Devot. Deliverance from Fear

 Hello Dear Friends,

I hope everyone has had a good week!!

I felt the Lord impress my heart that the topic of the release from fear was needed for this week.  

There are so many concerns and fears in our world-the economy, job market, inflation, health issues, Covid still there and now Monkeypox.

I pray that the devot. and songs below would be a comfort and blessing to you or someone you know that might need an encouraging word from the Lord.  

Have a blessed weekend! 

Devotional: Deliverance from Fear:

https://www.icr.org/article/20582

(Used by permission.  Taken from https://www.icr.org/)

SONGS:  

Jesus King of Angels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l1pu99Imlw

The Lord is My Salvation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjOGX5zT8KU

The Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Abortion Doctor

 Hi Folks,

I hope you had a super week!!  I have a hot topic below, but I am sending it out because I feel GOD wanted me to put it out there: The Supreme Court Ruling on Abortion. 

As a woman and a pro lifer,  it's not that I wish that women would not have a choice in healthcare, it's that I wish that the lives of innocent, tiny human beings were not destroyed.  They are not given a choice whether they live or die.   These little ones have no say.  How many of these little people could make a difference in our world through medical research, be the ones to find a cure for Covid or be a great political leader etc if they were given The Right to live?

President Ronald Regan wisely said, “I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.”    

Might you think for a moment, "What if MY MOM had chosen to NOT give ME life?  Or if she couldn't take care of me, would she have made the choice to give me to someone who could and would love to have me or would she have gotten rid of me?" 

I don't think we ever think of that as people who ARE alive.   

But I speak from experience on both of these thoughts.....I am adopted...I don't know much about my story, but I do know that my mother was very young and could not take care of me.  In the country I was born in, it's a poor country where female infanticide still happens to this day.  

But....in spite of the fear of ostracization, stigma, maybe the fear of impending birth, my mom CHOOSE to give me life, let me go out of her life, and be adopted by a loving family who could take care of me and wanted another child (and they were not young when they got me:).   I'm glad she was Selfless enough to think of me from Day 1, until I was brought into the world and then thinking of my life beyond. Without her choosing life, I wouldn't be here and I'm glad I was given the CHANCE to live! :)

Below is some food for thought this week.   Maybe you are on the side of innocent babies and don't know how to explain to someone why you are pro life, what you believe and how to have a polite dialogue about this hot topic.  Below is a link where you can get a FREE guide via email about how to engage in thoughtful, respectful dialogue on the right to life. 

Maybe you are on the side of abortion and you have your reasons why you stand by it.  This guide is also for you:). It gives many reasons why folks believe abortion is right, but gets you to think through your belief in the process.   I thought the statements were chosen well ("My body, my choice" for instance), but it was good to unpack the statement and think it through.  

I also included a link I just listened to and am going to use this in place of a devotional because it's so intriguing-a former Planned Parenthood abortion doctor (Dr. Giebink) shares her journey.  

It was a very interesting listen, done with great compassion on her part with the intent of speaking to both sides .  

I was VERY IMPRESSED with how she shared her story and I would HIGHLY encourage you to take a listen  (it's not a long listen)!! 

 She also wrote a book as well, "Unexpected Choice." 

Hope you have a super weekend!!

FREE GUIDE: https://endabortionnow.com/10-answers-to-common-pro-choice-objections/?vgo_ee=mJV8uchFDnQMWJJaOOdmgmvrqW5XW7ZSRLgm8kdEhOk%3D

DOCTOR GIEBINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQPYQ8EF2uY&list=WL&index=3

Devot. I Am The United States of America

 Hi Folks,

I hope you had a good 4th of July with family and friends!
Below are 2 Independence Day devots. and a neat, but short story on the Declaration of Independence.  I found it on our church's bulletin and I'm not sure who wrote it, but it is a neat reading. 

Have a blessed weekend!

(Devots. used by permission.  Taken from https://www.icr.org/)

Devot. Glorious Liberty

https://www.icr.org/article/2079

Devot. Are You Still Free?

https://www.icr.org/article/are-you-still-free

I AM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

“I was born on July 4, 1776, and the Declaration of Independence is my birth certificate. The bloodlines of the world run in my veins, because I offer freedom to the oppressed. I am the United States of America.

