THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART

“If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:7

After serving in our first church for twelve years, God moved us to Eastern North Carolina to serve in a small church in a farming community. We found it hard to adjust to the new customs of the “down-Easterners”. After many months had gone by, my husband was invited back to our former church to help them celebrate Homecoming Day. I was thrilled at the thought of seeing old friends again and being able to visit with my parents.

I really wanted a new outfit to wear on that special day at our old church. Our finances would not stretch to allow that purchase so I just talked it over with my Lord. I prayed, “Lord, thank you for the opportunity to go back to Cherryville again. I sure would love to have a new dress to wear. You know how sparse my wardrobe is and I know you can make it possible for me to have something new for that occasion.” I did not really ask Him to give me a new dress; I just expressed how much I would like to have one.

Several weeks went by and one afternoon the telephone rang. Two of the women of the church were on the line and they told me that God had told them to buy me a new outfit with the extra money they had made tying tobacco that fall. They had already bought it and brought it home with them and they wanted me to come over and try it on to see if I liked it and if it would fit. I squealed my delight and told her that if God told them to buy it for me then I knew it would fit because He knew my size!

I was right. I put on that new brown knit suit, with a suede jacket and it fit to a “T”. I did not have to hem it, take in the shoulders, or move any buttons. I felt that I was dressed in love when I wore my new suit on Homecoming Sunday.

My God had taken care of my desires in a wonderful way and kept His promise to hear and answer the prayers of His children.

Audren Mullen

Announcements:

HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FALL! With Autumn already showing her colours throughout the Northern Hemisphere of our planet, with the children all back in school, let's all take a moment to reflect upon the blessings that God has granted us througout this past summer. May God bless you abundantly and with abundance this fall!

Lyn Chaffart

HELL . . . HUMEROUS? . . . OR HORRIFYING?

Why do we laugh at hell? It’s a nervous laughter! Even in our humor, there is the underlying sense that it all might be true, after all. This joke is typical:

The Pope, Billy Graham, and Oral Roberts, (famous as a healing fundraiser) die unexpectedly. Saint Peter realizes to his consternation that their places in heaven aren’t quite ready yet. So he says to these famous men, “I’m so sorry, but, your places in heaven aren’t ready yet! Would you mind terribly, spending a few days in hell? We’ll leave you there the shortest amount of time possible.” The 3 men reluctantly agree. Well, after the first night, heaven gets an urgent phone call from Satan demanding that heaven do something! Peter stops Satan’s screaming long enough to ask him, “What in the world is wrong down there?” Satan starts ranting again: “You see, these 3 men you sent down here are ruining everything! Billy Graham is evangelizing the whole place, and everyone is repenting! The pope is forgiving everyone and granting them absolution! And, worst of all, Oral Roberts is raising enough money to get this whole place air-conditioned! Get these guys out of here!”

Now, that joke is funny at first reading! However, its theology is really bad Biblical theology. So, what’s wrong with it? Consider the following points:

Satan isn’t the prince of hell at all. He is its prisoner! Revelation chapter 20 makes that quite clear.

No one’s death is unexpected. Psalm 139 makes that quite clear too.

Once people do arrive in hell, there is no forgiveness. There are no second chances. Luke 16 makes that point clear as well. The greedy rich man in this parable knows that he will never escape his terrible fate!

And, regarding air-conditioning? Well, … you get the idea! A bottomless lake of burning sulphur as described by Revelation 20 has no chance of being air-conditioned!

Jesus took hell so seriously that He willingly let the Romans drive half inch spikes through the median nerves in his wrists! This produced waves and waves of unimaginable spasms of pain through his whole nervous system! There he hung in that horrible condition for hour after agonizing hour! Why? Because, for Jesus, hell wasn’t funny! Matthew 25:41 tells us that hell was never even designed for humans. It was designed only for the devil and his wicked angels. It is an inhuman place to which humans do go, but only over the dead body of Jesus.

How do we know that Jesus has the power to rescue us from hell?

Jesus overcame hell by never committing a human sin.

Jesus overcame the grave by resurrecting himself from a human death.

