Ginger’s Feast

Jeanette E. Levellie, Author, 1.cbn.com

“When Ginger asked if she could cook lunch for us, I put my foot down,” Ben said. “Because of complications from her last surgery, she came home with a feeding tube. I’d feel like a heel eating food cooked by someone who can’t eat herself.”

Ben was one of the members of the church we’d recently began pastoring in rural Illinois. When we’d moved from California two weeks before, he graciously offered to take us to Ginger’s house in the country, figuring us city kids would get lost in “the sticks.”

We’d heard about Ginger’s battle with colon cancer. But not until we met her that day did we realize the extent of her fight. Over the previous 17 months she’d endured seven major surgeries, including a kidney removal, and countless painful procedures; some without anesthesia. She was one sick lady.

When I left Ginger’s house that day, I determined to pray for her healing. But God had a surprise up His sleeve.

Several days later, I paced our bedroom, reminding the Lord of His Word in I Peter 2:24 and Matthew 8:17 on behalf of Ginger. A familiar voice rang in my heart. Don’t simply pray for Ginger; call her and pray with her.

Ginger eagerly agreed. “Thank you so much, Jeanette. I’ve been on this feeding tube for five months. If my intestines could just heal enough to allow me to digest food, I think I could put up with all the other issues…”

I cut her off. “Oh no,” I cried. “God wants you to be well all over. Don’t settle for just one strong part, while the others suffer. Let’s pray for complete health.”

Little did I realize how God was guiding my words, and what complete health meant to Him.

Over the next few months, I called Ginger often, praying with her and encouraging her to read the New Testament accounts of Jesus healing all who came to Him (Matt. 4:24). She readily accepted my prayers and encouragement. Although she’d attended church all her life and believed at an early age, no one had taught her how to develop a relationship with Jesus. Now a slate of maladies longer than a grocery list was challenging her faith. Could it stand up under the pressure?

Shortly after we began praying together, Ginger shared some exciting news. “A home health nurse has taken a special interest in my case. She’s researched for hours, trying to find out why every time the doctors wean me off this feeding tube, it doesn’t work. I’m so amazed at her concern for me!” Although gratefulness flooded my heart, I wasn’t surprised. I’d witnessed the Lord moving in people’s lives in answer to specific prayers dozens of times. But this kind of personal intervention from God was a novelty to Ginger, and it awed her. She was beginning to comprehend how precious the Lord considered her.

Two months from the time that angelic nurse started researching Ginger’s case and advising her on treatments, Ginger was free of the feeding tube and eating solid food. But God was filling up a greater emptiness than her desire to bite into a tender steak or munch a juicy apple. He was planting a hunger in her heart for a deeper walk with Him. God’s plans were grander than my biggest dreams.

Ginger joined a women’s Bible study, listened to bushels of sermon tapes, and attended the Sunday school class I taught. Our entire congregation watched in amazement as her faith grew sturdy, sending down roots into the soil of God’s healing, nourishing love.

I’ve celebrated eleven Christmases since that first call to Ginger. In spite of constant battles with doubt and fear, her faith has remained strong, and she’s been cancer-free for several years now.

When I’m tempted to wonder if my life has made a positive difference, I pull out a memory of Ginger’s daughter, who pulled me aside one day and said, “I want to thank you for helping my mom know the Lord in a deeper way. What you’ve taught her has helped her make it through this awful trial. She talks about Jesus all the time now.”

How could I take credit for that? A tender God coaxed me to the telephone at the perfect moment, to help one of His hungry lambs find her way to His table of healing and grace.

I weep in gratitude that God allowed me to partake in the bounty of Ginger’s feast.

The Real Meaning Of Christmas

By: Martha Noebel, 1.cbn.com

It’s that time of year again. December has come and with it all the joys of Christmas. But what is the real meaning of Christmas? Is it the gifts under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, turkey dinners with family and friends, snow in the yard, stockings hanging in the living room, and shouts of “Merry Christmas” to those who pass us in the streets? Is this really Christmas?

For many people, Christmas is a time of sorrow. They don’t have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends. Many are saddened at Christmastime when they think of their loved ones who will not be able to come home for various reasons. Turkey dinners may be only a wish and not a reality for some.

