Why I work in Awana

AWANA stands for (approved workman are not ashamed); it is an acronym for the verse found in II Timothy 2:15, study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  AWANA is a children's Bible memory program.  We meet on Wednesday nights for story time, game time and memory verse time. For the past 11 years I have served as an adult leader for the AWANA program at our church.

Last Wednesday night Lillie's mom came into our classroom to tell me that Lillie is going to be baptized in a couple of weeks.  She thought that I might want to know about Lillie's decision.  Nearly two years ago, Lillie was in my Kindergarten AWANA class.  We were in our small groups doing memory verses and right out of the blue, Lillie started asking me all kinds of questions about heaven and how she could be saved.  So I asked her, "Would you like to do that right now?"  She said, "Yes".  Our group held hands and prayed the Sinner's Prayer.  Together we acknowledged that we are sinners who need a savior.  We confessed that we believe that Jesus is God's son and he alone can save us from our sins.  We ask him to forgive us of our sins and come into our hearts.  Then we thanked him for saving us. 

Lillie was saved that night.  She told her mom, "That's when it happened for me."

And that's why I work in  AWANA.

CYCLES

Life is a series of cycles; things that happen over and over again.  The best example is, of course, the calendar cycle; a year-long cycle of 365 days with four seasons, various weather patterns, and temperature changes.  Other examples are the water cycle, growing seasons, reproductive cycles, and ocean tides.  Even History is said to repeat itself.  We can find cycles nearly everywhere we look. 

Another cycle that I discovered is the "cycle of disobedience".  The Israelites disobeyed God; He allowed their enemies to overcome them; they cried out for help; He heard their cries and rescued them; but then they would turn from God and sin  again.  In Judges 2 we find an example.

• Judges 2:11  and the children of Israel did evil in the sight of  the Lord.....
• Judges 2:14  and the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel and he delivered them into the hands of the spoilers.....
• Judges 2:15  .....and they were greatly distressed.
• Judges 2:16  nevertheless the Lord raised up judges which delivered them.....
• Judges 2:17  and yet they would not harken.....

The "cycle of disobedience" is seen through out the Old Testament: in Judges 4, Judges 6, Judges 10, II Kings 13, and Nehemiah 9. 

I, too, have experienced this "cycle of disobedience" in my own life.  Over and over again, I find my self dealing with a problematic sin, like negative, critical speech.  The words just  pop out of my mouth.  And before I know, I have said hurtful things.   I pray, ask for forgiveness, and for a while I guard my words and hold my tongue.  God is gracious, He hears my prayer and forgives my sin.  But, inevitably, I find that I have to deal with my negative, critical speech again.

Conquering sin is an ongoing process for the believer.  Through this process, God allows me to see myself for who I am and to see that I need a savior.  He is the potter and I am the clay.

So, don't  be discouraged if you find yourself dealing with the same sin over and over again.  Instead, rejoice that God is working in you to conform you to the image of his Son, Jesus.

God's purpose is to make us holy and without blame before him in love. (Ephesians 1:4)  We may not get it right the first time, but we can know that he will continue his work in us, not matter how many times it takes.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, we read these words, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I  pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it."

Guilt by Association

Hannah wanted to be a SAIL volunteer, an upperclassmen who mentors incoming Freshmen during orientation.  She would be assigned a group of students and she would show them the ropes, so to speak, of  high school.  She loves her school and she's a great communicator,  so it was a real shock when she was not chosen to participate.  She spoke with her guidance counselor and discovered that she had received the approval of her teachers, but administration had "black-balled" her.  They said that she had been involved in a bullying incident.  She was heartbroken and now she knew first hand the cost of hanging out with the wrong crowd.  The principal called it guilt by association.  Maybe, she had not actually bullied anyone, but she was present when it was going  on. 

The dictionary defines guilt by association as the attribution of guilt (without proof) to individuals because the people they associate with are guilty. 

So, are we responsible for the actions of another person?  Are we guilty because we hang out with those who are guilty?  Wikipedia calls it "association fallacy" or a red herring.

Jesus associated with sinners, but he lived a sinless life.  Yet, even he was deemed guilty by the Pharisees because he ate with tax  collectors and touched those who were unclean. 

