When the World Presses In, Press On

I don’t care how old you are. If you’re old enough to be reading this, you’re old enough to know that along with life’s blessings and joys comes life’s setbacks and disappointments. You don’t need me to tell you that. Maybe you’re tired. Maybe you’re burdened. Perhaps you’ve become so accustomed to discouragement that now you stand on borderline hopelessness. So … how do you deal when you feel you’ve been given more than your fair share of trials?

The world will tell you several things:

· “Time to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps!”
· “Buck up, Kiddo, no one said life would be easy.”
· “Try harder.”
· “It’s a cruel world out there. You need to stand up for Number One no matter who gets in the way.”

None of these is helpful. None of these will actually get you anywhere. But because we live in the world, we by default hear the world’s so-called advice.

Praise God, what He has to speak into your situation is entirely different. Here are just a few things He wants you to know right now in your struggle:

· “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:7)
· “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
· “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 11:29-30)
· “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:10)

God’s words are truth. Do you believe what He is saying to you in the verses above? It’s one thing to acknowledge what He says, it’s quite another to live by what He says.

It’s also probably obvious to you that the Lord is not promising to make your troubles disappear in an instant. Rather, He reveals what is to be your focus during this time of trial: Himself. You center your attention on Him by spending time with Him in prayer (Philippians 4:6). Think about Him as your Help, Savior and Friend. And then what? “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

But if you’re still wondering how to think about anything other than what’s weighing you down, consider the very next verse: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

What is holding you back today? Do you need to take some time in prayer right now to confess your unbelieving heart and wayward thoughts? Do you need to ask for God’s grace to help you really live by His truth? Talk to Him. Let Him meet you in your need. He’s eager to hear from you and walk with you through your struggle.

Take a Seed, Bloom a Flower

When you look at a plumeria seed, what do you see? (Don’t think too hard.) I see a seed. That’s it. That’s all. Just a seed.
When you look at a fully bloomed plumeria, what do you see? Again – it’s not hard. I see a plant sprouting gorgeous blooms of flowers (and I smell heaven itself!).
Hold the seed side-by-side with the flower and it’s hard to believe that the one will become the other. Of course, this transformation doesn’t happen in an instant. It actually takes many, many months, even years. And it requires a few external sources … good soil, rays of sunshine, cups of water, an ideal climate. All combine to grow a simple little seed into a radiant, eye-catching sight to behold.
Now, if a plumeria seed’s purpose was to remain a seed for life, it would be a sad existence, don’t you think? We might not ever give it the attention it deserves. But because we know that this seed is made for more, we care for it. We love, nurture, and tend to it. When we hold this seed, we don’t reach to chuck it in the garbage can; we reach for the potting soil and the watering pail. May I suggest that when you hold this seed, you are holding a nugget of potential.
We at Greater Reach are seed-finders, seed-lovers, and gorgeous-flower-bloomers. We meet and minister to women around the globe who are at a hard point in life, but all we can see is their God-given potential for more. He has a calling on their lives that they just don’t see … yet. They think they are stuck, destined to be a seed forever. But we get to bring them the Good News of Jesus Christ! We get to show them their true identity and their real potential made possible by His great gift on the cross. It’s an exciting honor! It keeps us moving forward, continually investing in “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40).
To whom are you ministering? With whom do you need to share the Good News? To whom do you need to unveil the reality that a seed is just a seed for the moment? By the power of the Holy Spirit, a life blooming with beauty and purpose lies just ahead!

By: Kristin Beasley (Jodi Carlson)

What Can We Do?

