Jean Stockdale...

This weekend I attended a Women's Conference with Anita Renfroe. If you have never heard her, you have missed the chance to laugh long and loud. She is a Christian comedian, an author, a musician, and a Bible teacher. She has several books on the market. I would encourage you to check her out. A merry heart does good like a medicine, and some of you are sadly lacking in the chuckles department.

Thursday I will be teaching the Moms Ministry at Bellevue Baptist Church. If any of you are in the area, come and join us. If not, you can check us out on the live video stream at www.bellevue.org at 10:45 and study with us. God bless you as you press on for the Lord.

Suffer Hardship

In II Timothy 2:3 Paul wrote, "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." Suffer hardship. Are you kidding? All of us have bought into the idea that if we are just good enough, just godly enough, faithful in our quiet time, diligent in our good works, kind enough and gentle enough, if we just love enough that God will be so pleased with us that He will open up heaven and pour out continual blessings. We refuse to accept the fact that suffering could be a part of God's plan. We are His sheep. Surely we are His favorite sheep. Surely He will keep us from ever having to suffer any serious inconveniences in this life. Surely He will ordain that we never have to suffer. Suffering does not fit into our concept of 21st century Christianity. Yet, Paul said, "Suffer hardship with me." Paul, who was the greatest Christian who ever lived, equated suffering with the Christian experience. Not only did he want us to expect to suffer for the cause of Christ, he wanted us to suffer well. To do it like a true solider of the Cross! How is it, then, that we have bought into the idea that we will never be called upon to suffer for Christ? Even worse, how is it that we are pretty sure that if suffering befalls you, it is your fault? Unconfessed sin or carnality must be at the root of all suffering. Truthfully, isn't that what we think? Consequently, we tend to fall apart when life gets hard and the winds of suffering blow our way. We weren't expecting that! We thought it would be "all good" if we just loved God. Yet, Paul was convinced otherwise and urged us to be a good solider of the Cross and suffer well for the cause of Christ.

Paul, who paid for his testimony for Christ with his own life, accepted both the undeserved blessings and the undeserved suffering of this life in order to gain the glories of Jesus Christ. Just how deep is your faith? Are you willing to suffer well for the cause of Christ? Are you willing to serve the Lord even when life is very hard? Are you committed to walking by faith through the valleys as well as the mountaintop experiences? Suffering reveals the reality of faith. Suffering well reveals the depth of the reality of faith. Think about it.

Happy Valentine's Day

May God fill your heart and home with the love of God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

I have been reading over the book of II Timothy in preparation to teach tomorrow in the Moms Ministry at Bellevue. Paul was well aware that the good news of Jesus Christ was about to pass into the hands of second generation Christians. Few of those who had actually set under the earthly ministry of His Incarnation were still living and the numbers were dwindling under the persecution of the Roman emperor, Nero. Soon the body of truth would reside within those who knew the truth "second-hand." Keeping the integrity of the truth was paramount especially in these days prior to the compilation of the New Testament. At one time, Timothy was the only owner of the letter called II Timothy! No wonder Paul wrote, "Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you" (Ii Timothy 1:14).

For those of us who know the Lord, the treasure of the knowledge of God in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit has been placed in our earthen vessel. We are to guard the truth and entrust it to others who can guard it as well.

On this day, when love is celebrated, my prayer for you is that you will come to love the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God with fervency and passion. And I pray that you will guard the treasure that has been entrusted to you.

A Godly Mom

Now my boys are grown. My nest is altogether empty. Life has settled into a rich and rewarding season for Craig and I, although we still miss the controlled chaos that the boys brought to our lives! I have been reading II Timothy and I am blessed to see that his mother and grandmother were named in Scripture (II Timothy 1:5) as women God used to impact him for the cause of Christ. These women are referenced 2 other times but not named anywhere else in Scripture. A mom. Just a mom. A woman probably not particularly widely known in her community. A woman who never acquired fame or fortune, but who is mentioned in the Word of God. Why? Because she faithfully trained her son in the things of the Lord. We know nothing else about her. Did she keep a nice house? Was she a good cook? Did she manage her household well? We don't know. All we know is that she was a godly woman. Is it because nothing else really matters?

When you children leave home, what will they remember about you? What matters to you? Godliness matters.