I really LOVE this book!

Talking to the Dead by Bonnie Grove

Not since Cry the Beloved Country have I labeled a book hauntingly beautiful, but Talking to the Dead deserves that description. Not only is the story poignant, moving, and even funny (appropriately and surprisingly so) at times, but it is exquisitely written. Bonnie Grove knows her topic—and knows how to write. I’m not easily impressed, but this book captivated me from the very beginning, and it did not let me down, even to the last bittersweet word. If this book doesn’t become a bestseller, there’s something seriously wrong with the reading public. Congratulations, Bonnie!

Resting...to do the Father's business

So the evening and the morning were the first day (Genesis 1:5).

How many times do we wake up in the morning and speak of starting a new day? Many of us did so even today, didn’t we? And yet, scripturally speaking, we aren’t starting a new day when we wake up, but rather continuing the one that started the previous evening. And that’s an important distinction.
God doesn’t do or say things capriciously. He always has a reason for every word, every action, and creation certainly is no exception. God began the cycle of a new day in the evening because He wanted us to understand the need to rest BEFORE beginning our activities. We, on the other hand, have turned it around so that we do our “busy work” first, and then fall into bed, exhausted and in need of rest. Wouldn’t it make more sense to follow God’s pattern of resting first—drawing on His strength—and THEN going out to do whatever it is He has called us to that day?
When Mary and Joseph noticed their twelve-year-old son, Jesus, was missing, they returned to Jerusalem and found Him in the Temple. “Didn’t you understand that I must be about My Father’s business?” was His response to their concern.
The Father’s business. Isn’t that what we are to be about as well? Isn’t that how we are to spend our days? But how can we do so if we haven’t first spent time with Him, as Jesus made a practice of doing regularly—listening for His voice, His Word, His direction, communing with Him, and learning to rest. For it is as we rest in Him that we understand what He has purposed for us to do and are enabled to respond accordingly.
Too many times we run ourselves ragged during the day—working, playing, serving, ministering—all in our own strength. And we wonder why have no feeling of lasting accomplishment when we’re done and why all we want to do is sleep and recover from the day’s activities. Perhaps it’s because we have it all backward. Why not try turning things around by first thinking of your day as beginning at night, when you go to bed to rest. Spend some time communing with God—before you fall asleep, the moment you wake up—and then, rested and refreshed, continue the day in His strength, rather than your own. Chances are you’ll accomplish a lot more of the Father’s business.

Don't settle for being "brought out"!

“Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in,
to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers” (Deuteronomy 6:23).

It’s amazing how many of us believers are satisfied to be “brought out” and forget that God also wants to “bring us in.” We are content with the proverbial “fire insurance” that spares us an eternity in hell yet care little about fulfilling our God-ordained purpose during our brief sojourn here on earth.
I remember when I was first saved in 1974 I heard a pastor say, “If God didn’t have a purpose for your life, He would take you straight to heaven the moment you became a believer.” I was 26 then, with a lifetime of opportunities ahead of me, which I could use to serve God—or self. Sadly my choices haven’t always been the right ones; as a result, I wasted much of the time that could have been used to fulfill God’s purposes for my life. I was content with being “brought out,” showing little concern about partnering with God to “bring me in.” Now, in my seventh decade of life, my greatest regret is the time I spent serving self, rather than God.
Most of you are behind me on the homeward journey, with more time ahead of you to make those right choices. I encourage you today to study the book of Deuteronomy and learn from the Israelites’ time in the wilderness, as they vacillated between obeying God and doing their own thing. For, ultimately, that’s the key to being brought in to the fulfillment of God’s purpose for our life—obedience. If God says “turn left” but we go right, we have just taken a detour from the path He has marked out for us. Being obedient to God today assures us that we will end up exactly where He wants us to be tomorrow. And that’s the reason He “brought us out” in the first place.
Don’t miss it, beloved. Following God’s plan to “bring us in” is the only way to find the joy and fulfillment that we all seek….

Need some joy in your life?

I just received my copy of Live Your Joy, the newest literary offering from my dear friend Bonnie St. John, who has been "blitzing" the country on a promotional tour. I had the privilege of reading this book before it was officially released, and I have to tell you that this is one read you do NOT want to miss! Bonnie is not only an amazing lady (who doesn't know the meaning of the word "can't"), but she has captured the unlimited, contagious joy that so typifies her and recorded it right here in this book so the rest of us can experience it too. Live Your Joy is available at all major online venues and everywhere books are sold. Do yourself a favor and get one--and get an extra for someone else!

