Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Corina Díaz, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Argentina

There are few things we know about Bathsheba beyond her beauty, her marital status, and that she became the mother of Solomon:

“One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful.” (2 Sam. 11:2)

“When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.” (2 Sam. 11:26)

If you don’t know this story, I encourage you to read the whole thing in 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12. Yet, I want you to recognize these two points:

• Bathsheba always found grace in the eyes of King David.
• Even though her destiny was not the one she had dreamed of, God crowned her as the mother of King Solomon.

In order to become the mother of Solomon, Bathsheba had to suffer two losses, Uriah and her son. In less than a year’s time, she lost her husband and a son, in the middle of a war. However, she did not have the slightest idea of God’s purpose in her life. At the end of her days, she sat at the right hand of the king.

1 Kings 2:19, “When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.”

Have you ever been in the most difficult moment in your life and you cannot even imagine what God has planned for you?

I cannot count the number of times that this has played out repeatedly in my life, like a constant cycle. When I see the darkness, God has prepared a brilliant sun under which His grace is reborn!

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #unfinished #incompletestory #workinprogress #guestwriter #blog

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How well do we know each other? There are some friends whose sentences I can finish. I have been known to freak some people out by the way in which I get inside their heads and seem to know what they are thinking.
Maybe we met at a conference I gave in your local church. Perhaps we have worshipped at the same congregation. Whether we have met only once, or have been on a road trip together, I would like to think you have gotten to know me a little better through this blog.
Transparency and authenticity have been markers for the stories I share. So, in honor of my birthday, I am going to ask a few questions to see how well you know me. But, stay tuned through the end... there will be a spiritual application with an introduction to this month’s blog theme.

Imagine the teenager who anticipates getting all dressed up for prom or a church banquet. She has dreamt of this day and has imagined how beautiful she will look. On the morning of the event, she spends a few hours on the farm with her family, digging in the dirt and planting the seeds for their garden. The recent rains make the ground soft and malleable, perfect for planting and also for throwing a clump or two of mud at her brother.

As the time approaches to meet for dinner, she heads to the house to clean up. The warm water from the shower washes the grime from her hair and loosens the mud her brother caked in her ear just before she ran inside. She scrubs the dirt from under her fingernails and uses the special soap with her favorite scent, saved for special occasions.

She has spent weeks finding the perfect dress, hours doing her hair and makeup. And after getting completely ready to go, she slips on the heels she knows she will be more than ready to kick off at the end of the night and walks out the door.

Yet instead of walking down the paved driveway to the car for a ride to the event, she returns to the field where the family had already finished planting for the day. She walks straight through a mud puddle where her heels sink into the soft ground, leaving them to fill with muddy water. She bends over to retrieve her shoes and slips, landing in a heap. In the process, clumps of dirt stain her carefully selected dress and she wipes her face with the mud, losing an earring and smearing her makeup.

What are your reactions to this young ladies’ actions and choices? Are you wondering why she went through all that effort to get cleaned up only to walk through the mud and dirty herself again? What was she thinking? I’m sure none of us would ever do that... Or would we?

She was free of the filth. Yet she turned right back to it, even after being clean. The spiritual application of this physical illustration is a vivid reminder of the ridiculousness of our actions and choices.

19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”
2 Peter 2:19-22

Entangled, enslaved, overcome, corrupted, defiled...

Unencumbered, freed, liberated, pure, undefiled...

When stated so clearly, the choice is obvious. Yet, the lies we fall back into become the hindrance of freedom through truth and righteousness.

Are you recognizing the lies, replacing them with truth, and remembering the truth?

Choose truth today and remember the truth. Replace the lies with it. And if you don´t know what entangles you, ask God to reveal the lies so that you can recognize them for what they are—the filth that overcomes you.

Thank you, Redeemer, for offering us the opportunity to not only get clean, but to remain clean—freed by Truth.

#IronRoseSister #freedom #truth #MichelleJGoff 

Freedom is found through Truth while lies enslave and entrap.