The more I ponder this query, the more I have come to realize, we are all guilty by association- our association to humankind.  We are born into a sinful world, with a nature that is bent toward sin.  We are like our father, Adam, who ate of the forbidden fruit and disobeyed God.  We are sinners, all of us.  "As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one:"  Romans 3:10.

So maybe you haven't murdered anyone or robbed a bank, but you are guilty; guilty of not telling the whole truth, guilty of copying some one's work, or guilty of not being completely fair with everyone.

If we continue reading Romans 3, in verse 19, we find, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

One day when we stand before God, we will have no excuse, we know in our own heart that we are guilty, that we deserve the just punishment for our sins.  Here, we are all on level ground; everyone is the same.  We have no excuse, all the world is guilty before God. 

Have you come to realize that you are a sinner, helpless and hopeless to save yourself?  If so, then you are at the right place.  The place we all must come to.  The place of forgiveness through Jesus Christ who gave his life as a ransom for all who are guilty by association. .

My Favorite Promise

On Tuesday, this week, an unusual question came up at our ladies Bible Study.  "Do you think promises in the Bible are hard to recognize?"  We agreed that sometimes they do seem hidden and we tend to read right over them without stopping to thank God for his marvelous promises in his Word.

With this question still fresh on my mind, I considered what I felt to be God's best promise for me, personally.  I found my answer in John 14:26.  It is a promise that I rely on every day of my life. It is a promise that brings me peace and assurance. It is a promise that has kept me from sin.  It is a promise that has kept me on the path that God has for my life.  It is the promise of the Comforter or the Holy Spirit.

In John Chapter 14,  Jesus is explaining the role of the Comforter; which in the Greek is parakletos, meaning "called alongside".  It is through the Comforter that Jesus continues his ministry here on earth, by walking alongside every believer.  In this loving relationship we abide  in Christ and Christ abides in us and we abide in the Father and it is through this abiding relationship that Christ makes himself known to us.  This unique and wonderful experience is only for those who love Christ and obey him.

Look again at verse 26.  Christ promises us that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and he will remind us of all the things that Jesus said.  You can see why I would count this as one of my favorite promises.  I cannot even count the times the Holy Spirit has spoken to me through this exciting, abiding relationship.  A thought from out of nowhere urges me - "Call your parents".  A gentle nudge prompts me- "Pray about this."  A recollection from long ago reminds me- "I answered that prayer."  A timely suggestion directs me- "Forgive them and love them."

How does one experience this promise for himself?  In Acts 2:38-39, Peter is preaching on the Day of Pentecost, Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord shall call.

God's Word is filled with precious promises and I can hardly wait to discover another one.

Reaching the Homeless

At 7a.m. I dropped off Hannah and Abbey at the high school.  The sun had just made it's way over the mountains as I turned east and started home.  I reached for the visor to shield my eyes from it's brilliance while my mind was already racing through the days schedule.  I turned my car onto the Taneycomo bridge following one of those bouncing, low-riding cars.  In the rear window was a bumper sticker that read, No low-life, no life.  I contemplated it's meaning and decided this must be someone from out-of-town. 

So, I didn't see the young man until the traffic stopped at the red light.  He was standing on the sidewalk wearing a brown t-shirt and khaki shorts.  He wore glasses and his hair was cut short.  I could not make out the handwritten message on the cardboard sign that he held in this hand.  He quickly turned away, embarrassed by his predicament.  He kept looking in the other direction, away from me,  but there were no cars coming from that direction. 

"Let me see your sign," I whispered.  A moment later he turned and I read Homeless & Hungry.  I rolled down the window on the passenger side and he walked over to my car. 

"We've been walking all night and she's sleeping." he said.  I must have looked confused because he repeated it.  "We've been walking all night and we're tired.  She's sleeping over there,"  And he pointed in the direction of the light pole.  Then I saw her.  She was curled up on the concrete wrapped in whatever extra clothing they had.