Jesus fulfilled enough prophecy to leave no doubt that He knows all about our future. If he says that hell is coming, we can believe him. If He says that a rescue is possible, we can trust him. Jesus went through inhuman suffering to rescue us from an inhuman place! And, yes, hell is a place-not a state of mind-not the hell we make for ourselves here on earth-and not something to laugh about. With all the passion I can humanly muster, I say, cry over hell and rejoice over heaven! What would you be willing to do to escape a raging fire here on earth? Would you jump out of a building? What would you be willing to do to rescue someone else? Would you warn them, grab them, throw them out of a window into a net they couldn’t see through the smoke? How much more urgent then is the eternal raging fire!

By

Chris Hansen

Books by Chris Hansen: “Revelation Revisited,” is a very dramatic retelling of John’s amazing visions of heaven, hell, worldwide cataclysms, antichrist, and the glorious return of Jesus! “Secret of the Psalms,” walks through the life of Jesus prefigured and predicted in the Psalms, centuries beforehand. “Grandfather’s Journal,” is a touching illustrated children’s book in which a young boy, who is bored with Sunday school, and terrified of dying, finds a reason to love going to church, a reason to smile again, and a reason to pray for the first time. He discovers that because Jesus really rose from death, then Jesus can be trusted, and Jesus can give real hope, at Easter or any other time.

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AND THE WINNER IS . . . NUMBER 5!

We were sitting in the hall of the local Canadian Legion, patiently awaiting the verdict of the judges. It was hard not to assimilate the tension emitted by the 15 grade 7-9 students. Each one of these young people had just made a powerful public speech, and each one deserved to win. Each one hoped to hear their number called for the Number One position, but only one would be chosen.

With the competition so stiff, I couldn't help but think that my son's speech, as excellent as it was, didn't stand a chance. After all, it was his first year in school, his first year in an organized Enlgish class, his first try at public speaking. The only reason he was here at all was that his speech was judged to be the second best in his class, and then the second best in his school. And his classmate, the one who had taken first place in class and at school, was also here, sitting in front of us, and her speech had been four-plus excellent. Though I had a personal bias towards my son's speech, she had already beat him twice. And that was just one of the other fourteen kids!

To make matters worse, my son was sick. He had been home from school for the past two days with a stomach bug, and although he was looking better, I knew he wasn't yet himself. I shook my head sadly. Yes, it had been a good experience for him, but I couldn't help but put together my own speech in my mind--the speech that I would deliver to him on the way home about how winning isn't everything . . .

Tension mounted as the judges came out of their room and handed the MC a list. Although two from each local school were chosen to compete at the town level, only one from the town would be chosen to go on and compete for the region. There would no longer be any place for "second best". I sighed and looked away. My poor son . . . He had worked so hard to improve his speech . . .

"And the third-place winner is . . ."

I looked up. It didn't mean going on with the competition, but number three would be a spot of honor. Maybe my son was third place . . . I held my breath . . .

"Number 1!"

Disappointment flooded my heart. Number 1 had been an excellent, interactive speech. If that speech was third place . . .

The applause died down and the MC picked up his notes. "And for second place, the runner-up position . . . If the first place winner decides to not go on with the competition, it will be this contestant who represents our town at the regionals . . ."

I didn't dare look up. It wouldn't be my son . . .

"Number 11!"

I wasn't at all surprised to see my son's classmate get out of her chair and go forward. I was happy for her. She had given a great speech, and she deserved it. And I went back to rehearsing my "winning isn't everything" speech.

"And the next winner, the one who will represent our town in the regionals is . . ."

But he didn't go on right away. Instead, he began explaining when and where the regional competition would be, even taking the time to give directions and to invite the parents of the winning child to stop by for detailed instructions at the back.

You could have cut the tension in the air with a knife as 13 students sat at the edge of their chairs, breath baited. The message to the MC was clearly written over each and every face: "Get on with it! Just tell us who won!"

I swallowed and continued going over my own speech in my mind. My poor son. He had worked so hard . . .

"And the first place winner is . . . Number 5!"

The room exploded in applause and I looked up. Which one of the kids had been number 5? I couldn't seem to remember, so I began to scan the room to see who was standing up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement in my son's chair. I glanced his way in time to see him start to stand. I reached out my hand to pull him back. "We'll wait a few minutes before leaving!" I whispered. "We want to congratulate the winner!"

But he wasn't sitting back down. In fact, he wasn't listening at all! Instead, he was striding for the front of the room!