“My son got diabetes and died from complications of the disease because God was punishing me for marrying a non-Christian... I’ve made so many bad decisions in my life that there is no way God wants to hear from me. I feel like I can’t talk to Him because I know He won’t listen to me.”

This was not a statement I expected to hear from a seventy-two year old woman, one who had been a Christian for years, but who was letting Satan have the last word.

Humbled by the scenario before me, I thanked God for the opportunity to speak words of truth and freedom into this sister’s life. She had been living her entire life entrapped by Satan’s lies, burdened by guilt.

I began, “You have three grown children, right?” A loving glimmer filled her eyes and she responded in the affirmative.

“And, even today, when one of your kids is in trouble or has done something wrong, do you want them to avoid you or come to you so that you can comfort them, advise them, and show them love?”

“Well, of course I want them to come to me!”

“And do you think that our loving Heavenly Father is any different when one of His children messes up? Don’t you think He longs to comfort us, advise us, and shower us with His love?”

“I’ve never thought of it that way before...”

The following Sunday, upon greeting my friend, her face was one of peace and she looked as if she had lost 100 pounds off her already small frame. The joy stemming from her newfound freedom was unquenchable. She had embraced the truth of God’s abounding love, giving Him the last word in her life.

Satan wants to rob us of the abundant life Christ offers (John 10:10), but there is hope for redemption, freedom, forgiveness, and even a clean conscience! Shame and guilt do not have to define our lives and our relationships.

Satan creates a negative filter through which we see our actions and decisions. We become focused on our sin and unworthiness instead of the grace and forgiveness that God offers.

Even if we have intellectually accepted God’s forgiveness, it can be hard to forgive ourselves, especially on an emotional level. The shame we feel from our past sins overshadows the cleansing power of God’s grace.

God’s forgiveness is real and redeeming. When He buys us back, the slate is washed clean. We are able to start anew.

“ ‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool’” (Isa. 1:18).

Taken from Chapter 10 of Who Has the Last Word? Cutting through Satan’s Lies with the Truth of God’s Word. We invite you to gather with a group of women to walk together toward freedom—true freedom that is only found through Truth. Even today, you can take advantage of the invitation to freedom through the Lie/Truth Chart: Recognizing the Lie, Replacing the Lie with Truth and Remembering the Truth through a specific Bible verse.

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Earlier this month, in two of the countries where I have lived, Independence Day was celebrated. For the U.S.A., it is July 4th. In Venezuela, it is July 5th. What is supposedly celebrated on these holidays is the freedom obtained from the oppression by a country that had dominated them.

Yet today, in both of those countries, there are many people who feel more oppressed than free. In Venezuela, they are lamenting the oppression by the government, the economic situation, the lack of basic foods and medicines, etc. In contrast, for those who live in the United States, oppression is felt from other sources, stresses, and worries—many self-induced.

Everyone seeks freedom. And in that search, we may fear ending up more dependent than independent. But it all depends on how you define the terms freedom, dependence, and independence; they can be good or bad.

Do you define freedom in political or economic terms?
Or do you define freedom as something more internal (mental, emotional or spiritual) that no one can take away from you?

Do you describe dependence as something negative because you don’t want to be seen as week, needing to depend on others?
Or do you recognize our dependence on Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith, our Savior and Lord whose blood we must have in order to be in relationship with God?

And if independence is defined as freedom from oppression, what greater oppression is there than that which is found under sin’s grasp?

Jesus says that we will know the truth and that the truth will set us free (John 8:32). He later reveals that He is that truth (John 14:6).

Today, I invite you to celebrate the dependence we have on Christ and the true freedom we find in Him. When I put it in perspective, I rejoice as a slave of God, dependent on Christ, living by the Spirit. That is the truth and true freedom the world is seeking, that can only be found in Him.

Are you truly free? Do you know the Truth that leads to true freedom?

