Raisins: Origin and Biblical Perspective

by Lady Jess

Raisins are dried grapes. The word 'raisin' is derived from the Old French word meaning 'grape' while 'raisin sec' means 'dry grape'. Raisin comes from the older Latin word 'racemus' meaning 'a bunch of grapes'. Raisins are made all over the world. They can be eaten raw or used in cuisine. Raisins are normally sun-dried, but could as well be "water-dipped," or dehydrated.

Different kinds of raisins depend on the kind of grape it's made from, seedless or non-seedless. Raisins have a many different colors (green, black, blue, purple, yellow) and sizes. Smaller raisins, which are made from a specific kind of seedless grape known as the Black Corinth and when dried are called Zante currants, are darker in their color and have a tart, tangy color. Seedless varieties include the Sultana, which is known as "Thompson Seedless" in America, and Flame."Golden raisins" are made from Sultanas that have been treated with Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), and flame dried to give them their signiture color. Green colored raisins come from Iran.

Raisins are about 69% sugars by weight, and most of that is fructose. Like grapes, raisins are also very high in a specific kind of antioxidants. Because of the amount of sugars in the raisin, it makes it very sweet. Though, if they are kept for a long time, the sugar inside the fruit becomes crystallized and it makes the dry raisins gritty, but does not change their usability. The sugar grains dissolve when the raisins are soaked in hot water and the raisins may also re-hydrate a bit. People who are Diabetic may use raisins instead of regular processed sugar. *If you are Diabetic, you may want to consult your physician on your intake of raisins. Especially if your case is different.*

Just as the grape was treated with all of those chemicals or methods to make it shriveled up, have you been treated with sin and the world and become dried up in the Spirit? I was thinking about this and I decided to share it with you.

It is very important to be full in the Spirit continually, but, like all humans, we need a renewing of His Spirit. David said in Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Even the man who was called "the man after God's own heart" needed a renewal in the Spirit. Only God can do this, in Jesus' name. Has the world hardened you, has it shrunk your fruit? God can ripen you again. We CAN live in Christ. We can be plump and ready by feeding on Christ's Spirit. We must let the Spirit fill us. The less of us, the more room there is for Christ.

"Father, God, empty me completely. Live through my days, and my articles. Let people find you at the depth of my soul. In all of these troubles, while the world falls around me, I can stand strong in Christ. Though souls cry around me, I can rejoice in Yeshua alone. Through the rushing about of the world, I can rest in the Prince of Peace."

2 Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect through weakness. Very gladly therefore will I rejoice rather in mine infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

Since we are a part of the Tree of Life, we don't have to TRY to live in the Spirit and we don't have to ATTEMPT TO be in Christ. An apricot doesn't have to TRY to be an apricot, it is one because of where it came from. From what produced it. That Good Tree produced us as His fruit, so we don't have to WORK at being in Christ.

Titus 3:5-7 "Not by the works of righteousness, which we had done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of the new birth, and the renewing of the holy Ghost, Which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Savior, That we, being justified by his grace, should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

I want Jesus to give me Life.

Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter for deaf ministry, sings in a local choir, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.

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How to be a Sunflower for the Lord

by Charlene Jamison

How can we be a Sunflower for the Lord? Let us learn this valuable lesson from sunflowers themselves!

Sunflowers (Helianthus Annuus) are plants with a huge flower head. They can grow as tall as ten feet! Their seeds are edible as well. These flowers are usually vividly yellow, sometimes orange and even maroon!

At sunrise, the faces of the sunflowers are turned towards the east. All throughout the day, they follow the sun from east to west. Then they go all the way back to the east direction at night and wait for the sun to rise. This spectacular motion is possible by motor cells in their pulvinus which is a flexible part of the stem just below the bud. This process is called heliotropism.

To grow well, sunflowers need the full sun. They also thrive in fertile and moist soil. Let this be an inspiration for Christians of how we need to be always facing the Son. Let Him always be set before our faces all throughout the day.

"When thou saidst, Seek ye my face: my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek." Psalm 27:8

As Christians, we also need to be planted on good soil. Like the parable of the soils, we need our hearts to be soft and watered by the Word. The roots will grow deeply, and our souls will grow up to many feet tall like sunflowers do! We need the sun to nourish us, and good soil for us to thrive to be amazing sunflowers in Christ!