Only then did it dawn on me: My son WAS Number 5!

Somehow, this all reminds me of the end of time. The Bible tells us that the end of time will come like a thief in the night. "for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." (1 Thess 5:2 NIV) I don't know about you, but I had never really given much thought to what this meant until that night, as our family drove home from the Legion. Then suddenly, it was all clear. You see, I had known ahead of time that one of the possible outcomes of the evening would be that my son would win, but in my mind I had created a different "best case scenario". I was so focussed on MY possible outcome, that when the real thing happened, it took me a few minutes to recognize it!

This is exactly what Paul is trying to tell us in 1 Thess. 5:2. We all know the Lord will return, and most of us have read the Bible and gone to church enough to have created our own "best-case scenarios". But it won't happen exactly as we expect it to. In fact, we can become so focussed on our own ideas, so busy watching for our own interpretation of prophecy, that when the real thing happens, we'll be surprised! Jesus' return may truly be "like a thief in the night". It will happen in a way that we least except it!

This isn't to say that having our own interpretation of prophecy is bad. On the contrary, it is a good thing. However, let's not get so focussed on one interpretation that we fail to consider any other possible outcomes. Let's be open-minded in our approach to prophecy, so that when Jesus does return, we won't be taken by surprise!

In His love,

Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org

P. S. My son became so sick in the night after that speech, that he missed the next three days of school, and now, six days after the speeches, he still isn't feeling himself. The fact that he won his town contest is a real attestation of God's miracle power.

THERE'S A LOT OF CHRISTIANITY IN A GOOD LOAF OF BREAD

"He (Jesus) spoke another parable to them: The kingdom of Heaven is like leaven (yeast), which a woman takes and hides in three measures of meal until the whole is leavened." (Matthew 13:33 KJIIV)

The recipe's instructions were to add the following ingredients as listed -

Water Salt Sweetener Gluten Oil Flour Yeast

It had been years since I last made a loaf of bread. I live alone and - Well, it is just easier to buy bread from the store. But I had made a commitment to make bread so I got to work.

WATER: If you tried to make bread without liquid you'd just have a pan of dry ingredients. Could you make your morning toast with just flour? Or the lunch sandwiches? No - Water would be an important addition.

SALT: Yes, bread can be made without salt but it would taste quite bland so - OK here goes the salt.

SWEETENER: I'm making bread am I not? Why do I want sweetener? Sweetener goes in cake or cookies or pie but BREAD? But with no sweetener the yeast won't grow and the bread would end up like a brick. The sweetener IS important

GLUTEN: This will make the texture of the bread much softer. All flour has some gluten in it but a little added enhancement can make the dough better.

OIL: Why do I need to add oil? We hear a lot about cholesterol and low fat diets, wouldn't it be better to leave out the oil? No, because one thing the oil does is make the bread moist enough that it doesn't stick in the pan.

YEAST: Perhaps I could leave out the yeast? No, we still want our bread to raise and be light. Without yeast that would be impossible.

OK. There I have all the ingredients in the pan, in the order the recipe listed so into the bread machine it goes and the baking process begins. While the mixture is warming I began to review the ingredients - Water, Salt, Sweetener, Gluten, Oil, Yeast - Uh Oh, where's the flour? With no flour we still can't make toast or sandwiches. So in went the flour.

It is the same in our Christian life. We need to follow the recipe - God's word. We can do good works and we can claim to have faith and claim to love God, but his word tells us that faith without works is dead. We can't really LOVE God without BOTH faith and works.

Jesus tells us in his Word "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, with what shall it be salted?" Matthew 5:14 KJIIV

I think Jesus is saying that if we just go along claiming to be Christ's followers and yet we don't have the 'real' salt of love, faith and works, we will be ineffective in showing His love and character to others.

It is much like the loaf of bread - none of the ingredients can be omitted if the loaf is to be a good representative of a loaf of bread.

Wynona Gordon

THE LOVELY PINEAPPLE

I just recently discovered a miracle food, the sweet, succulent pineapple. The first part of the miracle is this......I was unable to afford to buy them until recently when they were on sale at Winn Dixie for $1.99 a piece. I was in Hawaiian Heaven until I discovered they are a product of South America and have been grown for years here in Florida. Needless to say, the taste of a fresh pineapple is Heavenly. The ones I bought are of the Tropical Gold variety and have a sweet taste, sort of a mixture between coconut and pineapple. I bought one.... no two....found myself at the checkout counter with three lovely, ripe, golden fruits. I knew I would share these delicacies with my neighbors.