#IronRoseSister #freedom #truth #MichelleJGoff #blog

With a word, God spoke the world into existence. And with a word, Jesus healed the royal official’s son and the royal official “took Jesus at his word” (John 4:50).
With a word, Peter betrayed his Lord. But later, he transformed his words, preaching a Spirit-led sermon on the day of Pentecost, and affirming, along with John that “we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).
Moses did not think himself capable of eloquent words, yet God used him to declare to Pharaoh the freeing words of promise for God’s people, “Let my people go” (Ex. 5:1).
Words are powerful. Words have brokered peace and have started wars. Words can start a relationship, and can end it just as quickly. Words can affirm or destroy, build up or tear down, empower or imprison.

By Johanna Zabala, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Ecuador

Do you know what is the first thing that our Heavenly Father formed in us? The heart. Yes, our heart, this being the first purposeful organ that God himself designed in the fertilization process. How wonderful! Let's look at Psalm 139:13-24. From the womb of each mother, He formed us. What a blessing! All details, thoughts, purposes, plans, and tests are and will be in Him and for Him.

Also, in the book of Jeremiah in chapter 1:5-10 (CEV), it says:

““Jeremiah, I am your Creator, and before you were born, I chose you to speak for me to the nations.” I replied, “I'm not a good speaker, Lord, and I'm too young.” “Don't say you're too young,” the Lord answered. “If I tell you to go and speak to someone, then go! And when I tell you what to say, don't leave out a word! 8 I promise to be with you and keep you safe, so don't be afraid.” The Lord reached out his hand, then he touched my mouth and said, “I am giving you the words to say, and I am sending you with authority to speak to the nations for me. You will tell them of doom and destruction, and of rising and rebuilding again.””

Given this text, it is extensively highlighted that we are of God, as His most beautiful creation, so we must continually seek to purify ourselves in His presence. Over time, I have taken a close look at the compelling need In each facet of life… that we should strive that our hearts be in the likeness of God's heart, as expressed in Proverbs 4:23.

I have considered that especially when we are growing up, a large percentage of information that we own automatically is acquired from our environment, from the good and the bad of everything. In that learning, dad and mom will always have a significant role in the individual structure of each person.

Every day we see many marital situations in any family, and some are even narrated in the Bible. When reading the book of Acts, specifically in chapter 5, verses 1 to 11, there is the couple Ananias and Sapphira, a union like any other, with possible spiritual struggles; and they, based on the context, had material possessions and properties. Both belonged to the church that met to serve the Lord. However, their hearts were far from what God wanted for them; dishonoring the Holy Spirit, when He knows everything about us.

Feelings and desires come from the human heart, marriage being one of them. It is a Christian duty to keep the marital union set apart for God inside and outside the church. We are all called to show the identity of Christ. It is not an easy task, but it is necessary with a pure and respectful heart.

From the testimony of Ananias and Sapphira, we must never let go of the relationship with the Heavenly Father from our intimacy; this is essential. We can be tempted to stray from God's blessing to the curse. If we, as women of God, allow marriage not to be an example in everything and not to be a team of faith and trust in God, or we let Satan fill the heart of either one, lying, pretending, and not loving the will of God, we can fall and die irretrievably.

The marriage that God designed for us is a supreme plan of Himself. He wants it to be for a holy purpose. He wants us to be a team, to be one with Him.

All this invites us to be aware of what we are and what we have under the presence of the Creator and His immense love for each one of us. In other words, each relationship requires sincerity, love for one's neighbor, obedience, and intimacy with God in every decision and action. Adding that we have an opportunity for changes for the Heavenly Father, which leads us to constantly heal our hearts. Over time it has been contaminated and, if we don't realize it, it can make us sick both spiritually and physically.

Ananias and Sapphira died both spiritually and physically. They had their attention on having money and not on the truth of the Lord. Free will is true, but lying greedily and without repentance, is something God hates and destroys.

Let us ask the eternal Father in prayer that we don’t fill our hearts with evil but with Him. Likewise, that we may be purified daily and that He keep our marriages in holiness and love, in Christ Jesus. Let us never delight in a lie, however small it may be; for the father of lies is Satan (Jn. 8:44).

