant that I had to be obedient to challenge whatever I did or didn’t think previously—to represent His voice accurately and respectfully.

Obedience may not be easy, but it is most definitely worthwhile. When it is modeled and practiced, we begin to realize all the facets of what God has designed and desired for His disciples.

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.” (Matt. 28:19-20)

All authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Jesus... And a significant part of His final charge to the disciples was to obey what He had commanded, to teach others how to obey what He had commanded.

Obedience to God also comes with the promise that He is will us always, to the very end of the age. Obedience facilitates greater intimacy of relationship with God. It may isolate us from some of the other relationships in our lives, but we are given that choice.

God invites us to choose obedience. It is not a demand that we robotically follow His arbitrary commands. Rather, it is an opportunity to the abundant life, promised to those who choose to follow, to surrender their own will, to trust in our Creator and Heavenly Father who knows our needs and loves us unconditionally.

My own story of obedience is also riddled with moments of disobedience. I do not share my story of obedience as a perfect model. God redeemed my moments of distrust and doubt, and ushered me into a renewed commitment to obedience.

The fruit of that obedience has been the blessing of encouraging, equipping, and empowering single and single-again women through One Single Reason: Conversations with Single Women. When we are obedient, we can be a catalyst for others’ obedience, as well.

Thank you for partnering with us on our obedience journey! If there is a specific way in which we can pray with you on your own obedience journey, please let us know! Finally, we would love to hear some of what obedience means to you. Is there a part of your obedience story you would be willing to share?

Written by Michelle J. Goff, Iron Rose Sister Ministries Founder and Director

“Do you need story time?” A slow nod would be the only response from many college students who would enter my office near LSU’s campus. As they curled up in the oversized chair across from my desk, I would reach behind their heads praying over which children’s book’s tattered cover I would pull from my bookshelf.

Sometimes, we would read, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst. Other times, we would read tales of Hermie and Wormie, worms who became butterflies in Max Lucado’s children’s books.

The simple stories would reveal and affirm greater truths: Even people in Australia have bad days. We are all a work in progress and God may not be finished transforming us into a beautiful butterfly yet.

Other days, a student would bounce into my office, itching to tell me a God story from their day. Many of my favorite memories are with Christian sisters, sitting in a coffeeshop, swapping God stories and joyfully delighting in the ways we had recognized how wise, active, loving, nice, patient, faithful, gracious… just how GOOD our God is!

Every time, the exchange of God stories drew us closer to God and to each other.

The Bible is one big love story. God is the Author and the main character. He invites us into His story as recipients of that love and co-laborers in the storytelling. We each have an individual part to play in the story, but Our Story in God is that we are part of His bigger story. And the primary plot point to His story is good news!

Iron Rose Sister Ministries’ theme for 2022 is “Our Story in God.” Each individual’s story is woven into the tapestry of God’s greater story. Hebrews 11:40 concludes the chapter of the heroes of faith with, “since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

We all long for connection. We want to feel safe and understood… for someone to identify with us, our lives, our story. We may wonder where our story fits in the bigger picture. Or we may wonder what is going on in our story, grateful that the final chapter has not yet been written.

Stories foster connection and provide an opportunity to relate on a new level. God stories offer an invitation to the hearer to connect to God and to the one telling the story. As a ministry, that is what we are all about—equipping women to connect to God and one another more deeply. In 2022, we will fulfill that vision through stories.

This year, Iron Rose Sisters will be provided the opportunity to share their God stories in a written form through this blog. This is only one way in which we are equipping and empowering women to share their stories with others.

When we reflect on the ways in which God has worked in our lives, we open our eyes to His hand at work and His Spirit’s guidance. When we tell those God stories, our own faith is renewed, and it sparks an interest in the minds of those who hear the message.

This emphasis for our annual theme implies a slight shift in the frequency of the blog emails you will receive (2/week). In English and in Spanish, the Tuesday blog will be the story of a Bible character—seeing their story through the lens of one facet of their life and journey with God. On Thursdays, we will hear from an Iron Rose Sister, seeing her personal story through that same lens used on a Bible character that same week.

For example, next week, Wendy will talk about Daniel’s story of his Hebrew citizenship while living as a foreigner in Babylon. Then, Stefanía, a Salvadorian sister, will share an experience she had that brought greater insight into our citizenship in heaven.

If you would prefer to not receive two blog emails in your inbox each week, you are always welcome to opt out of this blog subscription. If, however, this year’s theme sparks your own interest and you think of others who would be blessed by Our Story in God, please invite them to subscribe to the blog. Again, it is available in English or in Spanish. (INSERT LINKS)

Finally, if you would like to be a part of sharing a Bible story or some part of your own story through this blog, please respond and let us know!

2 Corinthians 3:2-3
"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."