This beautiful fruit is not that easy to prepare but well worth every minute. The sweet juices they provide to the palate can be extremely sensual.

Of course, taste is only the beginning quality of this wonderful fruit that takes at least two years to bear after planted and needs very little care. It makes a great houseplant when the top is removed and grown.

Pineapple is a proven joint super food. I have spoken with some who swear by the medicinal qualities that help with arthritis pain. Not to mention the dietary pluses. The enzymes in pineapple helps to digest animal fat, as in meats we eat which leads to weight loss.

I am so excited that I can remove the tops of these pineapples and plant them in the dirt and know they require little care, some H20, a little fertilizer. I am starting a small pineapple garden just to see if I can produce something this rare and lovely. This is one of the truest forms of nature's recycling. Isn't it funny how God does this?

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard." (Ps. 19:1-3)

by: Sharlett F. Hunt

GOD SPEAKS, Part 3: The END of the Story

In God Speaks, Parts 1, I began the story of how God worked in me and in my family to help us know that homeschooling was His will for my boys. The story continued in God Speaks, Part 2, when God told us we needed to STOP homeschooling! Throughout all of this, God spoke to us from multiple angles, using multiple messages from multiple sources, including sermons, other people, Bible study topics, and His Word. He then gave us confirmation through circumstances, by opening and closing doors, and by giving us peace of mind.

But as I would soon learn, I was only getting part of the picture.

Once God had finally convinced me that it was time to stop homeschooling, my husband and I began researching local Christian high schools. There were several viable options, and we set about to pray for God's guidance.

Were we in for a surprise!

God dealt with me first. He placed a general uneasiness in my heart. I couldn't believe what I was feeling, and when I asked Him for guidance, memories of my own experience in Christian schools came back to mind. Though I had a positive Christian school experience, I couldn't help recalling the bad influences in those schools and how many of my friends had fallen into their traps. Then, out of the blue, a friend who had kids in Christian school began telling me about all the bad influences her kids were being exposed to.

When I began to seek God's further direction, He began giving me curious messages. Every time I picked up my Bible, the message was about "something different", something very "pagan", something that I would never have considered on my own. Then He began speaking to me about witnessing to the unsaved. There was only one thing that matched up to the messages I was receiving: Public school!

This took a few days for me to digest, but once I was able to contemplate the idea without getting upset, God begin reassuring me through His Word that He had a special place carved out for my boys in the public school system, that they would do mighty things for Him there.

I was finally convinced, but the rest of the family wasn't.

When my husband suggested that the entire family to pray about the situation, God dealt with my younger son first. He told him, again through His Word, that an "unexpected" change was on the way, that he would be among those "who didn't know the Lord". Next He told my older son that he was to be a "light in a dark place".

God was confirming the message He had given to me!

God spoke to my husband in a different way. In a very vivid dream, he saw our older son sitting in an Extended French classroom of a local public high school, being taught by a specific teacher. Not only was God confirming public school, but He was also telling us which school and which program!

It all sounded pretty convincing, but we are human. We asked the boys to pray about it once again, and the next day, my older son, who was blessed with a very mathematical brain, came downstairs very excited: "God gave me the answer!"

We were immediately interested. "How so?"

"God told me to let my Bible fall open. So I did. It opened to Ps. 100!"

By the look of excitement on his face, I knew that he thought we should be as excited as he was, but my husband and I just looked at each other in dismay. "And?" I prompted.

"And that was it!"

"Aren't you going to tell us what's in Ps. 100?" I pushed.

His face fell. "Uh . . . I don't really know. I didn't read it!"

"But," I sputtered, "if you don't know what's in Ps. 100, how do you know what God was trying to tell you?"

"But that WAS it, mom!" He said. "The answer was that I opened it to Ps 100!"

From my husband's expression, it was evident that he wasn't following this conversation any better than I was.

"Mom, remember Centennial High?"

I nodded slowly. This was the name of the local high school that my husband had seen in his dream.

He was excited now. "Mom, the Latin prefix for 100 'cent'! 100th year is a 'centennial'! And 100 in French is also 'cent'!"