Let's analyze this then: who do I serve, the Father of Truth or the father of lies? Am I irreverent in the presence of the Creator? Do I allow the Heavenly Father to search my heart? Do I work in fear and love of God? Am I really going to be the right help for my husband?

#IronRoseSister #HIStorias #lies #truth #holymarriage #pureheart #guestwriter #blog

I forgot my belt at home the other day. And I was not wearing a pair of pants that made that okay. I spent the whole day distracted by my sagging pants. I couldn’t walk as quickly and had to take extra time to take care of my clothes.
My mild annoyance does not compare with the necessity of a belt as reflected in Ephesians 6:14.
In Bible times, a belt was an even more vital part of the wardrobe. The belt, sash, or girdle, was wrapped around the waist, and held the wearer’s clothes in place. It allowed the person to move around, walk, and even run, freely. Imagine trying to cook, walk, or carry something while also holding up your robes.

Written by Ximena Ramirez, Christian sister in Montevideo, Uruguay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#IronRoseSister #freedom #truth #guestwriter

We will be unable to recognize the lies until we bring them to the light of the Word. And when exposed, like cockroaches, they will flee!
Eve had lost her focus. 2 Corinthians 11:3 gives us a similar warning, "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
We allow Satan’s influence to rattle our faith, lose our sight of hope, and lead us to feel unloved. It is easy to get sidetracked or distracted, and thus have a distorted view of truth. We may not recognize it ourselves if left to our own devices. God has given us His Word and His body, the church, as ways to keep us in check and help reveal those lies that have us entrapped, distracting us from true faith, hope, and love.

What happens when we are focused on the lie? Allow me to provide an illustration: It’s the New Year and you have decided to join your friend at the gym and in a diet that eliminates all sugar for the first thirty days. No problem, right? Yeah, right! It’s now January 8th and your sister has a birthday. All you can think about is her favorite chocolate cake that will be at the party. You become consumed by the chocolate cake. All your thoughts are focused on the chocolate cake. The party is tomorrow and your ability to maintain your resolve for the diet with your friend is wavering. I mean, it’s chocolate cake!

So, you decide that you can conquer this temptation. “I am not going to think about the chocolate cake. I’m not going to think about the chocolate cake. I am NOT going to think about the chocolate cake.” What is the only thing you are thinking about? Yep. The chocolate cake.

You have to replace the thoughts about chocolate cake with something else: “I’m going to bring a sugar-free chocolate bar with me and focus on the blessing of time with family.” Problem solved? Not for all eternity, but maybe for the birthday party and today’s temptation.

Lacey’s Story (from chapter 6, Who Has the Last Word?)
Lacey needed to be reminded that she was not alone. Shortly after her sixteenth birthday, in a whirlwind of doctor’s appointments, x-rays, whispered conversations, concerned looks, and consultations, Lacey was sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. An osteosarcoma tumor had broken through the bone in her left leg about an inch and a half under her kneecap.

Lacey and her mom were not close before, but when she was yanked out of her junior year of high school so she could move out of state to fight the aggressive cancer, she developed a new appreciation and respect for her mom. Lacey’s mom gave encouragement and a never-ending supply of Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drink™ through chemo and multiple surgeries, including the removal of the left leg bone and calf muscle.

Lacey’s mom was a rock for her daughter, but Lacey still felt very alone. Before leaving for Memphis, she felt as though she wasn’t the most popular teenager in the youth group, and was
unsure how many people in her home church in Baton Rouge even knew her. Now, she was three states away and all alone.

But as she was bombarded with texts, cards, calls, and notes that told her how much she was loved, that she was prayed for, and that she was not alone, the message began to sink in. To this day, an encouragement pillow signed by dozens of members of the church is a treasured possession as it reminds Lacey of the constant prayers and support of her church family.

When I asked Lacey if I could share her story and the way that God and the church helped her battle the lie that she was alone, she responded, “I would ABSOLUTELY LOVE FOR YOU TO USE MY STORY! I believe that I went through all that I did for a reason, and that reason is to help others who feel hopeless or who are going through what I went through. I'm proof that cancer is survivable, and if I didn't share my story to help others, even though it's really hard sometimes, everything I went through would have been for nothing!”