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

Charlene is a deaf mom of two boys, one being hard of hearing. Her heart for God shines through her life and she has the 'law of kindness' in her words. She has her Bachelors Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences, writes for AGMinistries, and you can read more about her at 'Bring on the Rain'.

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Making Wise Decisions

Do you ever feel like you are in a situation facing a decision and have no idea what to do? Sometimes decisions can seem difficult to make, but God promises to give us wisdom. So just how do you get that wisdom? Do we have to do something in order to get it? He said to simply ask. How much wisdom did He promise to give us? He said he would give it to us liberally.

What does liberally mean? Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes it like this:
in a generous mannerliberally over the cake until it oozed over the edges>

He also promises to not be reproachable in doing so. He won't hold back from giving you His Wisdom.

James 1: 5, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, which giveth to all men liberally, and reproacheth no man, and it shall be given him." 1599 Geneva

God doesn't want His children to be without wisdom, not knowing how to make decisions that please Him, so He freely offers us His wisdom, if we'll just ask.

Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in serving the Lord in her community.

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Ferris Wheel Day

by Miss Alyssa

February 14th was Ferris Wheel Day in honor of George Ferris’s birthday. He was born in 1859 in Galesburg, Illinois. He invented the Ferris Wheel. It had thirty six cars with forty seats each and went 264 feet high. The Ferris Wheel premiered at the World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois in 1893 where over a million visitors rode the wheel. It cost fifty cents to ride. He died in 1896. Ferris wheels are also called observation wheels. The largest observation wheel in the world is the Singapore Flyer; it is as tall as a forty-two story building!

Our emotions are sometimes like a Ferris Wheel. Up, down. Up, down. Sometimes we feel wonderful, sometimes we feel awful. As hard as it may be, we cannot rely on our emotions. Certainly, we cannot afford to look at our salvation in terms of emotion. Sadly, true believers, who have become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, can sometimes experience doubts due to their emotions.

They might not “feel” saved or “feel” that God is with them. Nevertheless, the truth still remains. God has promised, in

Hebrews 13:5b, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Do not measure whether you are saved or not by how you feel!

Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

We are saved by grace through faith unto good works, not by feelings...through feelings...or even unto good feelings. If you have repented, asked Jesus into your heart to be your Lord and Savior, and surrendered your life to Him, it doesn’t matter how you “feel” or if you had a dramatic conversion “experience” or not, you are saved.

Once you make that decision, no one can take away your salvation! Satan wants to attack believers with doubts. It keeps us fearful and ineffective as soldiers of Christ. Whenever you experience doubts, pray and read the Bible. God’s Word never changes; His promises never change.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13

Miss Alyssa, a 15 year old homeschooler, is interested in writing and film-making for the glory of God and the furtherance of His Kingdom. She is passionate about reaching the unreached with the Gospel. She blogs at One Nation Under GOD.

Note from the Editor: If you are not sure about your salvation from sin, please speak to your parents. Another resource that explains salvation is at Way of the Master. Do you consider yourself a good person?

Dealing With Emotions

This week my mom has been talking with me about emotions. She told me to read Lady Rachel's article on Emotion Commotion, which really helped me. When I read her article some of the verses she put on there really spoke out to me. Here are a few,

Proverbs 29:23
"A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit."

Psalm 31:20
"Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues."

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.


I have been dealing with a lot of emotions lately, not the good kind that is, and I wanted to change the emotions I have been dealing with and make them be good ones such as; love, peace and gentleness. I want to work on those so I can have a better relationship with people.

Miss Monica June is a young teen girl who is homeschooled and is pursuing her artistic talent of jewelry making. She enjoys cooking and encouraging others to share about their education at From The Learning Room.

Robinson Crusoe Month

by Lady Olivia

February is Robinson Crusoe month. Robinson isn’t a real person. He is just a character from a book. The book is based on a true story though. In September of 1704 Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor was marooned on an island for four-and-a-half years. He stayed there until he was rescued on February 1, 1709. This inspired Daniel Defoe to write the book called Robinson Crusoe.

Do you know how many people God rescued in the Bible? Many! One example is Daniel.

Daniel 6:27, "He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."

God saved Daniel from being eaten by lions. He sent angels down to shut their mouths and keep him safe. That is an amazing rescue, if you ask me.

God can rescue us from our troubles too. Maybe your family is going through hard times or you and your siblings are not getting along that well. Here lately, God helped me get through when I moved to a new town. I felt uncomfortable and I couldn’t quite be myself, but God helped me. The Lord can rescue you anytime you ask Him to. So just call out His name and ask him for help.

