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Virtuous woman exposed
We need spiritual grandparents
by Sarah Ball
There is an empty seat in our church. A seat that was
once filled by one of the most spirit-filled, encouraging,
visionaries I have ever known, and our church is in the
process of grieving and celebrating this great man’s life.
You would not meet a 20-year-old fresh out of Bible
school with as much vigour and determination for the
gospel and the Holy Spirit, as you would in that seat.
Above all the gifts, wisdom, experience and bravery that
this man embodied, what people will miss the most will
be his grandfather heart and his affection. The kind of
hug you would only receive from a father or a grandfather.
He adopted many of us scraggly, orphaned Christians and
called us sons and granddaughters. There was more healing
and spiritual direction in his genuine Christ-like love,
than any bang-on prophetic word he was so respected
for. “But the greatest of these is love.” He was a loving
spiritual father/grandfather to many.
When I was young my own grandfather would let me
sit on his knee and let me drive his big blue truck through
the farmer fields. I would either slide all the way down to
the floor to control the gas and he would steer, or I would
prop myself up as high as I could and he would control
the speed as I steered frantically. He never lectured, or
panicked, and though his thumb was on the wheel, and
his foot on the brake, I felt like I was driving and I was
proud. There was absolutely no fear driving a half ton
truck at age seven because I knew grandpa was in charge.
Through all the bumps, potholes and Texas gates, I knew
he knew he would lead us home. The same trust and comfort
comes from that of a spiritual
grandparent and we need more of them.
The church cannot function without the wisdom, affection
and presence of grandparents. There are so many
lost and orphaned children of God who need comfort and
encouragement. We talk a lot about mentors and spiritual
fathers and mothers, but there is a covering and unique
mentoring that comes from a grandparent.
The difference between a spiritual father and a grandfather
is this – a father protects and corrects, a grandfather
pushes bravery and is pretty biased at how amazing their
grandchildren are. Having a spiritual grandfather who
pours out his unconditional affection on a child of God
can be life changing. The church needs more and nothing
gives a young disciple more confidence than being thrown
into a big truck and encouraged to drive.
We must never forget the value of our elders, and
elders must never forget the impact they have in a young
mothers life when you tell her she is a great mother, or
when you push a young man to stand up and be a man.
I am not without great gratitude that I had the chance
to receive a million kisses from my spiritual grandfather
who filled my orphaned heart after all these years. I have
taken on a much bigger truck than I did at age seven and I
couldn’t have done it without the lap of my grandfathers.
Sarah is a stay-at-home mother of fi ve children ages one to 13 years.
She resides in Lethbridge, AB and you can follow her blog at www.
virtuouswomanexposed.com.
Your words can either
build up or tear down
by Martha Fehr
I’ve really learned to appreciate short but pithy sayings
because, being short, we can remember them, and this
in turn, helps us to put them into practice in our lives.
Recently, I read a quote that reads, “Praise loudly; correct
softly.” A similar quote asks us to “Praise publicly,
correct privately.”
At first glance we might think this refers mostly to
parents but on further reflection,
we can see that it applies to all
of us. If a situation arises where
we need to challenge a fellow
believer or a co-worker about
their behaviour or perhaps their
attitude, we should always do this
in private. And our tone of voice
should communicate concern
for them as well as for the situation.
Ephesians 4:15 commands
us to speak “the truth in love…”
We must speak that truth softly,
but correctly.
If however, this same person is to be commended for
something, we should not hesitate to do so in public and
with enthusiasm. How we speak publicly or privately,
loudly or softly, will have a strong influence on the people
in our lives. A longer quote from Maya Angelou is worth
thinking about in this regard. She says, “I’ve learned that
people will forget what you said, people will forget what
you did, but people will never forget how you made them
feel.”
When we hear that yet another teen has committed
suicide due to being verbally bullied in person or online,
we understand the truth of Proverbs 18:21 which states
that, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”
Ironically, the people who feel they have no power often
use verbal abuse to tear down others, thinking that this
will lift up their own reputation. The opposite is almost
sure to happen.
Verbal abuse that accompanies physical abuse can
suggest to the victim that he or she deserves the abuse
because of who they are. When this happens repeatedly
the person being abused often becomes convinced that
they really do deserve this treatment so they allow it to
continue. Such words are always painful but even more
so when they are spoken by a family member who is
supposed to love and care for them. If the victim doesn’t
passively submit to the abuse
they usually become aggressive,
hoping to prevent further abuse.
Many years ago, we met a man
who later became our friend. As
a young boy, he was extremely
mistreated by his mother. The
older he grew, the more beatings
he received. He got to the
place where he could withstand
a lot of pain and he would refuse
to cry when she would hit him
because that would mean, in his
mind, that she had won this particular battle.
On one occasion she beat him with a metal rod, hard
enough to break both collar bones; the bones eventually
healed, but the emotional wounds took much longer. The
words she spat out at him along with the physical abuse
required years of therapy from professionals to help him
deal with life in a somewhat healthy way. When he was
introduced to the love of God and he accepted Jesus as
his personal Saviour, a whole new way of life opened up
to him.
On Monday, October 14th we will officially celebrate
Thanksgiving. Besides thanking God for the many things
with which He has blessed us, let’s not forget to thank
God for the freedom of speech which we enjoy in Canada
but let’s not use this freedom to hurt others.
Martha Fehr resides in Airdrie with her husband of 48 years.
They had a successful counselling business in Calgary until March
2010 when they semi-retired.
Why Am I Here?
Who
How Do I
is
Beat
This Loneliness?
What Makes
Jesus?
My Life
So Hard?
Where Is That One
Special Relationship?
JESUS is GOD the SON
(CREATOR of the Universe and all Life!)
Hebrews 1:2-3 NIV
2. ...in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,
whom he appointed heir of all things, and through
whom he made the universe.
3. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the
exact representation of his being, sustaining all things
by his powerful word.
Hebrews 3:3-4 NIV
3. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honour
than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater
honour than the house itself.
4. For every house is built by someone, but God is
the builder of everything.
THE SAVIOUR (GOD in human form)
Born of the Virgin Mary
Matthew 1:23 NIV
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a
son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means,
“God with us.”
Isaiah 9:6 NIV
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the
government will be on his shoulders. And he will be
called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace.”
John 8:23-24 NIV
23. But he continued, “You are from below; I am
from above. You are of this world; I am not of this
world.
24. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you
do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you
will indeed die in your sins.”
John 14:6 NIV
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the
life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
No other person can save you or give you hope
and eternal life.
How to know JESUS as your
personal Saviour:
If you would like to know JESUS as your personal
Saviour from sin, pray the following prayer followed
by studying The Holy Bible and get involved with a
local Christian church.
Pray this sincere prayer, meaning it with all your heart,
and God will give you eternal life, right now!
“Dear Lord, I am a sinful person who needs You. I turn from
my sins and surrender my heart and life to You, right now.
Save me dear God and make me Your child. Thank You for
coming to Bethlehem, and for dying for me to pay for my sins.
Help me to live for You all the rest of my life.” Amen
If you would like to talk to someone further about
how to begin a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ, please call toll free 1-888-NeedHim and view
the website:
www.NeedHim.org
16 — OCTOBER 2013, CITY LIGHT NEWS www.calgarychristian.com