IT IS FINISHED!

YAY!!! The completed FIRST ALLEGIANCE manuscript has just flown through cyberspace and landed in our editor's very capable hands. What a relief! I believe I need a nap before diving into the next emergency. Bless you all for praying!

Getting God Back in Perspective

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

We humans were made in God’s image, not the other way around, though we often forget that great truth. As a result, we have a skewed view of God, of the world, of life, and of ourselves. The only way to make it right is to put God back in proper perspective. That means we can no longer examine Him under the microscope of our finite reasoning, but rather behold Him through the telescope of His Word.

Our pastor has been teaching on God’s sovereignty, including the fact that by virtue of His sovereignty we have only one choice if we are to live in proper perspective as those made in the Sovereign’s image—we must adopt a servant attitude. Because we live in a wonderful country that has allowed us to participate in government, we often lack the understanding of what it means to live under sovereign rule. Those who live under a king or dictator or some other form of sovereign leadership understand much better than we. The difference is that our Sovereign is not human and therefore not limited by human abilities or tainted by human sin. But our call to servanthood is no less a reality; rather, it is more so, as our relationship to the Sovereign of the Universe is eternal, rather than temporal.

True, Jesus said that He no longer calls those of us who follow Him “servants” but “friends.” And what a great privilege that is! But it does not negate the fact that we are still to walk in submission and obedience to the One who has numbered our days and ordered our steps.

America is a Republic, based on democratic rule that allows us a say in how we are governed. Not so in the Kingdom of God . We don’t get to vote on pending laws, protest existing ones, or elect a new ruler. God is in charge, period. He always has been and always will be, regardless of how humans may rant or rave, shake fists at heaven, or deny His existence.

God is beyond our understanding because He is perfect and we are not. He is beyond our comprehension because He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent; we are not. He calls ALL the shots, not just some of them, and He has no need to consult us before He does so or apologize if we don’t like the outcome. And He was under no obligation to send His Son to pay for our sins so that we could have once again have relationship with Him.

But He did. And that is the most stunning aspect of His personality to fathom. A perfect, all-powerful God, who needed nothing from us and owed us nothing, humbled Himself to come into our presence and reveal to us as much as we were able to understand about our Creator, as much as we needed to know to acknowledge Him as Sovereign Lord and willingly and joyfully give our lives over to His service. And because He did so, we are without excuse if we do not respond.

An old Dennis the Menace cartoon so aptly depicts our necessary stance before a sovereign God, as it shows the little guy kneeling at his bedside, cowboy hat askew and plastic gun still holstered around his waist as he folds his hands in supplication and says, “I’m here to turn myself in.”

We with our crooked cowboy hats and plastic guns may think we’re in charge of our lives, but it is only because we have not understood that it is we who are made in the image of God, not He in ours. Throw away that microscope that minimizes the Sovereign of the Universe to One who exists to serve our needs, and start studying God through the telescope of the Scriptures. I promise you that very soon your magnified view of God will give you a servant’s heart that wants nothing more than to fulfill the purpose for which He has created you.

***Please take a moment to visit my website at www.kathimacias.com to sign my guestbook or leave a comment on my blog for a chance to win one of my new books. Please check out my new blog as well: http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com.

***Also, please visit www.setfreetoday.com, where I serve as Spiritual Director. Come as you are…leave with a new beginning! Drop us a note or prayer request while you’re there.

Of Sovereigns and Servants...