Psalm 118:5, "I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place."

Lady Olivia is a wonderful daughter to Sister Angie. She has a passion for reading and writing about God's love in her devotions for GGM. She has many different interests including art, writing, sports, cooking, and much, much more. Most of all, she loves Jesus Christ and all of His wonderful ways. You can join her at Liv-Laf-Luv.

Shalom ~ Peace

When I heard that the theme at Growing in Grace for January was peace, I was excited to hear this because it is one my favorite fruits of the Spirit. It is special to me because it is the meaning of my name. I wasn't very sure of this until I saw Miss Jocelyn’s article where you type in your name and it comes up in Hebrew. My name on there meant peaceable and perfect. After that, I was really sure that is what it meant.

The dove is a symbol of peace. In the Bible, a dove was released by Noah after the great flood in order to find land. The dove came back carrying an olive branch in its beak, letting Noah know that the water had gone down and there was land once again for man to live on. You can read this story in Genesis 8.

Jesus is the Prince of peace. Whenever I feel the presence of the Lord I sense this great peace come over me and all of a sudden I feel calm and relaxed. That only comes from Him. You can even feel His peace in hard times.

Interesting Fact...
The peace symbol was created in Britain as a sign of nuclear disarmament, which means they wanted to get rid of nuclear weapons.

Now, the LORD bless thee, and keep thee. The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Discerning the Truth

This time of year we hear of many people writing list of goals for the new year, a New Years Resolution. The problem most people face is that mid-January they stop working towards those goals. Why do people lose track of goals like this? The answer is the simple fact that they lack the ability to commit. A commitment is a vow you make between you and someone else. Whether it's just for yourself, or between a spouse,a friend, or the Lord. Commitment is by definition: (from http://1828.mshaffer.com)

1. To give in trust; to put into the hands or power of another; to entrust; with to.

Commit thy way to the Lord. Ps. 37.

The things thou hast heard of me, commit to faithful men. 2 Tim. 2.

2. To put into any place for preservation; to deposit; as, to commit a passage in a book to memory; to commit the body to the grave.

What kind of commitments do you make? What do you give in trust to another? I can talk about friendship in this article and tell you that I am committed to friendships that glorify God. It is not wise for us to remain in friendships that are not edifying to the Body nor honoring to Christ. I have had 'friends' before that I knew were not good for me or my family and have needed to get away from their influence. Yet there are friends with whom I have committed myself to not only have, but also be a friend to.

How can you be a friend when they don't want to walk in the Lord's path with you anymore? When I decide I am a friend to someone I am a friend for life. I have had friends who have walked away from the Lord and while I am not in their physical presence I keep my commitment to pray for them. Not only that, but I do not want to take part in conversations from others who are disgruntled with them. I have a very dear friend that I have not seen nor spoken to in several years due to her not keeping in touch with me when she moved away. I have no idea how to find her, but if she called me in the middle of the night in need of help I would be there. When she decided to walk away from me I made sure that she knew I love her and am here for her no matter what. The friendship may not be current, but the door is left open, should she need me.

How do you handle the friendship when they betray you?
I have had friends betray me in many ways. Sometimes a friend may betray you by telling a secret about you. Something you trusted them to keep private. If you confront that friend in love and they repent and ask forgiveness, the friendship can heal. Yet if they refuse to confess their wrong doing and they continue to speak ill of you, then the Bible says to cut off that association.

Proverbs 22:10, "Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease."
Proverbs 22:24-25, "Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: ²⁵Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul."

We are also cautioned not to rebuke a scorner. Openly dealing with a scorner only brings himself a shame.

Proverbs 9:7, "He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot."

Sometimes there is no way we can deal with a scorner directly, yet the Lord knows everything that is going on.

Ecclesiastes 12:14, "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

Proverbs 15:3, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."

How do we know if what they're saying is true or not?
Maybe you've had someone you know and trust tell you something about someone and you wonder if it is true or not. Ask yourself this question first, "Why are they telling me this?" Is the friend trying to protect YOU or expose the person they are speaking of? The Bible is very clear how to handle situations that need to be dealt with among the Body. I had a friend tell me a good piece of advice in regards to "When do I tell?" She said to me,

"If you grieve over whether or not to tell, you probably should, yet if you are eager to tell then you should not. Just pray."