Yet, Christmas can be a season of great joy. It is a time of God showing His great love for us. It can be a time of healing and renewed strength. You see, Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be born. His birth brought great joy to the world. Shepherds, wise men, and angels all shared in the excitement of knowing about this great event. They knew this was no ordinary baby. The prophets had told of His coming hundreds of years before. The star stopped over Bethlehem just to mark the way for those who were looking for this special child.

Luke 2:4-19 says:

“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (NIV)

Why did He come? Why did God send His son to this sometimes cruel and hard world? He sent Jesus to us so that one day, He would grow up to become a very important part of history. His story (history) is one of truth, love, and hope. It brought salvation to all of us. Without Jesus, we would all die in our sins.

Jesus was born so one day the price could be paid for the things we have done that are wrong. The Bible says that all have sinned. We are all born with a sin nature. We do things that do not please God. Through the sins of Adam and Eve, we have all inherited that sin nature. We need to have that removed. The only way is through Jesus. Jesus came so He could die on the cross for ALL of our sins. If we believe that Jesus died for our sins, we can ask Him to come into our hearts and forgive us. Then, we are clean and made whole. We can know that heaven is a place where we can go to when this life is over.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John 1:9 (NLT)

We can truly be happy at Christmas! No matter what may be happening, we can know that we are His children. We then become sons and daughters of God. Heaven will be our home one day.

Look at Christmas in a new way this year. This is the year to invite Jesus into your heart. You will then have a “Merry Christmas.” The joy and peace you will receive will last all year as you look to God for all your needs to be met.

Jesus Is the Reason for the Season! Rejoice!

Silent Night! Holy Night!

By: Kenneth Osbeck, 1.cbn.com

When this beloved hymn was written by two humble church leaders for their own mountain village parishioners, little did they realize how universal its influence would eventually be.

Joseph Mohr, assistant priest in the Church of St. Nicholas in the region of Tyrol, high in the beautiful Alps, and Franz Gruber, the village schoolmaster and church organist, had often talked about the fact that the perfect Christmas hymn had never been written. So Father Mohr had this goal in mind when he received word that the church organ would not function. He decided that he must write his own Christmas hymn immediately in order to have music for the special Christmas Eve mass. He did not want to disappoint his faithful flock. Upon completing the text, he took his words to Franz Gruber, who exclaimed when he saw them, “Friend Mohr, you have found it-the right song-God be praised!”

Soon Gruber completed his task of composing an appropriate tune for the new text. His simple but beautiful music blended perfectly with the spirit of Father Mohr’s words. The carol was completed in time for the Christmas Eve mass, and Father Mohr and Franz Gruber sang their new hymn to the accompaniment of Gruber’s guitar. The hymn made a deep impact upon the parishioners even as it has on succeeding generations.

When the organ repairman came to the little village church, he was impressed by a copy of the Christmas carol and decided to spread it all around the region of Tyrol. Today it is sung in all major languages of the world and is a favorite wherever songs of the Christmas message are enjoyed.

Silent night! holy night!
All is calm, all is bright;
Round yon virgin mother and Child,
Holy Infant, so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night! holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar;
Heav’nly hosts sing alleluia
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night! holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.

Christmas: It’s About Being with God

Craig von Buseck, D.Min., 1.cbn.com

Did you know that Christmas is about God wanting to have a relationship with you?

You might have thought it was about presents, or peace on earth, good will to man … that sort of thing – and it is in a lesser way. But at the center of the Christmas message is a God of love who desires to be with you.

That’s right. God wants to spend time with you.

That’s why the Father sent Jesus to be born as a little baby. It set in motion this whole plan of love in Jesus’ death and resurrection that would break through the barrier of sin and reunite mankind with a loving Heavenly Papa.

Hanging out with mankind was God’s idea from the beginning. The Bible says that God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden. The Father sent Jesus because he wanted to renew that kind of intimate fellowship with us.

During the Christmas season we often sing the classic hymn, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” but have you ever thought about what this familiar song means?

The text is based on the biblical prophecy from Isaiah 7:14:

…the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (ESV).

The name Emmanuel literally means “God with us.” God gave Jesus to mankind as the first Christmas present.

The Apostle Paul tells of the wonder of this idea several times in his letters.

…God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27, ESV)

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. (2 Cor. 5:18, NLT)

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10, ESV)

Jesus Himself made it clear that relationship with God should be our highest priority in this life.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (John 15:7-8, NKJV)

It is God’s will that we remain in fellowship with Him for all eternity. We see this in the beautiful hope-filled words of Apostle John in his revelation:

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. (Rev. 21:3, NLT)

This is the glorious news that we proclaim to the nations, that Jesus is Emmanuel. By His shed blood, He has ransomed captive Israel – and now He lives with us through the precious Holy Spirit.