"What do I have?  How can I help them?" I thought as I scanned the inside of my car.  There was a bowl of half-eaten oatmeal, toast crust, and a bag of grapes; the remains of Hannah's breakfast.  I quickly reached inside my purse for my wallet.  I had $7.  I took the $5 and handed it to him along with the bag of grapes.  "God bless you." I said through the window.  The light was green and I had to move on.  "God bless you."  he said in return. 

As I pulled away, my heart was broken as I realized this young couple had spent the night on a dirty highway and I wondered.  "How do you get to this place.....tired, hungry, with no place to sleep?  What was this young man's story?"  He seemed educated.  He looked healthy.  He could have been one of my son's friends.  But, there he stood with a cardboard sign asking for help.  No money, no car, no home, no job, no food, no bed, and no friends or family.

Tears rolled down my cheeks and I did all that I know to do.  I prayed for that young man and his companion.  I prayed that God would reach into his heart and make himself real to him.  I prayed that God would rescue him from this lifestyle and provide for his needs.  I prayed that he might come to know how great God's love is for him, a love expressed perfectly in the life, death, and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ.  Does this young man know that God gave his son to die for sinners like us?  Yes, we are all sinners.  And without God, we are tired and hungry and poor and needy, waiting for someone to rescue us.  God made a way for us to be saved;  that way is through his son, Jesus Christ who died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins.  We can be forgiven and we can have eternal life if we believe in Jesus as our Savior. 

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  1John 4:9

It was a brief encounter, just a few seconds.  "God bless you."  A quick greeting offered in haste, but powerful words when spoken in faith and part of a prayer that reaches the ears of God whose love is perfect and can reach the heart of that young man.

No man can come.....except

You've heard the expression, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."  This principle applies to sharing your faith with someone who may or may not receive it.  In fact, our best arguments may fall on deaf ears, and our heart-felt plea may be scorned or laughed at.  Why is that, we might ask?

I am not the 'pushy' type; I do not force my opinions on others, but there have been times in my past when I felt impressed to share my Christian faith with a friend with whom I had established a friendship.  For example, I shared my personal testimony of faith in Christ with my college roommate.  I have had theological discussions with colleagues at work and I talked about what Christ  means to me with a neighbor who was a stay-at-home mom, like me.  Come to think of it, there have been numerous occasions when I have had the privilege of sharing with friends, the Good News of Jesus Christ.  But, aside from my children, I have never lead anyone to Christ.  Most of the time, my beliefs were accepted and the individual with whom I shared expressed genuine interest.  Looking back, I feel confident that God used these discussions to help the person to grow spiritually, to confirm what they believed, or to guide them in making good decisions.  

But, I have not always received affirmation when I shared my beliefs with others.  I remember one particular friend who had a daughter the same age as Hannah and even though we came from completely different backgrounds we were instant friends and spent hours talking about everything from our families to what we wanted out of life.  I grew to love her and and her family.  But, we could never see eye to eye when it came to talking about Jesus.  I talked about being born-again and having a new heart.  She talked about religious rituals and traditions and said my faith did not make sense.  She looked at things from a logical, scientific point of view and my experience did not pass the test of reason.  She has since moved to another state and we no longer have our long talks anymore, but I still think of her often.  

In John 6:22-71 Jesus talks with the multitude and his disciples about a difficult saying: he refers to himself as the Bread of Life and the necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood if one is to follow him.  Naturally, they do not understand.

• Jesus tells them in verse 29 that God's will is that they would believe in the one he has sent and in verse 40 that the Father's will is that those who see and believe will have eternal life.  So, it is clearly God's will that we would believe in Jesus, his son.  But, evidently, not everyone will believe. 

• In verse 36-37, Jesus tells them the trouble is, you haven't believed even though you have seen me, but some will come to me - those the Father has given me. 

• In verse 44-45, he continues his discourse, declaring that no man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him.  And then he quotes from the prophets about being taught of the Lord which is a reference to the new covenant.  (See Hebrews 8:10-13) 

• Verse 63 helps us understand the new covenant and that it is the Holy Spirit that gives us eternal life.  He repeats in verse 65 why it is that some would not believe, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it is given unto him of my Father.   