Yet if you find that it's a situation where you feel you must tell, you MUST be wise in WHO you tell. For example, if I know a lady is not the kind of wife I think she should be, that is NOT my place to tell her. She has a husband and that is his position in her life not mine. Now if a married friend of mine starting seeing other men I would prayerfully step in and speak to her in LOVE and if she didn't listen I would go to our pastor. Yet if it's a matter of whether or not she is cooking their meals at home or spending too much time watching television it's just not my place.

Now if I am still unsure if I should be hearing the information about someone I have to step back and look at the big picture. The Bible says that we are to judge by their works.

Proverbs 31:31, "Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."

Is the person in which they are speaking of a person with a good reputation? Is the person someone who is faithful to her family and her ministry? What kind of character do her children have? Does her husband work hard to provide for them? A woman who is doing right by her children will have children who honor her. She will have a husband who sacrifices in order to provide for her and their children. She will be a person who can be be relied upon in ministry. If she is a lady of her word then I would not listen to the 'scoop' this scorner is wanting to tell you.

A person is known by their commitments. We talk about being committed to marriage, family, and ministry. We all make mistakes there is no doubt about that, yet a person who keeps their commitments is a person who can receive the benefit of the doubt.

I have heard news about people that I knew were committed so I choose not to listen to that gossip. Sometimes the gossip can be true, but if the person is a person of character and longevity in their marriage, family, and ministry then I choose not to listen. Maybe the scornful party has the wrong perspective.

There is a woman I know who used to go to a church my family has gone to before. She insists on speaking ill of that pastor, his wife, and their children. I have tried time and time again to avoid the topic with her and I have even rebuked her of such comments. Yet she continues to bring it up after many years. The pastor and his family in which she speaks of has been incredibly helpful to my own family and the lives of many others. Thus I have decided not to believe her comments. She is a scorner. Yet even if what she says is true it is not my place to give heed to such stories. She needs to keep her feelings between her husband, that pastor, and God.

Proverbs 11:13, "A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter."

What do I do if someone else is speaking ill of me to my friends?
If they are your friends they won't listen, they will inform you, and will stand by your side. That is what commitment is. We cannot control whether or not someone gossips about us, but we can determine what kind of response we give.

I have friends that have been hurt by a scorner, and I myself have been a victim to nasty gossip as well. Yet all we can do is live for the Lord and seek His guidance for our lives. "If we keep our eyes on Jesus, right living happens." ~C.D Baker


Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in community service and leads the deaf ministry at her church.

Soldier of Virtue

by Miss Jess

Ephesians 6:11,
"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

Each person's life is a battle. Every decision made has its ultimate consequence on the battlefront. Jean Jacques Rousseau tells us, 'Virtue is a state of war, and to live in it we have always to combat with ourselves.' This is the battlefront. As Christians, we are called by the Highest of Highest to 'to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?' (Micah 6:8). To 'flee from the evil desires of this world', and uphold and honour the standards of God. Peter warns us to 'stand on… guard against the devil's schemes'. According to Character First! Virtue is defined as 'the moral excellence evident in my life as I consistently do what is right.' Another word we may be more familiar with is Goodness: doing what's right, every single time.

Paul encourages young Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12: "Fight the good fight of faith". To be able to fight, you have to train. Training is hard work. When we think we've mastered something, a real battle will arise to which we must muster all of everything we have in us and fight to do right. Our General has confidence in us. He knows what it takes to win a battle, and he believes we have what it takes to win. Although he's strict, he loves. And he's right there with us, shouting out the orders, inspiring us to fight the good fight… of faith.

Hebrews 12:5b, 6a, "..My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,.."

As I mentioned before, training is hard work. We tend to make the same mistakes over and over again. Our Captain rebukes us, corrects us, and reminds us that he expects better. But do not feel bad when he does so, for he does so because he knows what is in us, and he knows what we can accomplish.
Sun up to sun down – we train. From the moment we wake up to the moment we fall into bed, we are preparing ourselves for when the devil tries to make a mess out of us. As time wears on, we grow in our defensive skills, and become that elite soldier God has been training ever so patiently. And yet…

As Jean Jacques Rousseau states, the fight for virtue is a continual battle. That includes continual temptation. Most battle rage within yourself. You are tempted to change sides, but your training has taught you better than that. The Lord's ways are a part of you, and you know what to do. Don't you?