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

We humans were made in God’s image, not the other way around, though we often forget that great truth. As a result, we have a skewed view of God, of the world, of life, and of ourselves. The only way to make it right is to put God back in proper perspective. That means we can no longer examine Him under the microscope of our finite reasoning, but rather behold Him through the telescope of His Word.
Our pastor has been teaching on God’s sovereignty, including the fact that by virtue of His sovereignty we have only one choice if we are to live in proper perspective as those made in the Sovereign’s image—we must adopt a servant attitude. Because we live in a wonderful country that has allowed us to participate in government, we often lack the understanding of what it means to live under sovereign rule. Those who live under a king or dictator or some other form of sovereign leadership understand much better than we. The difference is that our Sovereign is not human and therefore not limited by human abilities or tainted by human sin. But our call to servanthood is no less a reality; rather, it is more so, as our relationship to the Sovereign of the Universe is eternal, rather than temporal.
True, Jesus said that He no longer calls those of us who follow Him “servants” but “friends.” And what a great privilege that is! But it does not negate the fact that we are still to walk in submission and obedience to the One who has numbered our days and ordered our steps.
America is a Republic, based on democratic rule that allows us a say in how we are governed. Not so in the Kingdom of God. We don’t get to vote on pending laws, protest existing ones, or elect a new ruler. God is in charge, period. He always has been and always will be, regardless of how humans may rant or rave, shake fists at heaven, or deny His existence.
God is beyond our understanding because He is perfect and we are not. He is beyond our comprehension because He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent; we are not. He calls ALL the shots, not just some of them, and He has no need to consult us before He does so or apologize if we don’t like the outcome. And He was under no obligation to send His Son to pay for our sins so that we could once again have relationship with Him.
But He did. And that is the most stunning aspect of His personality to fathom. A perfect, all-powerful God, who needed nothing from us and owed us nothing, humbled Himself to come into our presence and reveal to us as much as we were able to understand about our Creator, as much as we needed to know to acknowledge Him as Sovereign Lord and willingly and joyfully give our lives over to His service. And because He did so, we are without excuse if we do not respond.
An old Dennis the Menace cartoon so aptly depicts our necessary stance before a sovereign God, as it shows the little guy kneeling at his bedside, cowboy hat askew and plastic gun still holstered around his waist as he folds his hands in supplication and says, “I’m here to turn myself in.”
We with our crooked cowboy hats and plastic guns may think we’re in charge of our lives, but it is only because we have not understood that it is we who are made in the image of God, not He in ours. Throw away that microscope that minimizes the Sovereign of the Universe to One who exists to serve our needs, and start studying God through the telescope of the Scriptures. I promise you that very soon your magnified view of God will give you a servant’s heart that wants nothing more than to fulfill the purpose for which He has created you.

Does Forgiven Mean Forgotten?

As one who has worked in jail/prison ministry for many years, including interviewing such notorious criminals as Charles "Tex" Watson of the Manson Family and serving as editor for the personal memoirs of David "Son of Sam" Berkowitz (both now dedicated Christians), I am concerned at the controversy over the fate of those who become believers after being convicted of a serious crime.

I have heard the argument that if a person has been forgiven by the ultimate Judge, he should no longer have to face the full extent of his punishment and that somehow leniency is in order because the person has truly repented and been born again and is no longer a threat to society. I have also heard the argument that "jailhouse conversions" aren't worth the so-called paper they're written on and should therefore have no bearing on a prisoner's sentence.

There is merit in both arguments. I, for one, believe jailhouse conversions--if they are truly conversions and not dramatic attempts to gain freedom from incarceration--are as legitimate as conversions that take place anywhere else. I also believe that the One Judge over the universe, before whom we will all one day stand, has precedence over human law. Whether or not we believe someone is "worthy" of forgiveness is irrelevant. If God declares it so, then it is so.

But does being converted and spared eternal punishment after we die automatically preclude our need to pay the price for our crimes on earth? Does being forgiven by God mean our sins are forgotten by the world? Not at all. Though the change that comes from being born into God's family may impact the way others perceive and relate to us in this world, as well as the way we spend whatever time we have left on this planet, it does not necessarily change the conditions of our earthly sojourn, whether we are inmates convicted of crimes against society or simply individuals living in various life situations. As many inmates I have spoken to over the years and who have become believers while incarcerated have told me, "I have the joy of knowing I will go to be with the Lord when I leave this place; until then, I will serve wherever God has me--in prison or otherwise." Those prisoners who have experienced true conversions also know that prison walls and jail cells cannot prevent them from being free once the Son of God has made them "free indeed." They also know that many outside the confines of correctional institutions are in prisons of their own making, refusing to repent and be set free.

That said, may I suggest that you consider reading my latest novel, My Son, John, from Sheaf House, which deals with this very subject. This poignant, gripping story of heartbreak, loss, and unconditional love will challenge you to walk in a level of freedom you may never have considered before.

You can find out more about the book, watch the accompanying video trailer, and order a copy directly from my website, www.kathimacias.com.

