Rachel-Ruth recently shared the following message with her online Bible study. They were so blessed by it, as I was, that I asked her to write it out because I think you will be blessed by it also.
Imagine what it must have been like to be one of Jesus’ disciples. Think of what they witnessed! What they heard! With total consternation they must have passed out the 5 loaves and 2 fish that Jesus multiplied to feed thousands. Tears must have been in their own eyes as they saw Jesus heal Bartimaeus’ eyes. When they saw Jesus walking on the water, were they overcome with fear and awestruck wonder? When Jesus didn’t turn away the little children that climbed in His lap, did they get choked up by His loving kindness, so different than their own harsh rejection? When they heard Him speak, they must have hung on every word, not wanting to miss or forget a single sentence! When they heard Him pray, they asked Him to teach them how to pray like He did. Through each experience, Jesus was calling them, teaching them, wooing them to be disciples – mirror images of Himself – even in crisis.
One such example was on a day when Jesus was approached by Jairus, a synagogue ruler. His 12-year-old daughter had become deathly ill. With great faith, he asked Jesus to come to his house and lay hands on her and heal her. Jesus went with him, taking Peter, James, and John. The lesson that immediately pops out is to be a disciple you and I must have a godly inner circle of friends. Jesus often singled out Peter, James and John. In Matthew 17, He took them up a high mountain to get alone with Him where He was transfigured before them. In the Garden of Gethsemane He took these three into the interior as He prayed. Even though He had 12 disciples, Jesus may have been teaching all of them the importance of having a close inner circle of godly friends. We need the same! We need loyal Jesus-following, like-minded, trustworthy, prayer-storming warriors, who are close friends around us. Who is in your inner circle? Are they Jesus followers to their core? Or do you have non-believers in that inner circle? If so, it’s time to make a change. Ask God to bring you a few close godly friends to come alongside you in life.
Before arriving at Jairus’ house, Jesus was informed that the little girl had died. As they came to the house He “saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly”. Jesus, standing right there in the house, said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” Their response was stunning, yet typical. They didn’t rejoice that He had arrived. They didn’t fall at His feet in worship. They didn’t cry out in thanksgiving that He had come to help! They didn’t cling to Him in desperation and hope! Instead…they laughed at Him! Oh, the horror! JESUS WAS IN THE ROOM! And it still didn’t change their attitude, their mindset, their total unbelief, and their hopelessness. Where is your focus in crisis? Has it left you in a weeping, crying heap on the floor because it’s on your circumstances? Have you allowed yourself to lose all hope? Stop! Dry your eyes! No matter how bad the situation – cancer, car wreck, or catastrophe – put your focus on Him! JESUS IS IN THE ROOM!!!
Jesus had all the wailers and frenzied faithless leave the house, taking only the parents and His three disciples to the little girl’s bedside. At this point the little girl was lifeless, but they had to trust His word that she was just asleep. Disciples of Jesus in crisis must have faith to take Him at His word! I imagine that the parents watched Jesus with that expectant faith, no matter that their little girl lay dead before them. Jesus took her hand and said, “Talitha koum!”, which means “little girl, I say to you, get up!” And she got up! He raised her from death…to life! He did the impossible because there are no limits to His power! Don’t put Him in a box made by your own small thinking and small belief. A disciple in crisis bases faith on what His Word says. A disciple in crisis bases faith on who He is, despite all circumstances and feelings.
As we march forward in these last days, we are sure to face tough circumstances and crises. Mom and I don’t want to be dismissed as ones who give up in the face of insurmountable odds or one who wails and whines through difficulties. Instead, like a disciple, we have a godly inner circle of friends to come alongside for support. We are focused on Jesus who is right here with us. And we are growing in faith that quietly awaits God’s Almighty power to come down into our situation, according to His timing as we trust in His promises! Would you do the same? Talitha koum! Choose to be a disciple. Be a Jesus Follower!
For His Glory,
With Strong Friends
Click here for the Bible Study especially developed for this newsletter.
On May 16th, a bronze statue of my father, and Rachel-Ruth and Morrow’s grandfather was unveiled in the US Capitol rotunda, then moved to the crypt where only representatives of the 13 original colonies are allowed to be placed. All Capitol tours will begin here, so tens of thousands will see the Bible in his hand that is opened to Galatians 6:14, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” On the sides of the base are written out John 3:16 and John 14:6.
Dr. Tony Evans has been a personal friend for many years. Rachel-Ruth attended his church for six years when she was at Baylor University, then working in Dallas. He and his wife of 49 years, who has moved to Heaven, raised 4 disciples: Crystal Hurst on his left, Priscilla Shirer to my right, Anthony Evans on the far right, and Jonathan Evans, not pictured. My daughter, Morrow, is next to Anthony, and Dr. Evans’ sister-in-law, Dr. Elizabeth Cannings, is to her left. I was invited to give both Sunday morning messages on Mother’s Day, the first time in over 40 years since the church began, that he had a woman preach from his pulpit. I was honored, warmly welcomed, strongly supported and thoroughly blessed. I continue to pray for this family and Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship.