So, is it a waste of time for me to share my faith since the outcome is dependent on God?  Of course not, for who am I to say who will be saved and who will not.  My responsibility is to proclaim Jesus every time I have the opportunity.  And besides, I cannot save anyone, but I can pray.  I can pray that God would draw my friend to Jesus and I can pray that the Holy Spirit would quicken their heart to believe in him.    And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desire of him.  1John 5:14-15

Before and After

Our church is doing the small group study, Just Walk Across the Room,   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VysahP_x7Wc&feature=related  in an effort to help us as Christians to share our faith with others.  One of the exercises we are challenged to do is to put in writing our "Before and After" story.  Before and after Christ, that is.  To tell how our life was before knowing Christ and how our life is after knowing Christ.


For me the story starts a long time ago, when I was just a child.  Even as a little girl, I could sense God  calling me.  I was raised in a christian home, by christian parents and grandparents who taught me by their example the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I accepted Jesus as my savior at a young age and had a child-like trust in him. 


During my teen years, I struggled with peer pressure and the pull of the world and I'm sad to say, the world won in that struggle.  I did things that I knew were wrong on Saturday night and then I would go to church on Sunday morning.  I straddled the fence, so to speak, during my teens and young adult life; confessing my sins and then falling to temptation again.  I knew that I was "saved" because salvation is based on the truth that when Jesus died on the cross, he paid the penalty for my sins. (Ephesians 2:8)  But, I was lacking in the commitment department: I was still carnal, a lukewarm christian.  I never stopped going to church, but I had a deep longing in my heart for something more.  I felt empty and disappointed with my life and how things were going.


But, one day a friend invited me to a ladies Bible study.  And for the first time, I began reading God's Word for myself.  I remember getting so excited that I read the whole book of John in one day.  The Word of God became alive to me, and it began to change my life.  (Hebrews 4:12)  That ladies Bible study was just the beginning of a life-long quest to find out more about this God who loved me so much he would die to save me from death and hell. 


I learned also about the Holy Spirit and his role in my life as the Comforter, and I asked him to fill me completely and to take control of my life.  When I surrendered my life to him, yielding every area of it to him and his will, sin no longer ruled in my life.  (Romans 6:6)  I wasn't straddling the fence any longer.  Gone were the days of running with the world and its crowd, because now I was walking daily with God's Holy Spirit as my guide.


Before I surrendered my life to Jesus and gave him the keys to my heart, I was living a miserable and defeated life.  After Jesus became the Lord of my life, I now have joy and peace and enjoy sweet fellowship with him everyday.

Do I need the Holy Spirit?

The answer to my question may seem obvious,  but, some people seem to believe that they can manage their lives just fine on their own without any help from the Holy Spirit.  His role in the life of the believer  is of great importance, so important in fact, we would not be saved except for the Holy Spirit.

In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus, "except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."  The one who draws us to Jesus is the Holy Spirit and we can only be born again by the Spirit.  I would not be saved, except the Spirit wooed me and drew me to Christ.  I can remember how I cried that night many years ago at Vacation Bible School commencement when I recognized that I was a sinner and that Jesus had died for me.  With the help of the Holy Spirit I went forward during the invitation and prayed to get saved. 

Jesus called him the Comforter in John's gospel; the Helper, and the Spirit of Truth.  He goes on to describe the Holy  Spirit's work; to convict, to guide, to comfort, to teach, to empower, to conform us to Christ's image.  The Holy Spirit has continued his work in me by directing my steps,  instructing me, and reminding me of the truths in his Word.  He keeps me from being deceived or misguided, he strengthens me when I am tired and weary, he motivates me and I become excited about living everyday for the kingdom of God.   His work in me is ongoing as day by day I ask him to fill me. 

Just what is his purpose?  Why does he do the things he does?  Well, he is making me fit for heaven; a pure, spotless bride.  He is making me to be Christ to a lost world as I live my life before others.  Do I need the Holy Spirit?  My answer, emphatically, is yes!  I cannot by my own reason or strength do anything to save myself, nor can I live a holy life, or do the the things that please God.  I need the Holy Spirit.  Read Paul's words in 2Corinthians 3:6, "....but the spirit giveth life."