She smiled at me with a deep penetrating smile, her eyes communicating resolve, peace and conviction. She said, “Jesus is worth it all.” This woman knew what she was talking about. Having been raised in Nazareth in a Muslim family, she was discontent with what she was told about God and who she was and she was searching for spiritual truth. She was empty. So as a young woman she read the Koran and then read the Bible and decided that she could no longer follow the tenets of Islam. When her father discovered she had become a Christian, he had a heart attack. Then her family disowned her, threw her out of the house and she had to flee to another city. So alone, single, she forged a new life in Christ, a life that to this day experiences death threats because of her faith. Yet, she is at peace with her decision, counting “all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus…” as her Lord (Phil. 3:8).
In the context of my teaching and training ministry I have the high privilege of serving women like this one in many different cultures. (In just the last two months I have been in 6 different countries.) However, it is often true that I find myself being equally motivated by the very women I am helping. This woman, unnamed for her protection, inspired me with her sacrificial, no holds barred, radical faith, a faith I aspire to. There we were, sitting in a hotel in Jerusalem, while busloads of tourists filed by. It all seemed so unreal. But while other memories of that trip will fade, what I know I will never forget is the fire in her eyes and the intensity of her voice when she talked about reaching her world for Christ, a world filled with miserable veiled women, many of whom have the same spiritual hunger this young woman had. And she needs help. She is only one of two Christian women ministering to other women in Jerusalem. “I need help training and mentoring the many women coming to Christ,” She said. I think to myself, “What can I do?”
I met this Muslim convert in April. Fast forward one month. Now I am sitting in Romania with a group of women who want me to come and help them to grow in their faith. One woman says she wants to understand what God has left her on earth for. She tearfully said in front of the group, “I have a job, I have enough money, but I am empty inside. I want to understand how you have found what you have.” Here were two different women, from very different worlds, both with needs. This woman touched me with her vulnerability and deep desire for answers. I thought to myself again, “what can I do?”
What are you to do? How do you respond to and help the women next door to you, or in your church? Some of them are keenly aware of their spiritual needs. Many of them are from other cultures. And many of them feel empty, lonely, undervalued, less than. As our world becomes increasingly diverse and complex, where cultures and individuals from different cultures interact with each other more and more often, what are we to do? We can’t become experts in so many different cultures. We can’t learn all the languages. But we can understand what the Bible says about the Christ who came to redeem and the universality of the longings of our hearts. We can learn to know the real God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Esther, Deborah and Sarah. And we can learn what He says to us as women, about our value and identity. God’s Word transcends culture. But we must know what it says.
We not only need to understand what the Bible says, we also must live it out in our own lives. Women everywhere long to see God’s truth fleshed out in other women. You don’t have to travel far to discover this truth. Women want hope! They want to be inspired to be all that God designed them to be. And that happens through the context of relationship. We must be willing to let others, Christian and non-Christian, know us and humbly allow ourselves to be role models. Let me tell you: women are watching you and they will not be willing to hear what you say until you demonstrate the truth of what you are saying through your life.
Finally, I think we need to be willing to go wherever God calls us to go (and do whatever God calls us to do). I honestly don’t get up in the morning thinking about the next place I can go. I am a homebody. But I can’t sit home while women around the world are crying for help to understand the truth that will set them free. God has given us “pearls of great price”. How can we not want to share our wealth with others? May we learn the Truth, live the Truth and be willing to go to share the truth wherever He leads. A love as amazing as God’s love, demands our soul, our lives, our all.

New Teaching Opportunity!

We enjoyed a refreshing time with many of our family in the faith at Scottsdale Bible Church's Harvest Festival this past week and weekend. It's always enjoyable to reconnect with those from the field we haven't seen in many months.

As a result of talking with a dear friend at the festival, we learned of an opportunity to partner with her to reach out to the Arab community in Phoenix. On December 12th, Dr. Kristin Beasley will teach a conglomerate of Arab women about "Embracing Your True Identity" at a women's Arab conference in the Valley. She will teach a series of 3 segments to this audience in early December.

We would appreciate your prayers for Kristin's teaching, for hearts and minds to be uplifted, encouraged and enlightened by this material, and for our fellowship and relationship building with these women.

We anticipate the many ways in which God will work during this time to advance His plan!

Mentoring Tip #1: Encouragement

Encouragement is a significant part of any mentoring relationship. We will always need encouragement when mentoring others. And those we mentor need encouragement.

The book of Hebrews exhorts us to stimulate others to good deeds as the day approaches. Hebrews 10:24-25, “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” “Let us consider”…in other words, think about how to support those you mentor.

Here are a couple of reminders as we mentor:
1. It is a privilege to enter another’s world as closely as you do with a protégé. It is a worthwhile use of their time. We can lose sight of this.
2. Press on with your protégé even when they are not responding as you like. Don’t give up! Persistence usually pays off!

Encourage, encourage, encourage! Encouraging those you mentor will warm your heart as well!