Finally we understood. God spoke to my mathematical son through an avenue that only he would understand, and by giving him Ps. 100, God was specifically telling him that that he should join the Extended French program at Centennial High!

Friends, God uses many different ways to speak to us, and most of them are ways that only you, yourself, will understand. Whenever you are faced with a decision, tune in to your heart. Ask yourself the following questions: " What is God specifically telling me through His Word? Through others? Through Bible Study? Through Pastors? " Do I have peace about this? " What have the "open/closed" doors shown me? " Have there been any miracles involved? " What impression is God putting on my heart? " How is He shaping my thinking? These things will all come together to point in a general direction, but if you're still not convinced, ask God for confirmation. Ask others to pray about it, too. The results are guaranteed! "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him." (1 John 5:14,15)

My boys are currently beginning their second years in the Extended French program of the Public School system. My oldest is at Centennial, and my youngest will join him there at the end of this school year. They are both doing very fabulously well. And why not? When you let God guide, you can't go wrong!

In His love,

Lyn Chaffart

If you have missed God Speaks, Part 1 and Part 2 and are interesting in reading the beginning and the middle of the story, go to

www.scripturalnuggets.org/Folder5/god_speaks.htm

HELP YOURSELF!

"I love the house where you live, O Lord, the place where you glory dwells." (Psalm 26 :8)

We were hungry as we made the turn at Pebble Beach golf course, so we stopped for some food. The refreshment cart was located a few yards behind number 9 green, so we grabbed a sandwich and coke. As we waited to tee off on # 10, one of the course marshal’s warned us to protect our food. The seagulls and crows were famous local thieves- snatching food right out of the golf cart, if one wasn’t careful.

Two holes later we thought no more about the food situation, until I saw the seagull stalking our cart. He was walking around it, gazing from all angles.. Then he hopped into the golf cart, ready to grab some food. He found part of an uneaten sandwich, which I thought was quite well hidden, pulled it out of the cart and devoured it. Other birds spotted him feasting and joined him in the meal.

Sometimes, especially when we move to a new town, we are like that seagull. We know there is spiritual food in church, and we begin by sort of stalking around it. We read the marquee week after week and talk to folks who worship there. Finally, we decide to take the jump into a particular church, just as the bird jumped into our golf cart. It is when we partake of what is offered in the House of the Lord that we are blessed. We find spiritual food and nourishment, and that is good. God has said that we are blessed so that we may be a blessing to others. When we share what He has given us through the church, we become that blessing to someone else.

The seagull looked ,jumped in, ate and shared. If you need a local house of worship, I pray you will do the same thing.

Marion Smith

COME UP TO HIGHER GROUND

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11: 28-30)

Often, as I gaze out the kitchen window in the mornings, there is a bird, usually a dove, perched on a palm tree branch that’s yet unfurled. From that tippy top vantage point, he can see clearly, for quite a ways, in all directions. The branch might bend and sway, but he doesn’t leave until he’s ready to take flight again.

I meet people from all walks of life, in varied situations, who seem so tired. Tired. All the time. I feel that way too, sometimes. Not the cheerful lighthearted way that we could be….. wearing the world, and its’ cares, as a light garment, and not a dark consuming cloud enveloping us.

We have the promises in the Bible. We can say and do all the things to walk more freely, and lightly. This is one I really like, in the eleventh chapter of Matthew. There are many translations and various meanings for the word “come” in scripture’; e.g. come up. And “yoke” can be something shared by a pair, two with one purpose, or task.

Jesus, our friend, and Saviour, is saying to us, Hey! You don’t have to stay there! Come on up here…..with me. It is better up here! You don’t have to carry all the junk! Leave it; leave it to me. I’ll take care of it. Just come up to higher ground. The view is great here!   Today, my plan is to purpose and decide to come to Jesus, to come up to that higher place, with Him., and have peace ‘in the midst’.

Thank you, Lord, for Your offer, and Your promise! That is good news.

That is definitely good news.