As the thunder rolled and the rain poured, about 300 people gathered under a tent for Coach Sylvia Hatchell’s annual picnic. I love her testimony when she states that before her cancer battle with stage 4 leukemia, she was a Christian, but after the battle she is a disciple! Rachel-Ruth and I shared a message together, emphasizing that God is with us in every situation, all the time. Preceding us was Phil Ford, the GOAT of basketball point guards, who shared his testimony. After reaching the pinnacle of success, alcohol got the best of him, and he lost everything—but he found Jesus and fully surrendered his life to Him. Now, he chooses to live as a disciple. It was an unforgettable evening!
Jesus Followers
Within the framework of Anne’s exploration of biblical characters from Genesis 5, Rachel-Ruth tells family stories that will encourage, inspire, and motivate Christians to follow hard after Jesus and to develop their children and grandchildren into authentic disciples as Jesus Followers. Click to Order
The Daniel Key
Twenty intentional, key choices make all the difference. Cultivate a life-changing faith when you learn to implement The Daniel Key into your everyday life. Click to Order
Jesus in Me
In this simple yet profound teaching, she explores seven key aspects of the Holy Spirit that will revolutionize how you understand and relate to this vital member of the Trinity. Click to Order
If you would like to receive AnGeL Ministries’ full newsletter by email or postal delivery, click here to sign up for our free resources!
With Strong Friends
With Sharpened Focus
With Steadfast Faith
Using the above criteria, are you developing into a disciple of Jesus?
This Bible study was prepared especially for the Summer 2024 Newsletter.
The Bible is filled with stories of people at their wits’ end who cried out to the Lord! He then heard and answered by delivering them. The Hebrew children enslaved in Egypt, their entrapment at the Red Sea by the Egyptian army, the three Hebrew men in the fiery furnace, Daniel in the lions’ den, Mary and Martha at the tomb of Lazarus, and so many others too numerous to mention describe that desperate times can be stepping stones of experiencing God’s miraculous intervention on our behalf.
One story that is not as well known is that of the prophet Jeremiah who spoke God’s words to the defiant Judean king, Zedekiah. The king was enraged and had Jeremiah cruelly beaten and thrown into a dungeon for speaking the truth. The Bible says he was there for a long time.1 He was later released, but it wasn’t long before some other men became infuriated by Jeremiah’s boldness to speak God’s words to the people. These wicked men dumped him into a cistern of wet mud that he sank down into.2 A pit! There was no way out for Jeremiah who described his agonizing experience in Lamentations 3:53-57: They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me; the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to be cut off. I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.”
From up in Heaven, God heard Jeremiah’s cry of desperation from down in the pit! He came near and answered! Ebed-Melech,3 an African, who was an important government official, heard what had been done to Jeremiah. God moved him to boldly go before the king and intercede on Jeremiah’s behalf. As a result, the king responded to Ebed-Melech’s plea by sending him along with thirty of the king’s men to pull Jeremiah out of the pit! The Bible describes details of the incredible deliverance! Ebed-Melech lowered down rags and cloths to put under Jeremiah’s arms, so when he was pulled up out of the sucking mud the ropes wouldn’t burn him. Jeremiah was not just pulled out of the pit, he was gently pulled to safety, then tended to and cared for in the courtyard of the guard.4
Are you at your wits’ end? Are you in the “pit” with no way out? Then take this thrilling story to heart as encouragement! Keep praying! God’s Word to Jeremiah and to us is: Pray but do not fear! No matter how desperate your situation is, God will hear your cry! And He will send help! One key to receiving a miracle is that He wants you and me to trust in Him completely! To put the full weight of our faith down on Him. In fact, that could be the reason He has allowed you to be at your wits’ end with no one else to turn to, but God!
It may be that you are not at your wits’ end, but someone you are concerned for is. Then could you be like Ebed-Melech? Go before the King of kings on their behalf! God may use you to respond to someone else’s prayers as He sends you, along with His Angelic Royal Guard, to pull your loved ones out of a pit!
Your prayers matter! For yourself and for others. Your prayers of desperate faith in God, and God alone, bring the power of Heaven down to hopeless situations. He is the God of the impossible! He can make a way when there is no way!! When you have God, you are never without hope! Even in a world that has gone mad, God is still on the throne. He still responds to prayers of desperation with all the power and might of Heaven! No one or nothing is out of His grasp! So… pray with all your heart! Don’t stay in your pit of despair, hopelessness, desperation, and ruin! God will make a way, and He uses our prayers to catapult His deliverance. Pray! Trust! And wait with expectancy for the God of the impossible to move!!!