I am 330 million living souls and the memory of millions more who lived and died for me. I am Nathan Hale and Paul Revere. I stood at Lexington and fired the shot heard around the world. I am Washington, Jefferson, and Patrick Henry. I am John Paul Jones, Daniel Boone, and Davy Crockett. I am the Gettysburg Address and Abraham Lincoln standing for the freedom of all men.

I am the Brooklyn Bridge, the wheat fields of Kansas, and the granite hills of Vermont. I am the coal mines of West Virginia and Kentucky; the Golden Gate, and the Grand Canyon. I am Constitution Hall and the Washington Monument.

I am a vast land! I sprawl from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. I am 3,531,905 square miles, throbbing with industry! I am 2,100,000 farms that produce the food that feeds my millions of citizens. I am forest, field, mountain, and desert. I am quiet villages and cities that never sleep.

You can look at me and see Benjamin Franklin walking down the streets of Philadelphia with a loaf of bread under his arm. You can see Betsy Ross with her needle and thread. You can see the lights of Christmas and hear the strains of “Auld Lang Syne” as the calendar turns to begin a New Year.

I am Babe Ruth and the World Series. I am Peyton Manning and Tom Brady battling it out in the Super Bowl. I am Michael Jordan taking the final shot! I am the hundreds of thousands of schools and colleges, and 380,000 churches where people are free to worship God as they wish. I am the most recognized flag in the world, waving proudly all over my land. I am a ballot dropped in a box, the roar of a crowd in a stadium, and the beautiful voices of a choir in a cathedral.

I am Eli Whitney and Stephen Foster. I am Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and Albert Einstein. I am Henry Ford, Will Rogers, and the Wright Brothers. I am Memorial Day parades in every town, Friday nights on the high school football field, and parents cheering for their Little Leaguers on Saturday.

Yes, I am the land of opportunity. I was conceived in freedom, and God willing, in freedom I will spend the rest of my days. The whole world looks to me for help, guidance, and encouragement when trouble arises. I am the land of the free and the home of the brave, a citadel of freedom, and a beacon of hope to the world.

“More than a decade ago, a Supreme Court decision literally wiped off the books of fifty states statutes protecting the rights of unborn children. Abortion on demand now takes the lives of up to 1.5 million unborn children a year. Human life legislation ending this tragedy will some day pass the Congress, and you and I must never rest until it does. Unless and until it can be proven that the unborn child is not a living entity, then its right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness must be protected.” (Ronald Reagan)

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.  My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth." (Ps. 139:14-15)

Devot. Father's Day

 Hi Folks,

I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend celebrating Father's Day.   

In a world that 'dumbs down' the role of a father, the vital role a godly man (of any age) can play in the life of his or any child, God still thinks fatherhood is something to be honored, respected, held in high esteem, embraced as the first devot. shares.   

Now, as I've said many times through the years, I understand and am sympathetic to those who may not have had a father, or a godly father in their lives growing up.   I have friends who did not have the role of a stable, godly dad in their lives.  And yet, they have said to me  that when they came to faith in Christ, they came to realize that God became their Heavenly Father when they put their faith and trust in Him-and that made a life changing, permanent difference in their life, thinking and in moving forward through adulthood. 

Galatians 3:26 states, "For we are the children of God (and then here is the stipulation) through faith in Jesus Christ."  This is the picture of spiritual adoption which mirror physical adoption:  The common misconception is that everyone is automatically God's kids.  We are all His creations, He made every human life-born or unborn (as Psalm 139 shares), but specifically those who have trusted Jesus as their Savior can claim the title of God's child "through faith in Jesus Christ."

I pray that the devots. below are a refreshing comfort to your heart this week!  

Below the last devot. from ICR is the release of a new children's book on fathers. A friend passed on the details to me.  It gives the Biblical insight into who a godly dad should be, but also ties in some history and has the kids go back in time to WW2 and also meet Abraham Lincoln.  The book is new and the series itself interesting and it's new.  So for those of you with young kids and grandkids, please check out the details below the last devot.  

