FOCUS

Forgiveness

Verse: Ephesians 1:7,8 "...redemption through His blood..."

The lavishness of the Lord is incredible. If you're like many Christians, perhaps you find His abundant forgiveness hard to accept? Do you knock yourself over and over again for something the Lord has already forgiven and forgotten? Did God really forgive me when I .... (you fill in the blank.)"

WORDS TO INSPIRE

"The Lord's Forgiveness - lavished on us!"
by Carolyn Steele

Ephesians 1: 7, 8: In Him we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of out trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.

From these verses, we see an order in the Word’s promise that is exciting! First, we're redeemed on the cross of Calvary and our sins are forgiven. In God’s grace, He “lavishly” gives us this forgiveness of sin with the Father’s wisdom and insight. Of course, we cannot do this in our own strength. Then, what do we do when others or situations arise that lead to feeling hurt or treated unfairly? We are tempted to not remember Matthew 6, which states that we must forgive others as God forgives us and that the Lord will not forgive us if we don’t forgive others (verse15). I cannot be justified in my complaint (sin).


Dear Friends in Christ: The sin of not forgiving will grow and lead you away from your precious Jesus. It truly hurts our Savior and drives a wedge between God and you. Stop and think for you know this is not worth it! Jesus died for your sins and gave His all. Turn and repent quickly and don’t nurse and rehearse those bitter feelings. If you sincerely give it to Christ, He will be true to change your heart. However, what will happen if we are hurt again? This may happen with the folks that you often see and cannot avoid. This is where a daily surrender to Jesus must become a part of your innermost desire, as you grow closer to Him with the help of the Holy Spirit. Memorize Luke 6: 37: “Judge not, and you will not be judged: condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Only Jesus Christ can truly bring restoration and healing to your life through obedience to His Word. You may be thinking; I am not sure that I want to do this. Take it from me that putting off forgiveness only prolongs misery and sin. Christ did it for you, because His everlasting love is “incredible.”

CHECK IT OUT

A Pit Will Suck You In
by Michele Mobley

A pit will suck you in! This is true about a physical pit, but author and speaker, Beth Moore, in her book, Get out of that Pit is not speaking about a big hole in the earth. She is addressing the soul who believes she is stuck, believes she can’t stand up to the enemy, and believes she has lost her vision. Moore defines this state of being as a pit. Her book includes three ways a person gets into a pit and how to get out. This reader believes forgiveness is the bedrock of this work.

Some people are thrown into a pit. Moore writes, “The ways we can get thrown into a pit are as varied as the footprints planted in them” (Moore, p23). A terminal diagnosis, a gossip, an unfaithful spouse, a violent crime, and a shrinking financial portfolio send innocent bystanders into a “pit of innocence”.

One can also slip into a pit. Moore defines this pit as one of despair. Life is hard and the Christian soul is not immune, but is also not hopeless. Moore writes, “If we don’t put our hope in God, we can talk ourselves into a pit” (Moore, p55).

The third way one gets into a pit is by jumping in. Moore calls this pit-dweller a “pit-jumper”. The jump is intentional and is a mockery of God’s authority.

Finally, Moore gives the pit-dweller practical steps to get out. First, cry out to the all-powerful God. Second, confess sin. Confession deals with both sin and God’s authority. Confession is agreeing with God about whom He is and who you are in Christ. Following confession is consent. Moore believes this step to be black and white. Leave the pit.

Beth Moore in her book Get Out Of That Pit proclaims victorious and eternal truth and hope for pit-dwellers. This reader is convinced the heart of this book is forgiveness. Un-forgiveness keeps many a soul in bondage to the character of a pit. Forgiveness brings a soul into a victorious life defined by the character of the God of all hope!

NEEDS OF THE REAL WORLD

ALONE!

I know it is impossible to be with someone all of the time but I hate to be alone. Satan knows that. It grips me when I least expect it, when I am alone in the car, or getting groceries, or standing alone in the post office. Fear comes and grips my body reminding me I am alone. It holds me like two clamps, one on each shoulder, pushing into my body. It cripples me. I can’t move and my mind is bombarded with “what ifs.” My eyes start to fluctuate from side to side and my breathing is so shallow I long for a cool-cool breath of air. I am not sure that I will be able to even walk. If I give into that FEAR in my mind, for even a split second, Satan has me and I am crippled. As soon as I feel the attack of fear grip me I must pray, concentrate on the Holy Spirit, and the peace of Jesus. If I don’t, Satan has crippled me and the force is so strong that it sends me into the oppression of FEAR.
Sometimes I will grab my cell phone and dial a friend who understands. When I hear the voice I am slightly calmed, because I am not alone. As we pray together I am able to feel strength. If I don’t pray with that small pinch of faith, I am attacked even greater. Another thing that I do is to concentrate on the Bible verses from Philippians 4:6-8. When fear has gripped me for days the only thing that calms me is to know that my Bible is with me all the time. It goes in the car with me and when I park the car in the garage the Bible comes into the house with me. I know that the presence of that Bible, which is the Word of God, is all that I need. I feel free and those clamps that are pushing on me don’t seem as strong. I also ask the Lord to help me recognize the enemy’s voice no matter how subtle it is and never to entertain the attack of fear.
How can a Christian woman be fearful? Well, we each have our own areas where Satan knows he can attack us. Mine is fear of being alone. I must pray daily and search my heart and mind asking the Lord to cleanse it from the deceptions of Satan. If deception and compromise are already on my heart and mind then it leaves a hole for Satan to attack me with fear. I must ask Christ’s forgiveness, where I have allowed this to enter my mind.
I must practice listening to the Holy Spirit’s voice, which drives the subtleness of Satan out and the crippling attack of FEAR. Satan knows that when I am fearful then I am not a witness for Jesus at work or home. My prayer life is not strong. Oh Jesus forgive me when I have listened to the subtleness of Satan and allowed my mind to entertain fear, which cripples me. Thank you Jesus.