Blessings, beloved, as you walk in the freedom that has been purchased at such a costly price!

Watch me on TV this week!

Of all the TV programs I did in April, the one that was taped rather than live airs worldwide this week. Just click on the Time for Hope link below, and then go to the “schedule” page and scroll down to the world map to click on your area to see the day/time/station it airs. I’m not too crazy about the still shot they put on the homepage of the site, but the thirty-minute interview was excellent. This is a very professionally done show and they treat their guests very well, so with worldwide exposure, I encourage you to check into it.


http://www.timeforhope.com/index.html

Guaranteed free books!

Okay, ladies, I need your help. Let's get the word out about this blog and get some sign-ups! Will you help me? If you can get ten people to sign up to follow this blog (and have them let me know that you sent them), I will send you one of my books as a thank you gift. (And you can let them know that I will make the same offer to them as well.) What do you think, girlfriends?

Win a Book at The Great Escape Summer Reading Contest!!!

Be sure to check out the "Great Escape" summer reading contest at The Christian Pulse, where you'll find lots of opportunities to win a great new book--including one of mine! HOW CAN I RUN A TIGHT SHIP WHEN I'M SURROUNDED BY LOOSE CANNONS? will be featured next week, beginning on Monday, so check it out and get registered. Here's the link:

http://www.thechristianpulse.com/

Happy reading--and see you there!

Another great summer read!

Wind of the Spirit, the third in the American Patriot Series by J. M. Hochstetler, is not only a great read for adults, but a powerful history-teaching tool for high school students. They can even read it on Kindle!

http://www.amazon.com/Wind-Spirit-J-M-Hochstetler/dp/0979748534/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244157379&sr=1-4

A Win-Win Situation...

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21).

I said goodbye to Brian yesterday, even though I’d never had the opportunity to say hello to him. But that’s all right because Brian was a Christian and so am I, so I know I’ll have the chance to greet him one day soon.
Brian was thirty-three years old, the same age as Jesus when He died on the cross. Brian was raised in the Christian faith but, like many young people, walked away for a while. A few years ago, however, God gave Brian a “divine appointment” via a Christian hairdresser who led him back into the fold. As a result, Brian’s memorial service was the celebration of a young man whose heart belonged to the Lord and who had gone on ahead of us to be with Him—one more treasure in heaven, awaiting our arrival.
As a friend and colleague of Brian’s mother, Yvonne, I attended the service for her precious son, as did several other writer/speaker friends, to support our dear sister in her loss. And though saying a temporary goodbye to her beloved only child was undoubtedly one of the most difficult ordeals Yvonne has ever or will ever endure, she did so with such grace and faith, to the point of delivering a powerful eulogy to Brian, which she ended by lifting her hand to point heavenward as she declared the truth of Philippians 1:21: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Then she added, “Brian has gained.”
How true that is! Though we grieve the loss of loved ones, we don’t as believers grieve as those who have no hope, for we know that we will again see those who have died in the faith, even as we continue to live in it. That’s why, though I never had the privilege of meeting Brian on this earth, I know I will one day say “hello” to him in heaven, for we share the same faith, the same Father, the same Savior. And in truth, there is no other.
For just as surely as those of us who have received Jesus Christ as Savior are assured an eternal home in the presence of God the Father, those who have rejected Christ are assured eternal separation from Him—unless they repent before they breathe their last. If you are living for Christ, then you’re in a win-win situation: serving Him here, or “graduating” to heaven to be with Him forever. But if you are not serving/loving Him here, you’re in a lose-lose situation, and only humbling your heart before Him and receiving His forgiveness can ever make the difference.
Don’t wait, beloved. Brian was only thirty-three years old when God called him home. We are not promised tomorrow—only today, which the Bible says “is the day of salvation.” Make it right in your own heart/life, and then commit yourself to praying for others who need to do the same.

You don't want to miss this book!

At last—a contemporary novel that’s entertaining, educational, relevant—and exquisitely written! Veiled Freedom by Jeanette Windle is not only a great read, but it’s also a no-holds-barred commentary on life in the Muslim culture and stronghold of Afghanistan. Call this book fiction if you like, but it reads like nonfiction because it’s as close to reality as it gets.

http://www.amazon.com/Veiled-Freedom-Jeanette-Windle/dp/1414314752/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243971266&sr=1-1

or

http://www.jeanettewindle.com/