Have a blessed weekend!

What the Father Says About Fathers:

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/what-the-father-says-about-fathers?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN20220615WhatTheFatherSaysAboutFathersArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

(Used by permission.  Taken from https://www.dayspring.com/)

Devot Used by permission.  Taken from https://www.icr.org/)

June 19, 2022 The Prodigal Father “But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry.” (Luke 15:22-23) As a number of commentators have noted, the familiar parable of the “prodigal son” is really about the “prodigal father,” for the word “prodigal” does not mean wayward or rebellious, as many think, but rather lavishly generous. The central theme of the story is not that of the return of a lost son but rather the undying love of a forgiving father. The human father was intended by the Lord Jesus to be a picture of our heavenly Father, whose righteousness requires judgment on sin but who is always ready to forgive and receive back into joyous fellowship any who return to Him in repentant faith. Even to rebellious Israel He could say, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3). It was the memory of his father’s lovingkindness as much as anything else that finally gave the lost son courage to return home in repentance. And when he returned, there were no recriminations from his father but only love and then a prodigal outpouring of blessing, with the robe and ring and shoes all symbolizing his full restoration as the son of his father. So it is with us. Though utterly undeserving of such honor, we are made “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities....Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him” (Psalm 103:10,13). “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,...And [I] will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). HMM

Dear PragerU Supporter, American society continues to cheat children by downplaying the unique importance of fathers in our children’s lives – by way of teen-targeted ‘toxic masculinity’ campaigns and ongoing event cancellations of once-innocent traditions like “Donuts with Dad” at schools. Instead of celebrating men, woke culture seeks to erase the irreplaceable gift of a father’s guidance for his children.  At PragerU Kids, we are committed to honoring our traditional American Judeo-Christian values, as they enrich our parenting experience and children’s precious upbringing.  The next edition in our #1 Amazon best-selling Otto’s Tales book series is now here… just in time to reject the left’s attack on fatherhood.  Order Now

Otto’s Tales: Today is Father’s Day teaches our children the distinct gift of what fatherhood entails – from living a life that follows God, to sacrificing for the greater good, to providing for family. Young readers will time-travel with Otto the bulldog and his best friend, young Dennis Prager, to meet Abraham from the Bible as well as Dennis’s own father while he served in World War II! We are depending on your help to pass on our inherent American values to as many children as possible. In addition to ordering your own book, please share the Otto’s Tales series with your family, friends, and local schools and libraries!   Keep an eye out for new Otto’s Tales books and companion storytime shows every month – this special Father’s Day episode is narrated by PragerU’s very own Chief Marketing Officer and dad-of-three, Craig Strazzeri! And, be sure to go to PragerU.com/kids to check out all of our original, free PragerU Kids content – educational magazines, animated videos, a new wild and fun game show, and more!

Watch Now

Photo Session with a Cause!

 Hi Folks,

I ran into a really neat post on my Instagram.  I follow a ministry called Refuge 91 Inc that works with and helps trafficked women and children in Baltimore.   

One of the founders, Judy, is a photographer and will be setting up photo sessions (for families, couples, individuals, pet sessions or special events) as a means to raise money for Refuge 91 Inc.   

They are really doing incredible work at helping these vulnerable souls, 

so please consider checking out the below, Facebook the link to get the word out, pass along via Instagram, or pass on in some way. 

Blessings! Grace

https://selah.photography/

Can find also on Instagram- @refuge91inc

refuge91inc

 A N N O U N C E M E N T —> "Our cofounder, Judy, is available for photo shoots as an ongoing means for raising funds for R91 (in Maryland). Judy’s photography website is above in the LinkTree! It’s there where you will find her portfolio, booking software, and modest, tax-deductible rates. Every dollar earned goes directly into R91’s bank account (via the website booking software)." 

Devot. D Day, Flag Day

 Hi Folks,

I hope you are having a good start to your week!