TOGETHER THROUGH PRAYER

When I think about forgiveness, I remember the story of Corrie Ten Boom. Ten Boom endured the Holocaust, was imprisoned at a Nazi prison camp and lost her sister there. Corrie lived through the Holocaust, and afterwards went on to speak about how her faith in the Lord saw her through. After one such speech, a man approached Corrie and confessed he was a guard at the Nazi prison she had been at. He asked for her forgiveness for being one of her captors. Corrie said she could not in her own strength forgive this guard, but with the strength of the Lord, she held out her hand to his and forgave him. We all have been wronged in our lives. We can choose to hold on to those times others have wronged us, or we can choose to obey the Lord, follow His example and forgive. This month, let's pray "Lord help me to forgive." Then forgive in His strength.

IN MY OPINION

In each HEARTLINE you will be presented with “a question”. The question will give you three to four answer options to choose from. The response answers will be tabulated and the percentages will then be given in the following HEARTLINE issue. And, then again, another question with answer option will be given and so on.

In response to last blog's question:

100% of respondents stated they became Christians between the ages of 0-12 years old.



New Blog Question:

What is your favorite Christian Holiday?

A. Christmas

B. Easter

C. Other (please specify)

We invite you to share your response to this question using the long distance communication method that you prefer. Please send your response to Kristi Swenson using that method. Letter-method address is: 1701 Terrace Dr., Minot, ND 58703. Email ekswenson@hotmail.com. Telephone number 612-209-8936. However, Kristi’s cell phone doesn’t text so you will need to use an alternate method if you prefer that means.

HERE'S WHAT'S COOKING

ORANGE AVOCADO SALAD

Mavis Miller

The citrus flavor of this salad is refreshing, especially in the winter. I leave the onions off for those who prefer.

3 oranges, peeled and sliced
2 avocadoes, peeled, pitted and sliced
Thin slices red onion, separated into rings
Craisins
Salad greens

Arrange orange, avocado, and onion slices on salad greens on individual plates. Drizzle vinaigrette over salads and sprinkle with craisins.

Orange Vinaigrette
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp grated orange peel
¼ cup orange juice
2 Tblsp sugar
2 Tblsp lemon juice
½ tsp. ground mustard
¼ tsp. salt

Shake all ingredients in tightly covered container. Store in refrigerator. (To make a lighter dressing, reduce oil to 2 Tblsp and increase orange juice to ½ cup.)

EVENT IDEA

1,2,3
COUNT HAIR
KNOW ME!

Luke 12:7 “Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Decorations: Table decorations should remind the women of a beauty salon – Purchase a hairstyle magazine, cut out pages and glue on place mats. Use hair dryers, brushes, combs, hair spray, shampoo, etc. for a centerpiece.

Announcements/Invitation: Cut the head you want to use from your hair magazine. Cut out the face. Make a copy. Write in the information where the face would have been. Copy onto the invitation.

Food: Serve a low cal, refreshing salad – similar to the Orange Avocado Salad in this Heartline e-news.

Christian Message: Pray and search for someone in your own group who is a Bible-based adventurer. Challenge her with this fun, creative and inspiring topic and set them free to prepare a message that will challenge women to examine God’s promise – He knows us so well – even our number of hairs! We are created individually in accordance to His specifications, to love Him and serve Him.

Fun entertainment: If you have a beautician in your church, ask her if she will do a makeover haircut and style for one person who is a guest (or ask a local salon for a volunteer beautician and you agree to “plug” the salon during the event.) As the women arrive, have them put their name in a basket if they would like to have the haircut and style makeover.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

INTERVIEW
WITH
BARB WENTZEL

By Mary Pollestad

Our interview is with Barb Wentzel. She and her husband Craig serve Living Word in Edmore, North Dakota and Zoar of Hampden North Dakota. They have two girls, one married and living near Chicago and the other attending school in Fargo, North Dakota.

When I asked Barb what she felt her ministry was in the church, she thought for awhile and said, “Well it is serving.” “I like to be with the women and serving with them in anyway I can.” “I guess serving in practical ways would be how I would say I enjoy the most.” “I also enjoy being with the older ladies as you can learn so very much from them.” “If you aren’t a leader like I am not, just watching some of the older women handle things one can learn so much.” said Barb. Barb takes sewing in her home and she finds that it can be a ministry of its own as people might tell of their needs and then she can pray for them and their needs. Whether they be a church member or someone in the community. Another area of ministry is going with her husband to the nursing home where he holds services. She said, “You go there to minister and encourage them and you yourself end up getting back a blessing.”

When I mentioned the word FORGIVENESS to Barb the verse that came to her mind was Colossians 1:22 “Holy and Blameless Before Him. “That means so much to me.” she said.