Rahab: Harlot to Heroine

Her neighbors called her a woman of the night.
The Lord God called her a heroine of the faith.
And a man named Salmon gladly called her his wife.

Meet our amazing sister Rahab, a former prostitute who was decidedly Bad for a Season, but Not Forever.

       ~Liz Curtis Higgs

     Rahab's story starts off on the awkward side. She is introduced to us as a harlot. Who knew that God could ever use someone like her... I'm sure she didn't. Her story I think reveals to us the virtues of faith and courage, God's merciful longsuffering, and His desire to use anyone who is willing.

     Rahab's story is such a great example of having simple faith. As the stories of how the Israelites defeated the Egyptians and news of their other miraculous defeats reached Jericho, for as much as we know, Rahab was one of the only citizens who believed that their God was the true God. So, when the two Israelite spies reached her home, she probably couldn't help but realize that this was a divine appointment. Rahab is one of the greatest role models of making the right decisions and standing firm even when it goes against your own peers. Her demonstration of faith in God resulted in safety for her and her family. No wonder God wanted to reward her faith and courage by placing her in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Faith helps us to do what is right regardless of our past and what others think. Rahab is mentioned again to us in Hebrews 11:30-31.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

What an amazing way to be remembered!

     Although Rahab's sins were many, we see a merciful God who had a purpose and a plan for her life. Though she may not have fully realized the sins of what she had done, she did realize that God was the true God and would forgive her of her past.

     She was a common harlot who was an uncommon saint of faith and courage and received the privilege of being in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Surely nothing is impossible with God. God's divine grace can transform even the worst of sinners. He can use anyone regardless of their past  Rahab's amazing story is a lesson for us all.

     We too, can leave our past behind and walk forward in God's glorious, divine  grace, proclaiming to all who will listen, "God is God!"

 1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

A Little Gesture to Brighten My Day :o)

How special! My first picked flower of the year from my sweet little sister Nolie. I just love my sisters! 

Now I Believe ~ Easter Drama 2014

   Well, the hype of this weekend is over! After all the practices and rehearsals that we had, it's sad to say that it has come to an end. Being apart of this year's easter drama has impacted me in many ways and has given me such sweet memories. I was casted as Rebecca who portrayed the woman that was caught in the act of adultery. Ever since I was little I have always liked hearing and watching the story of how Jesus saved this woman from being stoned. When I found out that she was part of the play, I knew that I had to try out for her part. It was such a blessing to get it! One main lesson that I learned through her story is that no matter what the sin, Jesus is ready to accept and forgive us with open arms. Here are some pictures from last night's performance. I hope you enjoy. :o)

Ruth: A Loyal Friend

    Do you have that one friend who you know will always be there for you through thick and thin? Naomi did. Ruth was not only her daughter-in-law, but she was also her faithful friend and companion. For this week's bible study I used the story of Ruth to talk about the subject of being a loyal friend. First off, we defined what that was. A loyal friend will always be there to support you whenever you need support, they listen to you, and when you are sad they'll make you laugh and say something like this, "You know, no matter what happens, I'm by your side!"

    Like Ruth and Naomi, our relationships and conversations should be formed around our faith in a God. How often do we choose NOT to mention God in our conversations with our friends? For some of us, it's second nature to ask our friends about the latest movie or show that they've seen or the latest book that they've read, but how much more effort it takes for us to talk about something that we've gotten out of our devotions for that day or something that God spoke to us about in a church service. Through the things that Naomi said and the way she acted, Ruth realized that she was genuine and came to know Naomi's God as her God. Sharing openly about our relationship with God can bring depth and meaning in our relationships with others. By our speech and actions people can see what we are all about. We need to make sure what we say measures up to God's standards. Colossians 4:6~ "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." We can win someone to the Lord through our speech, but we can also discourage someone from coming to Him too. It's vital for us as Christians to control our speech and conduct.

    Ruth's life was guided by her faithfulness toward God and it was shown through her loyalty towards others, even throughout the deep sorrow and great affliction she and Naomi endured together. Ruth showed her genuine commitment to Naomi, by leaving her country, her family, and everyone she had ever known to travel with Naomi to a country where everything was new and strange to her. Their commitment to each other reminds me of God's never ending, everlasting faithfulness to us.
Lamentations 3:22-23, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." 

 I think that Ruth and Naomi are one of the best illustrations of a pair of loyal friends. Here are 4 things that I think are key in being a loyal friend.

Trust-
     Here is a perfect description that I found online concerning trust in friendship. Trust is one of the main ingredients in a friendship. Without trust, a person could not be truthful about their feelings, goals, or desires. A healthy friendship needs trust so that there can be communication and honesty. Otherwise a person might be afraid they would be ridiculed or not supported. When a friendship has trust the people involved both feel respected and know the other person would not intentionally hurt them or abuse the trust given to them. Trust in a friendship is important to have a healthy relationship
that will last through bad and good times. Ruth trusted Naomi's leadership in two ways. She
trusted Naomi by following her to a foreign land and she also trusted her with how she asked Boaz to be her kinsman redeemer.