Last week was D Day, a day that I do not think is mentioned much in society, schools/colleges as a whole and yet it was such an important day in our nation's history!

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said of this day in a prayer via broadcast,   “ I ask that our people devote themselves into a continuance of prayer.  And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade.” He also said, ""Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity," 

Where did we lose all  that? Faith in God, confidence and respect in our armed forces, a united country, pressing forward in fighting against evil that is coming against our country, even the fighting against the forces that would annihilate "our republic, religion and our civilization." It seems that we have thrown all of that out the window in recent years and the news we see confirms that.

I pray the news article below would give you a stirring perspective on D Day, the power of prayer, the faith of a President in God, what our world looked like back then. I know of many who are praying that our country would regain that perspective...

May God hear that prayer.

Today is also Flag Day and I have a devot. on our flag as well.

Have a blessed week!

D Day-78 Years Later:

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/d-day-78-years-fdr-prayer-united-americans

(Devots. used by permission. Taken from https://www.icr.org/)

An Army with Banners:

https://www.icr.org/article/army-with-banners

Our Banner:

https://www.icr.org/article/19909

Devot. Call to Remembrance

 Hi Folks,

I hope you had a blessed Memorial Day weekend!!!   

I feel that the below quote and the devot. are unfortunately true to today-I personally feel that we are losing (or have been losing over a period of years) the remembrance, nostalgia, and seriousness of Memorial Day and the cost behind the day.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.”

I remember reading a news article a few years back by a military mom saying that while most families use this holiday as a long weekend, to have picnics and go to the beach, military families mourn and remember those lost. 

With this in mind, I found a very pointant tribute this past weekend.  I was watching a live church service and one of the pastors gave a thought provoking tribute-thought he hit the nail on the head and it was a blessing to my heart.  Below are the details.

I also received an email from a ministry I have emailed to you previously, during the early days of the Ukraine conflict.   They are a Christian ministry based out of the US and they funnel support to Ukraine churches.   They are trying to receive help to ship food over to Ukraine due to a severe shortage. If you feel led, please look at and pass the details along.

Pray you have a blessed weekend! 

A Tribute to Memorial Day: (Starts 13:43, goes to 20:56)

https://livestream.com/opendoorchurchlive/services/videos/231410971

Devot. Call to Remembrance: 

https://www.icr.org/article/17791

(Used by permission.  Taken from https://www.icr.org/)

SLAVIC GOSPEL ASSOCIATION

Sharing the Gospel • Equipping the Church • Helping the Forgotten

Every $125 provides 1 month of supplemental food for 2 families!

Equip SGA-supported churches who are ready to share the Gospel and help people in need!

We are blessed to live in a place of abundance. For many of us, we don’t have to worry about our next meal.

But for too many Ukrainians impacted by the war, there simply isn’t enough food or even any food at all. They desperately need our help, and I am hopeful you will join with us to help when you share your generous gift.

You can help rush supplemental food and hygiene supplies to people unable to leave Ukraine.

SGA-supported churches in Ukraine and their congregations are ready to distribute pallets of cooking oil, canned goods, beans, rice, and other non-perishable pantry staples . . . as well as basic hygiene supplies like soap, toothpaste, and shampoo.

Many pastors have already shared with us how meeting urgent physical needs during the Ukraine war has greatly opened extraordinary opportunities to share the Gospel and the love of Christ with many whose lives have been shattered. People who would never before come to worship services are now attending . . . and those searching for sustenance for their bodies are finding hope in God’s love.

Please prayerfully consider what you can give now to share with those in urgent need — “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share . . .” (1 Timothy 6:18b).

Your gift will help believers at SGA-supported churches in Ukraine deliver emergency aid in Jesus’ name as quickly as possible:

Each family who is helped will hear a clear presentation of the Gospel in addition to receiving meals. You will be helping to bless hurting families, children, and the elderly who need urgent assistance in the here and now . . . and you will help change lives as you invest what God has given you for eternity.

What an opportunity we have to reflect God and His generosity! Thank you for your continuing prayers and your gift now to help.

In His love and service,

Michael Johnson, President

Slavic Gospel Association