Sally Ireland Kennedy

Sally Ireland Kennedy is the author of “52 Little Parables from Ireland”, “Words from the Heart”, and “Irish Thursdays”. She lives in south Florida, with her husband, Ben. You can visit her website at http://www.sallyikennedy.com /

GOD SPEAKS, Part 2 The Middle

Questions about how God speaks to us in today's world? Join us on Thursdays for this three-part series: God Speaks! You can find the series as each episode is published at www.scripturalnuggets.org/Folder5/god_speaks.htm

"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe." (Heb 1:1-2 NIV)

Last week, in God Speaks, Part 1, we discovered that though God used prophets to speak to us in the past, He now speaks directly to us through His Holy Spirit, and He does so in many different ways. In "The Beginning", I told the story of how God led me to homeschool my boys by impressing ideas upon my mind, closing doors, giving me general uneasiness and then peace of mind, and then confirming His will with signs and wonders.

But God isn't limited to these many ways. The beautiful thing about God is that He'll do WHATEVER it takes to get our attention!

And that's what I would learn as I was led through the rest of the story of my boys' education . . .

At the end of our first homeschooling year, I asked God if homeschooling for the following year was still His will. The answer was "yes", and we proceeded. I did this at the end of year two and three as well, but then I got so comfortable being a homeschool mom that I quit asking!

Six years went by before God starting trying to get my attention again. He initially used my husband who suddenly started talking about sending our boys to school for high school. I wasn't happy. I didn't understand his reasons, and I didn't agree. After all, God had told us to homeschool, and that is what we were going to do!

But God was just preparing me in advance for His next move. Because He knows that listening has never been my strong point, He began sending me the same message through other people, and only when I had heard it from several different sources did it finally occurred to me that perhaps God was trying to get my attention! That's when I did what I should have done in the first place: I began to pray.

I'm ashamed to say that my initial prayers went something like this: "Lord, change my husband's heart! Help him to see Your true will for my boys: Homeschooling!"

My prayer was partially answered. God did some "changing of heart", but it wasn't my husband's heart that was changed. It was mine! Over the course of the next two years, God began sending numerous sermons, Bible messages, Bible studies, etc., on the topic of learning to be submissive to Him and to my husband; and through it all, He helped me to be able to think about the idea of school without getting mad.

The next thing God did was He allowed me to pass through some stressful times with homeschooling. He opened my eyes to see how I didn't have the time to provide the level of intellectual support my boys needed and still maintain a part-time job.

In my mind, there was only one solution: Quit work! And I started praying that God would take away my job.

But here He spoke to me through His Word. He clearly told me time and time again that He had placed me in that job as a witness for Him, and quitting was not His will.

God was again shaping my thinking, forming it to be in line with His, and He used His Word to do so. But God knew I would need lots of confirmation, and it was around this time that our local homeschool support group began to fall apart. First there was a major split in the group. Initially we put our feet in both camps, but when one group began doing activities that my boys and I weren't comfortable with, we moved our loyalties to the other. Then, one by one, that group began to shrink. Some families made the decision to send their kids to school earlier than anticipated, and others simply moved away! I realized that if I didn't send my kids to school for high school, I would be homeschooling completely on my own!

But God wanted me to be certain, and He did one more thing: He opened up a window of opportunity at work. In the 17 years I had been employed there, I had seen a department of 7 full-time positions dwindle down to 3.5. Then, suddenly, a new half-time position became available! Yet another indication that it was time to stop homeschooling and start working full-time.

But I was still uneasy and as I began to pray for confirmation, God began working the biggest miracle of all. I'm really not quite sure how He did it, but one morning, I woke up completely at peace about sending my boys to school.

During this stage of the story, God spoke to my intellect, He spoke to me through others, He spoke to me through His word, He confirmed everything through circumstance, and finally, He gave me peace of mind! There is one important thing to remember, however. God can only speak to an open heart. He'll do everything in His power to open that heart, but you must also be willing to do your part. You must be willing to actively pray, not only to KNOW His will, but also to be prepared to ACCEPT His will. You can't just write off the impressions you are getting. You need to ask God to confirm them, and you need to pray through every step of the process that God will work that miracle in your heart that He worked in mine.

But this is still only part of the story. God may have convinced me that school was the right choice, but He still had some work to do. Why? Because "school" meant the local Christian high school down the road!

Or so I thought . . .

Join us next Thursday for God Speaks, Part 3!

May God bless each of you abundantly as you seek to know His will for your lives!

