Loved and Protected

These days there are many who believe all roads lead to heaven, but that is not what the Bible says. In fact, the devil, who is very much alive and well and seeking whom he may devour, would love nothing better than for people to believe there is no one single way to heaven.

But John 14:6 says this: “And Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Him.” Listen, we have one chance to get this right. There are no re-takes, no second chances, if hell is on the other side of eternity.

Isaiah 45:20-21 says: “They have no knowledge, who carry about their wooden idol, and pray to a god who cannot save. Declare and set forth your case. Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and Savior, there is none except Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no other.”

Isaiah 46:9-10 says: “Remember this and be assured…I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.”

Jehovah God is the only true and living God. We have believed lies for years, lies that said there are many other ways to heaven, but do you know why those lies have flourished? Because if we believe there is only one God, we must respond to His demand that we be saved, and live in holiness and obedience. If we says He does not exist, we excuse ourselves to live in whatever kind of sin we want.

But don’t be deceived, the Bible says, “For whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” The day of reckoning is at hand, when it will be too late to change your mind. Today is the day of salvation. Do you want to risk your eternity on a whim? Confess your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved today.

A wise man built his house upon a rock, while a foolish man built his house upon shifting sand. Which kind of man are you?

Because of His great love,

Nancy

Does it seem like your world is falling apart? That evil men are in positions of power and are taking us down? Don’t despair. This story isn’t a new one to God; He’s heard it all before.

In fact, Psalm 37:1 says: “Fret not yourself because of evildoers. Be not envious toward wrongdoers, for they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”

That Scripture spoke peace to my heart as it has to those in generations past, because it is still true. Over the centuries since the beginning of time there have been those in charge who did evil things, who ruled with an iron hand, and even brought the “house” down. But God made a way for those who loved Him.

Remember, nothing takes God by surprise. He knew who would take office, and He knows what is in their hearts, not merely what they’ve said with their lips. And He is sovereign. He is still in control.

We must pray for those in authority over us, but we must live for Jesus Christ, who is over all, for He is the one we must answer to.

We must worship with our whole hearts, praising God in the middle of whatever is going on. Oh, we still need to make our opinions known to those in authority, but whether they hear us or not, we must not lose hope, for God will make a way. Our hope must be in Him and not in man, because man will ultimately disappoint us every time.

Remember, God is a very present help in time of need. Cast your cares upon Him. They’re too heavy for you, so let Him carry them. When all seems too hard to bear, crawl up on His lap, lay your head on His breast, and tell Him all about it. Then feel His arms as they wrap around you and rock you. His peace will fill your heart, because you know He is working on your behalf.

In fact, He repeats the words, “Fear not” 365 times, enough for every day of the year. Isn’t that incredible? We take our fears to Him and He replaces them with peace. That’s the way I want to live–so all men can see Jesus in me. What about you?

Because of His great love,

]Nancy

In the day in which we live, we face challenges our parents never faced. My father worked the same job for nearly forty years, and my mother was a homemaker. But life is seldom like that anymore.

These days we often struggle to keep a job for a year before companies are bought out, merged, or go under. And things don’t seem to be getting better. In fact, under the new stimulus package, pressure will be brought to bear to pay more taxes, which few can afford.

Many of us will be handed pink slips sometime this year, and it will seem our worlds have fallen apart. On top of the normal struggles, job losses will only compound heartache and despair.

So what is the answer? Jesus Christ is the answer. In spite of what we see with our eyes, Jesus never changes. He is the Rock on which we can feel secure, even when our worlds are falling apart and everything we’ve counted on disappears.

He promises that He doesn’t leave us, that His Spirit will be the lamp to our feet and the light to our path. And if you’ve read even a little of the Bible, you know about how He provides for those who love and serve Him.

If you have a personal relationship with Christ, you’ve confessed your sins and accepted His gift of salvation, He walks alongside you. He doesn’t necessarily fix things the way we hope He will or think He should, but He has a plan. That plan requires that we set aside our own personal agendas and refuse to tell God what He must do to fix things.

It requires us to seek His face first, dumping our pain and anger at His feet, and choosing to humble ourselves, waiting on Him to work things out for our good. When we finally admit our helplessness and the fact that we desperately need Him and have no way out, He is there for us.

And waiting is often the toughest part; wouldn’t you agree? But Psalms 37:3 tells us: “Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; those who wait for the Lord…will inherit the land.”

God is a very present help in time of need, no matter how bad things seem. Call upon Him in your day of trouble, and He will lift you up.