So have a very merry Christmas knowing that God loves you and wants to be with you. May you know the presence of your Heavenly Father in a special way during this blessed season. And may you join with God’s people in singing this glorious hymn, both now and forevermore:

“Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel, shall come to thee oh Israel.”

I Love Watching Her Dance

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 (NIV)

“I love watching her dance.”

I heard the catch in his voice, standing there at his daughter’s senior dance concert. We both knew these days of high school were coming to a close, and I knew how much our friend would miss them.

John’s pleasure in his daughter was evident. He was enthusiastic about everything connected with her dancing, from the practices to fundraising events to ticket sales at the concerts. He even seemed to enjoy the parts that most parents dislike, but because it was for his daughter, John was all in.

My father-experience was quite different. Dance wasn’t my thing, but singing was. From age 8 until just a few years ago, I was always involved with some kind of chorus, choir or band. And not once did my father hear me sing while he was alive.

To me it was normal to only have a mother in the audience. I guess I assumed men didn’t enjoy those types of “girl” events. But watching John these past few years has given me a different perspective on a father’s interest in his daughter.

Standing there at that concert, I could almost hear God’s voice speaking about His pleasure in watching His daughters. And my heart overflowed in thanksgiving for a good Heavenly Father.

For so many years I defined my understanding of God’s interest in me based on my father’s interest in me. I knew my dad loved me, but it was limited by his background and personal experience. But God’s love is unhindered by any human experience or limitation.

Every day I come to a greater understanding of God as the perfect Father. It makes me feel treasured and softens the pain of what I didn’t have growing up. As I’ve sought to understand what a good Father is like, here are five things I’ve discovered in Scripture we can count on about our Heavenly Father:

1. He cares for and provides for our daily needs. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus vividly described to His disciples how God cares for the birds and the flowers and explained we are far more important to our heavenly Father than that. God cares about all our needs.

2. He’s merciful toward us. Mercy is withholding punishment for what we deserve. Although God allows natural consequences when we make wrong choices, our Heavenly Father shows lovingkindness rather than anger when we fall short. (Luke 6:36)

3. God hears our prayers and answers them. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus makes an incredible statement that shows God’s heart. He says when two or more agree upon something in prayer, God hears and answers.

4. He protects us. In Matthew 26:53, Jesus said His Father would send 12 legions of angels to save Him if Jesus asked. Psalm 91 says, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11, NIV).

5. God watches and waits for us when we turn from Him. Jesus told a story that modeled the Father’s heart for us. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the son decides to go his own way and squander his inheritance. When his life fell apart, the son realized his folly and returned home. Jesus described the father’s response, and it wasn’t “I told you so!” Rather God’s Word tells us that “while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20b, ESV). Then the father threw a party! Imagine!

No matter our situation with our earthly father, we can say with confidence we have a good heavenly Father who loves us with attentive devotion. He’s all in, and we never outgrow His care and provision.

So this Father’s Day, as we honor our earthly fathers, may we take some time to honor our heavenly Father. And I hope you hear Him whisper, “I love to watch you dance.”

A Widow’s Mite

By: Eddie Jones, Author, cbn.com

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on. Mark 12:41-44 (NIV)

God’s accounting practices do not work in corporate America or with family budgets. For God, a full day’s work is counted the same as part-time piddling. Two copper coins are worth more than a sack of gold. What looks like laziness, Jesus considers devotion: “Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.” – Luke 10:42.

Those who are given much will receive more, while those who hoard the little they have are cast into darkness.

“When God wants me to give more, He’ll give me more money, more time, more resources.” That’s the cry of those too stressed to feel the warmth of God’s embrace.

Perhaps more is the solution, but the Scriptures suggest a different accounting method.

“We are hard pressed on every side,” the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:8,“but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” Paul’s words are hardly an endorsement for the “give me more and I’ll do more” approach to God’s work. If we say, “When God wants me to… He will…,” we are really claiming that He has not done enough, loved enough, or died enough to satisfy us.

The many “threw in” their wealth. The widow “put in” all she had.

