Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Peace is powerful warfare

I struggled with peace last year and had more problems with confusion and defeat, but peace is powerful warfare against the enemy of our souls because we are centered in Jesus. Jesus is my rock and He held me, but I had very limited access to His manifest presence. I was walking around in the world I experienced before I came to Christ. He seemed unreal. I was battling unbelief. Still, I KNEW that His promises would get me through. I insisted to Him in prayer that He promised that His grace was sufficient for me, so He had to see me through. 

I remembered that my cup is OVERFLOWING, that His burdens are light, that nothing is impossible with Him. That is mercies are new every morning and that He never leaves me. The challenges in my mind were intense. And it is glorifying Him in the midst of the storms that really grounded me in the truth of His Kingdom reality which is greater than my experiences. My behavior was not lovely and I was terribly inefficient, but I was loved and carried.

and whenever I am discouraged, I consider the battles my friends in Kenya endure daily. The little children in the villages without much food or without their parents and the old and sick without medical care or comfort. These put my own suffering in perspective, til I always seem to be able to look around me and say, "These are not problems." Others may be experiencing something I do consider a real problem..... the death of a child, severe pain in the body, circumstances that appear to have no solution, or multiple crisis situations that overwhelm the capacity to carry on daily. I extend comfort and I pray for their comfort and circumstancial solutions AND ETERNAL SALVATION. God is always faithful, but it doesn't always feel hopeful. Yet....we set our heart fully on the grace to be given us when Jesus Christ appears (http://bible.cc/1_peter/1-13.htm multiple beautiful versions.) I praise God that Jesus revealed Himself to ME! He can get me through anything.

After going through a VERY serious storm--a hurricane, I looked around and saw such destruction. It had not touched me but seeing 1000 on my side and 10,000 at my right hand and it not coming near me still seemed threatening. And I realized I needed to go deeper. January came and God answered my prayer and made me hungry for only HIM. I put away my ministry thoughts and my goals, dreams, and desires to be sure everything was only focused on HIM and HIS GLORY alone. I prepared my heart acknowledging that I am set apart for Him. He was faithful to show up and shower me with love and His Presence. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Resist the devil and He will flee from you.

We cannot just name the name of Jesus, we have to come humbly and repent. We have to see our sin in light of God's holiness and under the safety of the cleansing blood of Jesus, we admit that we have this sin in our heart. We allow the life of Christ to come live through us. This drives the devil away. He cannot stand humility. Demons cannot stand the presence of Jesus!

Although I have often commanded demons to leave, I realize that it is the flesh which must be crucified. All those struggles we have are rooted in our flesh. I think one new lesson (among many) is my critical judgment. I studied a book by Francis Frangipane (http://www.amazon.com/Three-Battlegrounds--Depth-Spiritual-Heavenly/dp/1886296383/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359478925&sr=1-1&keywords=francis+frangipane ) that showed me that my discernment is evil--and I have grown in discernment and studied ways to read body language and understand behavior and prayed and asked God to show me this or that---and it was rooted in my desire to understand the world and control my environment. I WASN'T LOOKING WITH THE LOVE OF GOD!

In the past several years (maybe my whole Christian walk,) God has been training me to love others, serve others, submit to others and that love covers a multitude of sins. He has shown me that often when He shows me the sin of another, that it is to reflect upon that VERY sin within me. BUT this book helped me take it another step deeper that Jesus has been TRYING to speak and I wasn't willing to listen because I was defending myself. Across this last year, He has been emphasizing that I am to DIE for another person's sin. I am to SO INTERCEDE for their sins that I would die for them as He did. Okay, suddenly, NOT having critical judgment seems FAR EASIER because I acknowlege that I have not grown so Christlike as to die for someone else's sins. I still struggle when people are mean to me, although New Yorkers are helping me throw that one off easily since interaction with strangers here could leave plenty of room for personal offence---AND makes an easy practice ground for loving others when they are rude. (because there is not much invested in a stranger, so it is so easy to just forgive them and love them. but those people in your life? oh we expect so much deference and RESPECT , right?!?)

With Les Miserables out, I am reminded of the book and the most beautiful part where the priest says, "But Jean, you have forgotten the candlesticks I gave you." How beautiful is that. Jean injured the priest and stole from him, the priest not only forgives, HE GIVES MORE. Oh Jesus, so like you. Come and let us do spiritual warfare by allowing You to conform us into Your image. You, Oh Lord, are not shaken up when others mistreat you, YOU HAVE PEACE AND YOU GIVE MORE. So, let us fight the demons who have found a place in us by giving them no place but displacing them with the Holy Spirit living through us.

All Glory to You, Jesus, for Your Glorious Kingdom of Love! Come and Reign in our life here, Lord. Your Kingdom come and Your will be done, here in ME. Because you are EVERYTHING!
You reign in me. You reign over all the earth.