In His love,

Lyn Chaffart

Helping Healing

"Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees." (Job 4: 4)

I can remember visiting a young woman in hospital many years ago, who had a foot blown off by a terrorist bomb. She had been holidaying in Tunisia, North Africa and, unfortunately, was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was quickly flown home to Scotland, where she spent many weeks in hospital recovering from the injury and the shock.

It took her a while to learn to walk again with an artificial limb, but the whole community, indeed the whole of Scotland, sent her many cards of encouragement and support. This helped her immensely as she faced the struggle of being permanently disabled at such a young age. I can remstrong determination to get better. Ember visiting and praying with her, and all the while I was amazed at her positive outlook and A couple of months ago, I went to our local post office here in Knoxville and the counter attendant struck up a conversation with me when he heard my Scottish accent. As we talked, he told me about his relatives back in Scotland and I knew exactly who he meant. When he mentioned the young woman’s name, I told him that I visited her in hospital and at home several times. He then told me that the cards, visits and prayers meant a great deal, and enabled her to heal inside whilst dealing with the scars and disability on the outside.

There’s always someone out there who needs our prayers and support, encouragement and love. As Christians, part of our ministry is to be God’s vessels for wholeness and healing, for recovery and restoration. Wherever we are and whosoever we meet this week, let’s show them God’s care and kindness through our friendship and faith.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, when You walked the earth, You healed the sick and cured the lame. Your compassion enabled thousands of people to recover from all sorts of illness, tragedy and disaster. Today, You call upon us to be instruments of Your peace and the channels of Your support. Help us to do all that we can to support, love and encourage those around us in great need. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart

Teachers in Disguise

"And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers . . ." (1 Cor 12:28 NIV)

The poet Robert Browning once said, "Take away love and our Earth is a tomb." Thankfully, I have been able to choose love and avoid that tomb so far in my own life. I have been fortunate too that God has given me so many great teachers who have shown me what it really means to love. I haven’t always been the greatest student and I know I have a long way to go. Still, with their help I keep trying to choose love and learn more about love everyday of my life.

One of my greatest teachers is very different from the rest. This teacher is my youngest son. He has a severe form of Autism that limits his speech and keeps him trapped in his own world most of the time. Changes in the simplest things disturb him. The smallest difficulties frustrate him. His mood can go from extremely happy to very sad in a heartbeat. Often he cries for no reason I can see and all I can do is hold him and wait for it to stop.

Even with all he has to go through, however, my son has still shown me so much about love and about joy. He has shown me that love must be unconditional, patient, kind, and giving. He has shown me that love means sometimes just being there for someone even though you can’t solve their problems or ease their pain. He has shown me that love is its own reward.

He has also shown me, though, that a child’s laugh can sound as lovely and joyous as an angel’s song. He has also shown me that the light in a person’s eyes can twinkle as beautifully as the stars. He has also shown me that a single smile can warm a heart and uplift a soul. He has also shown me that a Heavenly spirit can shine through any disability. He has also shown me that God sometimes sends us our greatest teachers and angels in disguise. My son didn’t need words, a PhD, or a brilliant mind to teach me. All he needed was the loving heart and the joyous soul God gave him. May all of you learn as much from your own teachers in disguise.

Joe Mazzella

Announcements:

Last week marked the FIRST WEEK of SCHOOL for much of North America! The Nugget would like to take this opportunity to send out a blessing to all students and teachers for the upcoming school year:

Father God, lay Your hand upon each teacher and each student. May this school year be filled with blessings. May it serve as a vehicle to bring those who don't know You to salvation; while those who know You already may be brought even closer to You! In this day and age where You have been thrown out of the schools, may the hearts of the students and teachers be drawn to You in a mighty way! Give the teachers compassion and wisdom; give the students a longing for you and a drive to do their best!

God bless each of you in the schools today!

Scriptural Nugget

Welcome Back to School, Students! May God bless you abundantly during the upcoming school year!

Questions about how God speaks to us in today's world? Join us on Saturdays for this three-part series: God Speaks! You can find the series as each episode is published at www.scripturalnuggets.org/Folder5/god_speaks.htm

GOD SPEAKS, Part 1 The Beginning

How often haven't we all wished for a crystal ball? Something we could look into to see the future and use as a basis for our decisions? As humans we are often faced with major decisions, and any serious Christian desires to follow God's will. But how can you know just what that will is?