Because of His great love,

Nancy

Have you ever been misunderstood or falsely accused? Of course you have. It happens to us all. But how should we respond?

Jesus is our example here. He was misunderstood from the day He was born. God’s Son was born to a virgin, which made His birth appear less than honorable. And things didn’t get better with time. He repeatedly ran up against those who misjudged Him and His motives. So how did Jesus handle the situation?

He gave it to His Father, forgave His accusers, and took back His peace, knowing God would work things out for His good.

Unlike Jesus, you and I are mere humans, so on occasion we will cause our own problems in this area. Because that’s true, we do well to examine ourselves to see if our accusers’ words have any merit. If they do we can go make it right. If not, we need to choose to respond with grace and soft words, lest we make enemies and burn our bridges behind us.

When we are misjudged or falsely accused we can expect to feel sad and hurt, but when we give those feelings to God He comes to us to comfort us by the power of His Holy Spirit, wrapping His arms around us and reassuring us that we have His undivided attention and His tender compassion.

Scripture says Jesus had feelings just like ours, and that, too, should comfort us. He comes when we call, and delights to minister to our needs.

Psalm 103 says this: Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits, who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion, who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.  

When we are misunderstood or falsely accused we can trust God to battle for us instead of letting it destroy us or tear us down. What an amazing God we serve! 

Because of His great love,

Nancy

Has God ever made you a promise that you’ve been holding onto for dear life? You’ve envisioned it, waited for it, but for some reason it’s never materialized?

Well, don’t give up. Over and over in Scripture God made promises that were on the way. I Samuel 1 says Hannah, a woman of God, had yearned for a child for years. In the Jewish culture of her day a woman without children was disdained and thought cursed. Hannah was teased mercilessly by other women who were mothers. For years she begged God for a child, but nothing happened. Then one day it happened. Eli, the priest saw her praying in the temple and thought she was drunk, so desperate were her prayers. When he finally understood, Eli told her God had heard her prayers and that she would have a child. I Samuel 1:19 says: “And the Lord remembered her.” Her child, Samuel, whom she gave to the Lord at age three or four, listened to God from an early age, and was a huge blessing to Israel.

The same thing happened to Elizabeth, the cousin of Jesus’ mother, Mary, and the wife of Zachariah. She had never had a child and was quite elderly when the angel told her she would have a son and should name him John. She laughed when she heard the news.

Abraham and Sarah were also promised that from their seed God would make a great nation, whose descendants would number as the sands of the sea. But Sarah could not conceive for many years, and she despaired of it ever happening. Then when she was too old to physically bear a son, God gave her a miracle child, a son named Isaac, through whom the nation of Israel was born.

Scripture says God’s timing is much different than ours. To God, a day is as a hundred years, and one hundred years as a single day, so we must hold onto the promises of God, and refuse to give up hope. He never makes idle promises.

Just like these women you and I can count on God’s promises. We can believe that if God said it, it will happen. We need to hold on for dear life, praising God in faith, for that is a sweet fragrance that pleases God.

Don’t give up on God’s promise!

Because of His great love,

Nancy

Has God ever asked you to do something you didn’t understand–something that didn’t make sense–that you didn’t want to do?

It happened to me ten years ago next month. I was born, raised, married and had my children in Nebraska, then God said, “Pack up your things. I’m moving you to Missouri.” Well, Missouri and Nebraska are neighboring states, but the cultural differences make they seem worlds apart.

He opened doors in Missouri, clearly closed doors in Nebraska, and put it all together in obvious and even crazy ways, just to let me know this was His plan. I wanted to get out of it in the worst way, because I had hoped to live and die in my home state, surrounded by friends, family, church and neighbors I dearly loved. Because I plant my roots very deep He needed a bulldozer to dig them out.

Oh, how I dreaded the move. I kept asking, “Why, Lord?” If it wasn’t home, it wasn’t home. That’s all there was to it.

It broke my heart to say goodbye to those I loved, my children and especially my grandchildren, who would now essentially grow up without me. My husband was excited about the move and went on ahead while I stayed behind to sell the house and make final arrangements.

For months I wept and argued asking God if He knew what He was doing, because it certainly didn’t feel like it to me. Once we were settled in the new place, I struggled against terrible homesickness, still wondering why.

I often asked the Lord during those first two years what I was supposed to do in this new place, but He was stonily silent on the subject. Two years to the day, however, He finally answered, telling me to sit down, that He was going to teach me how to write.

I did a double-take. “What? I must’ve heard wrong. I thought You said You were going to teach me how to write.” “I did.” “But I’m nearly fifty years old. Don’t you think it’s a little late?”