Psalm 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Most soldiers don't have a choice to obey, but when it comes to training in righteousness, however, we do have a choice – we can choose to continue to waddle in sin, or we can choose to change for the better.

In the Bible, we read time and time again how the Israelites stubbornly refused to obey God. Eventually, God had to punish them and send them into exile. When they returned, they still didn't seem to understand that God desired obedience. They had the choice to live as God required. You have a choice to obey God. If you've gone and put your big foot in it – God will forgive you, and God will still use you. He just longs to!

Our life is a battle between right and wrong. The Bible tells us to put on the full amour of God, to live by the spirit, pursue the things of God. It's hard. But a virtuous person will radiate integrity no matter what the cost. So, will you be a soldier of Virtue today?

The Star

The other night I went to a Christmas party with the teens in my church group. It is where you can go around and steal someone's gift or go open a new one. I got to take a gift from someone and it was a whole set of Bible things!! I got a book called, "Wonderful Names of our wonderful Lord (WNWL)." Then I got a set with a Bible dictionary, a Bible concordance and a Bible handbook! I was so excited! This morning I was reading a little devotion in the WNWL book and I wanted to share it with you all. One of the names of our wonderful Lord is, that He is "A Star."

Numbers 24:17, "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth."

What could be a more perfect name for God than "A Star?" It shines so brightly that nobody not even if you tried, can get away from it. When the wise men were guided by the star to get them to Bethlehem they always could see it. It never left them and it was always by them. God is just like that.

He is the Star and we will always see it in any sort of trouble that we are in or if we need some help he is always there helping us to see Him all along the way. In the devotion in the book it says, "...a morning STAR, promise of a better day." So if you get up early in the morning it will be easier to find the Star because it is quiet and calm in the morning.

The Sailors navigate the oceans at night by watching the "star's." Just how we can navigate this dark world by watching the "Star."

Dear God, Thank-you that I could find this devotion in my book today Lord, so I could share it with everyone! Help me to apply it to my life today and thank-you for showing me your Star this morning. Amen

Loyalty: What is it and Isn't it?

**Parental Permission and Supervision is Required For This Article**

Have you ever been in a room of people and someone begins to say something that sounds critical of another person. What do those around you do about that? Do they sit quietly and say nothing because they don't want to stir the pot? Yet aren't those who are starting the conversation the ones that are doing the stirring? Are we loyal by just sitting silently? If that friend who was being ill spoken of were watching, would they feel you were loyal to them in your silence? How would they feel if you spoke up and took a stand for them? I think these past generations of 'Christianity' have sat quietly for far too long.

A couple of years ago when Lady Jess was still in her private school, something happened that sparked her soul to take a stand. As the girls arrived in class a conversation began. The teacher had not yet entered the class and the girls were free to speak with quite an agenda. Three girls were speaking ill of another girl who was not present to defend herself. They said some very outlandish things about her and the rest of the girls stood by silently, listening to these accusations. Lady Jess had enough of it. She stepped into the middle of the conversation and defended the absent girl. The other girls insisted the rumor was true and yet Lady Jess stood her ground and continue to defend the absent girl. It wasn't a matter of whether or not it was true, but rather it was not right to discuss it out of the presence of the other girl. Nor was it right to drag everyone else into it.

Had the girl seen what happened, who do you think she would have thought was loyal or disloyal? Would she think the silent was loyal? Here are three words I want us to look at today.

Loyal: characterized by or showing faithfulness to commitments, vows, allegiance, obligations, etc.

Disloyal: I you have studied Latin you know that the prefix dis means 'apart'.

Aloyal: 'a' in front of a word means 'not'

Notice that 'loyal' is the 'showing of' faithfulness to commitments, vows, allegiance, and obligations.

Thus 'aloyal' is the 'lack of showing' faithfulness.

Next, 'disloyal' is being apart from being loyal which means 'showing lack of' alleigance.

Loyalty is both the absence of negative and the presence of positive at the same time. If we are silent we are not loyal. If we are outwardly opposing truth we are not loyal. We must be supportive in thought and outwardly supportive, vocal, in order to be loyal.