In the past God used prophets as His means of communication: "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways . . ." (Heb 1:1 NIV). I don't know about you, but I've often thought, "It used to be so easy! You just go and ask a prophet!" But although there are modern day prophets, God no longer uses this as His primary means of communication: ". . . But in these last days [God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe." (Heb 1:2 NIV)

"Great," you say. "But Jesus isn't still on Earth! How can I speak to Him?"

When Jesus went back to Heaven, He left us a wonderful gift: His Spirit: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26-27 NIV)

Friends, Jesus speaks to us directly through His Spirit!

If you think about it, this is a pretty efficient method of communication. No more need to travel miles in search of a prophet! The Holy Spirit is available to all who believe! The only problem is, the voice of the Holy Spirit isn't the only voice that speaks to us. How do you know which voice in your head is the one you should follow?

My first piece of advice is to have a good relationship with God. We recognize the voices of those we spend the most time with. Without this solid basis, knowing who is speaking to you becomes much more difficult. (For ideas on how to work on your relationship with God, go to http://www.scripturalnuggets.org/folder3/lessons_on_relationship_from_solomon.htm , or email me directly at helpmelearnaboutjesus@gmail.com )

In addition to knowing His voice, there are a couple of safeguards built into the system. First of all, if it is truly God speaking, what you will hear will NEVER contradict His Word; and secondly, God often speaks in multiple ways, and if it's truly Him speaking, all of those paths will line up! So if you recognize the voice you are hearing, the instructions you are being given are not contrary to God's Word, and all of the messages point in the same direction, then you can be certain it is God speaking!

And just what are these ways God uses? God communicates to us by:

1. Speaking directly through His Word;

2. Speaking to our intellect;

3. Speaking directly to our minds;

4. Giving us ideas or impressions;

5. Giving us general uneasiness or peace of mind;

6. Giving visions and dreams;

7. Giving signs and wonders; and

8. Opening and closing doors.

The really great thing is that God always chooses methods of communicating with you that are unique to you. He chooses the one(s) that He knows you will recognize as His voice!

To illustrate some of the ways God speaks, I would like to share with you a story; one that has been ongoing for the past 15 years.

When my oldest son was born, I decided he would go to Christian school. I didn't consult God about it, but before he was a year old, I had visited all of the Christian schools in the area, and I knew which one would be best for him. And when it came time for him to begin Kindergarten, I sent him to the school of my choice.

Notice I said "my choice".

During his kindergarten year, my dad died and my mother decided to come and live with us. We put our house on the market and purchased a piece of land with the intention of building a house with an in-law suite. The land was situated, naturally, en route to my son's school.

The day after our house sold, the sale on the land fell through. As we began our desperate house search, I prayed that God would provide a home that was on the bus route for my son's school.

I specifically remember praying about this as I was weeding the flowerbed one day, and as I pulled up a particularly stubborn dandelion root, I was overcome with the impression that I should homeschool my boys!

I dismissed it. I didn't believe in homeschooling.

God did provide the perfect piece of property for us at exactly the right price, one that we thought was en route for my son's school. Only after moving in did we discover this wasn't true. We frantically began searching for a different Christian school, only to learn that we weren't on the bus route for any of them! We were left stranded. Literally.

Since I adamantly refused to consider public school, homeschooling was the only option left, but the really crazy part was that all of my former objections for homeschooling suddenly no longer seemed relevant! But I worked part-time. I would need a tutor for my boys on the days I was working.

I start to pray, and I told God that if He wanted me to homeschool, He would have to provide a tutor. He did. In a miraculous way. And He proceeded to miraculously provide the appropriate tutors for the next 8 years.

In this case, Jesus initially spoke to me through His Spirit by speaking into my mind and giving me general impressions. When it became apparent that I wasn't listening, He closed doors. He then proceeded to confirm that homeschooling was right by giving me peace of mind and by working signs and wonders (the tutors!). But He wasn't finished. As I would soon learn, this was only the beginning . . .

Please join us next Saturday for the MIDDLE part: God Speaks, Part 2!

In His love,

Lyn

Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org.

Announcements:

Questions about parenting? Wondering whether you've made the right decision with your kids? Thinking about discipline? Why not check out BRINGING UP KIDS GOD'S WAY? Www.scripturalnuggets.org/Folder5/parenting_gods_way.htm . <>< ><> <>< ><>