That’s exactly how I reacted and yet, I had seen Him do such amazing things that I had to give it a shot. The truth is, I came to Missouri suffering from clinical depression that had begun five years earlier, and was on medication to control it.

But now I was getting excited, with something new to look forward to. And God did amazing things. Our wooded acreage, nestled on a two-acre lake in the heart of the Ozarks, is the perfect place to write, offering both solitude and inspiration. And the writing process was so therapeutic that the depression lifted, so medication was no longer necessary. I had so many stories pouring from my imagination that it took over twenty-five books to write them all.

But more than anything I saw God in a way I’d never seen Him before. He makes excellent plans for us if we’re willing to follow His lead, trusting that He knows the way we take and what will fill us up. 

Missouri is the perfect place to write, and I am, as they say, happy as a clam. And I can say with assurance: how blessed is the man or woman who trusts in the Lord, for the end of the story will be a good one.

Because of His great love,

Nancy

Our country was founded on Christian principles, a foundation of righteousness, where men loved doing right because it was the right thing to do, and God commanded it. Because they loved God and wanted to please Him.

Today there are few who seem to have a conscience. They can cheat and steal their way to the top of the heap, believing there will be no day of reckoning. But if those who have died could return, they would tell us there IS a time to give an account, and the choices we make now will determine our eternity.

As bold as it may sound, I want to challenge pastors and preachers to stop worrying about offending people and start preaching the true Word of God. For too long we’ve catered to a business model, acting like the church is a corporation, doing nothing to mess up the bottom line. But in the church setting, that means we alter our messages to accommodate people’s feelings. Well, God says that is wrong. No two ways about it. God says not to change a word of what He says in the Bible. The Word is sharper than a two-edged sword, and will do its work convicting of sin if we stop pussyfooting around.

Just like children who need a firm hand to know they are loved and protected, we all need to hear the truth of God exactly as He wrote it, with no compromise.

The thing is, when the Word is taught, some will be offended, and leave and take their money with them. Is that what your church is worried about?

God is the provider for every church, and for each individual who belongs to Him, who is called by His name. He will finance the church, but He promises to spew from His mouth any church that is lukewarm, any church that has another agenda. That other agenda, in case you haven’t noticed, is money. The almighty dollar–the thing it all boils down to these days.

But God will not be mocked. Whatever we sow we will reap. God will no longer look the other way while we water down the gospel of Jesus Christ and tell people it’s okay to sin every day of the week if they only come and give their offering on Sundays.

No more! In Jeremiah 23:1 God says this: “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore says the Lord God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people, “You have scattered My flock, and driven them away, and have not attended to them. Behold I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares the Lord. “Moreover, among the prophets I saw an offensive thing; the committing of adultery and walking in falsehood, and they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one has turned back from his wickedness.”

God is saying, “That’s enough. It’s time to repent and preach the true word of the Lord, without apology or excuse while there is still time.”

If pastors and preachers would repent and begin preaching the true word, it could absolutely change the course of history!

Because of His great love,

Nancy

As I read through Scripture there are repeated instructions from God to tear down the altars and destroy every idol wherever Israel went. Why did God do that?

As our Creator, He knows we are fickle, falling easily for the next thing that comes along. We are no different from Israel. During their day, Israel would war against others and be told that God would go before them to fight their enemies. And once the victory was theirs, He would demand that they tear down the idols. But rarely did they do that, and in nearly every case, they ended up worshiping them. And over time they grew distant and arrogant, disobeying what God had said, not realizing their unbelief was eating them up from the inside out.

Back in that day just as in our day, purity of heart and loyalty to God alone meant everything to God, but it was in short supply. And its supply is just as scarce today. We have enjoyed freedoms, blessing and abundance for over 300 years. But one thing we did not do was tear down the idols that have come in among us.

Instead we have worshiped the blessing more than the One who blessed us. We have believed a lie, thinking we deserve good things when it’s merely by God’s grace that we are blesssed. In fact, we  now demand good things and grow arrogant when we fail to get our way. We have adopted secular humanism and set ourselves up as gods, scarcely acknowledging His existence among us today. We’ve taken prayer and Bible reading from schools, removed His name off our buildings and His creche scenes from our public spaces. We are so far from our roots now that there is little resemblance to the nation we used to be.

And now we have our Saul. Remember the story of Saul? In I Samuel chapter 8, the people demanded a king, saying a righteous judge was no longer good enough to rule over them.

So, God gave them what they wanted, a king, and Saul ruled them with an iron hand. Our Saul was just inaugurated to the tune of $150 million and given a blank check the likes of which has never been seen before.