If you've watched the news you may have noticed that history is repeating itself. In the Bible the leaders did NOT want Jesus and his disciples speaking the truth of the Word of God. They were told to leave the city or to be quiet. In this clip you will see this very same history repeating itself right here in California. (Parental permission is STRONGLY urged)

Yet it is not only among the heathen that we see this kind of persecution. We also see it among 'Christians' today. As people take a true loyal stand we see even the Body being divided. Many times we are told to 'stay out of it', 'don't say anything', and certainly 'don't point out the sin' in someone else. Now we are to be wise in pointing out sin, there are some that would use that as a platform to hurt others rather than help them. Yet as the past generations of Christians remained silent, the wickedness of the people grew. We are to speak the truth of Christ and be loyal in speaking that truth. We know that God's Word is specific in the area of men being with men and women being with women, yet to be outwardly vocal about that has sure brought persecution to the Christians in the state of California.

Yet when God says he will sift his people(Amos chapter 9), he is not talking about the heathen, He already knows where they stand. 2 Corinthians 6:17, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." God knows who is faithful followers are because He knows our hearts and thoughts, but how will WE know one another? How will WE know who is faithful?

Matthew 7:13-20, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

¹⁴Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

¹⁵Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

¹⁶Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

¹⁷Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

¹⁸A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

¹⁹Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

²⁰Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them"

We will know them by their fruit! As true Christians stand up for what it right, according to the Word, we will know who they are. Those who say nothing show, by their lack of allegiance, that they really don't stand for the Lord. They stand for themselves. Tis a narrow gate that the true followers of Christ walk on. Those who are not loyal walk the wide path and that path leads to destruction. The Bible says in verse 19 that the tree that does not bring forth God's fruit is thrown into the fire. Do you recall what happened to the three Hebrew children when they were cast into the fire? They stood their ground in what they believed. They refused to bow down to the idol and they were thrown into the furnace, but God protected them and they came out untouched by the flame. We know that Job stood the test as well;

Job 23:10-12, "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

¹¹My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

¹²Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."

See Job wasn't silent, he spoke about his faith, even in the midst of the fire!

As these end times grow worse, we will know each other by what we stand on. How will the true Christians find one another? They will know by their works when the fire comes. They will know by who takes a stand and who remains silent. Fear not to take a stand for what is right. Fear not separating yourself from those who are not loyal to the Lord. The true Christians are searching for one another, let them know where you stand. Make that narrow way straight so that others can find it and know it's the right path. Prepare the way for the Lord and His people.

Isaiah 40:3, "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. "

Isaiah 62:10, "Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people."

The standard is usually a flag being waved so others may find them. It is also a rule to live by. We gather stones out of the soil to prepare for the seeds to be sown so that the seed remains and we can reap the fruit. We are to lift up the standard for the people so they can find the Lord and have fellowship with the true Christians.

Matthew 3:3, "For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."

Mark 1:3, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."

Luke 3:4, "As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."

Will you be a voice crying in the wilderness?
Will you lift the standard high so that others will know who you are?
Will you separate from those who are leading others down the wide destructive path?
Will you be loyal, disloyal, or aloyal?
Will you pray for wisdom in not following that wolf in sheep's clothing?

The Spirit of Giving

The Spirit of Giving is upon us as we are entering the holiday season and I can feel the happiness coming from others around me. This time of year seems to bring joy and peace as we focus on being thankful and the upcoming celebration of our Saviour's special day. You'll no doubt begin to hear Christmas music in the stores now and you'll be hearing the ringing of the bells of the Salvation Army. Decorations begin to change from orange and black to bright reds and greens. Yes, that sense of giving is certainly upon us.


We are just a few weeks away from Thanksgiving and we are planning our shopping list for what we need for our Thanksgiving recipes. Some are preparing their Thanksgiving thoughts that they'll be entering into their Thankful Journals. Maybe you are creative and you enjoy putting words into poetry as you ponder what you're thankful for. People celebrate Thanksgiving in other countries as well!

No matter where we are we can find ways to not only be thankful, but show that we're thankful. Miss Monica June and Lady Jess are showing their thankfulness to our city's Veterans today as they serve them a nice dinner at our church. What ways can you show your thankfulness?

Do you have a soup kitchen, rescue mission, or food closet that you can volunteer your time with? There are others who will not have as nice of a Thanksgiving as you will have. Do you shop at a store that has 'buy one get one free' sales? Can you pick up a few extra cans of cranberry sauce or a box of stuffing for the food closet? Can you donate your time to get your local food closet organized this Thanksgiving season? Maybe you know of a family that will have a harder time this month that you can send a food box to.