Another good book by Francis Frangipane:
http://www.amazon.com/Holiness-Truth-Presence-God-Penetrating/dp/1616382031/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359478993&sr=1-3&keywords=francis+frangipane

and this was the one referring to repentance from critical judgment:
http://www.amazon.com/Three-Battlegrounds--Depth-Spiritual-Heavenly/dp/1886296383/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359478993&sr=1-1&keywords=francis+frangipane

and here is a great CD for worshipping Jesus--very loud and overly complicated music at times, but exalting Jesus:
http://www.jesusculture.com/music/albums  We Cry Out (scroll to bottom, click, then sample songs.)
or amazon
http://www.amazon.com/We-Cry-Out-CD-DVD/dp/B003PIUCB6/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1359482134&sr=1-1&keywords=we+cry+out




 

Friday, January 25, 2013

Missionary

A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development.[1][2] The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin missionem (nom. missio), meaning "act of sending" or mittere, meaning "to send".[3] The word was used in light of its biblical usage; in the Latin translation of the Bible, Christ uses the word when sending the disciples to preach in his name. The term is most commonly used for Christian missions, but can be used for any creed or ideology.[4]

God called me as a missionary in 1988.

 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Before and After

Paul transformed and Fredrick, too.

Paul was so depressed. Fredrick seemed hopelessly ill.
Thank You, Jesus, for Your Love and Mercy touching us!

Friday, January 18, 2013

My Babies

Stephen and Stephanie Rivers May 1983
 
Kevin July 1984
Laura Sept 1987
Sarah Aug 1989
Nicole Dec 1990
 
Nicole's baby Ray Nov 2011

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Donations for our Library

Eight awesome books-plus there are two other children's books I received.  I posted that pic to facebook, too. In addition, Christa received a Midwife village medical book. Posted here are three village medical books. God willing, we are going to raise up some serious medical workers to bless the needy community!

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Library Wish List--11 already purchased!!!

FRIENDS! Promote reading and English with our children. Buy books on Amazon through Stephanie Alicia Rivers' wish list! http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/1E0K0RRVMUTOP/ref=cm_sw_em_r_ws_5Ff7qb1YZ2687_w

see if that works! Buy one for your sponsored child and buy one for our community library!

I will joyfully carry your love and generosity over the seas and into the waiting arms of our children.

GOD BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY! WE ARE GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER!!

Saturday, January 05, 2013

Dear Friends

Many times we feel we cannot die to our sin- as though God's Grace were not sufficient. But in those times you sense you are unwilling to die, pray this prayer.

Lord, I am willing to be made willing.

Diana needs a sponsor

Diana would like to go to high school but she needs a sponsor. She’s come in from the countryside to stay in town in hopes that God will provide a way for her.

 

We Praise God

Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Here you see Wallace, on the left with grey socks, reading a book. In the background, you can see their bookshelves. Praise God that this school HAS books. Some village schools just use a chalkboard. Many schools do not have electricity or a well.
Consider for a moment....you child or your childhood. Did you have any books? How many? Were they in good condition? How many books were in your classes? Your children's classes? How many in your libraries? How many in your bookstores?
I want to bring quality books to our children in Kenya. Yet, when others consider buying books for them, the books may have white children in their electric kitchen or in their indoor plumbing bathtub, characters that are flagrant marketing ploys to toys/games/tv shows, battle or weapons which are favored in the USA, or any form of magic or magical characters which God hates but the devil encourages and parents adore. Amazon has some culturally sensitive books that might look right for a child in Africa but then they also often have witchcraft elements like wishes, chants, shape-changing or mythology. I cannot apologize for having biblical, godly standards. I have no desire to market and advertise the world to vulnerable children that I have been given the privilege of influencing.
So prayer is needed. Will you say a prayer of agreement with me? May God provide our children with wholesome God glorifying books to develop their minds and intellects, in Jesus name! May God provide people willing to carry books over (they weigh so much) in Jesus name. May I continue to be firm about content, even in the face of rejection and criticism, and glorify Jesus in all that I do! God help us find, locate, purchase and deliver exactly what Jesus chooses and provides because He knows and loves these children more than any person who has any concern or affection for them. Thank You, Lord.

Col 3
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

 

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Thank You Anita!

Anita brought 3000 pain relievers and 3000 antibiotics to our beloved family in Kenya! In addition to dresses, she took over 70+ t-shirts, books, bibles, money for Repha's school year, over $300 for midwives' supplies and Amazing Bible Studies 

Yvonne

Yvonne is definitely Little Miss Sunshine and she is always beaming, but you can see how much she enjoyed Christmas gifts!
 

Noel

What a beautiful dress for a beautiful girl.

Abednego: Shoes, a lantern, a smile, and more!


Emily--had a very generous sponsor and a very big Christmas


Everline: Praise God for sponsors and Angel Tree!

Paul is merry

woo!

Christmas clothes: All thanks to God and the TGD Team

Christmas Fun

Terah teaches dance moves

Children played with toys

Michelle sponsors girl Mitchel

Noel

Lillian

Terah got to hand deliver personal Christmas gifts to her sponsored girls: Lillian, shown here, Noel, and Vivian.

Terah visits her sponsored girls

Ed and Anita deliver presents

Goats for Christmas!