She continued, “James 5:11 is my favorite verse because Job is my favorite story in the Bible. Satan tried to tell me that because I was going through a hard time far away from home that I wasn't going to make it because I was alone. But God showed me that I had a church family that stood behind me more than I ever thought they would because I mattered more to God than I thought I did.” Amen! I applaud Lacey for sharing her story and for giving God the last word.
Have you ever had a time when you realized that you mattered more to God than you thought you did? Describe how He revealed his love to you and reminded you that you weren’t alone. (Be sure to include a verse that can, in the future, help you remember that truth again.)

This month, we are highlighting various portions of the book Who Has the Last Word? Cutting through Satan’s Lies with the Truth of God’s Word. We invite you to gather a group of women this fall and walk together to Recognize the Lies, Replace the Lies with Truth and Remember the Truth through specific scriptures.

#IronRoseSister #WhoHastheLastWord #WLW #truth 

Restored and Reunited through True Freedom
Written by Mimi Massengill
John 3:17 Resident, Graduating July 14, 2019

It’s a Saturday morning at a rural church in Remmel, Arkansas... as the membership begins to arrive, something heavenly happens. It’s 10am, and Poppie’s Bible Study has dismissed. In the foyer of the church, we find husbands and children waiting for their wives and moms. We find mothers and fathers waiting for their daughters. We find families patiently waiting for their loved ones.

As the forty extraordinary women of John 3:17 Ministry file into the sanctuary, the love of our Holy Father begins to fill the room. The church members offer hugs and encouragement to each lady as they cross paths. We get to witness this magnificent gift from our Lord. These women received a redemption they could not afford. They come from all over: Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Tennessee, and Florida—all seeking a cure for their lives of addiction and sin. John 3:17 and the Remmel Church provide a safe environment for women, filled with the Holy Spirit.

Birdy is just coming out of her 30-day “Black-Out.” She hasn’t seen or spoken to her children since she came for her interview. At breakfast that morning, she exclaims to me across the room that her daughter is coming this morning! As we all walk into the foyer, I see Birdy’s family as she runs to hug her two-year-old daughter, Mary Lou. She is accompanied by her Aunt Janna, cousin, Hunter, sister, Daisy, and Miss Stacy.

The tears begin to flow from everyone who witnesses this sweet reunion. The family enjoyed their visit playing outside, and by the time the visit was over, Birdy felt a supernatural sense of strength and peace. She knew the Lord was carrying her and her family.

Stories like Birdy’s take place all the time at John 3:17. God doesn’t just restore families here though. He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He restores our spiritual gifts and allows us to be vessels for His great purpose. Any one of the residents could tell you a story about how Satan controlled their lives, but God picked them up from out of the pit and set their feet on a firm foundation.

And from that firm foundation, we find rest. We have been running from Satan for so long, and finally surrendered our lives and wills to Jesus Christ. It’s by the power of His resurrection that we find the strength to keep going. We thank God for His great work in and through John 3:17 Ministry. He clocks in for work and He never clocks out! May the Lord bless and keep you all!

Mimi Massengill

John 3:17 Ministry is a Homeless/Recovery Center for women in Jackson County, Arkansas.

Description from John 3:17 Website: The scripture from John 3:17 describes the goal of this ministry, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Neither do we condemn you. Every person working with this ministry has either suffered personally with an addiction or has a close family member who has. We have witnessed God through Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit to set individuals free.

We also know that addictions cause confusion and disorder. But God came to bring order out of chaos, and He will use John317 as one avenue through which individuals can get the help and deliverance they need.