We have our king, exactly what we asked for, apart from God’s will, but will that turn our hearts back to God? I believe things will only go downhill from here, forcing us to look back to God, the only answer for what ails us today. If we’re wise, we will run back to God, repenting and turning away from evil, for Scripture says, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord and make His paths straight!”

Let him who has an ear hear the word of the Lord.

Because of His great love,

Nancy

Merriam Websters’ Dictionary defines the word “distress” as: “great strain or difficulties, to cause to worry or be troubled, experiencing economic decline or difficulty.”

Psalm 30:3 says: “I cried to the Lord in my distress and Thou didst heal me. O Lord, Thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol. Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.”

There are many in distress in our day, with job losses, layoffs and cutbacks. In fact over 4% of the workforce is out of work, and many cannot get unemployment benefits for one reason or another. Unemployment and government programs are overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of applicants. Retirees have seen their 401K accounts plunge in value and worry they can’t make it on their savings. Millions of new baby boomers are applying for benefits from the already nearly bankrupt Social Security system. Some who are without jobs are losing homes and moving in with family, causing endless fear and worry. Even the skilled and well-educated are finding themselves without jobs with little hope of finding work.

And things don’t look like they’ll turn around any time soon. The good news is the Lord has always run to the cries of the distressed when they humbled themselves and repented, turning to God in their times of need. And things are no different today. God still responds to the cries of the needy, and He’s ready to minister to your needs.

If you don’t know Him, but you’d like to, He says, “Come unto me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will have rest unto your soul.” He also says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

As well as: “Call on Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.”

It’s never been the in thing to seek God, to speak of God, or to tell others they need salvation through Christ, but the time is soon coming if not’s not yet here, when men will desperately seek answers to questions that secular humanism can’t address. Only Jesus, who is alive and well, and the Holy Spirit, in power and might, will be able to minister to the terrible situations in which we find ourselves. And if these are the end times, judgment will soon follow economic disaster.

I pray that men have ears to hear what the Spirit says, before it’s too late.

If you haven’t accepted Christ as your Savior, you need to do it today. For Scripture says, “Today is the day of salvation.”  And tomorrow is not guaranteed. To receive Christ pray this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I admit I’m a sinner and can’t save myself. Forgive my sins and wash me clean, with the blood of Jesus. I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, and thank you for welcoming me into Your family. Change my heart, O, God, and lead me in the path of righeousness. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you have said those words in sincerity of heart, you are now a Child of God, accepted into the beloved. Get yourself a Bible, and begin to study and God will reveal Himself to you, transforming you, making you brand new. You’ll never be the same again.

God bless you. If you’d like to write me, I’d love to pray for you and send you to some website information where you can find free Bible study materials online. Email me at nancyarantwilliams@hughes.net

Because of His great love,

Nancy

I was reading today in Jeremiah 7:9, where it says this: “Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely and offer sacrifices to Baal, and walk after other gods you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’ that you may do all these abominations? Has this house which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the Lord. “Therefore I will cast you out of My sight.”

I saw an immediate parallel to our country in these verses. We may have run to God after 9/11 and Katrina hit us, after the Oklahoma City bombing…but what happens the rest of the time? Do we love God? Do we even attend church? Do we say we are Christians living in a Christian nation?

Sure we do, but then we kill babies, follow after those who tickle our ears with their new age paganism, live together outside of marriage, sleep around on our mates, cheat on our taxes, then go to church and sing songs saying we love God.

Well, I believe God is saying, “That’s enough. I have been gracious and extended My hand, but you refuse to change your ways. Your lips may on occasion glorify Me, but your words are insincere, because you refuse to hear My voice and repent. Now I will bring judgment that you can’t help but notice, and it will turn your world upside down.”

I hate hearing these words as much as anyone, because we have come through a time of peace, that will probably now end. We have sown the wind and are reaping the whirlwind, so we shouldn’t be surprised.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating–just because God hasn’t sent judgment before now doesn’t mean He isn’t there. It just means He was patient, waiting for us to turn to Him. But even God’s patience has an end. Scripture says, “Let the one who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”

Who do we think we are, thumbing our noses at God? We’ll soon find out who we are–that our arrogance and self-righteousness are a stench in God’s nostrils. Time is short, and terrible things are ahead, judgment for walking away from our roots, our God, and from Israel, which I imagine, will happen next. Turn to Jesus with all your heart, soul and mind, and let Him change your heart, for time is running out…

May God have mercy on us!

Because of His great love,

Nancy