There's so much more to being thankful than just 'saying' what you're thankful for. We can 'show' thankfulness to others around us.

Psalm 100:4, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."

Colossians 3:15, "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

Psalm 95:2, "Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms."

I am thankful for many things. In 1995 my life took a turn for the worse. Our family had split apart and my two girls and I were left alone for Thanksgiving. A sweet lady name Miss Jeanne Hosse invited us to her tiny little apartment for a turkey dinner. Miss Monica June was just six months old and Lady Jess was about four years old. Between the four of us we would not have needed to eat very much. Yet, this lady went above and beyond what God had asked her to do. In her tiny kitchen she prepared a Thanksgiving Feast large enough to feed a few families and still have left overs. Maybe you think that's nice of her and really what's the big deal?

Miss Jeanne was dieing of cancer. She was ill from extensive Chemo treatments and didn't have family in town to care for her. She lived across the street from me and didn't want us to be alone for Thanksgiving. She was a petite lady with barely enough strength to stand for very long. She rose up early in the morning to begin preparing this fantastic meal for us. There was no way I could say no to her, she insisted and wouldn't let me decline the invitation.

Here was this woman, who was not very old, and she was undergoing Chemo treatments, ill from this cancer that was taking her life and she reached out to me and my two girls when no one else did. She wanted to be sure that we were not alone. I can't tell you how much her sacrifice meant to me. She is in heaven now and every year I think of her as we prepare our meals.

I am thankful that God restored our family and has given us two more children. For the last several years we have opened our home to others who didn't have anyone to spend the day with. Here we are in a tiny home ourselves, but we squeeze in every person we can to our dining room table. In addition to that we set up TV trays as well. The simple act of kindness that Miss Jeanne showed us has now created a tradition in our family as we follow in the heritage she created in our hearts.

Miss Jeanne did more than just say she was thankful, she showed it by extending her love toward us. Is there a family that you can help this Thanksgiving? Do you know of a family that has suffered loss this year that you can help make their day sweeter? Can you take a pie and flowers over to an elderly neighbor? Can you bake cookies for a local nursing home? Let's do more than just say what we're thankful for, let's do something to show how thankful we are.

Gentleness in your Home

“Don’t do that!” “Well, he did it to me!” Do you ever feel like yelling these things? I do sometimes. These words are rude and hurtful to the person hearing them. When I talk to someone in my family like that, it makes me feel bad too.

Think about it, when you go out in public, you are on your best behavior. If you talk to someone you do not know very well, you are the best person you can be. When you are home, it is easier to let your temper come out.


Gentleness is being kind and loving to everyone and not just the people outside your home. It doesn’t come naturally. We have to pray to God and grow in faith so that we will produce this special kind of fruit.

How can you show gentleness in your own life? Maybe by smiling when someone is feeling blue, putting a hand on your brother or sister’s shoulder when they are sad, or giving a hug. These things come from the heart. Jesus is the one who gives them to you. When our heart is just right, we will show gentleness.

Let your moderation be known unto ALL men. The Lord is at hand. Philippians 4:5

Serving Veterans

by Miss Monica June

Every year my church hosts a dinner for Veterans Sunday. All the Veterans in our area are invited to come to our church and we sing songs that glorify God and honour our nation, America. We show videos that honor those who served on 9/11 and we play some videos have to do with soldiers fighting to make America a free country. After our church is over, the veterans and their families dine in our small building used for our teen classes. A special teen group gets to help serve them and fellowship with them. This year I get to be in that group and that is a great honour getting to serve those that made our country be free. These following verses have to do with serving others.

Matthew 15:34
And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.

Matthew 15:36
And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

Mark 6:38
He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.

Mark 6:41
And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

Mark 6:43
And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.

Mark 8:7
And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.

In these verses when Jesus took the little boy's food to feed it to the multitude, I didn't see the little boy get anything out of it. But Jesus fed many people with the boy's food. So, when I go to serve the veterans on Sunday I don't need to whine or complain why I didn't get anything out of it, because like I said it is an honour to serve those who serve and have served our country. Remember when you do something and you don't get anything out of it, it is because it is good to serve others that have served you.