#IronRoseSister #freedom #truth #John317ministry

Thank you for your attention to the blog and your patience with the lack of posts over the past week. My dad was admitted to the hospital last Wednesday night (October 5) with sepsis, meningitis, encephalitis and pneumonia! The first few days were very scary and after a week, he is now back home receiving IV antibiotics and working to build back his strength and stamina.
Thanks to many of you for your prayers and concern!
Starting tomorrow, we will return to our regularly scheduled blog posts with an emphasis on Truth.
Because of our week’s break from the blogs on truth, this theme will extend into November a few days, as we transition to Thanksgiving for next month.

As Iron Rose Sisters, we celebrate the diversity of the beautiful roses found in God’s Garden. Yet we also acknowledge the thorns that hinder us.

As the sun was setting one summer afternoon, sweat dripping down into my eyes, I recognized how the contentment from filling my tub with blackberries and the anticipation of moist blackberry cobbler made up for my discomfort... for a time.

Every year, I enjoy picking blackberries: the memories of picking at Grandpa’s farm, the sweet fruit of labor in the hot sun, and the sense of accomplishment after reaching that one more, super-sweet berry, just out of reach.

Determined to traverse the entangling vines of wild blackberry bushes in order to get to the next bush with even larger berries, I became trapped. The temptation had been too great. The thorny vines that surrounded me snagged my clothes and dug into my skin. No matter which way I tried to move, I became even more entangled and the pain was increasing.

The thorns that characterize a blackberry bush are vicious, entangling, frustrating, and a hindering nuisance. Struggling to break free can make it even harder to dislodge the embedded thorns.

Thorns are not just found on blackberry bushes. How do we break free from them? And what about when we are ensnared by the thorns of others?

God invites us to break the thorns of destructive cycles that hinder our growth and our freedom. The thorns of our past do not have to define or ensnare us.

No thorn is too embedded for God to remove. No thorny vine is too entangling for God to break you free from.

When my mom Googled the purpose of thorns for blackberry bushes, the first answer that popped up was the recommendation to plant them on a wall or near a fence “in order to deter teenagers from climbing.” This was not the answer we were seeking, but it reminded me of how much we allow thorns to deter us.

Satan will use anything to deter us from freedom. Yet freedom is promised by the Thorn-breaker, Transformer of lives, and Redeemer of brokenness and pain.

What is a thorn you would like to ask God to break you free from? The Healer is loving, gentle, and kind, even if the freedom from thorns requires discipline, pruning, or pain.

#IronRoseSister #freedom #truth #thorns #Healer

Jade sucked in her breath. “Marianna, please stay calm, but there is a lion about 50 yards behind you and he sees us.”
“No there’s not. Stop messing around,” Marianna responded, with a nervous laugh.
Barely above a whisper, Jade urged her friend, “You have to trust me. I see one path out of here where he can’t follow us. Please do what I ask.”

Truth is an elusive concept. It is treated as a fluid and relative term, catering to the needs of some or the popularity of many. As an abstract idea, the concrete nature of Christ as the embodiment of truth can be difficult to grasp—especially if His truth clashes with my opinion.
But I can’t have both. I must relinquish the right to my opinion in order to embrace truth and accept the abundant life Jesus offers.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
The father of lies is practiced at distorting truth and distracting us from the unrelenting, merciful truths found in Scripture.

Remembering the truth allows God to have the last Word—not our fears, not the lies, not the pain, nor the despair. The truth of God’s Word cuts through lies like nothing else.
It is my goal with this book to paint a picture with my words, share a story that inspires, and quote a scripture that breathes truth and hope into a shattered life, battered by lies. These will not exclusively be my stories told on the pages of this interactive Bible study. The timeless tales come from the Bible—powerful messages that transform our lives and fill us with hope. The other testimonies in each chapter come from the lives of women willing to impart some of the wisdom and truth gleaned from the dark days of their soul—lessons learned and verses clung to as they wrestled through Satan’s personal attacks and came to own powerful truths found in God’s Word.
In Who Has the Last Word? you will walk with these women through the entrapping lies into the freedom of truth. And you will explore the truths of Scripture as the Word of God breathes faith, hope, and love in abundance into your lungs, filling you with new life in Christ.
All other things shall cease, but these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love (1 Cor. 13:13).

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