When pressures or problems or pain envelop our lives, we tend to trust God…plus our doctor or our lawyer or our counselor or our banker or our leaders or our own effort or our_____(fill in the blank). Yet God seems to demonstrate His power and glory to those who trust in Him alone. Which is why He often allows us to reach the end of our human resources or run the limit of conventional wisdom before He steps in and does the impossible. The miraculous. So when you are at your wits’ end…
Click here for the Bible Study especially developed for this newsletter.
Christ Community Church in Montreat, NC, was the church where I was raised, baptized, gave my first testimony, and was married! My mother and father, as well as Rachel-Ruth and Steven, were also married in this incredibly meaningful place. Rachel-Ruth and I were each given a morning session to speak at their women’s conference, challenging the ladies to receive and pass truth to those who follow. After lunch, I included my youngest granddaughter in a Q & A as a living example of three generations of faith.
Anne Christiansen was our bold and courageous Just Give Me Jesus revival chair in Oslo, Norway in 2007. She was told by national church leaders not to book the Spektrum Arena because she would be humiliated when few people came. But she forged ahead by faith, and the arena was filled! She is gorgeous, articulate, and passionate about reaching the next generation for Jesus. We had a wonderful visit when she and her husband Stephan recently visited AnGeL Ministries. Please visit Anne Christiansen’s website here.
RR: Coach Sylvia Hatchell is one of our dearest friends!! She was the head women’s basketball coach at the University of North Carolina for 33 years, won a national championship, and is in the Naismith Hall of Fame. Eleven years ago she asked if I would teach a Bible study she started for some of her staff, UNC faculty and friends, which I did. When COVID hit, we had to go online, and the study grew so much that we have kept it online. Coach Hatchell asked my mom, my youngest daughter, Riggin, and I to join her for the UNC-NC State men’s basketball game. The last time I was at a UNC game, two years ago, I had a SCAD heart attack…I left the game and called 911. So thankful God allowed me to come back and have a wonderful time. God is faithful!
For Women’s History Month, Study Gateway asked me to share who my most influential female mentor was. I was blessed to answer that outside of my family, it was Miss
A. Wetherell Johnson, founder of Bible Study Fellowship.
RR: In March I went to San Antonio to speak at a Youth for Christ Fundraising Gala! My grandfather was Youth for Christ’s first evangelist way back at the beginning of his ministry!
The Daniel Prayer
Based on Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9, will help you pray effectively for your nation, for your family, and for yourself. Click to Order
Why?
Anne shares her heart and God’s teachings on the universal problem of suffering, using the familiar story of Lazarus. It will help you understand and deal with suffering by leading you to the One Who knows your needs, shares your grief, sheds your tears and promises glory to come! Based on John 11. Click to Order
Daily Light Journal
Since she was a young girl, Anne has read Daily Light, the life-changing devotional of Scripture compilations given to her by her mother, Ruth Bell Graham. Anne decided to write out her thoughts on the Daily Light to sharpen her attentiveness to the voice of God. This journal is the result.
Click to Order
If you would like to receive AnGeL Ministries’ full newsletter by email or postal delivery, click here to sign up for our free resources!
When pressures or problems or pain envelop our lives, we tend to trust God…plus our doctor or our lawyer or our counselor or our banker or our leaders or our own effort or our (fill in the blank). Yet God seems to demonstrate His power and glory to those who trust in Him alone. Which is why He often allows us to reach the end of our human resources or run the limit of conventional wisdom before He steps in and does the impossible. The miraculous. So when you are at your wits’ end…
When you are at your wits’ end, cry out to God…then trust Him to hear and answer!
This Bible study was prepared especially for the Spring 2024 Newsletter.
*How important is your physical focus when walking or driving or even watching TV?
*How important is your spiritual focus when walking with God and seeking to live for Him?
*What do you think it means to walk with God? See 1 John 1:6-7; Ephesians 4:1-3; Micah 6:8.
*As we walk with God, how critical is it for our focus to be clear? Ephesians 5:15 (NASB); Ephesians 5:2 (NASB); Galatians 5:16 (NASB); 1 John 1:6-7
*What difference do you think focus made in Enoch’s walk in Genesis 5:21-24?. In Noah’s walk in Genesis 6:8-18 and 7:23? In Abraham’s walk in Genesis 18:16-19? (Use your imagination based on the circumstances surrounding each of these three characters.)
*Apply each of the above situations to your own focus as you walk with God and the difference it makes.
*What is required in order to be spiritually focused? 2 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:6
*Describe the One on whom we are to focus from John 6:48; 8:12; 10:9; 10:14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:5; John 1:1-5, 15; Hebrews 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-20
*How does the hope of seeing Jesus sharpen your focus according to 1 John 3:3? Romans 14:11-12? 1 Corinthians 13:12?
As you begin 2024, what are some practical things you need to do to adjust and/or sharpen your focus so that your walk is pleasing to Him?
* Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are based on ‘78 NIV.
This Bible study was prepared especially for the Winter 2024 Newsletter.