Relatives in our family who have served in our nation's military:
My dad served in the Navy.
My two great grandfathers on my dad's side served in the Army.
My grandfather, my mother's dad, served in the Navy.
My mother's Uncle Doug was in the Air Force.
My mother's cousin, Todd and his wife Maria were both in the Army which is how they met while serving in Germany. They've had eleven children and currently live in Illinois. Cousin Todd now serves as a firefighter.
My mother's grandfather on her mother's side served in the Marines as did his father before him.
My mother's Uncle Randy served in the Marines .
My mother's Step-Dad, my Grandpa Kerry, served in the Air Force.

A very special thank you to my family who served this nation well so that I can live in a free country. (((hugs))) To all of you!

Disobedience: Others Suffer With Us

Jonah 1:2, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."
Jonah 1:3, "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD."

In those verses it shows you that Jonah disobeyed. Now I will show you his punishment.

Jonah 1:10, "Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them."
Jonah 1:11, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous."
Jonah 1:12, "And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. "
Jonah 1:13, "Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them."
Jonah 1:14, "Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee."
Jonah 1:15, "So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging."
Jonah 1:16, "Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows".
Jonah 1:17, "Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."

Now it's not like God is going to have us get swallowed by a big fish or something, but he will punish us if we do not obey. By the way, you can’t hide from God! That was a wrong decision for Jonah. God knew where he was anyway.

The people on the ship had to suffer also because of Jonah’s decision. If you do something wrong or make a wrong decision, other people will suffer to. He made a wrong decision and God sent a storm and the men on the ship would have died if Jonah did not confess. Jonah realized that he was causing them to suffer for his disobedience. He finally confessed and the storm stopped, but Jonah’s wrong decision now caused him to suffer alone in the bottom of the sea in the belly of a big fish for 3 days and 3 nights.

As we can see, God WILL punish us no matter what, and if you disobey Him others will suffer and so will you! So let’s not disobey shall we!! We cannot hide from God, nor disobey Him, He will punish deeply for it.

Black or White?

Black or white, right or wrong? In today's world we need to look closer at the decisions we make and be sure our lives are lining up with scripture.

Christians have allowed ‘mild’ forms of sin into their lives and it has infected the body as a whole. Then when someone stands up, and says “Wait a minute! This is WRONG!” Others think we’re ridiculous. They bat their eye at sin and blow it off.

I think that Christians need to take a deeper look into scripture and get back to God’s original purpose for our lives. If we desire to be effective soul winners then we must live a life that is pure so that the Holy Spirit can have the freedom to work. I believe that when God ‘divided the light from the darkness’ in the book of Genesis, that he was doing far more than just creating day and night.

Isaiah 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

John 12:46, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.”

2 Corinthians 6:14, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

It’s interesting to do a search on Bible.com for all verses containing the words, ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ in the same verse. Read just those that come up and see that God is being very clear that there must be a definite difference between light and darkness.

Trying to combine black(darkness) and white(light) only gives you gray. If we all settle for being gray then how will the world know that we are of the light? Light should shine, showing ‘the way’. A gray light doesn’t give a very clear view in the darkness nor does it direct you to the Lord. Jesus indeed spent time with sinners and gluttons, yet it was not to have fellowship. His main purpose was to teach, encourage, and transform their lives.

I did not name any one particular sin in this devotion for a purpose. I believe the Holy Spirit has already been speaking to you about something. Take heed to what He is directing you to do.

Pray about this devotion and ask the Holy Spirit what He wants you to do. Is their darkness in your life that He wants you to get out of the way? Is your light not shining s brightly as it could be?

'Dear Lord,

If there is anything in my life that is not pleasing to you, please show me what it is. Give me wisdom on making my life more pleasing to you. In your name I pray, Amen'

Verse to ponder:

2 Corinthians 6:17, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."

Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Do you have bling?

Bling-bling! It sparkles. It shines. And it surely catches your eye! You’ll be the envy of all your friends if you buy the new and improved Bedazzler.

The new thing in fashion is to be caught covered in sequins and sparkles from your head to your toes. It’s everywhere in magazines, on TV, in the mail catalogs and even in country stores I go in.

How do you want to attract attention…with sparkles and it being all about your outer appearance or do you want it to be about what is inside you? Every girl has a choice. I get tempted to think how do I look in this outfit, do these shoes match with this shirt, or is my hair alright? In fact I think like that every day and I probably shouldn’t do it at all.

What if instead we let our sparkle and light come from the inside? Let’s ask questions instead, asking if we have all the fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Now that is some shiny fruit that is sure to sparkle and attract attention!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23