Have we? Have we put our whole heart into the task to which we’ve been called? Have we put in the time necessary to carry forward His message of hope and life? Or are we waiting for a greater calling, heartier encouragement, or a larger field of work?

God often begins with menial assignments, tiny tithes, and insignificant gestures. In the small matters, His kingdom’s economy prospers. God has given us all we need. We only need to give back all we have.

Hoping for the Impossible

Author Robert Hull, 1.cbn.com

During a motorcycle ride near Houston, Texas in June of 2006, Clint’s leather jacket slipped off the back of his bike and became tangled in the bike’s chain, seizing the rear wheel. Clint was thrown over the front of the bike at 70-miles per hour, landing headfirst on the asphalt. Later that night, Clint’s wife Andrea got a phone call about the accident.

“I was instantly worried, shocked and just kind of stunned,” she says. “I didn’t know any details, so it was really—it was scary.”

Emergency responders called for a life flight to a trauma center in Austin Texas. Clint and Andrea’s pastor Don Nordin was also contacted and drove to the hospital
“We were praying as we drove and I was just trying to hear the voice of God about the situation because I knew I’d be walking into a very difficult situation and I wanted to be an encouragement,” says Pastor Don.  “And the Lord spoke to me. He said when you get to the hospital, I want you to tell them that Clint will recover all. Don’t worry about what’s happened here. Don’t look at the situation, don’t look at the circumstances, don’t put too much stock in what the prognosis is, Clint is going to recover all.”

Clint had severely damaged the frontal and temporal lobes of his brain and was in a coma. Doctors said if he survived, he may need full time care for the rest of his life.
Andrea says, “He was just bleeding and had all these IV’s everywhere. He was on a ventilator and he was bleeding out of his ears.”

“It was probably the worst situation I had ever seen. The medical community did not expect him to survive,” says Don.

Their family gathered in prayer at the hospital and word went out to their church community to pray for Clint’s survival.

Andrea says, “Whenever we felt like we needed to pray we would you know, that’s what we needed to do to stay focused and remind ourselves about, you know, our promise that he was going to be healed and that we just had to have patience even though everything looked really bad, to stay hopeful.”

Despite the prognosis they continued to wait and pray for a miracle. Andrea says, “I know what I know, but I also know that anything’s possible with God.”

“They exhibited faith through this entire situation the likes of which I’ve rarely seen in 35 years of pastoring,” says Don Nordin.

Andrea says, “There’s just too much prayer going up him to not come out of this.”

Andrea clung to the word of god for hope. Church members gave her cards with bible verses about god’s power to heal and restore. She says, “I would read them to myself; I would read them to Clint. I would just, like when he wasn’t awake, I would just kind of whisper them to him in his ear, that would help ground me and bring me back to that’s—I have to hold on. That’s my answer. Or, you know, that’s what God’s Word says. So I have to believe it.  God’s Word is true. And that it never comes back void. Whatever His promise is.”

Andrea waited and prayed through days of progress and setbacks.  She remembers, “His internal cranial pressures would go up or his blood pressure would get really high. Or he would have a high fever, you know, things like that. And they were afraid maybe he’d start to have seizures, you know, things like that. Then, you know, it would constantly just kind of go up and down, you know, he was doing good and then, you know, things were getting bad.”

Finally, after two weeks in a coma they had a breakthrough. While surrounded by his family, Clint woke up. Andrea says, “He sat up and his eyes got big and he was like, you know, I know them, you know.”

Over the next several months Clint recovered mentally and physically beyond doctor’s expectations, though he says he had to relearn even the simplest of tasks. “I don’t know if everybody’s like this but you get brain damage and guess what, you might get to grow up again, having to relearn all kinds of things again. Like how to do just about everything.”

Clint and Andrea believe his recovery was miraculous, and an answer to prayer. Andrea says, “Trust in God with everything, you just have to be able to know that God will take care of you, whatever it is.”

Pastor Don Nordin says, “They were just steady, they prayed, they walked in faith and they received their miracle and the fact that Clint was able to overcome that kind of a diagnosis, to even be functional as a human being, is just absolutely miraculous. Let alone be able to continue his job.”

“Before he was kind of quiet, reserved, didn’t really talk much. And now he talks a lot,” Andrea says with a smile.

“He restored me,” says Clint. “I got back everything that I need. And more, I’ve got two girls, I got a happy wife. God has helped us to, not just move forward, but to prosper. If you just trust Him, He’ll provide you what you need and more.”