I love multiplication!

Well, actually math was never one of my best subjects.  I do better with words. But today, I love multiplication. Lisa, (the woman in the purple shirt), and I have been in a discipleship relationship for the last 18 months.  We have grown really close as we have walked through some tough life issues together.  I have seen the Lord lovingly work on Lisa and on me during this time and it has been an encouraging process that runs two-ways.

We finished today. I hate to see the weekly connection end (though, of course, the friendship doesn't). But since we knew this day was inevitable, I have been prompting her to begin praying for step 2 of discipleship...the one where she becomes the mentor/discipler/leading partner for someone else.

Someday, I want to share Lisa's testimony with you.  She came from a home with a father who was not her hero, to say the least.  And yet, God wooed and called and rescued her and became the Father to her that her heart  longed for.  Her road to maturity in Christ has had its challenges (in large measure due to her earthly father's weaknesses), but she is so teachable and so absolutely committed to being all that she is designed to be in Him.

So today, I wrote her an encouraging note and gave it to her along with a little gift as we sat in Starbucks.  In it, I reminded her of our prayer for the woman who would be her step 2 partner.  After she read the card, she looked up at me and said with a hint of nervousness, " I am having lunch today with Maira.  We became friends on the church mission trip. (See women in the blue shirt and hat above...) Do you think God wants me to ask her?"  

Maira has been in a couple of the women's Bible Studies that I have taught.  She has a beautiful heart to serve. Each week she would get to the morning studies early to put on the coffee.  And, she has been on several of those yearly church mission trips. During the Radical study, she confessed that though she wants to tell others about Christ, she feels at a loss about how to go about it.  I see in her a young woman with a heart to grow and reach out.  She just needs someone to come alongside her and show the way.

So my answer to Lisa's question was, "Yes! Totally!!"  Lisa invited me to come have lunch with them so as Lisa and I ended our meeting, I prayed...that Maira would be like an apple on a tree that was ready to be picked, with no tugging required.

We left Starbucks and drove to Panera Bread. (I like my office space, don't you?) I smiled as Lisa hesitantly laid out the offer and smiled even bigger when Maira responded with, "I can't think of any reason I wouldn't want to!"

Spiritual multiplication.  Yep.  I love multiplication. :)

God's Story

When I set out to write the "God's Story" portion of my personal tract, I figured it would be easy. I have plenty of resources at my disposal and after all, I know the gospel backwards and forwards. Right.  Trying to condense these glorious, eternal, and life-defining truths into 650 words is at least, daunting and at most, impossible. I guess that's why the Bible is 1200 pages, give or take. But maybe these few words will pique some interest or stir emotion in someone who is beginning to listen to the Holy Spirit's call. Certainly, I have the promise that the Scripture that is included will not return void. (Is.55:11)


Again, I invite a response from you. Is the message clear? Have I left out critical elements? I am open to suggestions. 

God's story is the backdrop to all others. 
He is the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe and He was there before it all began. The first verse in the Bible says: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

After creating the stars and planets and solar systems, the earth and seas and every creature in them, He fashioned human beings, male and female, making them in “His image.” The Bible doesn’t say exactly what that means, but to be made in God’s image apparently makes a human unique amongst all of creation with Spiritual DNA, so to speak. The world God created and the relationship he enjoyed with the first two humans was in a word, perfect.

The second chapter of God’s Story is, however, tragic.  Though People were created to enjoy the beauty, goodness, truth, and love of uninterrupted fellowship with God, humanity chose instead to go their own independent way by following self-will instead of God’s will.  As a result, fellowship with God was tragically broken.  This self-will, characterized by active rebellion or passive indifference is described in the Bible as sin and the Bible is clear: All have sinned. (Rom. 3:23)  And, sadly,  “the wages of sin is death.”  (Romans 6:23) 

*Note: Death is used in the Bible to refer to two types of separation...

• a physical death, where the soul (the spiritual part of man) separates from the body (the material part)
• and a spiritual death where man’s spirit becomes separated from God’s.

 Both are a result of sin and neither were a part of God's original design.

This broken fellowship with God, ultimately caused all of created order to become distorted. When sin and death entered the picture, beauty began decaying, goodness turned into depravity, truth became deception, and love became self-centered.

Fortunately, chapter three of God’s story brings hope to the middle of the mess created by sin.
God declared that the only way out would be through the redeeming work of His Son, Jesus Christ. To redeem means to “buy back”. It involves setting free through paying a ransom.

Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, never sinned so He was not subject to the penalty of sin and subsequent death.  But, (and this is huge), He willingly paid the ransom for us through His death on the Cross.  God’s Story explains it this way, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” (Rom.5:6)

The height of God’s story occurred when Jesus rose from the dead three days later, proving that death had no grip on Him. (See 1 Cor. 15)  Jesus' atonement (think..."at one" ment) is God's only provision for our sin. That which kept us from being "at one" with God was removed by His sacrifice.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

When I personally chose to believe in Jesus and receive His payment for my sin, my story and God’s story aligned.
That day, I received eternal life (John 5:24), I became God’s child (John 1:12) and He made me a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

Jesus’ invitation extends to you as well. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)

God’s story actually has no final chapter. 
World history as we know it will someday be complete. But God intends to fully restore His rule in the Universe when He creates a new heaven and a new earth. (See Rev. 21, 22) Incredibly, He invites you and me to enjoy Him and His new creation forever.   I am wondering…where is your story taking you?  Will it align with God’s as mine did?  I pray it will.

If you would like to interact further on this, my email address is: cyndisown@sbcglobal.net.  I would love to hear from you.