Respect-
     Another foundational element of a healthy friendship is respect. We need to respect our friends by taking their thoughts and feelings seriously. Respect is also shown by valuing, and not undermining, your friends' decisions. If your friend wants to do something and you don't quite agree with them, you can still respect their decision UNLESS it is going against the clear commands of God. Respect your friend enough to "agree to disagree" while still keeping your friendship intact.

Encouragement-
    Good friends support and encourage each other. A good friend is there to encourage you to pursue
a particular interest or help you find the confidence you need to start something new. When difficult
times arise, encouraging friends can give you the support you need to survive and thrive through your
troubles. Also, if you desire supportive friends, it's important to provide this quality to your friends as well.

Prayer-
     Lastly, I think prayer is the most important key that we could have in a friendship. We show our true love,support, and loyalty to our friends when we take the time to pray for them. I know how much I feel encouraged when a friend of mine tells me that they are praying for me. If it encourages us and makes us feel good, then let's start a chain reaction and start praying for our friends.

1 Timothy 2:1 - I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men;

Choose to do What's Right

     This week for the Bible Study that I conduct I started a new series on the women of the Bible. For this first week I chose to write about Queen Esther. Personally, I think Queen Esther is one of the bravest women in the Bible. There are so many lessons that we could learn from her example. Esther was willing to do whatever she needed to do in order to protect her life and the lives of her people. One main truth that I think we all could apply to our lives is this..."We Should Never Be Afraid To Do What's Right."

     In Esther 4, we find the beginning of the problem. Imagine if you were Esther and you just found out that the man you were married to made a command to kill all the Jews, which would include yourself. What would you do? Keep your mouth shut and hope that he doesn't find out that you're Jewish or would you try to do something in order to change his mind. Esther had a choice to make. Just like Esther, we have a choice to make when we are faced with difficulties. Will we choose to keep our mouths shut or will we choose to say something and bravely face the problem?

     Have you ever known something about someone that could hurt them or someone else around them (for example- drug addiction, anorexia, suicidal thoughts, etc...)? What are you going to do about it? I know as Christians the easy thing to say to ourselves is, "I'll pray for them, God will show them their error." Sometimes praying for them is not enough, God wants us to do something about it. It may be to talk to them. I know it's not easy to do, but maybe through you God can show them their error. Sometimes the case is more severe than just talking to the person and you will need to get someone else involved. If you really care for that person and don't want to see them get hurt, you'll do whatever it takes to help them, even if it's not the way you want to or had planned.

     Friends play a key role in our lives. They can influence us in a good way, but they can also influence us in a bad way. Sometimes you'll find yourself in an uncomfortable position where your friend(s) want you to join them in something that you know you shouldn't do. This is where peer
pressure comes into play. What are you going to do? The easy thing to do would be to join them,  because you wouldn't want them to think that you're not cool, right? What if you chose God's way, and said no? What would happen then? There are two obvious outcomes.... either they can see their error and follow you OR they'll get mad at you and continue in what they're doing, you could possibly even lose their friendship. This is where we need to decide who is more important to us... our friends or God? No matter how they respond just stand strong and know that you're doing what God wants you to do. Here are two verse that I find comforting in times like this... Deuteronomy 31:6 - "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." We can't let fear interfere with our choices. Proverbs 18:21 - "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

     Lastly in Esther 7, we read about the solution of her problem. I could only imagine the amount of courage and strength this woman had. She literally risked her life for her people and herself. I like to
imagine the thoughts that must have been going on in her head during the time she accused Haman. If I were her, I would have been thinking, "Oh great, I'm going to die. Surely the king will believe his right-hand man over me." Like I said before, she is such a wonderful example of courage. In wrapping up this story, she shows us that no matter what the difficulty, no matter what the possible outcomes may be, we need to choose to do what's right. We need to remember that God has everything under control and knows what's best for us. I know personally when I had a difficulty to face and chose to do the right thing, God used it as a refining time in my life. I believe this is the case in many trials and difficulties that God allows us to face. Even though we may not fully understand why God allows us to go through something, God does, and through it He is trying to refine us and make us more like Him. Esther had full trust in God and that He would take care of the situation. Can that be said of us?

     In conclusion, I want to mention an interesting fact I learned about Queen Esther. Esther was originally named Hadassah, which came from the Hebrew language. In attempts to conceal that she
was Jewish, her uncle changed it to Esther, which was derived from the Persian language. When I looked up what the meaning of the name Esther was, I found that it meant star. What an appropriate name for her, because she certainly was the "star" of the show. :o)